Aphorisms and DOGTALE’S

[Russell Smith]

The Aphorisms and DOGTALES

DOGTALE 0 – There is no failure in effort.
Gurdjieff tells us that whenever we do something, we gain something, even if we fail… thus, there is no failure in effort.

Aphorism 1 – Like what “it” does not like.
“It”… is ‘False Personality.’ We can only like what “it” does not like. If we look inwards and learn to work against what we see, i.e., our habitual beliefs, opinions, desires, and ideas; we will, by separating from them, become free from the False Personality.

Aphorism 2 – The highest that a man can attain is to be able to do.
People can ‘do’ nothing. From the time we are born to the time we die things happen, happen, happen, and we think we are doing. This is our normal state in life. Even the smallest possibility to do something comes only through the work, and only in oneself, not externally. “Doing begins by not doing. Before you can do something that you cannot do, you must not do many things which you did before” – Ouspensky.
Thus, before learning how to “do”, one must first learn how “not to do”.
Doing is the highest function of an objective, conscious being. Wherein one is free from all desires and fears; and, as such, is able to do anything that is needed to be done.

Aphorism 3 – The worse the conditions of life the more productive the work, always provided you remember the work.
“Looking backwards, we only remember the difficult periods of our lives, never the peaceful times; the latter are sleep, the former are struggle and therefore life” – Gurdjieff.
The difficult moments of life create the greatest moments of self-remembering. Thus, if one remembers to work on oneself during the difficult moments, one will reap the greatest rewards.

Aphorism 4 – Remember yourself always and everywhere.
One of the first things students of THEDOG notice, after they awaken, is that they have a double arrow of attention: One attention… on what they are doing, and another attention… on themselves doing it. This second attention is likened to having ‘permanent’ self-remembering. Thus, they are able to remember themselves always and everywhere.

Aphorism 5 – Remember you come here having already understood the necessity of struggling with yourself—only with yourself. Therefore thank everyone who gives you the opportunity.
The moment one finds a school or decides to work on oneself, one begins the task of overcoming their mechanicality. And, nothing shows a person their mechanicality better than their interactions with others. So, if one has truly decided to work on oneself, one should be very thankful to glimpse the things upon which they most need to work.

Aphorism 6 – Here we can only direct and create conditions, but not help.
Unfortunately, work on oneself is precisely that… work on oneself. That is, schools, teachers, and mentors cannot do the personal work that needs to be done. However, they may be able to create a favorable atmosphere, or provide proper guidance in order to assist those who wish to make the journey.

Aphorism 7 – Know that this house can be useful only to those who have recognized their nothingness and who believe in the possibility of changing.
As was just said, work on oneself is personal. And, as such, is dependent on being able to recognize its necessity, as well as, realize its possibility. Then, one will be better able to take advantage of the teaching.

Aphorism 8 – If you already know it is bad and do it, you commit a sin difficult to redress.
Conscience understands that truth is constant. Once truth is seen, conscience will respond to that truth. To respond contrary to that truth would be an affront to conscience; thus, proving that conscience is absent. For, if it was not absent, it would be nigh impossible to justify such actions.

Aphorism 9 – The chief means of happiness in this life is the ability to consider externally always, internally never.
External considering puts others first. Internal considering puts oneself first. There is great truth in the Biblical phrase, “You reap what you sow.” That is, you always harvest what you plant. If you plant positive seeds in others, you are likely to receive positive responses back. And, since most people seek positive responses, external considering will most likely make you very happy. Whereas, internal considering, by definition, is designed to only make oneself happy, not others. Therefore, internal considering will not engender any positive responses coming from outside. It may sound good, to initially get what you want, but to do so, requires constant effort. The secret lies in the truth that you always reap much more than what you sow! Thus, external considering will generate an abundance of positive responses coming from others; and… those responses are likely to make you rich!

Aphorism 10 – Do not love art with your feelings.
Over the years, students have questioned the meaning of this aphorism more than any other. Simply put, it means, if you love art with your feelings, you will want to possess it, which is not good… as it will most likely end up in your collection to where only you can appreciate it.

Aphorism 11 – A true sign of a good man is if he loves his father and mother.
It is a very good thing to always celebrate the causes of your arising, even if they are not what you wish them to be… for you, my friend, have the innate ability to become much better than they are, which you could not do if you did not exist. So, as it says in Exodus 20:12, “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”

Aphorism 12 – Judge others by yourself and you will rarely be mistaken.
To protect their purity, it is good advice, as is aphorism number 17, to judge the world via your own observations. That is, your opinions, should be your opinions, and not the opinions of others.

Aphorism 13 – Only help him who is not an idler.
This is common sense. If a being is trying to climb the mountain, help him climb the mountain. If he is not trying to climb the mountain, and you try to help him climb the mountain, you will most likely only be disturbing his sleep.

Aphorism 14 – Respect every religion.
Every being has a right to have their own belief structure. And, as such, their belief structure will probably be different from yours, which does not make it wrong, it only makes it different. However, if they are seeking to change their belief structure, you certainly have the right to offer them what you believe to be a better one. But, you do not have the right to judge them for theirs.

Aphorism 15 – I love him who loves work.
Simply put. Rejoice when a person seeks to change their being, just as you have chosen to change yours.

Aphorism 16 – We can only strive to be able to be Christians.
Here, it is about the idea of becoming what Christ represented, which most likely, far exceeds what we are at present; and, as such, is something we can only strive to become.

Aphorism 17 – Don’t judge a man by the tales of others.
As in aphorism number 12, “Judge others by yourself and you will rarely be mistaken.” I reiterate, to protect their purity, it is good advice to judge the world via your own observations. That is, your opinions, should be your opinions, and not the opinions of others.

Aphorism 18 – Consider what people think of you—not what they say.
It is a funny thing, in the presence of the boss, you often hear people say nice things about him. However, when he is gone, they say something quite different. Thus, the boss should be more concerned about what people say about him when he is not present, than what they say about him when he is present. Why? Because, when he is not present, they are more compelled to say what they think. Therefore, the boss should always treat everyone fairly and with respect, if he did, people would most likely say nice things about him, even when he is gone? Apply this truth to yourself, and try to always treat everyone fairly and with respect. Then, it is almost certain that what they say about you will be what they think about you.

Aphorism 19 – Take the understanding of the East and the knowledge of the West—and then seek.
It is a fact that in ancient times (represented by the East) people understood more about being – as they struggled more with life. Whereas, in modern times (represented by the West) the emphasis became focused on knowledge… the industrial and scientific revolutions, etc. We would be wise to incorporate both, for only with balance in knowledge and being can we complete what we seek to accomplish.

Aphorism 20 – Only he who can take care of what belongs to others may have his own.
This is two fold. It applies to physical things – if you respect daddy’s tools, and don’t leave them in the woods, after you build your tree fort, someday, you may be able to acquire your own tools; and, it applies to spiritual things – if you are attentive, respectful, and direct and create conditions that are favorable for others to work on themselves, you will most likely set the stage for you to be able to better work on yourself.

Aphorism 21 – Only conscious suffering has any sense.
If you have no food and do not eat, you will suffer mechanically. But, if you have food, and choose not to eat, you will suffer intentionally. Suffering by choice is conscious suffering. Suffering by circumstance is not. Either way, you suffer. But, fortunately, since we can control when we suffer by choice, and as stated in aphorism number 3, “The worse the conditions of life the more productive the work…” we can use the conscious suffering to intentionally get the most out of our work “…always provided [we] remember the work.”

Aphorism 22 – It is better to be temporarily an egoist than never to be just.
I can imagine Gurdjieff saying this to a student who only worked on the third line of work, that is, for the school. One, who worked hard on helping others. One, who spent all of his time being fair to all who were in the school. One, who considered what everyone else needed. One, who thought of himself as being just to all. However, his own personal work was lacking; and, in discussing his lack of personal achievement, he defended himself by explaining all that he had done for the school, and how just he was to others. Where after, Gurdjieff looked at him and said, “It is better to be temporarily an egoist than never to be just.” That is, you have to put work on yourself ahead of being just to others, which is why it is called, ‘first line work.’

Aphorism 23 – Practice love first on animals, they are more sensitive.
Animals, like dogs, etc., don’t judge, nor hold grudges; and, are quick to respond to acts of love and kindness. Therefore, by practicing love first on animals and witnessing their response, you may be motivated to treat others with similar acts of love and kindness, which most likely will evoke similar responses in them.

Aphorism 24 – By teaching others you will learn yourself.
There came a time, after I awoke, that all of my questions had been answered. Then, students showed up and began asking me theirs. Some of which I had never asked. Remarkably, I discovered that in the process of formulating answers to their questions, my own database got expanded; and, as such, I myself learned more.
In addition, interactions on the second line of work will most likely reveal many unpolished parts of yourself, thus giving you greater insight into who you yourself are… and providing additional areas for personal work.

Aphorism 25 – Remember that here work is not for work’s sake but is only a means.
We are not here to build a barn; although, one may get built. Instead, we are here to see the inexactitudes in our being, which can best be seen by subjugating our will, bearing what we believe are the unpleasant manifestations of others, and confronting various unknown problems.

Aphorism 26 – Only he can be just who is able to put himself in the position of others.
This aphorism is fairly easy to understand; and, in life, has been said in many ways: “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you”, “Walk a mile in my shoes”, etc.

Aphorism 27 – If you have not by nature a critical mind your staying here is useless.
Blind obedience leads to blind actions. Here, we must learn to understand every idea; to tear it apart; to see how, where, and why it fits. Only then, can we truly use it to change our being.

Aphorism 28 – He who has freed himself of the disease of “tomorrow” has a chance to attain what he came here for.
Simply put, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” – Benjamin Franklin. Or, “There is always one thing you can do” – Russell Smith. Or, “Engage!” – Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

Aphorism 29 – Blessed is he who has a soul, blessed is he who has none, but woe and grief to him who has it in embryo.
One is happy ‘if one has a soul’ because that means they have woken up; and, as such, their machine is working properly. One is also happy ‘if one does not have a soul’ because that means they are asleep; and, as such, they live in the world of their own pleasant illusions. However, one is not happy ‘if one knows they are asleep and have not as yet woken up’… for they will recognize that there is still much hard work to be done.

Aphorism 30 – Rest comes not from the quantity but from the quality of sleep.
People often say, “I got 8 hours sleep and still feel tired.” Why? Well, because they tossed and turned all night; because it took them an hour or so to fall asleep; and, because they laid in bed for an hour in the morning, before they got up. Thus, in truth, they did not get 8 hours of sleep.
You must learn to quiet your thoughts, quickly disconnect your centers, and keep them disconnected, so that you can sleep deeply; and, in the morning, quickly reconnect them.
Let’s start with thoughts. A good way to quiet your thoughts is to think about things that have little meaning, so as to easily lose interest in them, like concentrating on what is in the silverware drawer, you won’t be able to hold that thought for long before it fades away and you find yourself asleep.
A comfortable bed is also a must. One that allows you to physically relax, so that you can virtually stay in one position most of the night… thus, there will be little tossing and turning.
Ear plugs can also be helpful, so that sounds are less likely to awaken you, when you enter one of the 3 or 4 light states of sleep that we pass through every night. Then, after 5 or 6 hours of solid sleep, you will be able to readily reconnect and get up when you awaken.

Aphorism 31 – Sleep little without regret.
I suppose this aphorism can be viewed in two ways: By needing less physical sleep, as discussed in the previous aphorism; or, by not indulging in waking sleep that is manifest in your habitual likes and identifications.

Aphorism 32 – The energy spent on active inner work is then and there transformed into a fresh supply, but that spent on passive work is lost forever.
Have you ever noticed that when you are engaged in meaningful work, you often do not want to stop nor get tired of what you are doing? That is because meaningful work provides its own momentum. When you are not engaged in meaningful work, you often get bored and tire easily. If you recognize having such moments, you have therefore experienced this aphorism.

Aphorism 33 – One of the best means for arousing the wish to work on yourself is to realize that you may die at any moment. But first you must learn how to keep it in mind.
There is great truth here. Gurdjieff often said we are Third Force Blind. Which is true; if one does not have a big enough reason for doing something, then the something will probably not get done. To realize that you may die at any moment, will provide you with a great driving force, and allow you to overcome every obstacle along the way. Remember that.

Aphorism 34 – Conscious love evokes the same in response. Emotional love evokes the opposite. Physical love depends on type and polarity.
Conscious love is respectful, considering love, and is likely to engender a similar response from others. Emotional love tends to be self-serving and overly possessive, which often will drive people away. Physical love simply means, you are both in the medical field, ride motorcycles, or love your liquor.

Aphorism 35 – Conscious faith is freedom. Emotional faith is slavery. Mechanical faith is foolishness.
This aphorism is about real faith – knowing with every center.
Conscious faith is achieved when the three lower centers are unified and both of the higher centers are active. As such, one can know, through direct experience, if something is law-conformable or not, and will, with freedom, manifest according to that knowledge.
Emotional faith is based on the hopes, wishes, and desires of the Emotional center, or on the emotional parts of the Moving, Instinctive, and Intellectual centers; and, as such, manifests with the belief structure that something may or may not be so. That uncertainty makes the object of your desires, and fears, possess you. Thus, making you their slave.
Mechanical faith is simply the learned and automatically repeated habits of the mechanical parts of your lower centers; and, therefore, have no sense at all.

Aphorism 36 – Hope, when bold, is strength. Hope, with doubt, is cowardice. Hope, with fear, is weakness.
This aphorism relates to the certainty of centers as to how they act.
The action of the Higher Emotional Center, with three unified and mastered lower centers, is immediate and direct. Therefore, it boldly goes forward in pursuit of its desired aim.
The action of one of the fragmented lower centers, which is composed of opposites, lacks certainty; and, thus, is prone to hesitation.
The action of one of the fragmented lower centers, which is being constrained by the opposites in one of the other centers, incites fear; and, thus, makes it unable to function.

Aphorism 37 – Man is given a definite number of experiences—economizing them, he prolongs his life.
A bee is given a certain number of wing beats, then it dies. An elephant and an elephant shrew are given a certain number of heart beats, then they die. The elephant shrew’s heart beats 200 times faster than that of an elephant. Thus, elephant shrews live for a very short time compared to the elephant.
What if we apply this idea to the nature of man? But, instead of using experiences, we substitute the flow of associations; or, of having long thoughts vs having short thoughts. Gurdjieff said that time was an ideally unique subjective phenomena; and, as such, passed according to the way it was perceived.
We have all probably experienced times when we were waiting on a friend to pick us up at 8:00, and it got to be 8:00, and they were not there yet. Some of those times you might have been flooded with associations: Where are they? They usually call if they are going to be late. Did they get into an accident? Should I call the hospital? Should I call the police? You look out the window. Where are they? Then, you look up at the clock, thinking that several minutes must have passed, but it’s only 8:01! Wow, it seems like it should be 8:10.
You had a plethora of associations in just 1 minute; thus, you think 10 minutes have passed. Perhaps, you consumed 10 minutes of your life in just 1 minute, because you perceived it to be 10 minutes.
Contrarily, instead of being flooded with different associations (short thoughts), you grab the newspaper and start doing a crossword puzzle. You now have long thoughts (concentrated associations). And, all of a sudden, the doorbell rings, and you think, “Wow, they are here already.” Then you look up at the clock and it’s 8:20. “What the heck, it seems like only a couple of minutes have passed!” When that happens, perhaps, you consumed only a couple of minutes of your life, even though the clock has ticked off 20, because you perceived it to be only a couple of minutes.
So, perhaps, the aphorism should say, “Man is given a definite number of associations—economizing them, he prolongs his life.”

Aphorism 38 – Here there are neither Russians nor English, Jews nor Christians, but only those who pursue one aim—to be able to be.
This aphorism relates to labels and identifications. We should disregard what we believe others are, drop our labels, and the sense of us being different from them. The aim of aphorisms #2 and #38 are high ones. To develop the ABILITY to DO and to BE, not TO DO and TO BE, but simply to be able to blend with what is higher, with nothing of “us” in the way, neither our identifications, nor our labels.

DOGTALE 39 – Only a fool doesn’t take advantage of help that’s available.
Have you ever tried to assemble something without first reading the instructions; and, then, when finished, found a part that should have been assembled in step 2; or, aimlessly drove around for 30 minutes, before stopping to ask directions, if so, then you already know the truth of this DOGTALE.

DOGTALE 40 – You may not be able to make another man conscious, but you can at least try not to contribute to his sleep.
Gurdjieff told the story of how, after the death of Orage, people would come up to him and say, “We are sorry to hear about the death of your friend”, and how their mechanical sympathies reminded him of his loss and once again renewed his suffering. Where after he remarked, “From such a habit, customary at the present time in the case of anyone’s death, no one derives any benefit, and the person thus addressed, only great harm.”
So, when with others, do not say what the world mechanically expects you to say, nor do what the world mechanically expects you to do. Instead, learn to external consider. That is, if someone is an alcoholic, do not offer them a drink; nor, take them out to a bar so they have to watch you drink.

DOGTALE 41 – Don’t perceive that a man will understand you, perceive that he will not.
This, too, is about external considering. If you believe that you have something of value to offer to another person, then be prepared for them not to understand it in the way that you understand it. That is, learn to express your ideas in terms that they will understand. For instance: If you are talking to a child, try to put ‘what you understand’ in terms that a child will understand. If you are talking to a carpenter, try to put ‘what you understand’ in terms that a carpenter will understand, etc. With this foresight, you will be able to explain ‘what you understand’ to anyone you wish.

DOGTALE 42 – Don’t put your suit on ‘til you get to the beach.
A student once did exercises all morning, preparing to raise his state for an encounter that was scheduled for late afternoon. Then, when it was time for the encounter, he discovered that he was totally out of force. So, I looked at him and simply said, “Don’t put your suit on ‘til you get to the beach. He understood!

DOGTALE 43 – Let your knowledge precede your actions… then, you will never be troubled.
This is something I learned from my Dad, who often said, “Think, before you act. If you do, you will probably be able to stay out of trouble.” Similarly, good carpenters have a saying: “Measure twice, cut once.”

DOGTALE 44 – Where there is more, more is added; where there is little, even that is taken away.
Gurdjieff often said that no effort is wasted, that something is always gained. That may be true at the moment of the effort; and, perhaps, shortly thereafter; but, I have found, that if you do not, periodically, refresh the fruits of your effort, they will diminish. That is, there are many things I once knew, like how to do square roots, that I no longer know, which have long ago evaporated; but the things I continued to do, like riding a bike, got even better. Thus, “Where there is more, more is added; where there is little, even that is taken away.” Or as someone once said, “Practice makes perfect.” Which means, if you practice and refresh what is important, it will probably get stronger; and, if you ignore the things that bother you, they will probably get weaker and eventually will disappear.

DOGTALE 45 – A man can do remarkable things… if… he has remarkable things to do.
As discussed in the previous DOGTALE, a person will get good at whatever they repeat. So, find something amazing, remarkable, and worthwhile, then, do it incessantly; soon, you too, will find yourself doing remarkable things.

DOGTALE 46 – Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug.
Everyone should easily comprehend this DOGTALE: Sometimes you win, and sometimes you don’t, that is just how it is. Sometimes things come out favorably, and sometimes they do not.

DOGTALE 47 – When you can make force, make force; no wait ‘til 2 p.m.
An apparent contradiction to DOGTALE 42, wherein the emphasis was on waiting for the appropriate time to make force. This DOGTALE is about doing things that could be done now, now, instead of putting them off until later, which is the tendency of many human beings.

DOGTALE 48 – You can’t call a turtle.
In this DOGTALE, ‘Turtle’ is a metaphor for the instinctive and moving centers, the lower centers.
It is very difficult, nigh impossible, to communicate directly with your lower centers. That is why people, who want to quit drinking or stop smoking, usually cannot; because… they can’t call a turtle. In order to communicate with your lower centers, you must first communicate with your higher centers. That is, your higher centers can be directly spoken to and reasoned with; and, as such, can be called into action to control your lower centers. Or, as a famous football coach often said, “Control the mind, control the body.”

DOGTALE 49 – The moment you become mechanical is the moment you become mechanical.
This was spoken to a student who argued that his mechanical acts did not necessarily make him mechanical; to which I remarked, “What you do may or may not contribute to you becoming mechanical; but, the moment you become mechanical is the moment you become mechanical.”

DOGTALE 50 – Always remember the one you forget.
Students sometimes say they have trouble remembering a certain Aphorism or DOGTALE. If they do, I say, “Then, make that the one you always remember; if you do that, then you will have no problem remembering the rest.”

DOGTALE 51 – To memorize means never having to guess.
Guessing is proof of not knowing. So, find what is valuable, and repeat it until you know it. Then, you will always be able to carry it with you and never have to guess.

DOGTALE 52 – Freedom… is a whole stick.
If you always react in a certain way, that is, if you always grab the stick at a certain place, what is the first thing you should do in order to overcome that? Well, if you are working on yourself, you could try reacting in the opposite way, and say, ”I will do this instead of that. That is, I will grab the opposite place on the ‘stick’.” Later, you might realize, “Hey, I don’t have to grab the opposite place. In fact, I have the freedom to grab any part of the ‘stick’ I wish!” When you learn to do that, you will have discovered that freedom is a whole stick.

DOGTALE 53 – Don’t forget what you didn’t do, to get here.
Gurdjieff gave us the model that doing always begins by not doing. So I often say, “Don’t forget what you didn’t do to get here!

DOGTALE 54 – Everyone does what they can do when they can do it.
You must always remember that everyone learns at their own pace. That is, some people will understand an idea quickly and some will not. So, do not be critical of others who do not march at your pace. Allow them to do what they can do, when they can do it.

DOGTALE 55 – Self-initiation means never having to blame someone else for your lack of progress.
Take full responsibility for your lack of actions. That is, blame yourself for what you failed to do. There is truth in the fact that when you point your finger at others, there are always 3 fingers pointing back at you!

DOGTALE 56 – People have the remarkable ability to major in minor things.
There are amazing things that we could be doing; but, unfortunately, instead of doing them, we often spend time doing insignificant, minor things; and, thus, waste our lives pursuing the trivial.

DOGTALE 57 – When there is no more tread left, it’s time to retire.
This was a play on words that was said to a student at three o’clock in the morning who had pushed himself beyond exhaustion.

DOGTALE 58 – When the knowledge of your thoughts becomes the language of your mouth, you will understand.
This is about how what you say is a reflection of what you think; and, how what you think is a reflection of what you understand.

DOGTALE 59 – A school is like a compass; it doesn’t claim to make you go anywhere, it just keeps pointing in the same direction.
Gurdjieff said, “Here we can only direct and create conditions but not help.” Work is personal, you have to do it on yourself, by yourself.
That is, just being a member of something does not make you become that something.
Thus, the best a school can do is remain objective, like a compass needle, and always point in the same direction.

DOGTALE 60 – A man who doesn’t have a question, probably doesn’t have a quest.
If you think you already know something, you will not be looking for an answer!

DOGTALE 61 – Maintaining sleep is a tacit conspiracy.
This is the idea that, by nature, we are lazy beings; and, as such, have many ‘I’s’ in us that do not wish to work on ourselves. ‘I’s’, that are not interested in doing the things they should be doing, which may change our being. Thus, there is kind of a tacit conspiracy – an ‘unspoken’, ‘unwritten’ agreement – between those ‘I’s’, to not work on ourselves… and, unfortunately, that tacit agreement maintains our sleep.

DOGTALE 62 – There is always one thing you can do.
This is a way to overcome the inertia that stops you from moving forward. In other words, to create momentum by choosing – for instance – to read a workbook, or do memory work, or sense your body, or do the three-fold attention exercise, or try to stop your thoughts, or remember yourself, or pick a center, etc. That is, to do something! Because, there is always one thing you can do, you just have to do it!

DOGTALE 63 – God rested on the seventh day… you ought to at least take one day and do something.
A call to action against our laziness, and one which is very self-explanatory.

DOGTALE 64 – A sleeping man will be able to constate the moments he was conscious; a conscious man will be able to constate the moments he was asleep!
If I asked you to give me a blow by blow report of what happened in 12th Grade, you would probably not be able to tell me what you did at every moment of every day; because, for most of 12 grade, you were asleep. However, you would be able to tell me about the moments you were awake; that is, about your self remembering moments, moments when you were embarrassed; or, got into a fight; or, won the award; etc.
Then, after you awaken, since moments of self-remembering become your norm, it will be very easy for you to see and remember the moments when you act from sleep.
Thus, a sleeping man will be able to constate the moments he was conscious; and, a conscious man will be able to constate the moments he was asleep!

DOGTALE 65 – Intelligence should be an asset… not an excuse.
Some students see themselves as being very intelligent; and, as such, do not believe they need to participate in the process of their own transformations. That is, that somehow, their innate intelligence will be enough. Which, if we think about that, is not a very intelligent thing to assume!
If the so-called intelligent guys truly understood the process of transformation, their intelligence would be an asset, and be used by them to accelerate the process.

DOGTALE 66 – The moment knowledge surpasses being… it is imagination.
People often claim to be able to show you how to do things that they have only acquired as knowledge. Case in point, we once hired a person to show us how to do the Gurdjieff Movements, who, we later discovered, had never read a Gurdjieff book!
So, just remember, what you know and what you are, are two different things. That is, you may know what you are supposed to be, but have not, as of yet, been able to become it! Which means, your knowledge has surpassed your being.
If that happens, simply apply your knowledge to your being. Become what you know… instead of knowing what you should become.

DOGTALE 67 – The truth is: truth applies.
Whatever you do, reflects your truth. So, if today, you act in a certain way, that is your truth. If tomorrow, you act in another way, then, that is your truth. In other words, the truth you have is the truth you follow.

DOGTALE 68 – Life is not going to make us, we have to make ourselves.
We have to make efforts to change our being, because life is not going to do it for us. For instance: If we want to play a musical instrument, we have to practice playing that musical instrument. Just watching other people play, will not make us be able to play; we have to be the one that puts in the effort.

DOGTALE 69 – I don’t have to know it first, I just have to know it lasts.
People often try to finish first. That is, they start a task and try to get it done before some other guy gets it done. However, it is not about who gets it done first, but about who does it so well that it lasts and lasts and lasts.

DOGTALE 70 – Never ask permission to externally consider.
If you are moved to an act of kindness, generosity, or goodness, do it spontaniously; that is, do not ask permission.
For example: If you are on a bus, and the bus is crowded, and some folks are standing up holding on to the straps… what happens, if you look up at someone and ask, “Would you like to have my seat?” They will probably say, “No thanks, I’m ok.” Right? Even though they would have liked to sit down. Which means, they are externally considering you. So, instead… externally consider them. Stand up, as you look at them, and gesture with your open hand that the seat is available. They will most likely smile and say thank you, then take the seat. Which means, you have externally considered them.

DOGTALE 71 – You can’t put someone else in your shoes until YOU are able to wear them.
The idea here is that you must first change your being, before you can show others how to change their being. But, in life, that is usually not what happens. In life, people often tell others how to do things that they themselves cannot do. So, first, learn how to do something well before showing someone else how to do it.
The well-worn spoken concept of “Don’t do as I do, do as I say ” is, therefore, not a very good concept; thus, beware of hypocrisy.

DOGTALE 72 – If you forget it was your intention, it never was your intention.
If you really want something, you will probably achieve it. Because, if you really want it, you will most likely be able to keep it in mind. And, therefore, will be often reminded to make the force that is necessary to obtain it. For example: How many people buy gym equipment because they want to lose weight; vs, how many pieces of gym equipment lay dormant in those peoples’ houses, just gathering dust?
So, first, decide whether or not you really want to do something. Then, if you really want to do it, go for it – knowing that you will have the definiteness of purpose to actually make it happen; but, if it is just a passing fancy… you probably will not!

DOGTALE 73 – The greatest force we have as humans, is the ability to be one!
We are the only species on the face of this Earth, out of something like 75 million species, to have reason! And, as such, we are capable of doing remarkable things when we use it. So, always try to manifest from reason: Strive to evolve, strive to learn, and strive to help others. Afterall, It is the only reasonable thing to do!

DOGTALE 74 – Man can do nothing, ‘til he can stop himself… anything else he attempts is only an illusion.
One of Gurdjieff’s criticisms of man was that he cannot do; and, as such, he was governed by identification and egoism. We have all seen the results of that. This DOGTALE addresses the issue by saying, “The first thing we need to do is to stop doing what we normally do.” If we can do that, we will have a chance to become higher beings; if we cannot do that, then everything else we attempt will only be an illusion.

DOGTALE 75 – Fear lives at the end of the stick — if you can imagine worse, you can conquer fear.
The ‘stick’ here is a metaphor for any given situation; and, where you may be inclined to habitually grab the stick. If you grab the stick there and find yourself afraid of the outcome, that is easy to change. To conquer that fear, just imagine something worse. For instance: If you go on an interview, and say to yourself, “If they do not hire me, that would be terrible,” Yes, it would be…. But, I suggest that if beforehand, you ask yourself what is the worst that could happen, you just might be able to conquer your fear of not being hired. For instance, if you say to yourself, “The guy behind the desk might take one look at me and think that I am the guy that broke into his house; and, therefore, calls the police and has me arrested!”
Then, when that does not happen, not being hired is not such a bad thing.
You can also push it to the other end of the stick, and ask yourself, “What is the best thing that could happen?” For instance, the guy behind the desk might take one look at me and be reminded of his only son, who he lost in a car accident; and, who he really misses. And, therefore, having me around would be a good thing for him, as it would be like having his son around, so he hires me on the spot. Wouldn’t that be great!
Which, too, will probably not happen, but it keeps me from getting a big-head when I am hired, because I expected better.
Either way, I am free from what I had imagined the outcome might be.

DOGTALE 76 – Repetition is the mother of accelerated change; but, first, you must do it before you can repeat it.
With repeated actions, we can rapidly change. So, do it and do it and do it, until it becomes easy to repeat and repeat and repeat. Then, through repetition, change will be swift.

DOGTALE 77 – Recognizing that you do not know is probably one of the greatest moments of knowing.
Such a great realization; to recognize and admit that one does not know, sets one up to be able to know. You will never learn what you assume you already know. And, you will never acquire what you assume you already have. Recognizing that you do not know is a great moment; a humble moment; a true moment of knowing.

DOGTALE 78 – Understanding trumps knowledge.
This is about intellect and being. How many times have you brought something home, which needed to be assembled, and assumed that you could assemble it without first reading the instructions? I know, I have!
“The instructions are for wimps, who have never assembled anything.” I would say to myself, “But, I don’t need ‘em.” So, I would start assembling the item until a problem arose that I couldn’t figure out. Then, I would read the instructions; and then find out that I should have done something way earlier. If I had, I would have avoided the problem. So, first read, digest, and understand the instructions. Then, your knowledge will merge with your being and yield understanding; after which, things will be easy.

DOGTALE 79 – The finest tools in the world may do the job perfectly… but not by themselves.
We may possess all the Gurdjieff books, all the diagrams, all the aphorisms, and all the charts and quotes, etc., but the material, by itself, will not develop our being. Unfortunately, it has to be used. That is, someone has to read the books, study the charts, do the memory work, and perform the exercises, etc., in order for the material to have any effect on their being. Awakening does not just happen by itself, effort is required. Fortunately, as indicated in the first DOGTALE, “There is no failure in effort!” Thus, there is hope for us after all; just like daddy always told me there would be, when he looked at me and said, “If you plow, you get paid.”

DOGTALE 80 – Sacred Cows function best if fed – or slaughtered.
One day, I heard some of the students discussing the idea of Sacred Cows, that is, of false belief structures. Afterwards, when they asked me for my opinion, I responded, “Sacred Cows function best if fed – or slaughtered.” That is, if you give them food, they will give you comfort. However, if you kill them, you will also have comfort, as you will no longer be ruled by the false belief.

DOGTALE 81 – Un-attempted potential is the Universe’s only flaw.
Everything in the Universe is involved in the process of fulfilling its potential, except man. All plants and animals are exactly what they are and are doing exactly what they should be doing. They have no choice but to do so. That is, they are all ‘law conformable’. Man, on the other hand, is not ‘law-conformable’! If we go back to the Bible story of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, we will discover that, there and then, man was given a choice. Man got to choose. Does he follow the dictates of egoism… or the promptings of Conscience. Does he follow his lower nature, which only leads to entropy, or does he attempt to fulfill his higher nature – his true potential, which is limitless!
So, if there is a flaw in the Universe, it is the fact that man’s development is no longer ‘law-conformable’; but, is rather, based on choice.

DOGTALE 82 – Always speak the truth… then you’ll never have to worry.
A conscience driven admonishment; especially in regards to man’s spiritual development. I am amazed that many men tell lies about their experience; especially when they seek to know the truth of themselves.

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…
When a sleeping man describes the world, he will most likely fashion it into a world that reflects his own personal, subjective opinions, observations, considerations, and value judgements, etc., that is, his likes and dislikes. In other words: he will see the world subjectively, according to his own projections, which will be more a description of him than they will be about the world. Whereas, when a conscious man sees the world, he sees it objectively, that is, as it actually is; and, thus, will be able to describe it using the Laws of World Creation and World Maintenance.

DOGTALE 84 – Objective concepts often get lost in the minutiae of definition.
Objective concepts, which are concepts based on reality, are usually based on rules and laws. But even objective concepts will lose their potency if they are cluttered with countless subjective definitions.

DOGTALE 85 – To be or not to be may be the question, but to be AND not to be is the answer.
Referencing Shakespeare’s question, in the frame of a choice instead of an inclusion, will lead one to an unsatisfactory answer.
That being said, if Hamlet had had access to the Double or Nothing exercise, and saw the question as an inclusion instead of a choice, he might have been able to escape his dilemma; and, by doing so, would have realized his true nature! But, then, Hamlet wouldn’t have been a tragedy!

DOGTALE 86 – The moment you express an opinion, you no longer exist. Only your opinion exists.
This one needs little explanation. In keeping with what Shakespeare said; people get hoisted by their own Petard.

 

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