The Gnosis of Gurdjieff

A series of video discussions with Richard Hodges of the Gurdjieff Foundation

From The Gnostic Wisdom Network

Part 1

In this episode we are joined by Richard Hodges of the Gurdjieff Foundation to talk about 20th century Russian Mystic G. I. Gurdjieff. We discuss Gurdjieff’s background and his travels, his system, sometime called “The Work” or “The Fourth Way.” Gurdjieff taught many interesting and esoteric concepts, including that of “waking sleep,” which we go into, and also the benefits of doing The Work in groups.

Part 2

In part two of our conversation with Richard Hodges of the Gurdjieff Foundation, we talk about Gurdjieff’s teachings on the development of the soul and the many “I’s” that a person identifies with. We delve into some of the origins of Gurdjieff’s thought, and we explore the Gurdjieffian view of the body, the essence, and the personality.
Special thanks to Bishop Lainie Petersen for filling in as co-host!

Part 3

Part three of four of our chat with Gurdjieff expert Richard Hodges leads us to some really strange concepts, like the Kundabuffer, Food for the Moon, and Gurdjieff seminal work: Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson. We also talk about the difference between symbols and metaphors, and we finish off with an explanation of the Law of Seven.

Part 4

In our fourth and final conversation with Richard Hodges of the Gurdjieff Foundation, we pick up where we left off and talk about the Laws of Three and Seven and how they relate to the enneagram. We discuss sacred movement and dance as part of The Work, and the “conditions” of The Work as practiced in the working groups. We tie things up in a nice bow by talking about the similarities of the Gurdjieff material to Gnosticism, and then some book and practice recommendations.