Gurdjieff’s Advices to his Daughter

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Searching here and there, as I always do, I found an interesting text that could be interesting for those who are interested in the Gurdjieff’s teaching, but also useful as reference to all those whose aim of life is to develop a better state of Consciousness and to live a more fulfilling and integral life.

What follows is an excerpt of a splendid “Spiritual Testament” of the Caucasian Teacher, inspirator of the Fourth Way System, devoted to his daughter, Dushka Howarth.

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Focus your attention on yourself

Be aware every moment of what you are thinking, feeling, desiring or doing.

Complete aways what you have begun.

Do what you are doing as best as possible.

Don’t be attached to anything who finally could destroy you.

Develop your generosity without witnesses.

Treat every person such as it is your next to kin.

Clear up what yoy have mess- up.

Learn to receive, and be thankful for every gift.

Stop your self defending behaviours.

Don’t lie, don’t steal, if you do it so, then you lie and steal to yourself.

Help who’s close to you without making it dependent from yourself.

Don’t take up too much space.

Don’t make noise nor unnecessary gestures.

If you don’t have it yet, then imitate the faith.

Don’t be easly impressed from the strong personalities.

Don’t seize anything nor anyone.

Distribute equally.

Don’t seduce.

Eat and sleep the strictly necessary.

Don’t speak about your personal problems.

Don’t judge nor discriminate until you don’t know the most part of the facts.

Don’t make useless friendships.

Don’t follow the trends.

Don’t sell yourself.

Respect the agreements you have signed.

Be punctual.

Don’t envy the others assets nor results

Speak only about what is necessary.

Don’t think about the benefits that your action could bring to you.

Don’t threaten.

Keep your promises.

During a debate,put yourself always in the others skin.

Admit when someone exceeds you.

Win your fears.

Help the others to be able to help themselves.

Win your feelings of disliking and be close to those you wish to refuse.

Transform your pride in dignity.

Transform your anfer in creativity.

Transform your greed in respect for the beauty.

Transforyou envy in admiration for the others values.

Transform you hate in charity.

Don’t praise nor insult yourself.

Take care of what does not belong to you, such as is yours.

Don’t complain yourself.

Develop your imagination.

Don’t share orders for the mere pleasure of being obeyed.

Pay for the services the others make to you.

Don’t propagandize your work and ideas.

Don’t try to awaken in the others feelings towards youself such as: pity, simpathy, admiration, complicity.

Don’t try to stand out for your appearences.

Never contradict, just be silent.

Don’t run up debts, buy and pay immediately.

If you have offended publicly, apologize publicly.

If you notice you have said something wrong, don’t insist in such error for pride and desist immediately from your purposes.

Don’t defend old ideas for the mere reason you have enunciated them.

Don’t preserve useless objects.

Don’t decorate yourself with others ideas.

Don’t photograph yourself with famous persons.

Be your judge.

Never define yourself in according with what you possess.

Be aware that anything is yours.

If you meditate and the Devil comes, make the Devil meditate.