— Douglas Adams (Mostly Harmless)
This is my attempt at explaining how to "know thyself". Results may vary - use at your own risk! Based on my own experience, intuition and imagination!
To know myself I must first BE my self. In order to be, I must first stop thinking.. A nearly impossible task but one definitely worth doing. Out-thinking myself into not thinking is a tough challenge - I'm a rather wiley opponent! I have to grasp the concept that if I seek victory over myslf I must also seek defeat. So instead I must let (observe) myself defeat myself with no desire (for victory). This is "the art of fighting without figting".
It would be a long wait indeed if I was to just passively wait for my mind to run out of thoughts. Instead I must narrowly focus it in order to allow my mind to draw a blank which allows me to momentarily just be.
One effective method inhibiting your thoughts is to use the question "who am I?" as a mantra and mental focus. Focus all your thoughts on that question. Every time you notice your thougts drifting off topic just stop it and go back to the question. You are not really actively trying to find the "right" answer because there isn't one! But many thougts will arrise claiming to be what you seek. Let them go and go back to the question. Eventually you will run out of ideas and maybe even draw a blank (as long as you don't become stubborn and refuse to be defeated). The more intelligent and imaginative you are the more difficult this will be and the longer it will take.
"I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I don't know the answer"
— Douglas Adams
While my mind is blank I have the opportuny to know myself through the direct experience of being. This is sometimes referred to as gnosis.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnosis
Some would argue that Gnossis is knowledge (understanding and experience) of more than just self. Until I "know" myself I really cannot know anything. I can only believe things so strongly that I think I know it.
The moment I decide to evaluate or judge this experience in any way it is gone. When I am thinking about something I am no longer fully experiencing it.
However, having had this experience I am now able to draw upon it any time I decide to remember my self for strength, courage, inspiration, mitivation and guidance. Any time I commit foolishness or evil I have surely forgotten my self. If you truly believe you do no evil then most likely you are in denial or at the very least ignorant and insensitive to the pain of others.
When I desire to directly re-experience being I like to repeat "right here, right now" to myself as a mantra. Eventually I can get myself to stop thinking and just be (present) but this is an ability that fades quickly when neglected. There are other great mantras from various systems and in various languages that can also be useful and effective if you believe in them. Nothing that I don't believe will work for me will work for me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om_mani_padme_hom
"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." - Albert Einstein
It is widely believed that in the quest to "know thyself" success is more likely if you have some guidance. In fact it is probably impossible without it. The job of the master is to tell you whatever idea you believe to be truth (or your "self") is false. To point out when you have gone astray. Finding the right teacher can be difficult if you allow it to be but is part of the price that must be paid.
"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear" - Buddhist Proverb
Although I am not a follower of the Fourth Way (yet at least) I am a fan and I have studied it extensively on my own, but not with others. What Gurdjieff says about faith is equally applicable when believing or accepting anything I (or anybody else) may say. A healthy curiosity and a healthy scepticism are both essential for the Hero' Journey - knowing thyself and then doing something useful with the experience!
"The fourth way differs from the other ways in that the principal demand made upon a man is the demand for understanding. A man must do nothing that he does not understand, except as an experiment under the supervision and direction of his teacher. The more a man understands what he is doing, the greater will be the results of his efforts. This is a fundamental principle of the fourth way. The results of work are in proportion to the consciousness of the work. No "faith" is required on the fourth way; on the contrary, faith of any kind is opposed to the fourth way. On the fourth way a man must satisfy himself of the truth of what he is told. And until he is satisfied he must do nothing." - G.I. Gurdjieff
http://ferenczyram.blogspot.com - my personal blog
http://ferenczypre.blogspot.com/ - webOS & Palm
http://ferenczymu.blogspot.com/ - youtube mashups
-- Sent from my palm Pre
http://ferenczypre.blogspot.com/ - webOS & Palm
http://ferenczymu.blogspot.com/ - youtube mashups
-- Sent from my palm Pre
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