Session 23 March 2013

[mocachapeau]

I just wanted to thank everyone involved with putting this great compilation together. It's the kind of thing that will really help me, as I imagine it will help others.

So...THANK YOU!

 

[Aiming]

I just wanted to thank everyone involved with putting this great compilation together.

I want to second this, thanks to everyone involved.

It's interesting (and not surprising) to me, that none of the major points listed thus far has to do with stocking up food, storing water, building stronger shelters, running to higher ground, etc. Rather, it's all about the internal landscape...and means to fortify that. The C's reaction is gonna be most interesting. And perhaps enlightening.

PS My own gut feel is that although not a high priority, some physical preparations are probably worthwhile.

Interesting observation to point out, sitting. I think that focusing on the internal landscape makes the most sense, because if this is being done by each one of us thoroughly and consistently along the lines of what we have been and continue to be learning here together, then the 'outer landscape' will move into place accordingly; not in a passive, automatic way, but as a natural consequence/response to who we are, what we see, and thus, what we choose to do based on this internal landscape.

I thought of bringing up a few suggestions as to what could be included in the booklet:

- Salzman's First Initiation and G's Last Hour of Life?

- and how about these two quotes (for further inspiration/renewing inner determination in times of need):

You matter. The battle of Light and Dark is happening, right now, through you. Take your thoughts, your actions and your heart seriously because it is with and through them that you wage this battle and it is with and through them that you align with either Creativity or Entropy and - believe me - it matters very much. As some very wise people once told me, "act as if the fate of the Universe depends on what you do". You're here right now for a reason - make it count, because no matter how much you think you don't - you do matter.

Humans have always unknowingly affected all the Universe by every act and thought they articulate or even consider. . . . Realistic, comprehensively responsible, omni-system-considerate, unselfish thinking on the part of humans does absolutely affect human destiny.

- also, I thought whether it wouldn't be useful to add quite a couple of empty pages into the booklet in order for individual notes?

 

[Voyageur]

Looking great AI along with the suggestions.

I did a small graphic thing as an idea, so that at least something graphical could be added as well.

Symbolic for the mechanicalness of men and the work (as cogwheels) combined within the star constellation of Cassiopaea :). But it is very edged.

Very creative!

Was thinking about the Recommended Reading; this could be really big, yet here are a couple of things that do not appear:

Recommended Reading

Emotional & Physical Health

‘The Vegetarian Myth’ - Lierre Keith

Psychology

‘Political Ponerology” – Lobaczewski

Wonder if there should be a section to capture “High Strangeness”?

Laura’s book, Keels etc.?

 

[Puma]

For those who want PDF, the file is attached here.
Thanks to all who contributed!

Thank you. This will help me a lot. ;D

 

[monotonic]

I was thinking, wasn't there something the C's said about continually reinterpreting previous knowledge in terms of what you have just learned? This is one reason continual knowledge input is necessary. Not seeing everything the same way each time, but seeing things a new way each time because one has learned and grown, has many advantages. I believe there was something else about about continually becoming a new person, IE "a man who at 50 sees the world the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years". As your outlook is constantly changing you are less predictable and the "same old tricks" don't work as well, so this provides some protection.

 

[Approaching Infinity]

Was thinking about the Recommended Reading; this could be really big, yet here are a couple of things that do not appear:

Recommended Reading

Emotional & Physical Health

‘The Vegetarian Myth’ - Lierre Keith

Psychology

‘Political Ponerology” – Lobaczewski

Wonder if there should be a section to capture “High Strangeness”?

Laura’s book, Keels etc.?

I wanted to keep the list relatively short (as it is there are 21 books!) and relevant to the topics discussed. Since the link to the forum list is included, I don't think we need everything. But I think Veg Myth and Ponerology can probably be added...

 

[monotonic]

It is recommended reading, so you should add as many books as can be recommended; it is up to the reader to choose which ones not to read.

 

[Ennio]

Just read it and it flows well with so many of the most important points that I felt fortified afterwards

For the section on Eiriu Eolas, I would suggest including the text of the POTS (maybe with a few small graphic flourishes at the top and bottom of the text to set it off a bit?).

And maybe include this if it fits well:

If the sum total of breathing modalities that are a part of Eiriu Eolas can be said to be a cleansing of the mind, body and emotions - a removal of all the musty and delapidated furniture that takes up space in our 'inner house', or soul, then the meditation, or 'Prayer of the Soul' as it's known, can be said to be it's renovation -or the installation of new, clean, and more structurally sound furniture to replace it with. Another way to view the meditation is as a seed thought, or germ for growing a new relationship with one's Higher Self, and the intelligence and awareness of the Universe itself; the Divine Cosmic Mind.

Though the benefits from hearing and meditating upon the 'Prayer of the Soul' can be great when hearing it recited by its author, LKJ, one can meditate on the meaning of its words at other times; thereby strengthening its connection and significance to the individual contemplating them.

 

[Bernhard]

Was thinking about the Recommended Reading; this could be really big, yet here are a couple of things that do not appear:

Recommended Reading

Emotional & Physical Health

‘The Vegetarian Myth’ - Lierre Keith

Psychology

‘Political Ponerology” – Lobaczewski

Wonder if there should be a section to capture “High Strangeness”?

Laura’s book, Keels etc.?

I wanted to keep the list relatively short (as it is there are 21 books!) and relevant to the topics discussed. Since the link to the forum list is included, I don't think we need everything. But I think Veg Myth and Ponerology can probably be added...

I just read all of it and it flows very nice with great summaries and quotes. I agree that it is best just to include a shorter book list. Maybe it would be good to write "for a more extended book recommendation list go to [link of the book thread]" or something like that, so people know that there are more books than the ones listed. I also like the 12 topics that are addressed. I was actually a good refresher for me as well and very inspiring. The one thing I'd add in the expanded glossary would be maybe "First Initiation" by Gurdjieff/Salzman, imo. On the other hand I think it's important to keep it short and concise and don't add too much, just the main points that help the reader to stay focused, using it as a "track record" to reflect back on his/her life.

It's something I'd like to read several times. Could be also used in a way to focus on each point for certain period of time (like for one week) and go deeper with that topic (reading relating books/threads, contemplate, share insights, ask questions, etc.) kinda like a structured self-study program.

If more comes up for me that could be added, I'll chime in, but overall it's a very good summary.

Thank you all for contributing to this. Very well done!

 

[Voyageur]

I wanted to keep the list relatively short (as it is there are 21 books!) and relevant to the topics discussed. Since the link to the forum list is included, I don't think we need everything. But I think Veg Myth and Ponerology can probably be added...

Totally agree, there is probably near fifty or a hundred books mentioned on this form alone that are worthy of mention, and readers here will have sussed many out. Think you have narrowed the field down and can link to the others. As Spiral Out says:

I think it's important to keep it short and concise and don't add too much, just the main points that help the reader to stay focused, using it as a "track record" to reflect back on his/her life.

 

[Mahael859]

I did a small graphic thing as an idea, so that at least something graphical could be added as well.

Symbolic for the mechanicalness of men and the work (as cogwheels) combined within the star constellation of Cassiopaea :). But it is very edged.

I like I lot the one with the moon, the fact that some weels are coming out gives also a hope of escaping the mechanicalness to me.
I think it will work perfectly as a cover image.

 

[Laura]

I think we should add this quote from Gurdjieff at the beginning:
http://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php/topic,30528.msg411859.html#msg411859

There are periods in the life of humanity, which generally coincide with the
beginning of the fall of cultures and civilizations, when the masses irretrievably lose
their reason and begin to destroy everything that has been created by centuries and
millenniums of culture. Such periods of mass madness, often coinciding with
geological cataclysms, climatic changes, and similar phenomena of a planetary
character, releasea very great quantity of the matter of knowledge. This, in its turn,
necessitates the work of collecting this matter of knowledge which would otherwise
be lost. Thus the work of collecting scattered matter of knowledge frequently
coincides with the beginning of the destruction and fall of cultures and civilizations.

... since it appears that it is the job of this group to collect the scattered matter of knowledge. I'm working day and night to do just that, and ya'll need to keep up with me and add to the collection whatever you can.

 

[Anthony]

Ok, since I have praised Nicoll's work before I'm going to add a file with qoutations from his work.
I did this mostly for my own self interest but I'm sure that someone else can benefit from this.

These are just a few quotations:

Notice the 'I's you are consorting with. Do
not keep company with wrong people in you. Remember you are a city,
with slums and dangerous streets, and also better streets and good
citizens. Remember you are a house full of servants under no control.

When you have just criticized someone, go over what you said care-
fully and apply it to yourself. This neutralizes poison in you.

We often think that we do not do the silly things that we see other people doing,
and conclude therefore that we are really better than they are; but
we do not see the silly and mean things we do ourselves. People's
ways of being silly and foolish and mean vary very much. Everyone
is different. The giraffe thinks the wart-hog is ridiculous, the jay thinks
the nightingale has a wretchedly weak voice, and so on.

And so here
you are, always carrying about with you your personality, your appara-
tus for experiencing life, and always hoping perhaps, if you had a new
environment, new people, a new house, new clothes, etc. that everything
would be utterly different. How can that be? You are carrying about
your apparatus for contacting life—that is, your personality.

Perhaps you remember in childhood when you first began to
identify with knowledge and how pleased you felt when you were told
something that others did not know and felt a kind of power. Identifying
gives a sense of power. It was not, of course, the knowledge you were
interested in, but the fact that you could "shew off".

It is out of a man's "poorness" that
the Work grows. It is not from the rich personality that the Work
grows in a man but from the starved and real essence. This is why the
Work reverses everything, and makes the active passive and the passive
active.

And so also with
everything. We do not really know. But we are sure we know. Start
from the idea that you do not know and have never known. Start,
that is, from ignorance. This is the "poor" side. And this gives new life
because you begin to get new impressions, new viewpoints, new under-
standing. If impressions fall on essence you see in a new way.

Try to see what you are resting on, all of you. Try
to see the basis of your self-satisfaction. You will understand that unless
this basis is completely broken up there can be no change of being.

 

[SovereignDove]

I just wanted to thank everyone involved with putting this great compilation together. It's the kind of thing that will really help me, as I imagine it will help others.

So...THANK YOU!

I second this, and the section pertaining to diet is very clear, with its step by step process. This helps me.

 

[Zadius Sky]

I think we should add this quote from Gurdjieff at the beginning:
http://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php/topic,30528.msg411859.html#msg411859

There are periods in the life of humanity, which generally coincide with the
beginning of the fall of cultures and civilizations, when the masses irretrievably lose
their reason and begin to destroy everything that has been created by centuries and
millenniums of culture. Such periods of mass madness, often coinciding with
geological cataclysms, climatic changes, and similar phenomena of a planetary
character, releasea very great quantity of the matter of knowledge. This, in its turn,
necessitates the work of collecting this matter of knowledge which would otherwise
be lost. Thus the work of collecting scattered matter of knowledge frequently
coincides with the beginning of the destruction and fall of cultures and civilizations.

... since it appears that it is the job of this group to collect the scattered matter of knowledge. I'm working day and night to do just that, and ya'll need to keep up with me and add to the collection whatever you can.

I concur. It's a sobering quote.