Gurdjieff, on Morality

 

 

"And the second way of understanding arose soon after the 'wise invention' of the great King Koniutsion, and, passing from generation to generation through ordinary beings there, it gradually spread over almost the entire planet under the name of 'morality. '

"Here it will be interesting to note one particularity of this morality which was grafted on to it at the very beginning, and ultimately became part and parcel of it.

"Just what this particularity of terrestrial 'morality' is you can easily represent to yourself and understand if I tell you that, both inwardly and outwardly, it has acquired the unique property that belongs to the being named 'chameleon.'

"And the strangest and most original aspect of this particularity of the 'morality' there, especially of the contemporary 'morality,' is that its functioning automatically depends on the moods of the 'local authorities', and these moods in their turn depend, also automatically, on the state of the four sources of action existing there under the names of 'mother-in-law,' 'digestion,' 'John Thomas,' and 'cash. '

—p. 315

 

 

 

 

Excerpts from Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson

by G. I. Gurdjieff

Penguin Group, 2006

 

    

 

 

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