Registro de reunião em Paris, 1943

“For example, in Beelzebub, I know, there is everything one must know. It is a very interesting book. Everything is there. All that exists, all that has existed, all that can exist. The beginning, the end, all the secrets of the creation of the world; all is there. But one must understand, and to understand depends on ones individuality. The more man can be instructed in a certain way, the more he can see. Subjectively, everyone is able to understand according to the level he occupies, for it is an objective book, and everyone should understand something in it. One person understands one part, another a thousand times more.”

“Now, find a way to put your attention on understanding all of Beelzebub. This will be your task, and it is a good way to fix a real attention. If you can put real attention on Beelzebub, you can have a real attention in life. You didn’t know this secret. In Beelzebub there is everything, I have said it, even how to make an omelette. Among other things, it is explained; and at the same time there isn’t a word in Beelzebub about cooking. So, you put your attention on Beelzebub, another attention than that to which you are accustomed, and you will he able to have the same attention in life.”

Orage said: ‘Some of you still criticize the faulty grammar and punctuation and ask why I do not do something about it. Well, although from the first writing the sense is in each chapter, Gurdjieff is constantly re-writing and revising. As you may know, he writes in pencil in Armenian; this is translated into Russian, and then into literal English by Russians; it is then gone over by one or two English and American pupils at the Prieure who have only a rough knowledge of the use of words. All I can do at present is to revise the English when it obscures the sense. Although I’ve talked over the chapters with Gurdjieff and discussed the sense of them, he will never explain the meaning of anything. His task is to write the book, ours to make the effort to understand. The style and sense are Gurdjieff’s. The surprising thing is that, in spite of the difficulties of translation the sense and style come through so well. It can be said that in English, this being a more flexible language than French, it is possible to play with words, so that the English translation will have a quality of its own.’

Orage cautioned us about attempting to explain to new pupils the meaning, as we understood it, of things in Beelzebub, one could only throw out hints. With those on the same level of understanding as oneself, discussion was useful. In the weeks that followed he reviewed the chapters; we, on our side, striving to contribute. And since we were all more or less on the same level of understanding the talks were very helpful indeed. What follows of his commentary is only an outline, so to say, of Beelzebub’s Tales to Hassein — hints of the richness and depths of the wisdom. Each reader will understand according to his own inner development; at first it is like a bud; then it opens out, like a flower.