He said, She said

Overheard recently in my neighborhood mystically-bent coffee-shop.

>
>She said:
>"Regarding the approach of Mr. Nyland
>(Fourth Way teacher and student of
>Mr. Gurdjieff), we were taught to make
>a wish to make an effort to Work.
>Let me explain it to you."
>(and then, she did...)
>
>He replied:
>"This was not at all the specific approach
>as explained by Mr. Nyland."
>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A couple, perhaps irrelevant to you, comments:

Of course, this kind of banter happens all the time between so-called students of mystical teachings, religions, philosophies, etc.

The one who is apparently (according to himself, sometimes even alone) "supposed to know" tells those who apparently (according to themselves, and most of the time to everyone else) "don't know", his particular version of "the Secret", and STILL they don't get it.

There he is, sitting at the front of the class, with all his nearest and dearest sitting around him in a large circle, arranged from his most favorite - sitting, let's say, to his left - to his least favorite - who is now sitting to his right (funny that) - and he whispers "the Secret" into his most favorite's anxious and willing ear, now straining to receive "the entire undiluted message", who then whispers it to the next, who then whispers it to the next, etc., etc., until "the Secret" has travelled all the way around the room.

Now what?
Has everybody "gotten it"?
Hardly.

But later, there is an abundance to argue over (er, discuss), even for months and years after the "one who knows" has finally left the stage and can no longer "clear up the mess", er, matter.

It's NOT that the "one who was supposed to know" didn't know - though, maybe he didn't.
It's NOT that the listeners didn't get it - though, probably they didn't.

It's that the followers happily - not "getting the full message" - and literally spend the rest of their short lives, willingly arguing over (discussing) the true and real MEANINGS of what the originator actually said, as though through that faux-effort, that imaginary effort, they each will come to a greater understanding, though of what they have almost no idea.
Hardly.

Of course, all this kind of nonsense happens all the time.

What if "the ways" are just roadblocks, to keep otherwise "promising people" from searching any further - digging any deeper - into the mystery?

"Hardly!!"