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Revision as of 17:28, 8 August 2005 by TheMadBaron (talk | contribs) (Expanded somewhat)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Fourth Way is the title of the posthumously published 1957 book by P. D. Ouspensky that describes the teachings of G. I. Gurdjieff. The term "The Fourth Way" has also come to be used as a general descriptive term for the body of ideas and teachings of Gurdjieff which are also sometimes called "The Work" or "The Gurdjieff Work".
Gurdjieff recorded his ideas for posterity in the form of the 'All and Everything' book series (much of which is deliberately written so as to deter the casual reader) but also charged Ouspensky with the task of bringing his work to a wider audience as a systematic whole and in an unadulterated form. 'The Fourth Way' is considered to be the most comprehensive statement of Gurdjieff's ideas as taught by Ouspensky. The book consists of adaptations of Ouspensky's lectures, and the accompanying question and answer sessions.
The 'Fourth Way' to which the title refers is a method of inner development - "the way of the sly man," as described by Gurdjieff. This way is to be followed under the ordinary conditions of everyday life, as opposed from the three traditional ways that call for retirement from the world: those of the fakir, the monk, and the yogi, which Gurdjieff maintained could only result in partial, unbalanced development of man's potential.
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