Welcome to a series of talks about objective consciousness, an objective Universe, and an objective way to awaken, expanding upon the works of George I. Gurdjieff and Russell A. Smith.

Today, I will share with you a weekly phone call between Russell and one of his students, wherein the student shares some Aphorisms, explores why we are driven to work on our self, which prompts Russell to explain our genetic destiny and the part that reason plays in it, as well as, the various fates of the Universe, the mathematics of the Pythagorean ratios, the Harmonic stability that is found in a Slinky, and why the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapsed.

Let’s begin:

Russell:  Hello doc. How are you tonight?

Student:  I’m fine.

Russell:  Was everything taken care of with your dad’s wife?

Student:  Yeah. A lot of changes were made.

Russell:  I’m sorry you had to go through that, but that is part of being a human being.

Student: Indeed, it is.

Russell:  Well, I am glad that you survived that onslaught, as well as got back safely.

Student:  I survive most things.

Russell:  Good. Now I want you to put a smile in your voice because it does not sound like there’s one there.

Student:  [a little giggle] Yea, it was a very busy two weeks.

Russell:  I heard that little giggle, which makes me feel a whole lot better.

Student:  Okay, I now have a smile on my face.

Russell:  Excellent. Now that you do, we are in good shape. 

Okay, do you have an aphorism for me?

Student:  Well actually, I have three of them. When I was in Texas two weeks ago, I didn’t know Aphorism #24, but I am pleased to report that I know it now.

Russell:  Okay, what is Aphorism #24?

Student:  “By teaching others you will learn yourself.” 

I also learned Aphorism #25, “Remember that here work is not for work’s sake but is only a means.”

Russell:  Excellent.

Student:  And then, today, I learned Aphorism #26, “Only he can be just who is able to put himself in the position of others.”

Russell:  Very good effort sir.

Student:  So, we are up to date on the aphorisms. I also began rereading the chapters in your book. I want to do one each week in order to drive it deeper into my being. So far, I have done the first chapter.

All through the week, I kept thinking about it, which engendered a question that I want to ask you. Remember me pondering why anyone would want to work on themselves in the first place, especially someone like me, who is a doctor. That is, I make very good money, and as such, I can pretty much go and do anything that I want to go and do whenever I want to go and do it. So, why do I feel the need to work on myself? Is it because I do not feel I am worthy in the eyes of my creator, which compels me to want to be more angel-like? Or is it because, after learning about how the Holy Sun Absolute was diminishing in volume, and that God was counting on creation to eliminate the problem, that a part of me was driven to work on myself in order to help Him ease His pain? Or is it something else entirely?

Russell:  That’s a great question. The answer could be, one of the first two, but I suspect it is something else entirely. I believe that all life is driven by genetics, which leads to a funny story: Life’s genetics were developed by mutations. The mutations that were harmful, caused the life forms who had them to struggle, and as such, they did not produce many offspring, which eventually caused those mutations to die out. Whereas the mutations that were beneficial, caused the life forms who had them to thrive. Thus, allowing those genetics to be passed on. 

Interestingly, human beings are the only life form whose genetics include reason, which has allowed us to exist despite our genetics.

But the question still remains, “Why do we choose to work on ourselves?”

I believe that the answer lies in the fact that with reason, human beings were able to contemplate, investigate, and understand the laws of world-creation and world maintenance, which allowed them to deduce many things about the Universe, so much so, that they postulated that perhaps we can become angels, or that God was forced to create the Universe in order to keep the Holy Sun Absolute from diminishing in volume. Whatever the cause, reason allowed us to deduce, since so many other human beings came to the notion that there was a Supreme Creator, and to the notion that, if we functioned rightly, we would be able to exist after death, that there must be some truth to those. Which certainly would be in accordance with the law of three and the belief that we can crystallize three bodies: a physical body, as well as two higher being-bodies, which would then drive us to strive to attain them.

However, I do not know all the answers to those questions, but I do suspect, after a thorough study of The Blueprint of Consciousness, that we will all come to acknowledge that the latter is true, and therefore, will strive as hard as we can, for as long as we can, to fulfill our genetic destiny. 

Student:  I agree, as I am beginning to see that for myself.

Russell:  Terrific! 

Furthermore, if it is true that in the Holy Sun Absolute the laws were changed, and then they were cast into the Universe, that would certainly make for a good reason for creation.

Student:  Yes, it would. 

Russ, do you think the Absolute created the Holy Sun Absolute as well?

Russell:  Well, He may have, but we were not told that by Gurdjieff. We were only told that the Holy Sun Absolute was the place in which He dwelt. 

Student:  Okay. So, the Absolute dwells in the Holy Sun Absolute, and outside of that is the Universe.

Russell:  Correct. At least that is what we were told.

Student:  Now, here’s the thing, the Universe is not going to last forever, and when it’s gone, won’t God be faced with the same problem all over again?

Russell:  That may be true, but let’s back up for a moment and look at it from one of physics’ points of view. One of their theories is that although the Universe is expanding, one day gravity might cause it to be drawn back together.

Student:  Right. Well, that would certainly put an end to the Universe.

Russell:  Perhaps not. Their thoughts were that the collapse might pass us through a membrane. That is, the Universe is expanding on one side of a membrane, but eventually it will stop expanding, collapse back, go through the membrane, and begin expanding on the other side, via another Big Bang, which would then be repeated. But we cannot know if that is true or false. And we really can’t…

Student:  Where did that idea come from? Physics?

Russell:  Yes, that is one of their postulations. 

Student:  Yeah, but it is just a theory, correct?

Russell:  Correct, it is just a theory, but the idea was taken to heart by many. In fact, Carl Sagan once said, if we live in a Universe that adheres to the membrane theory, then nothing will ever escape the Universe, which is the same definition that we give to a Black Hole. To which he humorously uttered, perhaps our Universe is nothing other than a Black Hole in somebody else’s Universe! 

But for now, let’s throw that all out.

Student:  No. Wait! Let’s not throw that out just yet. Physics actually suggested that the Universe might be like some perpetual motion machine which goes back and forth through some membrane, expanding and contracting, first one way and then the other?

Russell:  Yes, it does. In fact, the Hindu religion suggests something quite similar: Brahma first breathes out the Universe, and then, He breathes it all back in; after which, He breathes it out again. 

But, let's get back to the questions concerning God and the Holy Sun Absolute. Sometimes, it’s just better for us to go to the other end of the stick and say, I don’t know the answer to those questions, but I do know that I am here, and that I exist. Albeit, my existence may only be an illusion, nonetheless, it is the one that I perceive. And, in its perception, I wish to not only discover why I am here, but also ask the question as to what my purpose is. Whereby, after studying the laws that surround me, I have not only deduced why objects fall, but have also deduced a plethora of other physical laws which also govern the Universe, and as such, I have decided that there is indeed a purpose to my existence. That being said, if there is no God, I would have to create Him in order to justify my existence, and if there is a God, there must be some reason for my existence. Therefore, Gurdjieff’s story of the Holy Sun Absolute diminishing in volume and God’s forced need to create the Universe, is just as plausible as the Universe passing through some membrane. However, whatever the cause, we can be certain that the laws of three and seven do underlie the Universe, and as such, we are compelled to acknowledge the fact that there just might be some truth in the idea that there is something higher beyond life, and if that is the case, I am going to make darn sure that I do everything in my power to qualify for it.

Student:  Okay. I got it. That’s a great way to start Chapter 1. The rest of the chapter involves learning the math of an octave. That is, getting used to the fact that everything that completes itself, does so by passing through the notes DO, RE, MI, FA, SO, LA, TI, and DO.

Okay, if you want to ask me some questions about chapter one, go for it.

Russell:  Okay, I will. What are the diatonic ratios in an octave that go from one to two?

Student:  An eighth, a quarter, a third, a half, two-thirds, seven-eighths, and the whole.

Russell:  That's terrific, but you actually gave me the ratios of an octave that goes from nothing to all, whereas I wanted the ratios of an octave that went from one to two.

Student:  Okay, in that case, they are 1, 9/8, 5/4, 4/3, 3/2, 5/3, 15/8, and 2. 

Russell:  Yes, yes, yes.

Student:  That was easy, all I had to do was put a 1 in front of the eighth, the quarter, the third, the half, the two-thirds, the seven-eighths, and one.

Russell:  Very good. 

The reason I asked for the diatonic ratios of an octave that went from one to two is because when Pythagoras first discovered those ratios, he did so by observing their mathematical doublings. 

Student:  But they still move up by an eighth, a quarter, and a third, don’t they?

Russell:  Well almost. They do pass through 9/8, 5/4, and 4/3 on their way to doubling. However, they do not move up by an eighth, a quarter, and a third, etc. They actually move up by an eighth, an eighth, a twelfth, a sixth, a sixth, five twenty-fourths, and an eighth, which will take them to the notes that are at 9/8, 5/4, and 4/3, etc. Which are better known as the proportions of 3, 3, 2, 4, 4, 5, and 3, as can be seen in the mathematical octave of 24. That is, in the octave that goes from 24/24 to 48/24, which has its notes at 24/24, 27/24, 30/24, 32/24, 36/24, 40/24, 45/24, and 48/24, with intervals of 3/24 (⅛), 3/24 (⅛), 2/24 (1/12), 4/24 (⅙), 4/24 (⅙), 5/24 (5/24), and 3/24 (⅛). But you are right, for itself, the octave does encounter notes at an eighth, a quarter, a third, a half, two-thirds, and seven-eighths of its length. All octaves do, no matter what size they are, as they all perceive themselves as going from nothing to all.

Student:  I got it, Russ. I really do.

Russell:  Fantastic. I know that I am splitting hairs a bit, but as Gurdjieff said, for an exact study, an exact language is needed.

Student:  No problem, I see the truth in that as well. 

You know, there could have been someone before Pythagoras who also discovered the diatonic ratios. However, Pythagoras got credit for it, because after he discovered it, no one had to come along and rediscover it. Just as I am sure that you will get credit for discovering that the Universe was moving by even-sevenths before it became diatonic.

Russell:  Well, thank you for that. 

Fortunately, Pythagoras was able to distinguish the resonant vibrations. 

Student:  Again, how do we know that they are resonant?

Russell:  By watching me and the Slinky, that’s how. Do you remember seeing the harmonic oscillations that appeared when I moved my end of the Slinky back and forth? 

Student:  Aaah, yes, I do. That was most spectacular. It started out being one big back-and-forth oscillation. Then, as you went faster, it next took the shape of a sine wave; the center of which stayed fixed, while both sides went back and forth. 

Russell:  Yes, and when I moved my end a little bit faster, it divided itself into three oscillations. Then, if you remember, when I increased the speed, I got the Slinky to segment into four oscillations and then eight oscillations, and as such, I was able to produce the harmonic stabilities of the whole, the half, the thirds, the quarters, and the eighths.

Student:  Wow, Russ, that is very clear to me now. Who said that Doctors can’t learn new things?

Russell:  Not me!!  

Student:  [Laughing] Is that why I produce a major chord when I play the notes DO, MI, and SO on my piano? 

Russell:  Well, no, not really. The notes DO, MI, and SO that produce the major chord, have more to do with the fact that there are forces at those notes, not because of the harmonic positions of stability that were found in the Slinky. 

Remember when we separated the forces into thirds and discovered that they did not align with the notes that were at sevenths, and as such, we had to alter the sevenths in order to bring them into alignment with the forces? 

Student:  Yes. I do.

Russell:  Good. Do you also remember that the results of that alteration caused the notes to become diatonic?

Student:  Yes, I also remember that.

Russell:  Great. Now remember this. The three forces in a descending octave, stand at the notes DO, LA, and FA and produce what is called the subdominant chord. Whereas, in an ascending octave, those same three forces stand at the notes SO, MI, and DO, respectively, and produce what is called the tonic chord, or as you called it, the major chord.

Student:  Okay, I will. 

I am really enjoying reviewing the chapters with you.

Russell:  That is wonderful. As such, we will not only have a weekly review, but you will have a chance to read and study the chapters again, and…

Student:  And ask questions.

Russell:  Yes, sir. 

Student:  Which brings me to one: if Pythagoras got the half, the third, the fourth, and the eighth correct, how did he get the seven-eighths and two-thirds correct? 

Russell:  Easy, being divided into eighths, includes the seven-eighths, just like two eighths make a quarter and four eighths make a half. In fact, after the first stopinder was lengthened, the original six-sevenths became three-quarters, but as the last stopinder was the one that was shortened, the three-quarters was pulled back to seven-eighths. Likewise, the one third, includes the two-thirds.

Student:  So, Pythagoras discovered the diatonic ratios.

Russell:  Yes, sir. He did. 

Do you remember me showing you my monochord, and explaining to you  how, if a monochord had two strings, which were tuned to the same tone, that by plucking on one string, you would excite the other? 

Student:  Yes, I do.

Russell:  Great. And then, how if a movable fret was placed under one string, the tone produced at certain places would also excite the unfretted string? 

Student:  Yes, I remember that as well.

Russell:  Fantastic. As such, one would easily be able to discover the diatonic ratios, as they, and only they, will produce resonant vibrations that excite the unfretted string.

Student:  So if one sounds the note TI, that tone will set the unfretted string into vibration?

Russell:  Yes, sir, it will. That occurs because of what are called overtones, which are all contained within the string itself.

Student:  So, if you fret one string and produce its RE, its MI, its FA, its SO, its LA, and its TI, you will produce vibrations that will excite the unfretted string.

Russell:  Yes. That is correct.

Student:  And that does not happen at any other places?

Russell:  No, it does not. It just happens at the places which are resonant to the unfretted string.

Student:  It doesn’t happen at five-eighths or three-quarters?

Russell:  No, it doesn’t.

Student:  Every time you tell me that, I get more amazed.

Russell:  Even more amazing than that is the fact that the reciprocals of the notes’ diatonic names reveal the length of the string that produced them. That is, RE’s tone is 9/8 higher than the tone of the original string’s DO, which is produced by a string that is 8/9 the length of the original string. MI’s tone is 5/4 higher than the tone of the original string’s DO, which is produced by a string that is 4/5 the length of the original string, etc.

Student:  I didn’t know that, but I do now! 

Russell:  In addition, I should also mention how all oscillating systems are at the mercy of those resonant vibrations, which was first discovered when they built the Tacoma Narrows Bridge: In just a 45 mile per hour wind, the bridge began to undulate, which then amplified and tore the bridge apart.  

Student:  Because the wind had struck it?

Russell:  No. What happened was, as the wind passed over the bridge, little vortices were created behind the bridge, which, when they broke off, gave the bridge little pushes, and as those little pushes were resonant to the bridge, they amplified. Just like swinging on a swing will amplify if you kick your feet at a point that is resonant with you swinging. Whereas if you kick your feet at a point that is not resonant with your swinging, it will not. 

Student:  Okay, Russell, I am at present, swinging as high as I can go, and therefore, will let you go. I appreciate you as always. 

By the way, I really enjoyed my stay at THEDOG the week before last. So much so that I am looking forward to my next visit, which I will be scheduling soon.

Russell:  We too enjoyed your visit, and we also look forward to your next visit as well. Until then, get some rest. You must be exhausted, as after leaving here, you had to make a trip to your dads. So, with that being said, go to bed … put it in someone else’s hands. After all, you just had two very busy weeks. Then, tomorrow, if you can, throw a few exercises into your ‘very-non-busy-work-schedule.’

Student:  [Laughing] I will. 

In fact, I will do you one better, I will do some exercises tonight. 

Thanks again, Russ. Goodnight, sir.

Russell:  Good night, Doc. I will talk to you again next week.

That concludes today’s podcast.

Thank you for listening.

If you too would like to kick your feet in resonance with your swinging, and swing as high as you can go, simply visit our website thedogteachings.com and acquire Mr. Smith’s book The Blueprint of Consciousness, a 520-page hardback, which is also available as a PDF download.

That’s thedogteachings.com.

There, you will be able to listen to other talks, obtain diagrams, animations, supporting videos, and much, much more.

But most importantly, you will be able to swing higher.

We also have two ZOOM classes on Saturday; one, for purchasers of Mr. Smith’s book, and the other, for those who have received the Master Exercises.

That’s  T H E   D O G   T E A   C H I   N G S  Dot Com.

In addition, you can also find us on Instagram and Facebook under THEDOG Teachings.

Thanks again for listening.

If you have any questions that you would like answered, send them to [email protected] and we will endeavor to answer them, and perhaps, even include them in a future podcast. 

Goodbye, until next time.