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.

Continuing our talks on Work questions and answers, in this podcast we narrate a dialogue between Russell and several of his students, covering topics such as: different work language, chemico-physical and associative influences, walking the path to enlightenment with no control, are teachers necessary, the Jimmy Hendrix story, and the Two Squiggles Diagram.

Let’s begin:

Student:  I was reading a passage in The Fourth Way about how language is different depending on where we are in ourselves. I am paraphrasing here … language that the lower stories understand, language that the Higher Emotional Center understands, and finally, language that the Higher Mental Center understands.  Would you talk a little about those please?

Russell:  I would be glad to. 

In The Fourth Way it discusses the three circles of humanity, saying that people who live in the outer circle speak in words, people in the middle circle speak in parables, and people in the inner circle speak in symbols.

The three circles of humanity are akin to people who live in the lower stories and are asleep, people who live in the Higher Emotional Center and have awakened Steward, and people who live in the Higher Mental Center and have awakened Master.

Student:  Would you explain that to me in greater detail please, I really want to understand it?

Russell:  Okay, I will try, here goes. 

Words are the language of the lower stories, parables are the language of Steward, and symbols are the Language of Master.

Words convey meaning, parables convey a thousand meanings, and Symbols convey a thousand parables.

Words are for men number 1, 2, 3, and 4, parables are for men number 5, and symbols are for men number 6.  

Ouspensky and Gurdjieff both talked about how men number 1, 2, 3, and 4, have to learn the language of men number 5, and how men number 5 have to learn the language of men number 6, so if they make it to those inner circles, they will be able to understand the language that is spoken there. 

As we learned in a previous podcast, we have to sound a chord. That is, the centers, which stand in the ratio 8, 10, and 12 – at the notes DO, MI, and SO, must unite and produce a 30. 

Words are for those who can only sound the 8, the 10, or the 12. Parables are for those who can sound the chord. And symbols are for those who know the song. 

Words can tell us how to plant corn. But parables, even though they can tell how to plant corn, are not just about planting corn but contain other meanings as well. And, at the next level we have symbols, which are even more objective than parables, and as such, can make us masters of the land. 

It is no different than when people read Beelzebub’s Tales, and think that Gurdjieff is talking about some spaceship, about some higher bodies over in some other place, or things that happened to someone in the past. Then later on, they realize that Gurdjieff is talking about things that take place in their inner worlds. 

Thereafter, when they read about the three different types of spaceships, and hear how the first ones were enormous because they had to carry their own fuel; how the second ones could use the law of falling and fall towards some sun or planet, but when they entered the atmospheres of those planets, maneuvering was hard; and finally, how the third ones took everything in, no matter what it was: the emptiness of space or the atmospheres of planets, and expanded it – blowing it out an aperture in the back, to where even in the atmospheres of planets, small children could reach up and easily maneuver them … if they are of higher being, they may understand that Gurdjieff is not talking about three different types of spaceships, but rather about three different stages in the development of a man.  

Where, in the first stage, he has to carry his own fuel, his own force, and as such, has to intentionally manifest his own existence. But if he becomes the second kind of spaceship, he can select a target, a goal; one which draws him towards it, which is great if he needs pulling, but not so great if it needs completing. That is, although drawn to the dance hall, he finds it difficult to ask a girl to dance. Then, if he finds an objective way like THEDOG, he can awaken. Whereafter, even insults thrown in his direction will be transformed, and as such, will be expanded into something greater, from which he will gain great force.  

So we have to realize that Beelzebub’s Tales, the Holy Bible, the Quran, the Bhagavad Gita, and even Alice in Wonderland, contain more than just stories about white rabbits, planting corn, or three spaceships, but also contain parabolic ideas.  

I am certain that many books contain knowledge for men number 1, 2, 3, and 4, knowledge for men number 5, and knowledge for men number 6.  

That is why, when we read a book that we have already read, we may see things with greater meaning in it, because, since we first read it, our being has changed, and now, we are seeing the meaning that was placed there for people of a higher being.  

All great works will probably be this way.  

So, that is the idea of having different languages. 

At the lowest level are words. You have a cup, which means you have a cup, but at the next level, at the level of parables, having a cup may mean that you have something that needs filling, or something that can be overfilled, and thus runneth over, and as such, provide sustenance for others. And at the highest level, it may mean that you have a cup like the cup of Jesus Christ, the Holy Grail, which is a symbol of a vessel that can sustain the world.  

By understanding the higher languages, we may be able to comprehend what Gurdjieff meant when he said, “When two people meet, they should draw an Enneagram in the sand, and whoever knows more … is teacher.”  

In addition, we could also go in the other direction as well. That is, from symbols, to parables, to words, which define the practical; and then, on the other side of practical, to theory, and philosophy.  

As a result, we would have five stages of language. 

It started as philosophy, as proposed ideas, like the world is flat. Then it moved into theory, where proofs were offered. Finally, it became practical, where something could be produced.  

We can see it going from the philosophical, to the theoretical, to the practical, which is defined by words, and then on to parables, and finally to symbols.  

With this understanding, we should be able to look inside ourselves, at our beliefs, and see how many of them are philosophical, that is, just believed because someone told us to believe them, like snakes are slimy. However, if a scientist explained to us that snakes are not slimy because they have no sweat glands, the philosophical will become the theoretical, which might prompt us to pursue the practical, that is, to actually hold a non-poisonous snake and verify that it is not slimy. 

After which, we may see the parabolic meaning of the snake in the garden of Eden, which might lead us to the symbol of the Ouroboros. That is, of a snake eating its own tail. 

But first, we have to escape the philosophical, pass through the theoretical, and make it to the practical.  

Does that answer your question about different languages?

Student:  Yes it does. It most certainly does. In fact, it answers more than just my question; it goes beyond my question … in both directions, and for that I am very thankful.

Russell:  Good, I am happy that you are.

Student:  I was reading in Views From The Real World about influences, would you please speak about chemico-physical influences and associative influences.

Russell:  Yes I will. 

They make for a fascinating study; one, which is all about freeing oneself from influences. Gurdjieff said, fortunately, there are only two things we need to do to free ourselves from influences: one concerns the law of attraction, and the other concerns the law of repulsion. He said, if we do one, and it does not work, simply do the other. 

In order to free ourselves from chemico-physical influences, we need to be calm. Whereas, to free ourselves from associative influences, we need to be active.

Here are some of the other things he said.

Gurdjieff:  First, to speak about chemico-physical influences. I said that man has several centers. I spoke about the carriage, the horse and the driver, and also about the shafts, the reins and the ether. Everything has its emanations and its atmosphere. The nature of each atmosphere is different from others because each has a different origin, each has different properties, and a different content. They are similar to one another, but the vibrations of their matter differ. The carriage, our body, has an atmosphere with its own special properties. My feelings also produce an atmosphere, the emanations of which may go a long way. When I think as a result of my associations, the result is emanations of a third kind. When there is a passenger instead of an empty place in the carriage, emanations are also different, distinct from the emanations of the driver. The passenger is not a country bumpkin; he thinks of philosophy and not about whiskey. Thus every man may have four kinds of emanations…. 

Associative influences, on the other hand, are quite different. Let us take first the associative influences on me of “form.” Form influences me. I am accustomed to seeing a particular form, and when it is absent I am afraid. Form gives the initial shock to my associations. For example, beauty is also form. In reality we cannot see form as it is, we only see an image. 

The second of these associative influences is my feelings, my sympathies or antipathies. Your feelings affect me, my feelings react correspondingly. But sometimes it happens the other way round. It depends on the combinations. Either you influence me or I influence you. This influence may be called “relationship.” 

The third of these associative influences may be called “persuasion” or “suggestion.” For example, one man persuades another with words. One persuades you, you persuade another. Everybody persuades, everybody suggests. 

The fourth of these associative influences is the superiority of one man over another. Here there may be no influence of form or feeling. You may know that a given man is more clever, wealthier, can talk about certain things; in a word, possesses something special, some authority. This affects you because it is superior to you, and it happens without any feelings. So these are eight kinds of influences. Half of them are chemico-physical, the other half associative. 

Russell:  Does that help?

Student:  Yes, I got it. I now better understand the two kinds of influences, and also what I must do when they appear. If they are chemico-physical influences, internally I should be calm, but if they are associative influences, internally I should be active, just like you explained when you talked about ‘occupying the place’ in a previous podcast. So, thank you very much.

Russell:  You are most welcome.

Student:  I don’t have a question, I have a concern. 

I can see how a person can trap themself into believing, oh look, I walked a path that started way down there and brought me way up here, and I did it all by myself. So, I want to hear you speak about us having false beliefs, as I do not want to fall into that trap.

Russell:  That is a legitimate concern. We often think we do things, and as such, are in the lead, when actually, we are following. 

The nature of our machine is such that whenever an impact occurs, it alters the direction of our journey, and also gets recorded. 

These recorded impacts, even after they are gone, lead us into believing that we are still under their influence. 

So throughout the journey, any random turns and twists, which were caused by these impacts, do not seem like turns and twists. Instead, we think the impacts allowed us to maintain a straight line; and, if we do notice some turning or twisting, we think that we intentionally caused it to happen.  

Then, another impact comes along, which also gets recorded, and when it does, it too changes our direction, but again, we believe that we are following a straight line. 

As a result, we may establish in ourselves the belief that we know who we are, are in control of our direction, and can alter it whenever we wish. Never seeing that, after proclaiming control, we are yelling at the kids, kicking the dog, mad at the wife, or angry at the boss. 

Then, if we have a moment of being able to refrain from cursing at the driver who took our parking spot, we unfortunately, reinforce the image we have of ourselves of always being in control, and as such, will continue to believe that we are always that way.  

I hope my explanation has lessened your concern.

Student:  Yes it has, Russell; it really has. Thank you very much.

Russell:  You are most welcome.

Student:  In terms of having a permanent I, I can see now, based on what you just told us, that I do not have a permanent I. However, it seems to me that I have had moments of sensing ‘real I’. Is that possible?

Russell:  Yes, it is. In fact, it is more than possible; it is law-conformable.

Ever since you performed The Objective Exercise, acquired Steward and awoke, I am sure that you have had many moments of experiencing real I, which by the way, may become permanent I, after you receive the Double or Nothing Exercise.

Student:  Yes, I definitely know the first statement to be true about me experiencing Real I. In fact, the moments of experiencing Real I are happening at an accelerated pace.

Russell:  That is terrific! But, as I said, it is also law-conformable.

Student:  I have a question. 

Are teachers necessary? 

And in order to awaken, do they need to be teachers like you?  

Russell:  You ask a question which requires two answers. 

Firstly, it depends on what you needed to be taught … because certainly, teachers were necessary for survival. Someone had to teach you how to eat with a fork, someone had to teach you language, someone had to teach you how to climb, run, or throw a football. That is, if you were born in the woods and were left there, you probably would have died.  

How many of you have seen the movie The Earthling: about a little boy whose sees his parents die in the Outback of Australia, and about a guy who also witnesses their deaths; who himself, is on his way to his ancestral home to die, and as such, doesn’t have time to take the little boy back to civilization. So instead, he tries to teach the traumatized little boy how to survive on his own, and as such, has to do unpleasant things, like not sharing his food with him, which forces the little boy, who watches the guy catch food, learn how to catch his own food.  

So, in the ‘staying alive’ model, it is necessary to have teachers. And in the ‘esoteric model,’ it is the same. That is, there are teachers that show men #1 how to become men #2; teachers that show men #2 how to become men #3; teachers that show men #3 how to become men #4; teachers that show men #4 how to become men #5; and teachers that show men #5 how to become men #6.  

Just like in our education system, where you have one teacher for one class, and another teacher for another class. 

Unfortunately, in the course of life, people often decide to be their own teacher, and double unfortunately, they are not qualified for the job.  

We have all heard the story about the guy who says, (with a raised voice) “What do you mean … I never raise my voice,” and he can’t hear it. And by not hearing it, he cannot teach himself to not do it. 

It is easy for people to get trapped by their own perception, and once they get trapped, they will never see things as they really are, they will only see their perception. 

That is why the guy, who says he never gets angry, is always angry; or why the guy, who says he is never late, is always late; or why the guy, who says he is conscious, is always distraught.  

People in life need someone to whom they can surrender their will, because their will has led them astray.

I hope that answers the first part of your question, “Are teachers necessary?” 

To answer the second part of your question: “In order to awaken, do they need to be teachers like you,” is a much easier question to answer, because the answer starts with a yes, and ends with a no. 

In the past 30 years, I have never met anyone, nor have I ever heard of anyone, who was able to show hundreds of seekers how to awaken, except for me. 

So yes, if you want to awaken, you do need to have a teacher like me. 

But no, you do not need to have a teacher like me … because now that The Blueprint of Consciousness is available, you can wake up just by reading the book.

Which kind of puts the idea of needing a teacher, in order to awaken, out of business, and the idea of studying The Blueprint of Consciousness into business.

Does that help answer both parts of your question?

Student:  Yes it does Russell. It most certainly does. Thank you. 

So, I guess it is really about the subjugation of one’s will to either a teacher who knows, or to an objective journey that has been placed in a book.

Russell:  Correct. 

It has become self-evident that mankind will never objectively awaken unless they do one or the other.  

And, as to the guy who thinks he can teach himself, I would remind him of the Jimmy Hendrix story. 

A master guitarist gave his student an album by Jimmy Hendrix, and then told him to learn to play his guitar like he heard on the album; that is, to copy Jimmy Hendrix. The student replied, “I do not want to copy Jimmy Hendrix, I want to develop my own style.” After which, the master guitarist said to him, “Copying someone else is the first step towards developing your own style, and secondly, what makes you think you’re so good that you could copy anybody anyway?” 

Got it?

What else?  Any other questions?

Student:  I have one more. Before class, we were going over your Two Squiggles Diagram, which we always find fascinating. Would you please explain it to us one more time … please, please, please?

Russell:  Certainly I will … and next time you ask, you only need to say please twice!

Students:  All laugh!

(The Two Squiggles Diagram can be found on our website thedogteachings.com within this podcast episode).

Russell:  Okay, get out the Two Squiggles Diagram and we shall begin. 

I see God as the duality of Knowledge and Being. That is, as the “I” and the “Am,” and as I know the progression of the notes in the three chords of western harmonics, I see God cascading down the Universe sounding those chords, and creating two flows: a flow of Knowledge, and a flow of Being. Two flows of God, cascading down the Universe.

Each flow plays every other note. Thus, both flows play all notes. Each one, producing a repeating progression of those three chords. 

In the Two Squiggles Diagram, I have tried to capture the meaning of those two flows, as well as the chords they produce. 

So, keep your eyes on the diagram, open your minds, and follow along as I describe the dance of the Universe.

God’s Being is in red, and God’s Knowledge is in blue. The small arcs connect all the notes in the FA-LA-DO-MI-SO-TI-RE sequences, and the large arcs span the repeating chords FA-LA-DO, DO-MI-SO, and SO-TI-RE, which both flow up and down the Universe.

The Essence centers are on the left side of the Two Squiggles Diagram; they are given. And the Personality centers are on the right side of the Two Squiggles Diagram; they are acquired.

The Essence centers are at the notes RE (Instinctive Center), FA (Emotional Center), and LA (Higher Emotional Center, which is often referred to as Steward). And the Personality centers are at the notes MI (Moving Center), SO (Intellectual Center), and TI (Higher Mental Center, which is often referred to as Master).

Notice that the Essence and Personality centers change colors … in one octave the Essence centers are in blue, driven by Knowledge, and the Personality centers are in red, acquired as Being. Then, in the next octave they swap colors … the Essence centers are in red, driven by Being, and the Personality centers are in blue, acquired as Knowledge.

Quite astonishing!

We can understand the Two Squiggles Diagram by using the information we learned in The Blueprint of Consciousness regarding Essence and Personality, as seen in the Cards Diagram. (Which can also be found on the website within this podcast episode).

We will start at the bottom and work our way up to the top. The bottom octave in the Two Squiggles Diagram is the octave of Amino Acids.

The first center in the octave of the amino acids is the Instinctive Center of the amino acids’ octave. It starts to form by the process of exact bonding, which is driven by rules and laws, that is, by who has extra electrons, or who needs electrons.

These rules and laws are the results of Atomic Reason; reason that was acquired in the previous octave, the octave of atoms, which determines how the elements will bond and become molecules.

Thereafter, and also driven by a process of exact bonding, the amino acids randomly link up, forming long chains that represent the Moving Center of the amino acids’ octave. Some of the chains produce viable proteins, and some produce nothing at all.

But, either way, the chains need to be translated. Which is done in the Emotional Center of the amino acids’ octave by the Transfer RNA molecules (tRNA), an exact knowledge driven molecule, which we learned about in Chapter 4 of The Blueprint of Consciousness. 

The tRNA molecules translate each amino acid chain into a linear code of nucleotides; that is, into a strand of Messenger RNA (mRNA).

These coded strands of mRNA become the Intellectual Center of the amino acids’ octave. The mRNA strands can be reverse engineered by the tRNA molecules, and produce the original amino acids chains from whence they came.

But the coded mRNA strands need to do more than just produce the original amino acids chains from whence they came. They need to discover a way of reconstructing themselves as well.

This is done in the Higher Emotional Center of the amino acids’ octave, which too, is also driven by the process of exact bonding, and as such, is able to create the first rail of DNA. Which likewise, can be reverse engineered, and thus reconstruct the original mRNA strand.

The Higher Mental Center of the amino acids’ octave is achieved when the first rail of DNA constructs an exact opposite of itself. That is, a second rail of DNA; a rail of Reason. The rail of reason remembers what the first rail looks like, and the first rail remembers what the rail of reason looks like. And as such, each rail of DNA can replicate the other.

This means that the two rails of DNA, not only allow the DNA molecule to remember itself, but also allow the original rail of the DNA molecule to reconstruct the original strand of the mRNA molecule. Thus, Molecular Reason is born. Not to mention the fact that the first moment of self-remembering in the Universe has occurred!

Eureka …!

Notice that in the octave of Amino Acids, the Essence centers are driven by Knowledge … but, after Molecular Reason is acquired, the Essence centers swap sides and initiate the creation of the Instinctive Center in the octave of Organic Life, wherein the Essence centers are now driven by Being.

That is, what was acquired as Personality in the first octave, is given as Essence to the second octave. Like in the Star Wars conversation between Luke and Yoda: where Luke is wondering if he should enter an unknown portal and asks Yoda, “What’s in there?” And Yoda replies, “Only what you take with you.”

Furthermore, in the octave of Amino Acids, acquired reason is in the red flow of Being, whereas in the octave of Organic Life, acquired reason is in the blue flow of Knowledge.

The labels on the left and right sides of the diagram remain the same, but their colors change, reflecting whether they are driven or acquired by the  blue line of Knowledge or by the red line of Being. 

That is, in the first octave, Knowledge causes Being to be acquired, and in the second octave, Being causes Knowledge to be acquired!

This fascinated me. 

In the octave of Amino Acids, Knowledge is on the Essence side and Being is on the Personality side; whereas in the octave of Organic Life, Being is on the Essence side and Knowledge is on the Personality side.

That means that Knowledge shoves the octave of Amino Acids up to DNA, Molecular Reason; after which DNA is the basis of the Instinctive Center in the octave of Organic Life.

Then, Being shoves the octave of Organic Life up to man, Objective Reason; after which Objective Reason is the basis of the Instinctive Center in the octave of Angels.

I could see the Knowledge and Being of God cascading down the Universe in two separate flows, red and blue, swapping sides as they flowed down … and then when they reached the bottom of the Universe, they turned around and swapped their way back up to “God.” 

Does that help you better understand the Two Squiggles Diagram and the cosmic dance of the Universe?

Student:  Yes, it does, Russell, we all love that diagram and refer to it often. It contains so much knowledge, not to mention the fact that it is very easy to understand.

Russell:  I like it too, and am very pleased that you do as well.

Okay, if there are no other questions, I think that will do it for today’s class.

See you next week.

That ends the question-and-answer session for this episode.

Thank you for listening.

If you have any questions that you would like answered, please send them to information@thedogteachings.com, and we will endeavor to answer them and include them in future podcasts.  

And if you would like to know more about the subjects and exercises, we have been exploring, including the book and guide that underpins it all, which is also available for PDF download, you can do so, by going to thedogteachings.com.

That’s T H E D O G teachings DOT COM.

There, you will be able to obtain Mr. Smith’s diagrams, models, videos, and listen to other talks, as well as learn all the mathematics that supports them, and much, much more.

But most importantly, you will have real time access to the materials we are discussing.

That’s thedogteachings.com

Goodbye until next time.