Beelzebubs Tales is an Objective Work of Art, of Literature of the Highest Kind

‘I don’t propose to rewrite it,’ he said. ‘In fact, apart from general editing, I shall leave it as it is until, probably the final revision, whenever that may be. The book will take shape. It is full of ideas. As I see it, it is really an objective work of art, of literature of the highest kind; it is in the category of scripture. It seems that Gurdjieff planned it while he was lying in bed after the accident. It is consciously designed to have a definite effect on everyone who feels drawn to reading it. Anyone who tried to rewrite it would distort it.’

A.R. Orage

I asked Gurdjieff - What is the aim of this book?

“What is the aim of this book?” I asked Gurdjieff.

“To make free thought possible he said”,

i.e. thought without planetary accidental associations. If this were done, further breaking or freeing would still be necessary.

A.R. Orage

three “versions” of the book & seven aspects

We must always keep in mind what Gurdjieff says about Beelzebub’s Tales: 

there are three “versions” of the book - an outer, an inner, and an inmost.

Also, every complete statement in the book has seven aspects.

A.R. Orage´s Commentaries on "Beelzebubs Tales to His Grandson"

Professor Denis Saurat´s commentary on Gurdjieff´s "All and Everything"

I have again read with the greatest interest naturally this astonishing book by G. Gurdjieff. I believe that the most important thing, objectively, is that in this book there are a number of observations which indicate a superterrestrial source:

- The point of view about devils.

- The affirmation that there are, at present, four centres of initiates on the earth, and the situation of these centres.

- The forbidding to impart true information directly to ordinary minds.

- The difference between mental knowledge, which is an obstacle to real understanding; and the knowledge of “being”—the only real knowledge. This, perhaps, is the most important point.

- The fact that it is Buddhism (in its distorted forms) that has produced occultism, theosophy, psychoanalysis and so on.

- The fact that only revelation can teach us something.

- The suffering of God.

We are thus in the presence of one who, in a certain measure, speaks with authority.

In the second place, very many of the ideas, though common-sensical, are based on intuitions well above the normal: Every criticism of modern life and of human history is perfectly just, and this is perhaps one of the most important things in the book, since it is absolutely necessary to understand that all our ideas have been falsified - before we have been able to correct at least some of them.

The Greeks and the Romans have been responsible for putting in train fundamental errors—and then the Germans.

God forgives all.

The importance of the lawful inexactitudes in the transmission of real teaching in Art.

The criticisms of the doctrine of reincarnation.

In the third place it is necessary to state that a great part of the book is not clear, and one has the right to suspect that G.G. has done this intentionally. Leaving his sense of humour on one side one can follow his idea that it is forbidden to teach directly, and that one can tell lies if these lies are useful to humanity; this shows that he has probably put errors or intentional inexactitudes in his book so as to compel his followers to exercise their own judgment and thus themselves develop and reach a higher level, to which—according to the theories of G.G., these followers would not arrive at if he, G.G., taught them the truth directly. In the latter case they would be in the category which is called “mental knowledge”, whereas G.G. wishes them to reach the category of “knowledge of being”, and the first hinders the second.

It is on this that each reader must take his own stand. I am quite ready to tell you mine. I place among the myths which are to be rejected, completed or explained:

- The person of Beelzebub, who is evidently a transformation of G.G. himself—leaving on one side the question of who is G.G.

- All the story of the central sun, of the planets, of the earth and the moon; and of eternal retribution for a small number of beings, which contradicts the idea of a universal pardon.

- The idea of Christ as only one of the messengers; in this case it is necessary to identify the Logos, which is perfectly indicated in the chapter on purgatory.

In conclusion, it seems to me that the teachings of G.G. should be able to play a very important role in our time if they are explained by minds first of all endowed with a certain preliminary knowledge and a developed critical sense.

I think further that it is a compliment to G.G. to believe that this is exactly what he intended himself. You know as well as I, and even better, that he had a critical sense and a sense of humour extremely well developed; and further, a very poor opinion of the intellectual capacity of people to whom he spoke in general. I shall be very happy to know what you think of these points of view, and I shake you very cordially by the hand.

https://www.gurdjieff.org/nott2.htm

Gurdjieff - in Beelzebub is "All that exists, all that has existed, all that can exist"

One thing I can tell you. Methods do not exist. I do not know any. But I can explain now everything simply. For example, in  the First Series, I know there is everything one must know. It is a very interesting book. Everything is there. All that exists, all that has existed, all that can exist. The beginning, the end, all the secrets of the creation of the world; all is there. But one must understand, and to understand depends on one's individuality. The more man has been instructed in a certain way, the more he can see. Subjectively, everyone is able to understand according to the level he occupies, for it is an objective book, and everyone should understand something in it. 

One person understands one part, another a thousand times more. Now, find a way to put your attention on understanding all of the First Series. This will be your task, and it is a good way to fix a real attention. If you can put real attention on the First Series, you can have a real attention in life. You didn't know this secret.

In the First Series there is everything, I have said it, even how to make an omelet. Among other things, it is explained; and at the same time there isn't a word in the First Series about cooking. So, you put your attention on the First Series, another attention than that to which you are accustomed, and you will be able to have the same attention in life.

G.I. Gurdjieff

10/21/1943

Frank S. Pinder discussing "Beelzebubs Tales" at a meeting in Southbourne 4/9/1952

Meeting of Bournemouth Group at Withycroft Southbourne on Wednesday the 9th of April 1952

Present: Mr. Myers(in charge) - Miss Dacombe - Mr. Evans - Miss Flammger - Mrs. Gray - Miss Sunderland - Mr. Turner -

Mrs. Corns - Mr. Glasscott - Mrs. Groves - Miss Pettipher - Mrs. Taylor - Mr. & Mrs. Whateley - Miss Walker

Absent: Miss Meadows - Mr. Litchfield - Mr. & Mrs. Rogers - Mrs. Turner - Mrs. Warder - Miss M´Causland - Mrs. Boome

Record of Gurdjieff´s Music. Followed by a reading of chapter 18 of "All and Everything"

Mr. Mayers: If you want any help with this chapter I advise you to ask now. We have Mr. Pinder with us who knows more about this book than anyone I know.

Mr. Turner: Can you explain why light was not perceived until it was reflected?

Mr. Pinder: It is reflected in Essence. This chapter is the center of gravity of the whole book.It is called the "Arch-Preposterous". Why is that? What does preposterous mean? Think what that means? You could write whole volumes to explain the chapter. You see, Essence is stunted. We haven´t got a proper Essence. It grows roughly until the age of 5, and then it stops growing. It is overmantled by Personality which is false. This is done by our methods of education, by imitation, by all sorts of outward conditioning. That is why it was said in the Gospels "Unless you become as little children you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven." It means to revert to the state of a child, and to make your Essence grow.

To go back to this chapter, when your Essence is made to grow, you can see much more. You see more in absolutely empty space, and I don´t mean a vacuum. You can see the reflection before your own eyes. It is your own Astral. It can be seen most vividly in the sunshine. You also see your past history. This book is obstruse allegory.

Gornahoor Harharkh is the symbol of Essence. It says, thanks to his son, he is left "sitting in an old American galosh." That is to say, Essence must be made to grow. Gornahoor Harharkh´s unredeemable sin is that he concerned himself with scientific experiments only. If you send time with experiment only, you have wasted your time. The whole thing needs a great deal of pondering. The more one ponders for oneself, the more one develops and harmonizes the three centers.

Beelzebub has to be read from start to finish and known from start to finish. We must remember and know all we can in a given moment. Consciousness is being able to say at a given moment all that you know. One bears in mind that totality of knowledge and therefore one says the right thing at a given moment.

Take the word THEO - MERTMA - LOGOS and divide it like this. The last two divisions mean "the word" in different languages, and Theo of course means "God". Gurdjieff by this arrangement is indicating the "word" issuing from the Sun Absolute. In the Bible the word used for this means both "to tell" and "to say". We have the same in our language today and also in German. Everything is based on number. Pythagoras said this, and he was a real teacher. The higher the rate of vibration, the less the density of matter, and the greater the density of vibration the coarser the quality of the matter. We human beings have a very coarse vibratory number. The exercises you are doing are built up on vibratory numbers. The difficulty you have in doing them is because of the difference in rate of vibration of the limbs. In this the music is designed to help. It supplies the harmonious vibrations which you cannot supply yourself, and so enables you to do them.

Miss Walker: Is Individuality the same thing as Essence?

Mr. Pinder: In a way, but not yet. Mankind is born with Essence. On this planet Essence must be made individual. In our life, as it is now lived, this is not possible.

Mrs. Corns: No Essence could be passive, it must be active surely. It will only take the food that is necessary for it. I mean it could not take a poison for instance?

Mr. Pinder: It depends on what kind of Essence it is. Oh yes, it can take a poison. When Essence is grown you can see far more. Bur only those who are "striving for the sun" as it is expressed, will be able to develop. All this that I am saying you must work at for yourselves. Don´t take my word for it. I may be wrong.

Mr. Myers: I don´t think any of us really understands what Djartklom is?

Mr. Pinder: It has many meanings. The forces scatter, the active splits off and the passive splits off. When the earth has gone further round and the force is turned away from the sun, these two parts reunite. The third part has become then heat. That is why until we get the feeling centre harmonizing with the other 100% we can know nothing about heat. It is a heat that pervades everything with a calm warmth, that pervades the whole Being. It has nothing to do with heat as we know it from outside.

Mr. Whateley: When we are trying to get the meaning of Being, which center should we use?

Mr. Pinder: You have got to use all three centers. You have first to understand it subjectively before you can understand it objectively. Through the school work you develop the higher centers in order to understand more fully. If we don´t do this work we shall "die like a dog". This is the only life we have got. The horrible thing is that if we exclude the opportunity when found, we may never have this chance again.

Mr. Turner: How are we part of organic matter?

Mr. Pinder: Organic life is the link between this planet and the Sun. You mustn´t forget that Nature has to do something for the "higher-ups" for which she needs something, and she has to get it from us and from other planets. In our life we have the possibility of giving her what she wants, and getting something for ourselves. If we were conscious human beings, then we could give what she wants and get something for ourselves as well. The difference between thinking and moving should be neutralized by feeling. Think first, feel next and then do.

Mr. Whateley: When you get perfect balance in the three centers, does another force enter?

Mr. Pinder: The centers are never balanced. Two may be balanced, but the third is not in harmony.

Robin Bloor on Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson

 

Robin Bloor - Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson - Gurdjieff Podcast

Literature for Understanding Gurdjieffs "Beelzebubs Tales to His Grandson"

A.R. Orage - Commentaries on Beelzebubs Tales to His Grandson

C.S. Nott - Teachings of Gurdjieff

C.S. Nott - Journey through this World

J.G. Bennett - Talks on Beelzebubs Tales

Sophia Wellbeloved - Gurdjieff, Astrology and Beelzebub's Tales: The Breakthrough Analysis of Gurdjieff's Masterpiece

Robin Bloor - Gurdjieff’s Hydrogens. The Ray of Creation

Robin Bloor - To Fathom The Gist. The Arch-Absurd

Robin Bloor - To Fathom The Gist. The Arousing of Thought

Robin Bloor - To Fathom The Gist. Approaches to the Writings of G. I. Gurdjieff

Dr. Keith A. Buzzell - Perspectives on Beelzebub’s Tales 2005

Dr. Keith A. Buzzell - Explorations in Active Mentation 2006 

Dr. Keith A. Buzzell - Man - A Three-brained Being 2007 

Dr. Keith A. Buzzell - Reflections on Gurdjieff’s Whim 2012 

Dr. Keith A. Buzzell - A New Conception of God, Further Reflections on Gurdjieff’s Whim 2013 

Dr. Keith A. Buzzell - The Third Striving 2014