Hand Wash Hand

We are here for each other

Gurdjieff at once captured my attention by saying; “You know what is the first Commandment of God to man?” While I was fumbling for an answer, he gave it himself: “Hand wash hand!” He paused to let this sink in, and said: “You need help and I need help. If I help you, you have to help me.” I said that I was ready to do whatever he wanted.

He spoke about his difficulties in Paris; how he did not have enough money to go on a trip to Cannes which was very important for him. As I had come prepared to give him as much money as I had available, this did not surprise me. Then he said: “What do you wish from me?” I replied: “Will you show me how to work for my Being?” He approved with: “It is right. Now you have much Knowledge, but in Being you are a nullity. If you wish, I will show you how to work, but you must do it as I say.”

There was something unearthly about this conversation. It was the exactly fitting continuation of what he had said to me at the Prieuré, and that, in its turn, followed directly from our very first talk at Kuru Cheshme with Prince Sabaheddin, twenty seven years before. I said to him: “I know that if I remain as am, my situation is hopeless. That is why I have come back to you.” He said: “If you will do as I say, I will show you how to change. Only you must stop thinking. You think too much. You must begin to sense. Do you understand the distinction between sensing and feeling?” 1 said one is physical and the other emotional. He answered: “More or less. But you only know this with your mind. You do not understand with your whole being. This you must learn. Go and tell Madame Salzmann to show the exercise of sensing and feeling to you and Mrs. Bennett.

~ JG Bennett “Witness”

I am currently reading Joseph Azix’e ‘s book on JG Bennet, it’s a big book and will take me sometime. I bought it from Watkins on my recent trip to London. I love Bennett’s books, he was a real talent and a real searcher. He has always resonated with me. The passage above from ‘Witness’ his autobiography is something of a favourite. Interesting that Gurdjieff says that God’s first commandment to man is “Hand wash hand!”

I am acutely aware when I am locked within myself that a self serving element to my behaviour comes in. An only child, I have always felt the need to be a part of something bigger than myself, to reach out and connect. This is why developing attention is so important. Once we move out of the limits of our small self there is an expansion of being.

Mythically speaking, I know in my depths, we are a ‘given’ freely creature. We owe everything on every level - parents, friends, even children, the cosmos, life itself, God. Because we are ‘given’ we are called upon to give. This is the Parable of the Talents. This is our mythical energy in action. We can only give - consciously or unconsciously. This is the creative, imaginative, principle. We literally give back our life. A virtuous circle. Soulful replenishment.

In my previous life as a Headmaster, my role was all- consuming. Pupils, staff, the pupils parents and the structure of the school year that directed my energies. I loved it. I was fortunate I did something I loved and suited my given gifts. This does not mean it was tiring and stressful at times, but for the most part it felt worth it and I was making a difference. The school was my community and this was the form my life took.

And then it changed.

A lesson in how not to identify with a form.

When we moved to Dorset I wondered where I would find my community now? My wife and I decided to sound a positive ‘Yes’ to life and embrace all that came our way.

So I find myself loving volunteering for an educational charity that is all about creativity (how education should be); in a play ‘Juliet & her Romeo’ with an amazing group of talented individuals and socialising with a wonderful community in the village where we live. There is also some work, I love the tutoring and spend far too long working on resources and lessons. I also enjoy training teachers for Dragonfly Learning. Again, it’s all about connection and community.

But I promised in the last Substack I would tell you about the Yellow Delli which fits in with the general theme of this post.

Last week I found myself in Honiton, which is about 45 minutes away in the next county, Somerset. I was there to feed a cat. A friend had been taken into hospital, sadly she has pneumonia. After Luna the cat had been fed I wandered down the high street to the Yellow Delli.

On entering I found myself entering that conscious energy that is warm and loving that characterises St James Senior Boys School or you find in some churches or temples. Not what I expected in this small town.

The Young lady serving met with in the moment with an open heart and there was that beautiful exchange of energy without judgement.

She was a practice in service-before-self.

The Delli was beautifully arranged and had a lovely atmosphere. I ordered a bowl of chilli and a coffee. I had bought a newspaper earlier and sat to catch up on the world’s news, or as Ouspensky called it, ‘the history of crime.’

Again, flawless service with a smile, as the steaming chilli and a warm corn bread was placed before me. It is so difficult to describe the experience unless someone has experienced it themselves, but as I tried to capture last week, barriers dissolve and there is a sense of Unity.

Of course the chilli was delicious and the warm corn bread freshly baked a delight. The coffee was dark and satisfying. It was a place I could have sat in all day.

I wondered what had created this small miracle?

A hippish looking man with an open face was clearing the table next to mine; again he was demonstrating that warm attention I have been attempting to capture. We fell into conversation and he told me, in his American accent, of the Delli’s origins and how he came from Minnesota and was part of a Christian Community called the Seven Tribes of Israel. I told me of my education at a Seventh Day Adventist School, and what this gave me. I also talked of Advita and St James. It was a lovely exchange. The Christianity he followed was non-dual approach which was about one’s actions and not just words. He was open about the challenges this bought and what it meant to work in a community. That tension between individual self actualisation and being one of many which life brings - that conflict between ‘rude will’ and divine Grace. Gurdjieff’s exchange with Bennett came back to my mind.

With my meal completed and having paid the reasonable price of £12 for such wholesome and excellent fayre, I made my way home.

These moments of conscious, warm, connection without judgment are special and build what William Blake calls Jerusalem. Not a city but a state of being, I was grateful for my lovely day and thought to myself - this is how life should be!

If you would like a practice this week, observe your hands in action. Watch how they handle things, what energy flows through them, how they can create or harm, create or destroy. Watch your hands.

Finally, Happy Birthday (5th of April) to my amazing wife - 18 amazing years together. Soul mate and best friend. she has made me a nicer and kinder person. I feel very blessed.

Thanks again for the support.

There are now 130 of us in this Substack Community so please comment, restack and recommend to others.

David

#thebrazieroftruth