Self-Remembering

The first way — the way of the fakir. This is a long, difficult, and unreliable path. The fakir works on the physical body, on overcoming physical suffering.

The second way — the way of the monk. This path is shorter,... more reliable, and more clearly defined.

The third way — the way of the yogi, the way of knowledge and awareness.

But there is also a Fourth Way — a completely unique path, not a combination of the other three.

First, you must realize that you do not remember yourself.

Peter Ouspensky "The Fourth Way"

"Self-Remembering" by Robert Earl Burton — a classic of esotericism and an enduring bestseller. In the book, the author explains and develops the most important aspect of the Fourth Way — one of the greatest esoteric traditions of the 20th century, founded by G.I. Gurdjieff and P.D. Ouspensky. Following the teachings of its founders, the author asserts — all the ideas of the system revolve around one, self-remembering: it is the axis of the wheel, all the others — the spokes. And although self-remembering is a non-verbal process that is difficult to describe, the author speaks about it in accessible language, quoting well-known poets and familiar childhood fairy tales.

Self-remembering is multifaceted; it includes the ability to constantly be present in the moment ("to remember oneself"), and divided attention ("you are what observes, not what you observe"). Similar ideas can be found in many spiritual traditions and religious teachings. But for the author, it is not just a theory, but a tool with which anyone can "awaken" to another, genuine life.

Everything except the present is an illusion. Our work is always now. We have nowhere to go but to the present, for all roads lead to this living moment.