Gurdjieff sacred dances. Gurdjieff's movements: physical practices and sacred dances

Gurdjieff's sacred dances and movements are a wonderful gift for everyone who wants to work on themselves. Exercises and dances known as Sacred dances Gurdjieff, were collected by George Ivanovich Gurdjieff during his twenty years of wanderings in Egypt, Turkey, Tibet, India, Assyria, Greece, Russia and other countries of Europe and Central Asia in churches and monasteries.

Psychologist, philosopher, scientist, traveler, choreographer, teacher and mystic, founder of the doctrine of the “Fourth Way” of human inner realization. Russia, Georgy Ivanovich Gurdjieff was born on November 28, 1877 in Alexandropol (from 1924 - Leninakan) in Armenia into a mixed Armenian-Greek family. He spent his childhood years in Kars, was a student of the Russian abbot cathedral, who had a great influence on Gurdjieff. Although he never received a systematic secondary education, he knew several languages since childhood.

Searching for answers to " eternal questions“led him to the creation of the doctrine of the “fourth path” of the internal realization of man. Travels and wanderings (1896-1922), first as part of a small group of “Seekers of Truth”, then as a wanderer, teacher and emigrant, became a kind of university for G.I. Gurdjieff.

According to Gurdjieff in ancient times, Movements occupied important place in art Asian peoples. They were also used in Africa and far east in Sacred Gymnastics, Sacred dances and religious ceremonies. Seekers of truth, a group of which included archaeologists and specialists in Eastern religions, found that this sacred gymnastics was preserved in certain parts of Central Asia, in particular in the territory from Tashkent to Chinese Turkestan.

Gurdjieff's Sacred Movements help participants become "masters of themselves", bringing them more and more into a space of calm and inner peace. We also learn to move at the same time relaxed and fast, and not relaxed and lazy, and not fast and tense.

You need to be able to let go of the state of tension at any moment, which appears, for example, with an excess of desire, agitation of the mind, anxiety. We learn to move from relaxation, keeping the question alive; “How can I move from stillness without breaking it?” even while performing such energetic dancing, like the Dervish Dances, And we also learn to remain internally actively present while performing slow, repetitive movements that require a lot of focused precision, such as the Circle of Om.

This is a kind of meeting of Yin and Yang, male and female principles that will radiate in our lives. This relaxed aliveness can open us up to the combined effects of the different qualities of energy that move through our bodies. In my entire life as a dancer, no other approach has ever given me such a blissful feeling, where my body was a living channel for the flow of subtle and very pleasant energies.
Receiving all these energies, standing between heaven and earth, we become the meeting point of two worlds, human and other, from which the highest energy emanates.

Dance then takes on a completely different meaning; you become an instrument of universal energy. Moving along this path through music, dance and introspection is a movement towards a more total and full life.

These dances were called Gurdjieff's after the famous teacher, mystic, philosopher, scientist, writer, choreographer, musician, traveler of the 20th century G.I. Gurdjieff. He is known as the founder of the path internal development called "4th Way". All his life Gurdjieff was looking for answers to the questions “Who am I?”, “Where did I come from?”, “Where am I going?” Traveling around the world in search of truth, he studied in secret monasteries and brotherhoods belonging to various mystical traditions. In the 20s of the last century, he founded the University of Harmonious Human Development, which taught many different disciplines for human development and transformation.

One of the amazing aspects of Gurdjieff's teaching work was what is now called the Sacred Dances or Movements. Sometimes Gurdjieff called himself nothing more than a teacher of temple dances and refused any other status. Of course, no one took it seriously, but for many it was the most attractive part of the training.

Of course, Gurdjieff's unique merit was that he managed to introduce the West to temple dances and sacred rhythms.

According to Gurdjieff, in ancient times Movements occupied an important place in the art of Asian peoples. They were also used in Africa and the Far East in Sacred Gymnastics, Sacred Dances and Religious Ceremonies. Seekers of truth, a group of which included archaeologists and specialists in Eastern religions, found that this sacred gymnastics was preserved in certain parts of central Asia, particularly in the territory from Tashkent to Chinese Turkestan.

Even at the beginning of our century, sacred dances were widely used in temples and monasteries, and it is possible that a significant part of them has survived to this day.

People who practice sacred gymnastics have always known its meaning. In some monasteries and brotherhoods for a long time traditions were preserved, carefully hidden from ordinary travelers. Other dances can be seen without any special obstacles. Some are well known, such as the Mevleviya and Rufaiyya dervish movements, whose weekly ceremonies allow visitors, including Europeans, to attend. Others, for example, the dances of the Helvetiya dervishes, that is, “the secluded ones,” are shown only to those who are recognized as truly seekers. Moreover, the most important, Central Asian sacred dances are not associated with any specific religion. They have been practiced for many thousands of years, and the monasteries in which they are preserved also possess knowledge from the distant past, passed down from generation to generation through these same sacred dances and rituals.

Sacred gymnastics exercises were used by Gurdjieff as a method of developing moral qualities students, as well as their will, patience, hearing, vision, touch, ability to concentrate thinking, etc.

The arbitrariness of our movements is illusory. Psychoanalysis and the study of psychomotor functions according to Gurdjieff’s system show that any of our movements, voluntary or forced, represents an unconscious transition from one automatic posture to another. Of all the possible poses, a person chooses exactly those that correspond to his personality, and it is easy to see that this repertoire is forced to be very narrow. As a result, all our poses are mechanical derivatives.

We do not realize how closely our three functions are connected with each other: motor, emotional and mental. They depend on each other, condition each other and are in a state of constant interaction. Changes in the work of one of them are always combined with changes in the work of the others. The position of our body corresponds to our experiences and thoughts. A change in emotions inevitably generates a corresponding change in thought process and posture. Changing thoughts releases a new flow of emotional energy, as a result of which the posture naturally changes. To change our way of thinking and the general orientation of feelings, we must first change our postures and movements, but at the same time, without changing mental and emotional stereotypes, it is impossible to master new motor postures. You can't change one without changing the other.

With the help of correctly selected movements, combined in the correct sequence and with a correct understanding of their purpose, many defects, both physical and emotional, can be eliminated, as a result of which the student comes to a more balanced and natural state.
In addition, it is necessary to develop attention. This is achieved with the help of gymnastic exercises, during which it is necessary to concentrate on various parts bodies and know exactly what they are doing without looking at them or thinking about it. More complex movements develop a degree of control over the state of consciousness, which seems very difficult for the average untrained Westerner.

Gurdjieff claims that by working on movements, a person develops his own “I,” that is, “will.”
At a certain stage, he gains the ability to feel completely independently of own body and at the same time be its undivided master. You can experience feelings, even very subtle ones, in accordance with various gestures and sequences of movements, without identifying with them. All this is extremely important for the development of will.

Of course, many see these movements as something similar to a performance. They are very beautiful and make a deep impression on the psyche of the audience. However, beauty in this case is secondary, and I think that Gurdjieff would agree with the statement Indian sage: “Beauty does not lead us to God; beauty leads us only to beauty.”

We are presented with amazing practices associated with a person’s acquisition of a sense of self-understanding and self-control, including on the physical level. A whole section of it educational activities includes the concept of movement of Gurdjieff and his so-called sacred dances.

Gurdjieff's dances

We rarely realize, or more precisely, we often do not realize at all, that all the “services” and functions of our body are very closely related to each other, dependent on each other and reflect our and, again, each other’s real state. So, for example, as soon as we think about something negative, the body immediately reacts to this by changing the position of our body, our mood changes, and we begin to be filled with certain corresponding feelings and experiences.

Even in ancient times, knowledge related to the influence and relationship of human movements with its emotional and mental states constituted the most important part of spiritual traditions and elements folk art residents of Asia, Africa and the Far East. Various sacred rituals, expressed in certain dance movements, also existed in many temples and monasteries and were passed on as an element of the most important knowledge about man and the Universe from generation to generation.

George Gurdjieff himself, during his wanderings and travels, repeatedly took lessons in music and rhythm for several years from Asian monastic dervishes in the monastery of the Yesavian Order: there lived masters who taught people through dance movements what people usually learn through books. In addition, he studied the art of ritual dances in many other monasteries and temples, as well as in esoteric schools of the East and Tibet.

Thus, Gurdjieff's movements - as his dances are also called - are ancient and not entirely, from the point of view modern man, common practice. Its meaning is the fixation of a person’s conscious state through the unification of the mind and feelings with body movements.

Learning a certain kind of dance is one of the possibilities for transforming a personality towards its enlightenment. This is what Gurdjieff did with groups of students at his Institute. harmonious development person. Attempts to create an institute where people could move under the guidance of the Teacher to comprehend the higher spheres of man and the universe were made more than once by Gurdjieff. The first - back in 1919 in Tiflis, then, a year later - in Constantinople, and later - in Germany. But all of them, for one reason or another, turned out to be unsuccessful. Finally, he managed to implement this idea in France.

Not far from Paris, in the Chateau-Priere estate, the master bought the ancient castle “Abbey” with funds from his students. Here, demonstration performances of his amazing dance mysteries were subsequently organized. Moreover, the dances in them were not just elements pure art. These were, first of all, finely organized systemic movements, which, in essence, were designed to develop all components of human nature - and in practice they did this.

We studied at the institute mainly two types dance moves: exercises and ballets. The exercises were tests of endurance. For example, some movements were supposed to be done without a break for hours. And this could not but influence the dancers’ education of a certain endurance and perseverance.

The teacher was convinced - and convinced the students that in order for some kind of movement towards him to really begin in a person personal development, - he just needs to be taken out of his comfort zone. That is, any creative process begins as a result of struggle. And if you follow the well-known principle of the pendulum, it is important to unbalance this pendulum.

And therefore, glamorous aristocratic young ladies in the palaces of the Institute for Harmonious Human Development washed clothes and hammered nails into the walls. And those who were afraid of blood were sent to slaughter cattle, etc. In Gurdjieff Alma mater The most severe Spartan discipline reigned. Not everyone could stand it: one of the institute students, English writer Katherine Mansfield, having stayed here for a short time, died completely... Nevertheless, such were, according to Gurdjieff, controlled crisis technologies.

Speaking about the theme of ballet, let us remind you that that it usually meant a special Sufi cosmogonic dance, uniting performers into a single energetic wave of emotions and movements. Each such sacred dance performance contained a certain mysterious meaning, which was accessible only to initiates.

Ballet and sacred movements, which Gurdjieff taught to his followers, helped them gain highest degree control over the body, as well as develop their ability to concentrate their attention. All this had an incredible impact on emotional condition people working here. This also influenced the development of their various qualities: from moral-volitional to physical.

Continuation of travel and expeditions

In 1924, Gurdjieff went on tour with his troupe to the USA. The public was presented with a phenomenal spectacle of a dance-mystery performance, when the magician-Teacher demonstrated to the audience his boundless dominance over his students.

Some even regarded this action as a kind of transformation of people into a team of “trained zombies or circus animals.” In fact, by presenting his ballets to the audience, Gurdjieff simply wanted to demonstrate to them the incredible capabilities that a person has in the field of dance, movement, and in general, in the art of mastering his body.

These performances, somewhat reminiscent of the tricks of Copperfield or Houdini, were intended to somehow stir up the audience, to make the average person think about what, in fact, unique opportunities he has... It should be noted that in the Gurdjieff troupe there were not professional dancers at all: they were just ordinary good educated people. Each of them also had their own specialty, but they were all gripped by a thirst for esoteric knowledge and the desire to discover something new on the Internet.

That is, they were, as we understand, not even zombies at all. But the zombies were just there during their performance in the concert hall...

Gurdjieff: The Law of the Three Forces of Creativity

The total number of patterns that govern almost all processes both in the world as a whole and in humans is not too large. And everything that seems to us to be an infinite variety of forms and phenomena is created by just a few different combinations.

To try to understand the essence of the mechanics of the Universe, you simply need to decompose these complex and diverse phenomena into the elementary laws that constitute them. We must understand that we live in a space that has already been created and ordered. That is, our Universe is already a kind of Creation.

And Gurdjieff considered its first fundamental law to be the so-called The Law of the Three Forces of Creativity. Everything that happens around is the result of the combination and interaction of these three forces: Active, Passive and Neutralizing forces. And they all exist in nature and in each of us. These are the forces of creativity: nothing in the world is created without their participation.

Our entire Universe consists of vibrations that are elusive to human hearing. She is literally filled with them. They exist in all matters inhabiting the world, and manifest themselves in a wide variety of vibrational sounds: from the subtlest to the coarsest. From this stems the Second Basic Law of the Universe according to Gurdjieff: Law of seven octaves.

Music of Gurdjieff

This, one might say, is separate, no less significant topic in his views on the world. We already know that Georgy Ivanovich took this one of perhaps the most mystical forms of art very seriously and attentively. And him Law of seven octaves- is a natural continuation of the researcher’s experience in this plane. The essence of this law is that all sounds of universal vibrations are ordered in the form of a descending musical scale: from the upper “to” - narrowing in the direction of the musical scale down - and down to the lowest sound, which is at the basis of everything. So, if we talk about this big and complex topic V general outline, he defined the sound of the Absolute, inaccessible to human and even scientific understanding.

The principle of seven octaves corresponds to any development both at the planetary level and at the level of birth and birth of an individual human soul. Therefore, in order to be able to recognize and monitor the development process as such, it is important to understand that there is a reason for changes in the directions of this movement.

And still very important point: for such a movement to occur in principle, it is necessary to stop energy leaks and stock up on pleasant impressions.

Gurdjieff and Ouspensky

Returning to the theme of Gurdjieff’s life in its different periods, I would like to note some of its chronological sequences, because then his thoughts about man and the results of all his mystical quests and meetings will acquire in our eyes some vital connections to real circumstances...

So, in 1912, Gurdjieff began giving his lectures and reports in Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg). Here like-minded people and followers gather around him: people who want to start working on themselves. Among them is , who, having plunged headlong into Gurdjieff’s teaching, saw in it at first something completely new and unusual for himself.

Gurdjieff's system of views seemed to reflect the entire fusion of his own intellectual searches. A whole avalanche of things unexpected for Uspensky - new concepts, practical structures and exotic exercises - captured the researcher.

Gurdjieff, George Ivanovich (1872-1949)- Greek-Armenian mystic philosopher and “dance teacher.” Gurdjieff's teachings are devoted to the growth of human consciousness in everyday life.

Gurdjieff early became interested in “supernatural phenomena” and began his travels to various countries in Asia and Africa, where he tried to find answers to the questions that interested him. Among the countries he visited were Egypt, Turkey, Tibet (virtually inaccessible to Europeans at that time), Afghanistan, various areas in the Middle East and Turkestan, including the holy Muslim city of Mecca. These journeys often took the form of expeditions that Gurdjieff organized with other members of the Seekers of Truth society he created. In his travels, Gurdjieff studied various spiritual traditions, including Sufism, Tibetan Buddhism and various branches of Eastern Christianity, as well as folklore (particularly dance and music) of the countries he visited, and collected fragments of ancient knowledge (mainly Egyptian and Babylonian civilizations ), sometimes resorting to archaeological excavations.

At the beginning of the 20th century, based on training from teachers different traditions and his ethnographic and archaeological research, Gurdjieff creates a system of concepts and practices, which later became known as the “Gurdjieff Work” or “ Fourth way"The origins of many aspects of this system are quite difficult to trace among the various religious and philosophical concepts with which Gurdjieff may have been familiar. Some of these aspects were probably the contribution of Gurdjieff himself - for example, the idea of \u200b\u200b"mutual maintenance" - the exchange of energies and matter between all the essences of the Universe, without which, according to Gurdjieff, their existence is impossible.

Gurdjieff began to transmit this system to his first students in Moscow and St. Petersburg in 1912. Among the students he attracted during this period were the mystical philosopher Pyotr Demyanovich Uspensky and the talented composer Thomas (Thomas) de Hartmann. In parallel with the training of students, who are gradually increasing in number in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Gurdjieff begins work on the ballet “The Struggle of the Magicians” - work on it together with his students continued in exile, the script of the ballet was preserved, but neither the music nor the choreography for the ballet were completed and it was never staged for the public.

After the revolution, Gurdjieff had to leave Russia with his students to emigrate.

Gurdjieff tried several times to found his “Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man” - first in Tiflis (Tbilisi) - 1919, then in Constantinople - 1920, until he finally realized his idea by founding the Institute in the Prieuré des Basses Loges estate, near Fontainebleau near Paris in 1922. Public lectures and demonstrations of the "Sacred Movements" - dances and exercises developed by Gurdjieff, partly based on the folk and temple dances he studied during his travels in Asia - were organized in the Prieure. These evenings were quite well known among the French educated public. In addition, a large number of Gurdjieff's students remained to live and work in Prieure; some of these students (in particular, those who emigrated from Russia with him) were supported financially by Gurdjieff. Several times he made long visits to groups of his students in the USA, also organizing public lectures and performances of the Movements there.

In July 1924, Gurdjieff was involved in a car accident, in which he almost lost his life. After this, the Prieure becomes more closed, although many of Gurdjieff's disciples remain there or continue to attend regularly.

During this period, Gurdjieff began work on his books - "Everything and Everything, or Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson", "Meetings with wonderful people" and "Life is real only when 'I am'. In addition, together with the composer Thomas de Hartmann, about 150 short films were created during this period. musical works for piano, often based on Asian melodies, as well as music for "Sacred Movements".

The Prieure Institute was closed in 1932, after which Gurdjieff lived in Paris, continuing to visit the USA from time to time, where, after his previous visits, groups of his students had arisen in New York and Chicago. After the closure of the Prieure, Gurdjieff continued to work with students, in particular, organizing meetings at his home. This work did not stop even during Hitler's occupation of Paris.

After the end of World War II, Gurdjieff gathered in Paris students of groups formed on the basis of his teachings, in particular, students of P.D. Uspensky. Among the latter is the philosopher and mathematician John G. Bennett, the author of the fundamental work “The Dramatic Universe,” in which an attempt was made to develop Gurdjieff’s concepts in the language of European philosophy.

IN Last year life, Gurdjieff gave his students instructions on the publication of two of his books - “Everything and Everything” and “Meetings with Remarkable People” and P.D. Uspensky’s book “In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching,” which he considered a fairly accurate retelling of his teaching, as it was given until 1917 in Russia.

After Gurdjieff's death, his student Jeanne de Salzmann, to whom he entrusted the dissemination of his teachings, tried to unite the students various groups, which marked the beginning of an organization known as the Gurdjieff Foundation (Gurdjieff Foundation - the name in the USA, in fact - an association of Gurdjieff groups in various cities, in Europe the same organization is known as the Gurdjieff Society, "Gurdjieff Society"). Also actively disseminating Gurdjieff’s ideas were John G. Bennett and P.D. Uspensky’s students Maurice Nicoll and Rodney Collin.

Gurdjieff's famous students included Pamela Travers, author of the children's book Mary Poppins, French poet René Daumal, English writer Katherine Mansfield and American artist Paul Reynard. After Gurdjieff's death, his students taught famous musicians Keith Jarrett and Robert Fripp.

Currently, Gurdjieff groups (associated with the Gurdjieff Foundation, the Bennett line or independent disciples of Gurdjieff, as well as independently organized by followers of his teachings) operate in many cities around the world.

Gurdjieff's teachings are compared with many traditional teachings, and, above all, with Sufism.

The metaphysics and ontology of Gurdjieff's teachings are determined by two fundamental "sacred laws" known as the "Law of Three" and the "Law of Seven".

The “Law of Three” clearly indicates the Christian (from a metaphysical point of view) nature of this teaching.

Gurdjieff speaks of the significant degradation of man over the last few thousand years, and especially over the last few centuries; here it completely coincides with all traditional teachings.

However, a certain specificity, and specifically Christian specificity, arises in that point of Gurdjieff’s teaching, where we're talking about about the “Sacred paths” of Faith, Hope and Love, open to man in previous metahistorical eras, but closed in the current one, for which there are reasons.

Gurdjieff's philosophical teaching contains many classical esoteric ideas, but a number of his own ideas are particularly original - these are:

Conviction in the illusory nature of ordinary life;

The idea of the relationship between the microcosmic plan and the macrocosmic;

Recognition of the special role of the Moon in the cosmic evolution of humanity;

Division of man into four bodies;

The doctrine of centers, their manifested or unmanifested functioning;

The doctrine of human personality types;

Features of a person’s mental work on himself;

The idea of the "Ray of Creation";

An increase in the number of laws to which materiality is subject as it moves away from the Absolute;

Subordination of the evolution of the Universe to the law of the octave.

According to Gurdjieff, man lives in a very insignificant place in the Universe. The planet is governed by many mechanical laws that complicate human self-realization. Inner growth is not easy to achieve; it requires great attention and great effort from a person. And although a person has the opportunity to raise the level of his consciousness and, consequently, being, it is incredibly difficult for him to realize this alone. Work on oneself, according to Gurdjieff’s teachings, is individual and experimental. Nothing should be taken for granted unless proven by personal experience.

On the “Fourth Way” - as Gurdjieff called his teaching - a person must assert himself. The method of self-development that he taught is an attempt to free a person from the burden of laws affecting his development.

He argued: one of the important laws of development has to do with the spiritual impulse, i.e. For spiritual development the individual needs additional influence from the Teacher or group.

He spoke about the law of three, which he called the fundamental law that concerns all events - always and everywhere. This law says that every manifestation is the result of three forces: active, passive and neutral. This law, the basis of any creativity, is reflected in many world religions.

As a result of this law, working on yourself is not reading books. A threefold effort is required: active - the Teacher, passive - the student, neutral - the group. But he who thirsts for knowledge must himself make the first effort to find true knowledge and get closer to it.

Knowledge cannot come to people without their own efforts, he said. “Organization is necessary, it is necessary to work in a group and with the help of someone who has already been liberated before. Only such a person can suggest what the path of liberation is. We need precise knowledge, instructions from those who have already walked the path, and it is necessary to use them together.”

The esoteric truth of Gurdjieff's teachings is addressed primarily to the person himself and only through him to the outside world.

This teaching allows you to take a critical look at yourself and the world, try to understand the worldview of another person, and think seriously about the fundamental questions of existence.

Demonstration of Gurdjieff sacred dances

Sufi dances, whirling, dervish dances

Gurdjieff's sacred dances and movements are a wonderful gift for everyone who wants to work on themselves. The exercises and dances, known as Gurdjieff's Sacred Dances, were collected by George Ivanovich Gurdjieff during his twenty years of wanderings in Egypt, Turkey, Tibet, India, Assyria, Greece, Russia and other countries of Europe and Central Asia in temples and monasteries.

Psychologist, philosopher, scientist, traveler, choreographer, teacher and mystic, founder of the doctrine of the “Fourth Way” of human inner realization. Russia, Georgy Ivanovich Gurdjieff was born on November 28, 1877 in Alexandropol (from 1924 - Leninakan) in Armenia into a mixed Armenian-Greek family. He spent his childhood years in Kars, was a student of the rector of the Russian Cathedral, who had a great influence on Gurdjieff. Although he never received a systematic secondary education, he knew several languages since childhood.

The search for answers to the “eternal questions” led him to the creation of the doctrine of the “fourth path” of human internal realization. Travels and wanderings (1896-1922), first as part of a small group of “Seekers of Truth”, then as a wanderer, teacher and emigrant, became a kind of university for G.I. Gurdjieff.

According to Gurdjieff, in ancient times Movements occupied an important place in the art of Asian peoples. They were also used in Africa and the Far East in Sacred Gymnastics, Sacred Dances and Religious Ceremonies. Seekers of truth, a group of which included archaeologists and specialists in Eastern religions, found that this sacred gymnastics was preserved in certain parts of Central Asia, in particular in the territory from Tashkent to Chinese Turkestan.

You need to be able to let go of the state of tension at any moment, which appears, for example, with an excess of desire, agitation of the mind, anxiety. We learn to move from relaxation, keeping the question alive; “How can I move out of stillness without breaking it?” even while performing energetic dances such as the Dervish Dances. And we also learn to remain internally actively present while performing slow, repetitive movements that require a lot of focused precision, such as the Circle of Om.