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

Today, I will share with you a conversation between Russell and one of his students about memory work, Pentads, the Kesdjan Body, learning in our youth, a secret to raising smart children, as well as how to become a sacred ‘Martfotai.’ 

Let’s begin:

Russell:  How are we doing tonight, sir?

Student:  I am great.

Russell:  That’s good. 

I know you have memorized the Aphorisms and will soon be memorizing the DOGTALES, and I also know that you are working on several other things, like the Toast of the Idiots. How is that going?  

Student:  Pretty good. It’s almost perfect.

Russell:  Fantastic, and how about the Obligolnian-Strivings?

Student:  Yes, I have them memorized as well.

Russell:  Terrific. What about the Christmas Work Song, the nineteen things I saw when I sought reality?

Student:  I have that too. Are you ready to hear it?

Russell:  Sure.

Student:  A machine that’s a multiplicity. Two naturedness. Three type men. Four seeker ways. Five states of I. Six leaks a leaking. Seven centers serving. Eight Pentads purging, I have a question on that one. Nine movements moving. Ten lines aligning. Eleven notes a needing. Twelve matters molding. Thirteen octaves acting. Fourteen cards concealing. Fifteen oscillating. Sixteen man’s remembering. Seventeen lines defining. Eighteen Fa’s transforming. And Nineteen outer octaves.

Russell:  Excellent. 

Okay. What’s your question on the eight Pentads purging?

Student:  I don’t quite fully understand what Pentads are. How did Bennett derive those?

Russell:  Good question. 

To properly answer that, I need to back-up to the beginning. It all started with twelve disciples. From that time on, the number twelve held great esoteric significance, so much so that others often found ways of depicting things in twelves, so that they too would appear to have great significance. Most likely, because of that, Ouspensky configured twelve triads in the three octaves of radiations that were in Gurdjieff’s Ray of Creation. And Bennett modified the eleven terms in Gurdjieff’s Diagram of Everything Living, or the Step Diagram, in order to create Twelve Essence Classes. 

You can read about the Ray of Creation and the three octaves of radiations in Ouspensky’s book, In Search of the Miraculous, on page 167, and the Diagram of Everything Living on page 323.

Let’s start with Ouspensky's twelve triads. In order for Ouspensky to create the twelve triads, he had to fudge a little bit. That is, he had to take the 22 vibrations in the three octaves of radiations that went from the Absolute to the Sun, from the Sun to the Earth, and from the Earth to the Moon, and add some things, as well as make some concessions. He had to add an interval filler between the three MI-FA intervals, in order to represent the things that filled those intervals. However, he did not add an interval filler between the three TI-DO intervals, as those intervals, he proposed, were filled by the DO itself. As such, he was able to construct twelve triads, DO-TI-LA, LA-SO-FA, FA-(interval filler)-MI, and MI-RE-DO, etc., in the three octaves of radiations found in Gurdjieff’s Ray of Creation. Thus, justifying that there were indeed twelve triads, which he then turned into Hydrogens, giving them the number of the triad that produced them. Then, using those arbitrary Hydrogen numbers, he constructed the Diagram of Nutrition, and designated Food as being Hydrogen 768, etc.

Yikes, in order to come up with the number twelve, he had to make additions, concessions, triads, and Hydrogens. Whereas, all he had to do was follow Gurdjieff’s lead, which was, in every octave, there are three octaves of radiations created between four fundamental points, DO, SO, MI, and RE, and then deduce what I deduced, that the four fundamental points exist at the notes DO, SO, MI, and RE, because the notes DO, SO, MI, and RE occur at natural points of halving within the octave itself, at 1, ½, ¼, and ⅛, and as such, within those three octaves, there would be twelve fundamental points. Easy-peasy. No triads needed. No additions needed. No concessions needed. And no Hydrogens needed. Just sound logic.

Bennett, on the other hand, in trying to deduce the evolution of all the matters in the Universe, modified the eleven terms in Gurdjieff’s Diagram of Everything Living, and constructed Twelve Essence Classes, which he then introduced in his book, Gurdjieff: Making a New World, on page 205. They are: ‘Heat’ (Unorganized energy), ‘Simples’ (Primary combinations of matter), ‘Crystals’ (Static Non-living forms), ‘Soil (The Sensitive Surface Layer), ‘Plants’ (Static Life Forms), ‘Invertebrates’ (One-brained Beings), ‘Vertebrates’ (Two-brained Beings), ‘Man’ (Three-brained Beings), ‘Demiurges’ (The Angelic Host), ‘Cosmic Individuality, (The Divine Will), ‘Trogoautoegocrat’ (The spiritual working by which Creation is maintained), and the ‘Endlessness’ (The Supreme Creative Will).

Student:  Yeah, but there are eight Pentads.

Russell:  Correct. That is because Pentads require five points, which is also described in Bennett’s book, Gurdjieff: Making a New World, on page 206, as well as shown in Appendix II, which begins on page 281. 

The central point of every Pentad is called its quintessence, that is what it is. The points below and above the quintessence indicate what it evolves from and what it evolves into, and the points below and above that are what it eats and what it feeds. As such, there can only be eight Pentads, as only eight quintessences have five points.   

Student:  Okay, Russ, I got it. That was a great explanation. You really have everything cross-referenced don’t you.

Russell:  Yes, sir. Well, hey, you know, that’s my job. 

If I ask you, Mr. Neurosurgeon, about the sciatic nerve, you will probably say something like, “The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the human body and is formed by the union of 5 nerve roots from the lower spine. It passes deep in the buttock and down the back of the thigh all the way to the heel and sole of the foot and plays a vital role in connecting the spinal cord with the skin and muscles of the thigh, leg, and foot.”

Student:  Touche! That is almost exactly what I would say. 

Russell:  In addition, if we examine the highest Pentad, that is, the one that contains the Absolute, we will find that we are in it, which is quite exciting.

Student:  Does Cosmic Individuality mean having a Kesdjan body?

Russell:  No, that would be the Angelic Host. Cosmic Individuals have Higher being-bodies.

Student:  In religion, would the Kesdjan body be equivalent to the soul?

Russell:  Yes, sir. It would be the first degree of soul.

On page 41 of In Search of The Miraculous, is a Gurdjieff diagram that shows the terms used by Religion, as well as others, when labeling the four bodies of man. "The first is the physical body, in Christian terminology the 'carnal' body; the second, in Christian terminology, is the 'natural' body; the third is the 'spiritual' body; and the fourth, in the terminology of esoteric Christianity, is the 'divine' body. In theosophical terminology the first is the 'physical' body, the second is the 'astral,' the third is the 'mental,' and the fourth the 'causal.' "In the terminology of certain Eastern teachings the first body is the 'carriage' (body), the second body is the 'horse' (feelings, desires), the third the 'driver' (mind), and the fourth the 'master' (I, consciousness, will).

Student:  Where does the Kesdan body and the Higher being-body, which Gurdjieff talked about, fit in?

Russell:  That’s a great question. In Gurdjieff’s model there are three bodies, whereas all the others have four. Why the quandary?

To answer that, let me hold up four fingers and ask you this, “How many fingers am I holding up?”

Student:  Four.

Russell:  Correct. Now, answer me this, “How many spaces do you see between those fingers?

Student:  Three.

Russell:  Also correct.

Thus, the quandary has been solved. The bodies are the spaces, whereas the fingers are the points needed to define them.

Student:  That is awesome, Russ. Just awesome.

Russell:  Well, cool. 

What else happened this week? Or what else do you have questions about?

Student:  Boy, it’s been one interesting week. Come to think of it, every week since I met you has been one interesting week. That being said, I am now beginning to see how the Christmas Work Song goes step-by-step through the stages of the Work, and how, if you elaborate on each one, you can easily explain to someone what this Work is about. It’s so huge, it would take you days. It really would. 

Russell:  Yes, that was intentional.

Student:  I can see spending a whole evening just talking about the Food Diagram.

Russell:  Terrific.

The thirteenth Aphorism, is what?

Student:  Only help him who is not an idler.

Russell:  Correct, which fits you very well.

Student:  It does, but that does not mean that I am not mechanical.

Russell:  No, it doesn’t. But that’s okay, I will still help you, because you are not an idler.

Student:  I am mechanically busy at times, but I do love doing this Work!

Russell:  That is Aphorism #15, “I love him who loves work.”

Student:  The Work, or just work!

Russell:  The Work, as in the Fourth Way.

Student:  I don’t know if I love the Fourth Way anymore than I love being a neurologist, but I am still here. I guess I am just nailed to the force. 

Russell:  That is where you are supposed to be nailed.

Today, I was nailed to a Baptism.

Student:  Oh, yea, that’s right, you became a Godfather.

Russell:  Yes, indeed. Everyone said I looked quite Catholic.

Student:  That’s cool. So, you went to the church and did the whole bit.

Russell:  Yes, sir. I did. Well, actually, it was held at 2-o’clock, which was after services.

Student:  Did you verbally wish that your Godson would truly become an idiot?

Russell:  Ha-ha, no. I didn’t tell him that. I did have to say ‘I do’ several times, and I felt a little funny when everyone started doing the symbol of the cross, you know, the Catholic thing. I didn’t know how to do it properly, so I just kind of pretended and moved my hand a bit. 

I did, however, want to throw money in the wishing well. That is, until I found out that it was a baptism pool!

Student:  Oh my, that’s funny. Good thing you didn’t do that! 

I, myself, have never been to a baptism.

Russell:  Well, it was quite a nice ceremony, filled with meaning, purpose, and a towel. 

Student:  Ha-ha, indeed. 

I played a round of golf with a friend of mine today, who started playing at the age of five; he’s now 45. You know, if you swing the club for that many years, you are bound to be pretty good at it, which he is.

I bet there are a lot of pro golfers who started swinging the club at that age.

Russell:  Indeed, there probably are. I believe that is part of the key.

Student:  I think so too. I watched a program on the development of the brain, where they put kids into a higher learning environment, and they actually started to get it.

Russell:  I bet. It is the same with gymnasts, who, since the development of the moving center takes place at an early age, started to practice at an early age, that way, by the time they were age 10, 11, 12, 13 or so, they would already be pretty good.

Student:  Yeah. 

Correct me if this is wrong, Russ, but I read a report that said young athletes shouldn’t be criticized when they make mistakes, nor be placed in competition too soon, as that would develop their false personality. The report also said that it takes them a while to have enough experience to identify and correct things on their own, as well as to engender a desire to test their skills against others. Have you heard that, Russ?

Russell:  No, but I can see the sound logic in it. However, in today’s age, it would be most difficult to not have children develop false personalities.

Student:  Well, that’s for sure. Perhaps, they were talking about young athletes who grew up on farms or went to private schools.

Russell:  Perhaps, they were. Even so, in today’s age that would be very difficult to do. Most young athletes grow up in cities, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of folks. And, even if they did grow up on a farm, with access to a cell phone and social media, it would be as if they grew up in a city. Not to mention the fact that by placing them in a private school, they would already be in competition with those who were not in the private school, as well as, with those who were. As such, they will most likely pick up whatever they are going to pick up, not only from the media, but also from the other children in the private school. 

That being said, did I tell you my secret of how I influenced my children?

Student:  If you did, I don’t remember. So, tell it to me again.

Russell:  From the very moment of their birth, I told them one thing, and one thing only, “You have a perfect memory.” I repeated it 50 times a day, every day. In fact, one of the first things they said was ‘perfit memwe.’

Student:  Is that true?

Russell:  Yes, it is. 

They started school believing that they had perfect memories, and as such, they got straight A’s, which gave them very good self-esteem. 

I actually started telling them that they had perfect memories when they were in the womb. Then later, whenever I talked to them on the phone, I would always ask them before hanging up, “What do you have?” And they would always answer, “I have a perfect memory, dad.” 

So, at least, I got that in. 

I decided that to be the one thing I could give them that would best serve them, which proved to be true when we took our son at the age of four, to the eye doctor. 

We sat right outside the open door and listened as he had to put the card over his right eye and read the eye chart, and then put the card over his left eye and, again, read the eye chart. 

After the exam, when he came out the door, the eye doctor, who was right behind him, heard us enthusiastically say to him, “Well, what did you have to do?” To which he replied, “It was neat, I had to put this thing over my eye and say “E-Z-B-D-G-L-N-T-Y-O,” and rapidly repeated the whole chart. The doctor looked at us, in amazement, and said, “I will never know if his left eye is any good, because he has the chart memorized with his right eye!” 

We knew then, that my mad scheme had worked. 

However, the final killing blow occurred on the day my grandson was born. The wife and I had gone to the hospital for the birth, and when the nurse brought him into the room, wrapped in swaddling, to officially meet his mother, his father, his grandparents, and his mom and dad’s friends, she firstly, gave him to his mother, after which, she gave him to my son, when she did, my son drew him close and whispered, “You have a perfect memory.” 

Inside, I cried in joy.

Student:  That’s awesome, Russ. Totally awesome.

Russell:  So, although I didn’t raise them on a farm, or wasn’t wealthy enough to send them to a private school. I did, at least, give them the greatest advantage that I could.

Student:  Very cool. All that positive reinforcement.

Russell:  Thanks.

By the way, you too have a perfect memory!

Student:  It’s too late Smitty, that won’t work on me now, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Russell:  I don’t know if that’s true … give me the Aphorism #11.

Student:  A true sign of a good man is if he loves his father and mother.

Russell:  See, there you go. You can teach an old dog new tricks.

Student:  Okay, so I can memorize, but when I hear you talk about things, now, there’s a perfect memory.

Russell:  Right … and neurosurgeons can’t do that, especially the ones who have added 38 Aphorisms, the Toast of the Idiots, the Obligolnian Strivings, and the Christmas Work Song.

Student:  Awww, okay, you got me, I do have a perfect memory, but it isn’t quite as perfect as it used to be.

Russell:  No problem. If we have to work on it a little, so be it.

Student:  Yes, that’s true. However, I remember when I was in my twenties; I would memorize huge chunks of things. I guess I’ve gotten rusty.

Russell:  Yeah. Well, it’s like anything else, the law of use applies: “Whatever you don’t use, you lose.” Afterall, you haven’t memorized things since your twenties.

Student:  Yeah, that’s true.

Russell:  You probably haven’t climbed many trees since your teens either, so you will most likely be a bit rusty on tree climbing as well. 

Student:  No, I haven’t, and yes, I probably will.

Okay, what would you like me to do this week?

Russell:  Well, let’s see, today we covered the twelve essence classes, so go ahead and memorize those.

Student:  Alright, I will. That will help me better understand what things evolve from and what they evolve into. 

Russell:  Indeed it will.

Student:  I know I once read that, but I probably assumed that it was old-age chemistry, and not what we know about Pentads today. So I probably looked at it and said, I don’t really want to mess with this, as it is probably archaic, like medics practiced in the late 1800’s.

Russell:  Yeah, blood-letting. Ouch!

Student:  Or, putting Leeches on everything.

Russell:  We still have Leeches, they are called ‘relatives’!

Student:  Ha-ha. Fortunately, my family is not that way.

Russell:  Did you hear about the 63-year-old woman in California who recently gave birth?

Student:  Yes, I did. That was mind blowing. It is sad to think that she probably won’t get to see her child graduate.

Russell:  Indeed.

Student:  Okay, Russ. I’ll do the essence classes next.

Russell:  Go over your Aphorisms as well. 

Then, next week, I want to hear you complete the Toast of the Idiots.

Student:  Let me try to do it now (he recites the Toast of the Idiots with only a few mistakes).

Russell:  Very good, sir … very good, indeed. 

Next week, I will say the Toast of the Idiots, and you will get to correct me. 

Student:  [laughs]

Russell:  How do you like that challenge, buddy?

Student:  I like it. I laughed, because that was what I used to do with my medical students. 

Russell:  You did? Well, great! That is how they learned, and it is how you will learn. Aphorism #24: By teaching others you will learn yourself.

Student:  Alright, next week, I will let you say it to me. 

Here’s hoping that you make a few mistakes!

Russell:  Don’t worry, I will intentionally put some in for you!

Student:  I know that you will.

Russell:  “There are 27 gradations of reason…”

Student:  (laughter) There aren't 27; there are only 21.

Russell:  Thanks for that. Fortunately, with your help, and by repeating the Toast, I will get better and better at it, and I am not even a doctor. However, you are, and as such, you have a great advantage over me.

Student:  You’re making me feel better.

Russell:  Well, that’s good.

Student:  Let me do the Strivings.

Russell:  Okay, go for it.

Student:  (recites the Strivings perfectly)

Russell:  Very good, doc.

Student:  What is a Martfotai?

Russell:  A man of light; or an enlightened man.

Student:  What word, what language?

Russell:  Mart is Armenian and means ‘man,’ and Photo is Greek and means ‘light.’ Thus, a man of light; or an enlightened man.

Student:  Okay, well cool. Alright.

Russell:  Super, my friend.

Student:  Okay, Smitty, I will talk to you again next Sunday, where I will be listening for your mistakes!

Russell:  [laughing] Very good, talk to you then.

Good night.

That concludes today’s podcast.

Thank you for listening.

If you too would like to be a man of light, simply visit our website thedogteachings.com and acquire Mr. Smith’s book, The Blueprint of Consciousness, a 520-page hardback, which is also available as a PDF download.

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But most importantly, you will be able to attain the status of becoming a sacred ‘Martfotai.’

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Goodbye, until next time.