Book Description
The Fourth Way is the most comprehensive statement thus far published of the ideas taught by the late P.D. Ouspensky. Consisting of verbatim records of his oral teaching from 1921 to 1946, it gives a lucid explanation of the practical side of G. I. Gurdjieff's teachings, which Gurdjieff presented in the form of raw materials, Ouspensky's specific task having been to put them together as a systematic whole. Just as Tertium Organum deals with a new mode of thinking, so The Fourth Way is concerned with a new way of living. It shows a way of inner development to be followed under the ordinary conditions of life -- as distinct from the three traditional ways that call for retirement from the world: those of the fakir, the monk, and the yogi.

The Fourth Way is a guide for those who seek a true way of inner growth under conditions open to the men and women of today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Has some value but is not worth the effort,,,,
I read The Fourth Way some twenty five years ago. It is not an easy book to read. For the most part, it contains highly esoteric teachings which are largely unimportant. This notwithstanding, some of the topics covered are noteworthy. These include the sections on negative emotions, identification, and the need for sincerity.

Anyone interested in studying and learning about highter consciousness should read a book entitled, "I Am That," by SRI Nisargadatta Maharaj. This book is the most insightful and comprehensive volume on mysticism I have ever read. Another excellent resource on the same subject is, Handbook to Higher Consciousness, by Ken Keyes. This is another truly exceptional work. Both are well worth the effort!

my perspective
great introduction to the fourth way by the questions of the students to the answers from Ouspensky.

A worthwhile book
I have never, and will never, be part of a Gurdjieff group. I do not believe Gurdjieff or Ouspensky were connected with any ancient, esoteric schools, despite their occasional claims to the contrary. They were merely men who had certain psychological and spiritual insights which seem significant to many of us today. This book presents certain concepts: some of them you will find revealing, others you may not. The prose is not difficult, but the large number of ideas and sheer largeness of the teachings presented in the 420 or so pages can be tough-going. 'The Psychology of Man's Evolution' is a better primer, and the best way to see whether it's worth pursuing the ideas further. If you swallow the entire Gurdjieff/Ouspensky teaching as a whole, you are violating one of the tenets expressed in this book: to never accept any concepts that you cannot prove to yourself through psychological demonstration.
The concepts that many appear to find disagreeable are (1) the emphasis on group work as a 'necessity' (most of the concepts presented here are self-revealing, if you have true discipline you don't need a school) and (2) the bizarre cosmological scheme presented about mid-way into the book (yes, there is talk about humans being 'food for the moon'). However, despite these missteps, the majority of this book works extremely well as a relentless attack on our complacent, half-waking state. It is not merely a rehash of pieces of oriental philosophy, it is a genuine and serious attempt to wipe away the illusions we live with every day of our lives. The powerful ideas and metaphors presented in this book, such as self-remembering, recognition of multiple I's, and non-identification, can improve your understanding of yourself if you engage in the necessary struggle against the smug impotence of our present state.

for seekers of self-knowledge and awareness
After coming across this book a number of interesting developments coincided in my life, leading to enormous growth that was helped greatly by reading "The Fourth Way"... appropriately enough, one of Ouspensky's ideas is that we create a "permanent center of gravity", meaning that when we focus on esoteric knowledge events will happen in our life (e.g. meeting particular people, going through particular circumstances) that facilitate our growth.

This book is an incredible guide for people who desire self-knowledge, and are willing to put in the effort necessary to learn about their own psychology. The book is concerned with how we think, and ways to observe our self. An interesting entry point into this book is to simply observe your thoughts for a day... how does one thought lead to another? Where do they seem to arise from? When you are distracted, how much of your surroundings are you aware of? When you become distracted, do you tap your feet or unconsciously move your fingers or hands? If you aim to observe your self for one day, you will likely notice that your attention is swayed from one thing to another, and you have many unconscious habits and patterns of acting/reacting.

The scope of this book is absolutely enormous. I refer back to it all the time, and always find new wisdoms in it. Having recommended it to many friends, I've found it consistently blows away people who put the effort into reading it and observing themselves. This book is useful, interesting and in-depth, whether you have been practicing self-observation (e.g. meditation or self-analysis, body awareness through yoga or tai-chi or other disciplines) for years or just starting now.

This book is an excellent introduction to the ideas of Gurdjieff, and is written in a style that clearly elucidates the concepts of esoteric psychology (which I won't go into here, because other reviewers have and there is plenty of information floating through the internet). While Gurdjieff writes in a very challenging style that resembles that of Sufi parables (demonstrating his ideas through metaphor, storytelling or analogy) Ouspensky comes from a scientific background and approaches mysticism in a more rational and straightforward way... everything is outlined concisely and precisely, though there is still plenty of room for readers to interpret and apply in their own unique ways. The question/answer format of the book really helps guide the reader through that are covered.

This book is excellent for anybody interested in practical esotericism, psychology, contemporary Gnosticism (there is A LOT of parallel to the writing of Samael Aun Weor, also an excellent but very intense writer), mysticism and magic, or self-improvement and self-observation. The book is an immense source of information that provides foundation for self-knowledge, and its many meanings unravel more and more with every read. It is definitely the type of book that can enrich your life and make everything around you more interesting, helping you develop immensely.

[A note for people already familiar with the book... my personal opinion is that some of Ouspensky's writing is still metaphoric... for example, a few reviewers have complained about the idea of "feeding the moon". I find the moon idea very weird, but interesting when compared to writings about the Kabbalistic Tree of Life and the astral plane (e.g. Eliphas Levi, Israel Regardie, Dion Fortune). Perhaps it's a metaphor for the lunar part of the astral plane or the "gross region of the metaphysical cosmos containing the cast-off astral remnants of living creatures, the bestial and mental filth sloughed off by human beings in the ascent after death to higher spheres". Who knows? ]

"Big Brother" or "Big Me"?
This is a record of Ouspensky's successful, methodical teaching in London, early in the Twentieth Century. So, the reader gets some insight into how Ouspensky led groups and taught publicly, which should give the clever worker-bee some clues on how and in what way Ouspensky succeeded. Some observations I've made in interacting with this material:

I'm not convinced Ouspensky's teaching on "negative emotions" is as tight or accurate as it ought to be.There's room to inquire here.

Self-remembering, self-remembering.Depending on your approach, you can really shake it loose or build in yourself an internal Panopticon. Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche (who had a healthy dose of Gurdjieff in him) had this to day (in Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism): "Self-remembering is quite a dangerous technique, actually. It could involve watching yourself and your actions like a hungry cat watching mice, or else it could be an intelligent gesture of being where you are" (p. 73).Putting it another way: "Things are very hard and deadly honest, deadly serious, like...a living corpse...This is the self-consciousness of watching youself, observing yourself unnecessarily. Whatever we do is constantly being watched and censored" (p.111).See the peril and the promise?

Given the potential for trouble, it's a very dumb idea to try this without a teacher, in person.The fourth way (at least by my admittedly limited understanding) should not be a machine for manufacturing neurotics and paranoids.

Finally, if you'd like to know what a Panopticon is and how it works, check out Michel Foucault's Discipline and Punish. It's probably Foucault's best work, and it's very timely. ... Read more

Product Description
This is to introduce the first series of Awakening Exercises as interpreted from the writings of G.I. Gurdjieff and P.D. Ouspensky.These exercises have been used for many years by the Fourth Way group, meeting in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico: The Institute for the Harmonious Development of The Human Being ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent book about John's Gospel; englightenment and the mystical way...
Enlightenment in Christ, a mystical sense of the cosmos, an exegesis of the Fourth Gospel (John's) are all some of the things that make this book by L. William Countryman a useful and imaginative text of the Bible. The full title of the work includes, "Crossing Over into God" which gives one the idea that entering into a life that is capable of following a path to mystical union and also as a writing "preserve the outward form of a 'life' of Jesus" becomes for the believer a warm and rewarding goal. Albeit more acheivable and perhaps even held by more people of the Christian faith than know it, they may be enlightened, yet interested in or wishing to be introduced to a theology that is so available.

Before writing in this review about the definition of these spiritual matters, well defined in L. William Countryman's book right from the beginning, here is a sense of the way the book is constructed. Divided into sections, the work takes on the life of Jesus as described in John with subjects like "Conversion," "Baptism," "Eucharist," "Enlightenment," New life," "Union I, II, III," and an "Epilogue." One can see that this introduction of the life of Jesus allows the reader to discover in the Christian Way that Jesus "...has already ascribed to the logos a glory far greater than that of any miracle worker--'glory as of an only child from the father'. Now he tells us that Jesus 'revealed his glory' through the sign, meaning that the same note of unique access to God is again struck here." For this reader, this kind of consideration began to lead him to recognize that there were large and enormous meanings for living life attributed in the mystical way, and that enlightenment is attainable. Something not always so common in its statement about Christianity in these times.

This quote from the introduction explains enlightenment: "...an experience of things or persons outside myself as direct and unmediated as my experience of myself is." The author, in going through the book of John, tells the story of the blind man whose site is restored. This is a world rebuilding event for the blind man, and it suggests a new understanding of the world (cosmos) and the beginning of a new life and relationship that was out of joint with God, as Christ offered. So the book exposits. Regarding the blind man who can see: "The experience of mystical enlightenment is precisely this kind of world-shattering and world rebuilding event, which grounds our view of the world no longer in tradition or intellectual or religious systems, but in the unshakeable recollection of an immediate, personal encounter with ultimate reality."

For me, this was a dramatic statement. In part, so dramatic because as I read along I read the idea that the change was not a "thunderbolt" like President George Bush had when he stopped drinking, or a supernatural healing like one might have heard about that was a miraculous kind that ended a cancer. Though there is the miracle aspect, and the healing aspect, it was more a quieter experience resulting from realization that there is new life in the living a life in Christ. Perhaps "New Life" should be capitalized.

Another note of the author's is that the universe, or even the world, are part of a larger existance than creation, a cosmos of greatest scope. Christ is the logos, the ultimate part of this scene, a creator and existant before of the cosmos. My intent in this review is to acknowledge this observation by the author, and to say it is The Reverend Countryman's theme that Christ as logos has brought the cosmos to relationship with itself and God. "Jesus is the only link between and creation..." This is the new reality. Making water into wine at Cana "...is indeed a sign of Jesus' authority--not only of the ability to work miracles but of the ultimate, creative authority of the logos who substitutes grace and truth for Law."

One must like this kind of book to read it and enjoy it, for it does take on subject and inspiration which needs to be a taste for the reader. Another taste the reader is required to have is a taste for a book that is both about the Bible and also one that is theologically oriented. L. William Countryman is a teacher at Church Divinity School of the Pacific of The New Testament. So the reader must have both an interested in and a taste for The New Testament to enjoy this book, with a special interest in John.

The writer of the book is a believer who wishes to introduce and bring others to belief, while at the same time expounding his interpretation of the Bible. Of the book of John, he writes: "The language is deliberately mysterious. There is no intention to clarify matters. Indeed, for the enlightened, there is no need. Jesus is, in the last analysis, all there is for human beings." Not your average statement, is it?

When telling the story of Lazarus being brought back to life, the writer makes a short, but important point. "The power and authority of Jesus are such that he is life--and no one associated with him can possibly be deprived of what he is..." (Here is that statement that I found so telling:) "...Death may seem to supervene, but it is not the ultimate reality."

Please note that the Bible texts are those of the writer, L. William Countryman, who translated from the Greek. This is a scholarly work. The publisher of this book, Trinity Press International, has published other works by the author. In expressing what I think of the Bible text as published here, I thought it readable and helpful to the commentary and interpretation. Another reviewer (The Living Church) has said, "Countryman offers what he calls both an 'act of scholarship' and an 'act of prayer..." I thought the book a prayerful book, but more it is one with a sense of reverence.

I like that the book ends with "Epilogue," John 20:30-31:

"So, then, Jesus did many other signs, too, in the presence of his disciples which have not been written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the anointed, the son of God, and so that, as you believe, you may have life in his name."

The theological school where the author teaches, located in Berkeley, must be pleased to have so clear a thinker as The Reverend Countryman. So I add my small voice to those of many others who believe him to be a good writer and an asset to his school, which is located in the area of Northern California where I live. Hence, I am interested in what he writes perhaps a little more than someone who would be far away. But I want to say in this review, that you as a reader will find this a worthwhile book regardless where you live, especially if you have an interest in the Bible, the Fourth Gospel of John's, or in the subject of living a life more in Christ.

The book says that believers go through a series of stages, not unlike those used as chapters to bring us through John. What "...does it mean in human terms, to 'believe'?" There is conversion, baptism, eucharist, enlightenment, new life and union. "In union...one passes beyond believing into knowing; and this knowing is everything Jesus had to give--that is, it is the same as love and everlasting life." The writer concludes his book with the statement that one may have life in his name, that returning to the father is what one does, and in so doing a person becomes one with him and with God, "...and with all who have acknowledged that they belong to him."

Do I as a reviewer believe that the Christian Way includes this path outlined by L. William Countryman? I am so inclined. Others may enjoy and learn from his interpretation of The New Testament book by John, though not so engaged by mystical union and enlightenment as their norm or ambition in living a Christian life. The book was not written as an argument to convince others to live the Christian Way in a certain manner, but as an introduction to those prayerful considerations, yet mostly as a clearly composed and interestingly presented text about the Fourth Gospel. One comes again to the book' title, perhaps unusual to many, when he says "Crossing Over into God." I think this is the consideration that the author offers us as a reader--at least for me. "Crossing Over into God:" We do this in life, we do this in death. One comes to Him and through him to the Father, which is the proposal of the book with its story of Christ's life and the human part in it.

Peter Menkin -- Epiphany 2006

At first there was the logos
This book answered for me the question of how Christians can claim to be followers of THE Way without denigrating and dismissing those of other faiths experience with God.

"At first there was the logos, and the logos was with God, and the logos was God.This one was at first with God.All things came to be through him, and apart from him not one thing that was created came to be. In him was life, and the life was the light of human beings.And the light is shining in the dark, and the dark has not apprehended it."Logos means "word", "saying", "speech", "reason", "plan", etc.It is differentiated from God, yet identified as God.The logos is the only link between God and God's creation.Our life is only resident in the logos.Not only life, but also light, that is, it shines in the dark -- everything that is not of God.

So, any path that leads to God is in the logos.There is no other way."And the logos became flesh and lived among us... As for God, no one has ever seen him; the only-child God, the one who is in the father's bosom, that one has explained."And later this only-child God says, "I have other sheep, which are *not* of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear my voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd."

It's a message that is so inclusive it includes ALL truth, and so exclusive because there is no other reality.The truth is not Christianity.The truth is the logos.

I've probably taken this conclusion a step beyond what the author has directly mined from translating on the original author's intent in the fourth gospel, but Countryman invites you to reflect on the truth and draw conclusions.It's more than a Bible study, it's an experience with God. ... Read more

Book Description
An application of Gurdjieffian principles to fully and properly activate the power of language

• Explains the relationship between the Gurdjieff enneagram and sacred geometry and harmonics

• Shows that the objective power of language--and art and music--lies in the ability to use symbols that will mean precisely the same thing to anyone

• Includes a new English translation of René Daumal’s essay “The Holy War”

In The Magic Language of the Fourth Way, Pierre Bonnasse applies the esoteric teachings of Fourth Way mystic G. I. Gurdjieff and the insights of initiate René Daumal to show how to fully and properly activate the power of language. Bonnasse shows how words can regain the strange magical powers they possessed in the first days of humanity, when words created the realities of what they described. This is a far cry from today’s world in which even writers lament the impotent nature of language.

Bonnasse uses the relationship between the Gurdjieff enneagram and sacred geometry and harmonics to reveal the power given to words by the notes of the scale. He shows not only how to discover the objective power of words but also how to apply the relationship between language and living to maximum effect. He explains that the objective power of language--and art and music--lies in the ability to use symbols that will mean precisely the same thing to anyone. The Magic Language of the Fourth Way serves as a clear and generous introduction to the complexities of Gurdjieffian thought as well as a descriptive how-to manual for Fourth Way aspirants on the uses of objective language for spiritual advancement.
... Read more

Book Description
'The Prize is Eternity' is a selection of essays on the practical inner work of the Fourth Way. Unmatched by any other publication in the tradition of Gurdjieff, Ouspensky and Rodney Collin, it outlines the specific efforts necessary to break through the ordinary state of sleep that prevents us from waking up to living fully and in orientation towards the possibility of eternal life. For the reader new to Gurdjieff's system of inner development this is a clear introduction to how "The Work" works and for any student of the Fourth Way it will be an invaluable manual for the clarification and practical use of work ideas. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Clear and to the point
I have been a follower of the Fourth Way ideas for the past twenty years, and during that time I have read almost everything. Once in a while I have had the "good fortune" of meeting such pearl of wisdom as this book. The author treats each topic, and all of then are really related with the inner work of change, with clarity and the experience of someone not just "explaining" the concepts. He speaks (that was my feeling) from the point of view of someone who has not only practiced what he talks about, but more importantly, who have become the words, wich, after all is the goal of every true way.
Since finding this book I went looking for his other works, bought then and to my soul happyness, they were all like that: Precise, practical, clear and very human. Go for it. You will never regret.

Great if you're already in the cult, otherwise, beware
All of the reviewers of this book (except for yours truly), as well as both of the "editorial reviewers," are (or, as in the case of Ms. Zannos, were) members of the Fellowship of Friends, the cult of which Mr. Haven has been designated second in command by its founder, Robert Burton.Its approach to the Fourth Way is highly idiosyncratic at best, a caricature of an abusive "New Age cult" at worst.Prospective purchasers would do well to do a little research on the Fellowship of Friends to determine whether they suppose a leader of such an organization is well qualified to be a spiritual guide.Caveat emptor.

If Ouspensky is too dry then give this one a try
If you find the writing style of Ouspensky to be difficult
to follow then this is the book for you.The writing is
very easy to follow and is more germane to the unique
obstacles people face in today's modern world.This is the
book I give to friends who are interested in the 4th way
as I have found that they say Ouspensky is too hard to
understand.

An original and deep book
Mr. Haven expression of the Fourth Way qualifies it for inclusion with the great exponents of that tradition in this century: Gurdjieff, Ouspensky, Collin and Nicoll. I am grateful that I found this book.

A very practical book
"The Prize is Eternity" by Girard Haven is about the practical work of the Fourth Way. "Practical" means something more than physical or mental exercises that the reader can attempt in the privacy of his or her own study. In these pages, Haven speaks about the difficult, day-to-day work to awaken from the sleep in which we are all immersed. Practical means both beginning to see things as they are and attempting to act from what one sees. Practical also means distinguishing between the efforts that one is capable of making by oneself and the line beyond which one cannot pass without outside assistance. The Fourth Way is a teaching of spiritual development ... brought to the West in the early part of this century by George Gurdjieff and Peter Ouspensky. ... It can be said that the Fourth Way, more than any other system of knowledge known to us in modern times, stresses the importance of work on being. It is not enough to know the words, one must strive to be the words... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Excelent...
For those of us that follows the fourth way, very often we think that all that could be said about the "System" was already said, mainly by those great man, Mr Gurdjieff and Mr Ouspensky. Well, when I began reading Mr Haven book I confess I did not expect much, but to my surprise I was very wrong indeed. His style of writing is precise, choosing words with such mathematical objectivity that one cannot help but fell deep the meaning the author wants to convey. And this is another important point to comment about this book: The fact that (as was said by other reviewers) Mr Haven gives an impression of someone who speaks from his being, i.e., someone who has become the words. For that reason alone, I strongly recommend this book for anyone who follows the fourth way.

A practical guide on how to create your soul
Creating a Soul by Girard Haven is about the practical work of the Fourth Way. "Practical" in this context means something more than physical or mental exercises that the reader can attempt in the privacy of his or her own study. In these pages, Mr. Haven speaks about the difficult, day-to-day work to awaken from the sleep in which we are all immersed. "Practical", then, means both beginning to see things as they are and attempting to act from what one sees. "Practical" also means distinguishing between the efforts that one is capable of making by oneself and the line beyond which one cannot pass without outside assistance.

The Fourth Way is a teaching of spiritual development brought to the West in the early part of this century by George Gurdjieff and Peter Ouspensky. It can be said that the Fourth Way, more than any other system of knowledge known to us in modern times, stresses the importance of work on being. It is not enough to know the words, one must strive to be the words.

Important New Fourth Way Book
This book is an invaluable addition to the existing canon of Fourth Way literature. Whilst remaining true to the origins of the Gurdjieff-Ouspensky System and the basic principles of self-remembering and the non-expression of negative emotions, Mr.Haven talks about how to work with these ideas on a practical, everyday basis - and the Fourth Way is designed to take place in life, not monastic retreats. He talks about how to deal with ever-pressing daily issues and how to transform them into something higher, presumably, as the title would suggest, the creation of a soul. For many this book will represent a bridge between Ouspensky's brilliant, but somewhat intellectual presentation of the Fourth Way, and an understanding of how practical spiritual work on oneself can actually take place.

Practical and Interesting Philosophical read
I picked up this book from a table somewhere and found it a truely interesting read! Written in a simple essay style, Mr. Haven outlines his own personal philosophy and that of his fourth way school in essays written over 20 years. I recommend this book to those interested on Fourth Way ideas or internal work on their souls!

Girard Haven understanding of the 4th Way is remarkable
Girard Haven clearly has a very deep understanding of the 4th Way teachings. He seems objective about his observations and also has an extremely positive attitude. I recommend this book because Girard Haven has apparently gone beyond just talking about Gurdjieff's ideas and has become them. He seems to have really separated his sense of Self from his 'machine'. If you want to know what the results are of one man's practical work on himself over many years then this book gives a very clear account of that. His understanding reminds me of Ouspensky himself. ... Read more

Book Description
The transition to market economies in Eastern Europe, considered in the light of Western experiences of seeking a middle way between classical liberalism and state socialism. ... Read more

Product Description
A record of talks and answers to questions based on the teaching of G. I. Gurdjieff. This book consists of verbatim extracts of talks and answers to questions given by Ouspensky between 1921 and 1946. Originally published in 1957. ... Read more