The Realized Idiot: The Artful Psychology of G. I. Gurdjieff and the "Science of Idiotism"

Becoming an Idiot... "Everyone who decides to work on himself is an idiot in both meanings. The wise know that he is seeking reality. The foolish think he has taken leave of his senses," John G. Bennett says. The famous "life teacher" and philosopher G. I. Gurdjieff (1866-1949) taught his developmental psychology for thirty years during daily ritual meals. In this book this special teaching gets published for the first time and is explained in a contemporary way. The "Science of Idiotism" puts out a challenge for those who are striving to get to the bottom of their own being - for those who want to become an Idiot in the original sense and step up the "ladder of reason" as Gurdjieff puts it. Bruno Martin found a key for interpreting the metaphorical descriptions of the 21 types of "Idiots" Gurdjieff used in the old Tarot of Marseilles and compares both teachings. Teaching stories from Sufism and Zen are further illustrating the meanings. Written in an inspiring and entertaining way the book gives an introduction in Gurdjieff's artful psychology and also instructions for conducting a ritual meal with the toasts on the idiots, which can help to win new insights into the essence of the participants.