LIFE IS REAL ONLY THEN, WHEN "I AM"

Gurdjieff's Third Series read by Anthony Blake


The MP3 recording last for just over 6 hours and has 9 tracks.


Prologue
Introduction
First Talk
Second Talk
Third Talk
Fourth Talk
Fifth Talk
The Outer and Inner World of Man

Addition


 

The first publication of the Third Series in English was 1975 by Triangle Editions 'For Private Distribution Only'. The final chapter of the French edition published in 1976 had ten extra pages which were then added to later editions in English. These later editions also include some other changes in the translation from the original. I have read fromthe Viking Arkana edition, 1991. In the listing of tracks given above, the 'Addition' refers to the additional ten pages.

The separate tracks gives the listener some options of form and sequence.

. Below is a reproduction of the title page and sample of the Prologue taken from an early manuscript.


 

J. G. Bennett, with the approval of Gurdjieff's family, planned to produce another version of the Third Series to that published by the Foundation. It may be that the latter decided to issue its version in order to block Bennett's project. Below is an outline of what he proposed.

 

As indicated above Gurdjieff's nephew, Valentin Anastasieff, wrote a Preface to Life is Real, which can be found here; it was never published. Valentin ends his Preface with the following words:
"We know very well that it was the intention of my uncle that everyone should be given the opportunity of studying and profiting by his teaching. He wanted his books very widely published and not confined to a small number of people. We had, of course, a difficult decision with regard to the present book because at one time it had been intended only for specially selected pupils. Towards the end of his life my uncle did allow the book to be read by a wider circle and he says in it that it is for the purpose of sharing with his fellow men the results of his many years of search that the book was written. This appears to us to be a mandate for publication of the book. We accordingly asked Mr. Bennett who has always been in our eyes one of Mr. Gurdjieff's most trusted followers, to undertake the preparation of the edition. We are well aware that the book itself is net complete and asked Mr. Bennett to select from copies of lectures given by my uncle, three or four that would be of value and interest to the general public as well as filling in some of the gaps in the book. We hope that it will be possible later to collect all the notes that have been taken of my uncle's extraordinary lectures and talks with his pupils and publish them as a final tribute to his work."

John Bennett's Introduction can be found here. No trace can be found of the copy he says Gurdjieff gave to him to work on and 'prepare'. Payson Loomis and Sherman Manchester were around Gurdjieff in New York around the time of the events he describes and are said to have had other versions of the Third Series in manuscript.

Concerning the interactions G had with Orage's group, C. Daly King has a different version from the one presented in the Third Series.

Some useful background on this period of Gurdjieff's life is accessible in Paul B. Taylor's Gurdjieff's America (Google Book)

There is music apparently (it is also music used for a movements known as the 'Ancient Persian') dedicated to Madame Ostrovsky, Gurdjieff's wife: For Gurdjieff's Wife

 

Some background material on New York, Orage and Stjernvall can be found here.

 

Technical support: David Blake