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.

In this podcast I will share with you a weekly class between Russell and several of his students.

But first, here is something that Russell wished to share.

Russell:  I began studying Gurdjieff’s work in the mid-1970s, and in 1980 I awoke, but don’t ask me how that happened, it just happened. 

All I know is that it was a glorious day. 

After which, the people in my life, as well as the people who came into my life, wanted to know what had happened to me, as they could tell I was different. Thus, I began to share with them everything I was studying, as well as everything I had learned, except for how I had awoken, because that answer, I did not know. Then, ten years later, I discovered that answer, as well as a way of showing others how to do the same, which too was a glorious day.

Whereafter, I wrote the book Gurdjieff: Cosmic Secrets and informed the people at a Fourth Way conference that I would show them how to awaken their Higher Emotional Centers for free; and it only took ten days. After which, people from all over the world began coming to Texas in order to awaken. 

Then, ten years later, I discovered a way of awakening the Higher Mental Center, so they all came back to awaken that as well, which created many more glorious days. 

However, in 2014, the doctors discovered that I had a benign brain tumor, which put an end to the above practices. But fortunately, several recordings of me taking others on the journey had been archived, which were then transcribed, allowing The Blueprint of Consciousness to be written, and the aforementioned practices to be reestablished. Thus, making it possible for everyone to be able to take the journey once again, which so far has produced many additional glorious days.

Thank you for sharing that with us Russell.

Now, on to today’s podcast.

In today’s podcast, Russell will explain Gurdjieff’s model of creation as it relates to our development, how to create a common center of gravity, why working on oneself may cause someone to remember themselves not more but less, the exercise of not speaking for three days, as well as sharing additional information about our higher centers.

Take it away Russ.

Russell:  Gurdjieff’s model of Universal creation is parallel to our own creation. 

In Gurdjieff’s model of Universal creation, the first thing that happened is based on the three particularities of the 5th stopinder of the sacred law of Heptaparaparshinokh, which was, the emanations which were directed outside the Holy Sun Absolute, begin to act on various parts of the Universe; and as such, First-order concentrations came into being. 

Then, after establishing both fundamental laws in themselves, the First-order concentrations began to emanate, which caused Second-order concentrations to come into existence, also called Second-order-Suns. 

At this point, Gurdjieff says that the emanations coming from our Endlessness became the reconciling principle for everything already arisen. And every Second-order-Sun became its own affirming force, and the other Second-order-Suns became for it, its denying force.

Following the Second-order-Suns, Third-order-Suns, as well as similarities to the already arisen came into existence.

For the Universe, the First-order concentrations would be black holes, which hold galaxies together. The Second-order concentrations would be suns, which hold solar systems together. The Third-order concentrations would be planets, which hold elements together. And the similarities to the already arisen would be the elements themselves.

Next, we must ask, does the above relate in any way to our inner world? 

Well, what if the Instinctive Center, the Moving Center, the Emotional Center, and the Intellectual Center were the First-order concentrations? If so, that would mean that the Second-order-Suns would be the desires that come from those centers, which respectively, would be the desire to eat, the desire to play, the desire to be comforted, and the desire to be right. And as such, each of those desires would be an affirming force. An affirming force that would want to be the primary affirming force. That is, the Instinctive Center would want us to focus on eating, the Moving Center would want us to focus on playing, the Emotional Center would want us to focus on being loved, and the Intellectual Center would want us to focus on being right. Furthermore, the denying force for each of those desires, would be the desires that collectively come from the other centers, that is, from the other Second-order-Suns.

We may be able to continue this postulation by realizing that the desires that come from the Second-order-Suns, create the Third-order-Suns, which could very well be the personalities that surround those desires. That is, the personalities which allow each one of those desires to be attained.  

Following the Third-order-Suns, are the similarities to the already arisen, which would be the many I’s that support those personalities. 

If the above scenario is accurate, we can watch ourselves coming into being. It starts with the First-order concentrations, our four lower centers. Following them are the Second-order-Suns, the desires and wishes of those centers. Next come the Third-order-Suns, the personalities that are created by those desires. Whereafter, the similarities to the already arisen emerge, which are the many I’s that support those personalities. 

Student:  Thanks for that, I could see it all unfolding before my eyes. That being said, what would be the neutralizing force in relation to ourselves?

Russell:  The neutralizing force would be us taken as a whole, which would include both our current development and our genetic potential.

Student:  So the neutralizing force is basically the highest of what we are, as well as what we can become.

Russell:  That is correct.

Thus, we must not only strive to be present in the present, but remain fixed on the destination. However, in order to do that, we must first bring the machine to a state where our centers abandon their own whims and desires and recognize the aim and purpose of the machine as a whole. That is, if we tied ourselves together with a rope, and then all tried to go in different directions, it would be nigh impossible for any of us to do so. However, if we all got together and collectively decided the direction in which we should go, then even though we were all tied together with a rope, we would be able to easily head in that direction, because once we had a common aim, we would possess a common center of gravity.

Student:  So, are you saying that once we awaken our Steward, we will engender real control over our machine, because we will have a permanent center of gravity?

Russell:  Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. Wherever our center of gravity is, which is usually in our most developed  center, will influence the rest of the machine. That is why we must awaken our Higher Emotional Center and acquire our Steward as quickly as possible, so that we will be able to influence the rest of our machine.

After which, when we acquire the Higher Mental Center, it will become our new center of gravity, which for us will be even better.  

Student:  Does our center of gravity prevent us from doing horrible things, as well as keep us from pursuing higher things?

Russell:  Yes sir, unfortunately it does. The latter of which means that a man who is caught by the illusion that he already possesses something higher, will never seek to attain it.

Student:  On page 88 in Views from the Real World, it says, “If you work conscientiously, you will remember yourselves not more but less, because self-remembering requires many things.” Why is that? 

Another Student:  For me, the more attention I put on self-remembering, the more I realized how much I was asleep, as well as how my previous beliefs of being very much awake were totally false; and as such, I now remember myself much less frequently than before.

Russell:  Good! That is exactly the point. We all have the illusion of thinking that we can do, of thinking that we are one, of thinking that we possess higher powers, and by so doing, we have deceived ourselves. But, after becoming conscious and realizing that we are not what we imagined ourselves to be, we will become suspicious of our previous thinking, and as such, will be less inclined to think that way.

Whereas a man who is not conscious will be far less critical of himself, because, as previously stated, he will believe that he already is conscious, and therefore, will make no efforts to attain it.

Thus, the idea is, if you consciously work on yourself, you will remember yourself not more, but less. That is, any moments of clarity that you may have had in the past, except for a few, were probably the result of outside forces, and not from forces that came from you. For example, if you found yourself in a good mood because someone came along and told you how wonderful you were, that would not be of your own making, but of someone else’s making.

If you understand the model, you will be able to understand how our state depends on external forces. However, we do not want our state to depend on external forces. We want our state to depend on us.

That being said, when a man realizes that he cannot remember himself, he will begin to clearly see the difficulty of the journey. And as such, he will struggle, not to remember himself, but to acquire the possibility that someday he may be able to remember himself. 

We had a good example of that happening just a few weeks ago, when a student was given the exercise of not speaking for three days. 

For three days, he had to remember just one thing, not to speak; and as such, he was raised to almost reaching the level of a dog, because dogs can do that. 

Case in point: We have several dogs, and whenever the dog bowl has food in it, the dominant male dog will protect it from the other male dogs, but not from the females. Thus, he will lay down by the bowl and growl if the other males get too close. And if something happens in the yard, he might jump up and bark, or run to the door to see what it is, but he will immediately run back to the bowl, and once again start to protect it. Other thoughts may enter, but it is obvious that he is able to maintain one thought, the thought of protecting the bowl.

Isn’t it marvelous that a dog can hold one thought?

How come we can’t do that?

How come we are less than dogs?  

Well, because a long time ago, we lost our higher centers, that’s why. One of which was the Higher Emotional Center, which dogs still have. That is why they are loyal, and we are not.

Student:  That is a great model, Russ, and it is so true. Having been to Texas, I know precisely which dog you are talking about, and that is exactly the way he is.

On another topic, would you explain a bit more about our higher centers? I want to hammer them deeper into my brain.

Russell:  Sure, I would be happy to.

One of the most noticeable things about having a higher center is realizing that the Work is not just about you, which primarily happens because with its assistance, the Work becomes easier to do; and as such, you are able to recognize a greater scope of things. That is, you will not only recognize the responsibility you have to yourself, but you will also recognize the responsibility you have to others.

Student:  If I understand you correctly, the Higher Emotional Center gives us the opportunity to go from a 12 to an 8. Is that correct?

Russell:  Yes, that is correct.

Until we are able to become the 8, we are destined to remain the 12; and as such, we will always put ourselves ahead of others.

Unfortunately, our lower centers are designed to be a 12, which is good for survival. That is, the instinctive, the moving, the emotional, and the intellectual centers are focused on self-existence, whereas the Higher Emotional Center and the Higher Mental Center are capable of not only focusing on self-existence, but on others’ existence as well.

Student:  So, awakening the Higher Emotional Center allows us to take the position of the 8, do I have that correct?

Russell:  Yes, you have that correct.

As an 8, we are out of the equation. However, as a 12, we are the equation; and as such, the journey will only be about us. That is, I need to survive, I need to have, and I need to win. Whereas, when we become the 8, the journey will include others; and as such, it will become we need to survive, we need to have, and we need to win. 

Student:  Becoming the 8 must be very powerful, because the innate need to survive, which is in our Instinctive Center, is extremely powerful, but perhaps, that is one of the properties of being a 12.

Russell:  Yes, it is. 

For example, if a hand grenade was thrown into a room full of soldiers, the 12 would tell them to save themselves, causing them to hit the floor, but the 8 would tell them to save the others, causing them to throw themselves on the hand grenade.  

Student:  Are you talking about helping others, as to having an obligation to their survival, as well as to their development.

Russell:  Yes, I am.

Let's start with survival. 

What is the aim of a pride of lions, a pack of wolves, or a herd of horses? It is for the species to continue. That is, the survival of the species is more important than the survival of one individual. 

Now, I am not saying that we should go around looking for ways to kill ourselves so that others may live. Instead, I am saying that we need to hold everyone else’s life as precious as our own. Just like some parents do, who sacrifice themselves in order to ensure that their children will have a better life. 

Now, on to development. 

If we understood that our obligation was to help others, then we would generate a force in us that would far exceed the force of only working on ourselves. Or, putting it another way, if someone worked very hard to ensure that someone else grew a soul, do you think that their chances of growing a soul would increase? However, what if someone was only interested in growing their own soul? What would their chances be? 

Okay, I submit. It is possible for someone to grow a soul if they are only interested in growing their own. 

However, there are so many sayings out there concerning the former: like “Love thy neighbor,” or “Only he who can take care of what belongs to others, may have his own,” or “By teaching others you will learn yourself,” the former, is more likely to reveal the truth. 

Student:  But it doesn’t have to be formal teaching, does it? It can just be manifestations coming from a higher place, right?

Russell:  Yes, manifestations coming from a higher place will do just fine. Like if you say to someone, “When I read DOGTALE 83 - What a man sees when he looks at the world around him says more about the man than it does about the world… I was gobsmacked.” And you shared that with someone else because you thought that by sharing it, they may be gobsmacked too, and as such, they might attain a higher state.

Correspondingly, how many of us have benefitted from hearing someone recite their memory work? 

Student:  Yes, I was gobsmacked too, when I read DOGTALE 83.

Okay, so far, I understand that the Higher Emotional Center is created by the integration of our first three lower centers, which awakens our conscience, and as such, begins to consider others, but what does the Higher Mental Center do, over and above that?

Russell:  It is very hard to understand what the Higher Mental Center does, because it is so devoid in mankind. But I will give it a shot. 

I can only speak for myself. That is, from my own experience, which is based on the possibility that something like that has awakened in me. 

When I first awoke ‘what I believe to be the Higher Mental Center,’ I instantly recognized that I had an obligation of teaching others, and as such, I did so without greed or self-importance, because I understood the necessity of making what I had discovered, freely, available to all. That is, to share with everyone what I had found, without handing them a bill at the end, which I am positive came from my Higher Mental Center. I say that because, without my Higher Mental Center, I would have never stretched the fabric of the Universe, nor figured out the law of octaves, let alone discovered an objective way of showing others how to awaken, not just one, but both higher centers.  

Okay, that being said, let's now delve into the properties of the Higher Mental Center. 

Firstly, the Higher Mental Center is capable of direct knowing, which occurs in its mechanical part. Just like our heartbeat occurs in the mechanical part of our Instinctive Center, which for the Instinctive Center, is its direct knowing.

One’s normal resting heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute, which means that something in us knows to automatically keep beating the heart for 80 years or so. Which, I would say, is quite a lot of direct knowing. 

Think about that in terms of our Higher Mental Center, and its mechanical part, which in case you don’t know, is our Intellectual Center.

Which means, our Intellectual Center is standing in a higher place, functioning automatically, and doing so at the speed of light!

Can you imagine that; that your Intellectual Center is standing in a place, where it has access to everything that was ever placed in it, and can find it at the speed of light? 

Student:  Wow, just wow!

Russell:  Secondly, the emotional part of the Higher Mental Center is the Higher Emotional Center, which likewise is standing in a higher place. That is, the Higher Emotional Center is now standing right alongside the Intellectual Center, and by so doing, those two centers have become the Higher Mental Center’s first two parts. Thus, the Higher Emotional Center and the Intellectual Center give birth to both conscience and objective consciousness, wherein, there are no feelings of uncertainty when it comes to knowing what is right to do, and one knows that instantly! 

Go ahead, you can say some more wows if you wish.

Student:  Wow! Wow! Wow! 

Another amazing answer, Russ. With answers like that, I too believe that you have awakened your Higher Mental Center.

Okay, I have another question. One regarding Gurdjieff’s aphorism, “It is better to be temporarily an egoist than never to be just.” There must be some transitional qualities in order for that to be right. And, in what context do you think Gurdjieff gave such advice?

Russell:  Well, that aphorism most likely came about because of something I previously mentioned, which was, after awakening, how one will understand the necessity of putting others first.

However, before awakening, if you have some understanding of that, you just might be compelled to justify your own lack of actions on yourself, by hiding behind what you have done for others. 

Now, I wasn’t there when Gurdjieff made that aphorism, but I can certainly envision a scenario where that Aphorism would have been apropos.

Perhaps Gurdjieff had asked someone who was not actively working on themselves, why they were not. Who answered him by saying, “Well geez, I give to my church, I donate a lot of my time to charity, and I always arrive to the meetings early, so that I can set up the chairs.” Whereafter, Gurdjieff might have said, “Have you read the book that I suggested you read?” And the person says, “No.” Then, Gurdjieff queried “Have you done any of the exercises I told you to do?” And the student again says, “No, but I am always just towards everyone I meet,” To which Gurdjieff replied, “It is better to be temporarily an egoist than never to be just.” Thus, attempting to drive the point home that it is better to initially put yourself first than to manifest voluminous efforts towards others or to other things. That is, there is no substitute for first line Work. However, some people come to the Work via second-line or third-line Work, but sooner or later, they must get down to doing first-line Work, otherwise, nothing will change.  

Student:  Thank you, Russ. That certainly answers that.

Russell:  You are most welcome.

As a final thought, I would like again to talk about glorious days. The first of which took place 40 years ago when I awoke. Ten years later, when I discovered an objective way of awakening others, it happened again. Then, it accelerated … and continued to accelerate when I began taking students in from all over the world and showing them how to awaken.

Thereafter, to share the joy of those glorious days, I began sending out emails to everyone who had also experienced one, announcing that a glorious day had again occurred.

Then, by the mid-1990s, after discovering the Master Exercises, the glorious day emails increased.

And in 2001, when the two Double or Nothing Exercises were formulated, the glorious day emails were sent out almost daily.

It rocked-on pretty steadily after that, as students advanced through the various stages of awakening. That is, until 2014, when I stopped taking in new students because of my aforementioned medical issue.

But fortunately, to my delight, as soon as The Blueprint of Consciousness was released to the world, the glorious days once again started to occur, and then they accelerated.

Unfortunately, the more books we sold, the more people awoke, which was, of itself, a very good thing. However, the volume of glorious day emails had reached a point where it no longer was sustainable, and as such, I had to discontinue the process.

That being said, I still look forward to hearing about everyone’s glorious days.

Perhaps, I will hear about yours soon.

That completes 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 perhaps ... even include them in a future podcast.  

In addition, you may now pose questions at our new Telegram group THEDOG Teachings, which is open to everyone to join and participate in.

You may also find us on Instagram at THEDOG Teachings, where we have posted all of Gurdjieff’s Aphorisms and THEDOG school’s DOG TALES, as well as simple explanations of many diagrams and models.

Or if you would like to purchase Russell Smith’s book, The Blueprint of Consciousness, a 520-page hardback, which is also available for PDF download, or learn more about the subjects and exercises we have been exploring, 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 listen to other talks, obtain diagrams, animations, supporting videos, 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.