Synopsis:
Of the questions often put to me by people of various classes and different degrees of informedness', the following, as I recall, recurred most frequently: What remarkable men have I met? What marvels have I seen in the East? Has man a soul and is it immortal? Is the will of man free? What is life, and why does suffering exist? Do I believe in the occult and spiritualistic sciences? What are hypnotism, magnetism, and telepathy? How did I become interested in these questions? What led me to my system, practised in the Institute bearing my name? So I shall now arrange this series in separate chapters, serving as answers to the first of the enumerated questions, namely, 'What remarkable men have I met?' I will distribute in the separate tales about these meetings, according to a principle of logical sequence, all the ideas and thoughts that I intend to make known in this series in order that they may serve as preparatory constructive material, and at the same time I will answer all the other questions often asked me. Furthermore, I shall arrange these separate tales in such an order that, among other things, there may stand out distinctly the outline of my, as it were, autobiography. Wilder Publications is a green publisher. All of our books are printed to order. This reduces waste and helps us keep prices low while greatly reducing our impact on the environment.
Review:
Right around the turn of the 20th century, G.I. Gurdjieff initiated a group of spiritual adventurers called the "Seekers of Truth". These intrepid intellectuals of every stripe criss-crossed Africa and Asia in search of the hidden mysteries of antiquity. In Meetings with Remarkable Men, Gurdjieff narrates their exploits while drawing portraits of these extraordinary figures (including one woman and a dog). Half travel journal, half autobiography, Meetings with Remarkable Men begins with Gurdieff's childhood, when he finds his book learning at odds with paranormal events that were self-evidently real but inexplicable through modern science. Later he discovers a map of "pre-sands Egypt" and evidence of the Sarmound Brotherhood, alleged keepers of ancient wisdom dating back four-and-a-half millennia. He climbs the Himalayas, follows the Nile, and is led blindfolded to a mysterious monastery. In his encounters with dervishes, monks and fakirs, Gurdjieff recovers the wisdom he seeks, by comparison with which European understanding, he says, is backwards and barbaric. A controversial figure in his time, Gurdjieff inspired deep love and loyalty in his pupils and ridicule from sceptics. At the bookends of Meetings with Remarkable Men, Gurdjieff suggests the value of blurring the line between allegory and straight reporting. But then what exactly is Meetings with Remarkable Men? You be the judge. --Brian Bruya
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