Who are G. Gurdjieff and Willem A. Nyland

      There is a Zen caution not to confuse the finger pointing to the moon with the moon.  The life stories and circumstances of the teachers from the past have receded, but the essence of truth that breathes life into a spark of inquiry lives on.  Mr. Gurdjieff passed away in 1949, Mr. Nyland in 1975.  What can we know about these men?

      Mr. Gurdjieff poured the work of his lifetime into a three series compendium entitled “All and Everything”.  It is here that we find the “finger pointing to the moon”.  The moon is our inner life, our work on ourselves, our conscience, and the awakening of consciousness. 

     Mr. Nyland spent twenty-five years associated with Mr. Gurdjieff, and then dedicated his last twenty-five years encouraging many to make efforts, the work of finding the seat of one’s life and nurturing it with sunshine, light and heat.

      The First Series of Mr. Gurdjieff’s writings, Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson, is intended to bring us face to face with ourselves as we are, rooted in the influences of culture, heredity, our education and centuries old patterns of human behaviour.  The Second Series, “Meetings with Remarkable Men”, introduces the more essential qualities that can direct us towards finding meaning and purpose in life.  The Third Series, “Life is Real Only Then, When ‘I Am’”, originally not intended for general publication, offers lucid direction for the establishment of a life of harmony and centered-ness.  It is strongly recommended to read Gurdjieff’s works in the order in which they were written.

      Mr. Nyland made a life study of Gurdjieff’s writings; his meetings were devoted to passing along the practical application of Mr. Gurdjieff’s ideas in daily life and the possibility of understanding and deriving the value found in “All and Everything”.

      a group for inner life study is committed to discovering the truth of life through direct experience, available to each of us by effort, something Mr. Gurdjieff and Mr. Nyland called Work on oneself with a capital “W”.  The “material” for this study is what each of us brings to the group and the meetings, from our own unique experience and perspective.  We delve into All and Everything and the recordings and transcriptions of Mr. Nyland’s meetings as a resource to affirm and support our own work, individually and as a group.

      For those interested in background about Mr. Gurdjieff and Mr. Nyland the following brief descriptions are recommended – composed by people intimately familiar with the lives of these men, in personal relationship with Mr. Nyland and through direct contact with individuals who worked closely with Mr. Gurdjieff.  Here are the links:  Mr. Gurdjieff  —  Mr. Nyland