by G.I. GURDJIEFF
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CHAPTER 17: The arch-absurd: According to the assertion of Beelzebub, our sun neither lights nor heats
"SO, MY DEAR Hassein, in order that you may have some idea of how completely the function called the 'instinctive sensing of reality,' proper to every three-brained being of the whole of our Great Universe, is lacking in the presence of the three-centered beings breeding on the planet Earth—especially in those of recent periods—it will be enough for the moment to tell you how they understand and explain to themselves the reasons why there occur periodically on their planet the cosmic phenomena they call 'daylight,' 'darkness,' 'heat,' 'cold,' and so on.
"All the three-brained beings of that planet who have reached responsible age, under the influence of the many and various wiseacrings they call 'sciences,' are without exception categorically convinced that these phenomena arrive on their planet completely ready-made, as it were, directly from their own sun and, as Mullah Nasr Eddin would say in such cases, 'no more hokey-pokey about it.'
"What is most peculiar about this is that, apart from certain beings who existed there before the second transapalnian perturbation, not a single one of them has ever had the least doubt about this conviction of theirs.
"Although their Reason, strange as it is, does bear some resemblance to sane logic, none of them has ever yet suspected the causes of these phenomena, nor has anyone manifested in this regard that peculiar trait of their common psyche, proper to the three-brained beings of that planet alone, known as 'fantasizing.'"
Having said this, Beelzebub continued with a bitter smile:
"You, for instance, have the normal presence of a three-brained being and an 'oskiano'—or, as they say on the Earth, 'education'—intentionally implanted from outside in your presence, and founded upon a morality based solely on the commandments and indications of the Uni-Being Himself and the Most Holy Individuals near Him. And so, if you should chance to be among the beings of that planet, you would be unable to contain your 'being-parkhitrogool,' or what they call 'irrepressible inner laughter,' at their astonishment if they should suddenly sense clearly, and understand beyond all doubt, that not only does nothing like 'light,' 'heat,' and so on come to their planet from their sun, but that this supposed 'source of heat and light' is itself almost always freezing cold, like the hairless dog of our highly esteemed Mullah Nasr Eddin.
"In reality, the surface of their 'source of heat,' like that of all the ordinary suns of our Great Universe, is perhaps more covered with ice than the surface of what they call the 'North Pole.'
"Surely this 'glowing hearth' would rather borrow a little 'heat' from some other source of cosmic substances than send part of its own to any planet, least of all to that one which, because of the splitting off of a whole side, has become a lopsided monstrosity, and is now a source of 'offensive shame' for that poor system Ors.
"But you yourself, my boy, do you know how and why there are produced in the atmosphere of certain planets during trogoautoegocratic processes the phenomena of 'kshtatsavakht,' 'kldatsakhti,' 'tainolair,' 'paischakir,' and others, which your favorites call 'daylight,' 'darkness,' 'heat,' 'cold,' and so on? If you do not understand this clearly, I will tell you a little more about it.
"Although I promised to explain all the fundamental laws of world-creation and world-existence in detail sometime later it appears necessary, in order to help you grasp what we are speaking of and assimilate in the right way all I have already told you, to touch now, if only briefly, upon questions concerning these cosmic laws.
"First of all, you must know that everything in the Universe—all that was intentionally created and all that has automatically arisen—exists and is maintained solely on the basis of the 'common-cosmic trogoautoegocratic process.'
"This most great common-cosmic trogoautoegocratic process was actualized by our Endless Uni-Being when there already existed the Most Great and Most Holy Sun Absolute, on which our All-Gracious Endless Creator had and still has the chief place of His existence.
"This system, which maintains everything that arises and exists, was established by our Endless Creator to permit the 'exchange of substances,' or 'reciprocal feeding' of everything existing, to proceed in the Universe, so that the merciless Heropass would no longer have its maleficent effect on the Sun Absolute.
"This most great common-cosmic trogoautoegocratic process is actualized, always and in everything, on the basis of the two fundamental cosmic laws, the first of which is called 'the fundamental first-order sacred Heptaparaparshinokh,' and the second 'the fundamental first-order sacred Triamazikamno.'
"Owing to the action of these two sacred cosmic laws, there first arise from the substance called 'ethernokrilno,' under certain conditions, various what are called 'crystallizations', and from these crystallizations there later arise, also under certain conditions, various large and small, more or less independent, definite cosmic 'formations.'
"And it is just within and upon these cosmic formations that the processes called 'involution' and 'evolution' take place, of course also according to the two fundamental sacred laws; and all the results obtained from these processes in the atmospheres— and furthermore, by means of these same atmospheres—blend to assure the actualization of this 'exchange of substances.'
'Ethernokrilno' is the primordial substance with which the whole Universe is filled, and which is the basis for the arising and maintenance of everything that exists.
"In regard to this. Objective Science declares that everything in the Universe without exception is material.
"You should also know that only one cosmic crystallization, known as the 'Omnipresent Okidanokh,' although also crystallized from ethernokrilno, has its prime arising from the three holy sources of the sacred 'Theomertmalogos,' that is, from the emanations of the Most Holy Sun Absolute.
"Everywhere in the Universe this Omnipresent Okidanokh, or 'omnipresent active element,' takes part in the formation of all arisings, both great and small, and is in general the principal cause of most cosmic phenomena and, in particular, of those proceeding in the atmospheres.
"So that you may have at least some understanding of this Omnipresent Okidanokh, let me tell you that the second fundamental cosmic law—the sacred Triamazikamno— consists of three independent forces; that is to say, this sacred law manifests itself everywhere and in everything in the Universe, without exception, in three separate and independent aspects.
"And these three aspects exist in the Universe under the following names:
The first, the Holy Affirming; The second, the Holy Denying; and The third, the Holy Reconciling.
"This is why Objective Science, among other statements about this sacred law and its three independent forces, has the following formulation 'A law whose consequences always become the cause of further consequences, and which always functions by means of three independent and quite opposite manifestations, latent within it as properties neither seen nor sensed.'
"Our sacred Theomertmalogos, that is, the prime emanation of our Most Holy Sun Absolute, is subject at its very arising to this same law, and in its further actualizations gives results in conformity with it.
"The Omnipresent Okidanokh obtains its prime arising in space outside the Most Holy Sun Absolute from the blending of these three independent forces into one, and in the course of its further involutions, it is correspondingly changed in the 'vivifyingness of its vibrations' during its passage through what are called the 'stopinders,' or 'centers of gravity,' of the fundamental sacred Heptaparaparshinokh.
"I repeat the Omnipresent Okidanokh, among other definite cosmic crystallizations, unfailingly participates in all cosmic formations, both large and small, wherever they arise in the Universe and whatever the external surrounding conditions.
"This common-cosmic 'unique crystallization,' or 'active element,' has several particularities proper to it alone, and it is chiefly owing to these particularities that most cosmic phenomena occur—among others, those we have spoken of that take place in the atmosphere of certain planets.
"While, as I said, there are several particularities of the 'omnipresent active element,' it will be enough for our present talk if we become acquainted with just two of them.
"The first consists in this when a new cosmic unit is being concentrated, the 'omnipresent active element' does not blend as a whole with this new arising, nor is it transformed as a whole in any definite place in it—as occurs with all other cosmic crystallizations in all these cosmic formations—but as soon as it enters as a whole into any cosmic unit, there immediately occurs in it what is called 'djartklom,' that is, it is dispersed into the three fundamental sources from which it arose Then these three sources, each separately, give rise to the independent concentration of three new distinct formations within the cosmic unit And in this way the 'omnipresent active element' actualizes, at the beginning of every such new arising, sources for the possible manifestation of its own sacred law of Triamazikamno.
"It must also be noted that in every cosmic formation, in order to assure the perception and further utilization of this property of the 'omnipresent active element' for the purpose of a corresponding actualization, these separate sources exist and have the possibility of functioning as long as the given cosmic unit exists.
"And only after the given cosmic unit has been completely destroyed do these holy sources of the sacred Triamazikamno, localized in the 'omnipresent active element' Okidanokh, reblend, to be again transformed into Okidanokh, but now with vibrations having a new quality of vivifyingness.
"As regards the second particularity of the Omnipresent Okidanokh, also proper to it alone, and which it is now essential to elucidate for our talk on this subject, you will be able to understand this only if you know something about a fundamental second-order cosmic law existing in the Universe under the name of the sacred 'Aieioiuoa.'
"This cosmic law may be expressed thus 'Every arising, large or small, when in direct touch with the "emanations" of the Sun Absolute itself or of any other sun, undergoes a process called "remorse," during which each of its parts, issuing from the results of one of the holy sources of the sacred Triamazikamno, "revolts" as it were, and "criticizes" the former unbecoming perceptions and the manifestations taking place at the moment in another part of its whole—a part issuing from the results of another holy source of the same fundamental sacred law of Triamazikamno.
"The 'omnipresent active element' Okidanokh itself is also subject to this sacred process of Aieioiuoa, or 'remorse.'
"During this sacred process, as long as the action of the sacred Theomertmalogos or the emanation of any ordinary sun is directly affecting the whole of its presence, the 'active element' separates into its three primordial parts, which then exist almost independently, but when the direct action ceases these parts blend again to exist once more as a whole.
"Here, by the way, it will be good to tell you an interesting fact about the strangeness of the psyche of the ordinary three-brained beings of the planet that has taken your fancy—a fact that relates to their 'scientific speculations,' as they call them During the long centuries of my observation and study of their psyche, I had occasion to remark more than once that, although science appeared among them from almost the very beginning of their arising and, like everything else there, periodically reached a more or less high degree of perfection, and though millions of so-called 'scientists' must have arisen among them, not once did the thought enter the head of any one of them— with the single exception of a certain Chinese named Choon Kil Tess, about whom I will tell you later in detail—that there is any difference whatever between the two cosmic phenomena they call 'emanation' and 'radiation.'
"Not one of these 'sorry scientists' has ever realized that the difference between these two cosmic processes is comparable to that which our highly esteemed Mullah Nasr Eddin once expressed in these words 'They are as much alike as the beard of the famous English Shakespeare and the no less famous French armagnac.'
"To understand more about the phenomena taking place in the atmospheres and about the 'omnipresent active element' in general, you must also know and remember that during the periods when, owing to the action of the sacred Aieioiuoa, the process of 'djartklom' takes place in the Okidanokh, there is temporarily released the portion of pure— namely 'totally unblended'— ethernokrilno that unfailingly enters into all cosmic formations and serves, as it were, to connect all the active elements of any given formation; and afterward, when the three principal parts of Okidanokh re-blend, this portion of pure ethernokrilno is restored.
"Now let us touch briefly on another question, that is, the relationship of the 'omnipresent active element' Okidanokh to the common presence of every being and the cosmic results arising from this.
"It is necessary to touch on this question chiefly because it will bring out a very striking fact, which will help you grasp the differences between the various brain systems of beings, called the 'one-brained,' 'two-brained,' and 'three-brained' systems.
"First of all, you should know that every cosmic localization known as a 'brain' takes its form from crystallizations for whose arising the affirming source is one or another of the corresponding holy forces of the fundamental sacred Triamazikamno contained in the Omnipresent Okidanokh. And the holy forces are further actualized in the presence of beings precisely through these localizations.
"Some other time I will give you a special explanation of the process of the arising of being-brains in the presence of beings; meanwhile, let us talk a little about the results which the Omnipresent Okidanokh actualizes by means of these being-brains.
"The 'omnipresent active element' Okidanokh enters the presence of beings through the three kinds of 'being-food.'
"And it does so because, as I have already told you, Okidanokh necessarily participates in the formation of all the products that serve as being-food, and is therefore always present in them.
"Well, my boy, the essential peculiarity of the Omnipresent Okidanokh is that, in this case, it undergoes the process of 'djartklom' in the presence of beings independently of any contact with the emanations of a large cosmic concentration; and the factors for this process are either the results of 'partkdolgduty' consciously actualized by the beings themselves— which I will later explain to you in detail—or that process of Great Nature existing in the Universe under the name of 'kerkoolnooarnian actualization,' which consists in 'obtaining the required totality of vibrations by adaptation.' This latter process takes place in beings without any participation whatever of their consciousness.
"In both cases when Okidanokh enters the presence of a being and undergoes the process of 'djartklom,' each of its fundamental parts blends with those perceptions present in the being at the moment which correspond to it according to what are called 'kindred vibrations,' and it is then concentrated upon the corresponding localization, that is, upon the corresponding brain. These blendings are called 'being-impulsakri.'
"Note well, my boy, that these localizations, or brains, not only serve as apparatuses for the transformation of corresponding cosmic substances for the purposes of the most great common-cosmic Trogoautoegocratic but are also the means whereby the conscious self-perfecting of beings is possible.
"This latter aim depends upon the quality of the 'being-impulsakri' concentrated or, as is otherwise said, deposited onto the being-brains.
"Concerning the quality of the 'being-impulsakri,' there is one special commandment, among the direct commandments of our All-Embracing Endlessness, which is strictly observed by all normal three-brained beings of our Great Universe, and is expressed in the words 'Always guard against such perceptions as may soil the purity of your brains.'
"Three-brained beings have the possibility of personal self-perfecting because of the localization in their common presence of three centers, or three brains, upon which, when the Omnipresent Okidanokh undergoes the process of 'djartklom,' the three holy forces of the sacred Triamazikamno are deposited and acquire the possibility of further, this time independent, actualizations.
"The point is that beings having this three-brained system can, by the conscious and intentional fulfilling of being-partkdolgduty, utilize for their own presence the three holy forces liberated from the Omnipresent Okidanokh by the process of 'djartklom,' and so bring their presence to what is called the 'sakronoolantsaknian' state, that is to say, they can become Individuals who have their own sacred law of Triamazikamno, and thereby the possibility of consciously taking in and coating in their common presence that 'All-Holy' which, among other things, helps to actualize the functioning in cosmic units of objective or divine Reason.
"Nevertheless, my boy, Just here lies the great terror The three-brained beings of the planet Earth also have, up to the time of their complete destruction, these three independent localizations, or being-brains, through which the three holy forces of the sacred Triamazikamno, which they might use for their own self-perfecting, are transformed for further actualizations, yet, because of the abnormal conditions of ordinary being-existence established by them themselves, these possibilities beat their wings in vain.
"It is interesting to note that in the three-brained beings of the planet Earth these being-brains are found in the same parts of the planetary body as in us. That is:
"The brain predetermined by Great Nature for the concentration and further actualizing of the first holy force of the sacred Triamazikamno, called the 'Holy Affirming,' is localized in the head.
"The second brain, which transforms and crystallizes the second holy force of the sacred Triamazikamno, the 'Holy Denying,' is placed in them, as in us, along the whole length of the back, in what is called the 'spinal column.'
"But as for the place of concentration and source for further manifestation of the third holy force of the sacred Triamazikamno, namely, the 'Holy Reconciling,' the exterior form of this being-brain in them bears no resemblance whatever to ours.
"You must know that in the earliest three-brained beings there, this being-brain was localized in the same part of the planetary body as in us, and had exactly the same exterior form, but for many reasons you yourself will come to understand in the course of my talks, Great Nature was constrained to alter this brain little by little and to give it the form it has in contemporary beings.
"In your favorites of the present day this being-brain is not localized in one whole mass, as is proper to the presence of all other three-brained beings of our Great Universe, but is split up into parts and each of these parts, according to its 'specific functioning,' is localized in a different place in their planetary body.
"Although, in its exterior form, this being-center of theirs now has different places of concentration, nevertheless all its separate functionings have corresponding connections with one another, so that the sum total of these scattered parts can function exactly as is proper for it to function.
"They call these separate localizations in their common presence 'nerve nodes.'
"It is interesting to note that most of these places of concentration are located in the very region of the planetary body where this being-brain would normally be, that is, in the region of the chest, and the totality of these nerve nodes they call the 'solar plexus.'
"And so, my boy, in the presence of each one of your favorites, the Omnipresent Okidanokh undergoes the process of 'djartklom,' and in them also, each of its three holy forces blends independently with other cosmic crystallizations for a corresponding actualization. But since they have entirely ceased to fulfill being-partkdolgduty, chiefly because of the abnormal conditions of being-existence gradually established by them themselves, none of these holy sources of everything existing is transubstantiated for their own presences, except the denying source alone.
"The crystallizations that arise in their presence from the first and third holy forces are utilized almost entirely by the common-cosmic trogoautoegocratic process, and only the crystallizations of the second part of the Omnipresent Okidanokh, the Holy Denying, serve for the coating of their own presence. Hence most of them remain with a presence consisting of the planetary body alone, and are thus, for themselves, destroyed forever.
"As regards the particularities proper only to the omnipresent, everywhere penetrating, active element Okidanokh, and the further results produced by them, you will have a clear picture of all this when I have explained to you in more or less detail, as I have already promised, the fundamental laws of world-creation and world-maintenance.
"In the meantime, I shall tell you about the elucidating experiments pertaining to this omnipresent cosmic crystallization at which I was present in person.
"However, it was not on the planet Earth that I was an eyewitness to these experiments, nor did your favorites conduct them. They were carried out on the planet Saturn by that three-brained being who, during almost the whole period of my exile in that solar system, was my real friend, about whom I recently promised to tell you in more detail."