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 will narrate a dialogue between Russell and two of his students concerning memory work, freedom is a whole stick, talking with Master, the third totality, and the Rule of ⅔, as well as discussing a plethora of exercises being done by a student, who is preparing to come to Texas with the aim of awakening, and what she can expect while she is here. Let’s begin: Student: Well, I did it! I memorized Fears - identification from Views from the Real World just as you suggested last week, and it has been phenomenal. I now carry it with me wherever I go, and I find myself reciting it often. What a Godsend it has turned out to be. My master is stronger, and just yesterday it whispered: if there is no master, there is no soul. What a thought. I am so excited. Russell: Congratulations. You deserve it. It is wonderful to see you claim your right. Okay, any questions for this week. Student: I was wondering, since in an organized state we have peace when confronting difficult things, if we curb that, when dealing with nonessential things, will there still be peace? Russell: What is required is a whole stick. Everything must be present in order to have true peace, because only then will there be choice. For me, not having choice, means not having peace. However, you will still be present, even when you do mundane things, but since they are not as important, you will let the lower centers deal with them; but, make no mistake, once the machine becomes organized, it will stay organized. Student: There were times this week when someone asked a question and the answer came from this all-knowing-place, and I was given the answer by my higher; then there were other times when I was in a quiet place, and when I asked the same question, I got a different answer. Were those answers both coming from the same place? Or was it because someone asked me a question and I answered under pressure? Russell: That is easy to answer, when they asked you a question, your master formulated the answer in a way that they would best understand, and when you asked yourself the same question, master formulated it in a way that you would best understand. It was quite amazing. For myself, when someone asked me a question and the answers came from beyond my purview of knowledge, I realized that it was because my higher was answering them, not me. And when the answers came from that “all-knowing-place,” I sensed why it was called direct-knowing, where not even a thought stands between you and what you know. Which means that you are not formulating and manipulating them, but that they are being given to you. And, oftentimes, they come with such clarity, that you wish they had been recorded. Student: Regarding, “Consider what people think of you - not what they say,” could you explain that a little, I have a boss that is not very nice to his employees, and although to his face everyone is nice, they often talk bad about him behind his back; is that the gist? Russell: Yes. It is unfortunate that he cannot see himself from their shoes by asking himself, “If someone treated me that way, what would I think about them?” If he could, he might change. Student: Got it. Also, would it be correct to say that the formation of the third totality is purgatory? Russell: The formation of the third totality is itself not purgatory. Purgatory is for people who have fallen asleep and reawoken. In a right world, everyone would have received correct guidance; and as such, when they reached responsible age, their third totality would have been formed rightly. However, once man lost his consciousness, as our ancestors did, the truth became skewed, and men started believing things: like cats are witches’ helpers, and that cats will suck the life force out of you if they sit on your chest while you sleep, then, when consciousness reappeared, they were tasked with purging those inexactitudes. Thus, Purgatory. Student: Gurdjieff said that the first totality is formed in women from birth to the age of 7, and the second totality from 4 to the age of 13, whereafter, they become mature and Steward becomes present. So, I guess, what you are saying is, if they received correct information, that would happen to all women by the age of 13. Russell: Yes, that is correct. If they lived in a right world, their mother, their aunt, their father, their neighbors, their teachers, and everyone in their community would be conscious; and as such, there would be no inexactitudes placed in them. Anybody they went to and asked, “What is this?” would have given them the same answer, because it was coming from conscious beings. Student: Then, at the age of 13 for women, and 20 for men when maturity happens, the third totality would have formed correctly. Wow, what a great world that would be. Russell: Yes. The first two totalities would have blended correctly. Fire would still be hot, but it would not be something evil that was created in hell by the devil. Student: Why do people who are addicted to chocolate, smoking, or drinking, often consider themselves to be free and spout a number of rationalizations why they do it. I mean, if they were free, would they still continue to do it? Russell: That is a good question. If we understood the organization of the machine and the multi-centers we have, we would see that every center has a chief feature. So, something like smoking is a chief feature for the Instinctive Center. The Instinctive Center has become accustomed to smoking and therefore depends on it. There is no mystery and nothing unusual about that. But if they woke up and consciously saw that smoking had become for them a chief feature, they may try to overcome it. However, I have discovered what is called The Rule of 2/3, which says that even with a few imperfections, man can still become what he is supposed to become. Student: Yes, I can see that having an occasional drink would not hinder him too much, but obsessive drinking has to be bad for the body. Russell: That is correct; but, on the other hand, life is also bad for the body! . Student: I would like to know more about your Rule of ⅔. Russell: Sure. It was formulated when I saw that the Higher Emotional Center had 9 parts, and asked, “Do we need all 9 parts functioning, in order to awaken the Higher Emotional Center?” I mean, nature never seems to require that something needs to have ‘all’ in order for it to work, but ... ‘just enough.’ So, if there are 9 parts in the Higher Emotional Center how many of those parts would we need, for us to claim the function of the Higher Emotional Center? All nine would do it … but would it work with only eight? How about seven? Or six? Or five?, etc. Kind of like asking, “If a fruit tree optimally needs 30 gallons of water per year, then, during a drought, how many gallons of water would it need in order to still produce fruit? Or, if a cow’s normal rate of grass consumption was 30 pounds per month, then during lean times, how many pounds of grass would it need in order to still produce milk? Or, if you scored 100% when you went down to take your driver’s license test, you would of course pass the test, but how low could you score, and still pass the test?” Considering all the possibilities, and looking to the structure for the answer, I formulated what is called the “Rule of 2/3.” In Chapter 2 of The Blueprint of Consciousness, we talked about triads and saw how three forces, like plywood, fire, and air could combine and produce 6 triads. Some combinations extinguished the fire, whereas, others ignited it. The model was always, if you had two forces working together, they would always win … even if the third force was resisting. Thus, The Rule of 2/3. Two forces working together will always carry the day. Thus, if two-thirds is the rule, then you only need 66%, not 100%. If the air and fire work together the plywood will burn. If the plywood and air work together the fire will go out. Thus, the tree will need 20 gallons of water, the cow will need 20 pounds of grass, and you will need to score at least 66% to pass that darn driver’s license test. So, based on the ‘Rule of Two-Thirds,’ if the Higher Emotional Center has nine parts, how many of them need to function in order for you to awaken? Eureka! If you want to awaken, you only need to acquire and maintain six parts, which you can do even if you smoke. Much more is explained in that Chapter concerning how to do that, which I will let you rediscover for yourself. Student: That is amazing, I remember that. Thank you for refreshing my memory. Russell: Terrific. Student: So chief features may drop away with freedom, but you can gain freedom before they drop away. Russell: That is correct. It is like clearing your land. You have a big ol’ chunk of land, and you go to clear it. The first thing you do is remove the small bushes, and cut the grass. You leave the big rocks and tree stumps until last. That is, the chief features are left until pretty much everything else has been cleared, and then you go for them. However, a really big boulder may end up remaining because it is too hard to move. Even with the big boulder, you still have plenty of ground to farm, or build on. Maybe the big boulder ends up in your front yard, which later you make into a shrine. Okay, anything else? Any other questions for the week? Student: No, I think I am full. See you next week. Continuing with a student who is preparing to go and study with Russell in Texas. Russell: How are you today? Student: Wonderful. Just wonderful. It is a beautiful morning, the sun just came up and there are red clouds in the sky. I was feeling, it is not necessary to go anywhere or do anything, it is enough to just be present and watch the unfolding of the morning. Russell: Terrific, you have learned a valuable lesson. There is always something to do, even when there is nothing to do! Student: Oh, yes. That is so true, I have!! However, in preparing to come to Texas I am doing more than nothing. I am doing a multitude of things. In fact, when you called, I was doing the counting exercise, and it was very productive. Russell: Well, one of the most valuable things about the counting exercise is if you are occupied with that, you are not occupied with sleep. Student: That is for sure. Russell: Random thoughts cannot get in if you hold the place captive; so therefore, learn to hold the place captive. When I began to first work on myself, I did not have meaningful memory work with which to hold the place captive, memory work that would nourish me while I did. So, when I felt undesirable thoughts trying to enter, I would simply recite Mary Had A Little Lamb over and over in my mind; and, as long as she was there, nothing else could enter. Later, of course, I learned scads of memory work and replaced Mary with things that had meaning. Student: Oh, I bet that’s the purpose of mantras. Russell: That is exactly the purpose of mantras. Student: And that is the same with the counting exercise, when I am doing the counting exercise, nothing else can get in. Russell: That is correct. Student: Except I have noticed, that even though I keep the count, there are still some parts of me that wander. Russell: Ah, yes. Now you are beginning to experience that parts of centers can function mechanically while other parts function intentionally. Student: Indeed. I have seen the depth to which that goes on, and I have seen the wandering. Russell: Well, we are complicated machines. We have many parts. However, it is good that they can function independently. I wouldn’t want to get up every morning and have to tell my heart to keep beating. It is good that it goes on beating by itself. But the problem is, if I don’t make intentional efforts, then everything that is supposed to be intentional will mechanically go on by itself, and there are some parts of me that are designed to only function properly with some sort of intentionality. So, I must learn to control and develop those parts. That is why when I say I-Am, every fiber in my body stops for a moment and acknowledges the presence of the whole. Student: Sounds like everything salutes the cosmos for a moment. Russell: It does. Everybody salutes. And the stronger my I-Am is, and the more gathering I do, the more parts of me salute. Okay, what other exercises have you been doing? Student: Well, I have been trying to stop thoughts 2 or 3 times each day. And when I am able to stop them, there is nothing there, there are no incoming impressions. Russell: Wow, that is great. Student: And when I stop stopping them, there is a bombardment of incoming impressions. The immensity is like a flood. Russell: Yes, indeed. That is law-conformable. Student: And when the flood comes, I can see the need for screening the impressions, that is, being selective. Russell: Ouspensky gives a good dissertation in The Fourth Way on the idea of ‘inner stop;’ I won’t go into it verbatim, but he puts it in the sense of the animal kingdom, where when something isn’t moving it isn’t noticed, but the moment that it starts moving, all the other animals know where it is. Our inner world is like that, the moment we stop, our identifications, false personalities, negative emotions, fears, and all of the things that want to rule us, will be unable to find us because we are stopped; and as such, they know not where we are. And then, inevitably, when we stop the stop and begin to innerly move, all of them say, “There she is, get her!” Student: Ah. Yes, I have noticed that. What about the relationship with the breath, it is like breathing begets thoughts. If I hold my breath, stopping thoughts seems easier, but when I start breathing they quickly find me. Russell: Unfortunately, that is correct. However, over time that too will change. I can remember the moment when I started breathing and still remained hidden. Later, I could open my eyes and remain hidden. Then, I was able to acknowledge the chair, the couch, or the tree out the window, and stay hidden. Soon I was walking around, engaging with others, and was still hidden. So, as you learn to gather more of yourself, the other things will cease finding you, and you will begin to function without losing the state that you have gathered. Student: Wow, that sounds amazing. Russell: It is. But yeah, initially, the moment you start breathing, they will find you. Okay. Any other exercises? Student: Well, I performed the I-am, I-can, I-wish exercise last week for about 30 minutes. Russell: Fantastic. That is a very good exercise. Student: I am performing several exercises each week, as I want to be prepared for Sanger. Russell: That is great. I want you to be proficient in all of them, because, down the road, there might be a student in Arizona who needs help with one of them, and since you are proficient in all of them, you will be able to help. Student: Yes, okay. Viewing Without Verbalizing has been performed pretty consistently. There is an energy generated in me that is similar to the energy created when I stop thoughts. However, after discussing the exercise with several other students, I find that I do it a little differently than they do. I quickly outline the object that is being observed, whether it is the road, the water, a flower, a rock, or the sky; and in so doing, it seems to have its own unique weight without needing a label. Russell: Yes. Perhaps we should call this exercise, “stopping associations,” rather than “stopping thoughts.” Because it is really about stopping associations not stopping thoughts. That is, we take in impressions, so there is recognition, something in us knows that we are looking at a lamp, but associations don’t have to go on, in us, about the lamp. Student: That makes sense. The impression is: I see a tree; not ... that I used to climb that tree, or once put a swing in it. Russell: Correct. By stopping the flow of associations you only see the tree. Student: Okay. Now then, I wish to verify that it would be at that point, prior to the onslaught of associations, that my vision needs to move to the next object. Russell: Yes. That is correct. Student: Is it appropriate that there is a strong sensation, or is that imagination? Russell: No, you are doing fine. Anything else? Student: Yes, actually there is. In Views from the Real World, on page 99, there is a discussion. The question is how to begin inner change, and the response is, the driver is connected to the cart by the seat and the brake. The cart is connected to the horse by the shafts. And the driver is connected to the horse by the reins. It then says that the driver cannot give orders to the horse directly, but has to use the reins. However, it says that the reins have the capacity now to thicken, and now to become more thin. And, when the reins become more thin, the driver is unable to control the horse. Will you explain what Gurdjieff meant by that? Russell: Yes, I will. I will use an example from my life. I remember, when I was growing up, someone made a derogatory comment about my mother, and all of a sudden I was going after them with my fists. My mind was saying, you shouldn’t be doing this, but I was unable to pull on the reins and stop the horse because the reins were too thin. Gurdjieff later talks about what the reins represent and how to make them thicker. Student: Well, I was wondering about that. What are the reins and how does one make them thicker? Is it the will of the emotion? Russell: There is another chapter, which you will soon get into, that picks up from where the previous chapter left off. It is a discussion about what the shafts are, what the reins are, and what the ether is. In talking about the reins, Gurdjieff explains that they represent visualization. That is, you cannot tell the horse to not be angry if someone says something bad about your mother; it does not understand language. However, you can imagine someone saying something bad about your mother, and then visualize yourself not being angry, but instead, being calm and collected; and as such, you will thicken the reins and successfully be able to communicate with the horse. Student: Wow. That is perfect. I can do that. I can visualize myself responding in the way I want to respond, and by so doing, train my horse. Russell: You can find much more about that in my The Two Ends of the Stick exercise, where you visualize the best and the worst things that could happen, and thus become free from everything that falls in between. Student: Wonderful, I will read about that exercise next. Russell: Gurdjieff’s work is very practical. It might sound theoretical or philosophical when you first go through Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson, but when you get into books like Views from the Real World, you will find great practicality. Student: Just being present seems like a good place to start. Russell: Yes, indeed, that is a good place to start. (the student lets out a long sigh, then says), “Thank you.” Russell: You are most welcome. But, by the way, the next time you let out a long sigh like that, it would be a great time for you to do the Om exercise. There is a natural vibration that occurs when you sigh, which provides a great opportunity to do that exercise. Student: Oh, yeah. I forgot to make the sound of Ommmmm. I will do that, the next time I do. Russell: Super. Have you read Beelzebub’s Last Wish again? You told me last Monday that you were going to read it again this week. Student: Oh! No. I forgot. Russell: See, we are a thousand I’s. Student: Yeah. A thousand I’s. In fact, I buried that, I buried that commitment. But I will dig it up as soon as I hang up the phone. Russell: How about the breathing when you eat exercise? Student: Yes. Conscious breathing. Conscious eating. Picking up the food, enjoying it thoroughly, and putting down the fork. Russell: Well, that is the slow eating exercise. Student: Ahhh. Russell: The breathing when you eat exercise, is acknowledging that you are taking in air when you take in food; seeing that air also enters and nourishes you. Student: Got it. I will do that. At one time I wanted to go to Egypt, but I now realize that I do not need to visit an external place in order to be fulfilled. It was wonderful to go to India, and spend time in the Ashram, as it fulfilled the “I’s” that wanted “special blessings.” But, I am done with all that. Russell: Terrific. Inwardly, you have your own Ashram that you can go to anytime you wish, and it takes no airfare. Student: [laughing] Yeah, being able to sit quietly is more important than running around all over the world. My whole life has been rushing to an event, in order to get there so that I could sit down, be quiet, and rest; and when I arrived, I had another series of obligations that I needed to run to, in order to get to some other place where I could sit down, be quiet, and rest. Yikes. Russell: The phrase I say to myself and to others is: “No matter where you are externally, if you close your eyes, it will always look the same internally.” Student: That is a profound saying. I will do that. My inner world has definitely strengthened as a result of doing the exercises. I have been performing the I-Am exercise every day. I have not performed the 3-finger exercise yet, instead, I do the 3-fold Attention Exercise. Russell: That is fine. The 3-finger exercise is very difficult to do. That is why my higher gave me the 3-fold attention exercise, because it was an exercise that everyone could do. Remember, all exercises fall into seven categories. Some are for the body, some are for the mind, some are for the feelings, some are for the body and the mind, some are for the feelings and the body, some for the feelings and the mind, and some are for all three. The 3-fold Attention exercise is one of those for all three. Student: Terrific, I will keep that in mind as I proceed. Okay. I will see you soon! Russell: We are excited about your visit. Bring comfortable shoes and clothes. You do not have to bring a lot; we have a washing machine. Student: I will. I am very excited about coming. Russell: Everybody has adjusted their work schedules, so that they can be here as much as possible, because your being here is an opportunity for them as well. They get to hear me take someone else on the journey, and everytime they do, they learn more. Student: Oh, wow. That is wonderful! I am so looking forward to this opportunity. Russell: Fantastic. Here is a quick synopsis of what you can expect while you are here: We will master one Chapter each day. At the end of Chapter 1, you will discover how easy it is to calculate octaves. In Chapter 2, you will witness the creation of the Diatonic Universe. In Chapter 3, you will know for certain that you are going to awaken, whereafter, the exercises that you have been doing will be done with greater vigor and greater understanding. In Chapter 4, harmonic stability will become a reality, and the exquisite math of oscillations and the tRNA molecule, might set you a shaking. In Chapter 5, assisting forces will appear. In Chapter 6, a matrix of outer octaves will unfold before your eyes, and when they do, everything in the Universe will begin to make sense. Finally, in Chapter 7, everything that was not covered in the first 6 chapters will be revealed. And when you self-discover the Lines of Supervision in an Enneagram, you may begin to tremble. Then, after one final night of polishing your centers, the ones that are needed for awakening, we will meet in the morning around 11am, and I will explain The Objective Exercise to you in detail. When I do, you will see it, you will understand it, and you will realize it’s infallibility; and as such, you will know that you are going to awaken. Afterwhich, I will guide you through The Objective Exercise and you will. Student: Sighing, with the sound of an ommmmmmm. That ends today’s podcast. Thank you for listening. If you have any questions that you would like answered, please send them to [email protected], 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 available for PDF download, and now available in hardback, 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.