P. D. Ouspensky quotes - page 2

P. D. Ouspensky was a Russian philosopher and esotericist, renowned for his work on mysticism and the Fourth Way teachings. As a close student of G.I. Gurdjieff, he was instrumental in introducing esoteric concepts to Western audiences. He wrote several influential books and sought to synthesize Eastern wisdom with Western thought. Here are 44 of his quotes:

The axioms which Tertium Organum embraces cannot be formulated in our language. If we attempt to formulate them in spite of this, they will produce the impression of absurdities. Taking the axioms of Aristotle as a model, we may express the principal axiom of the new logic in our poor earthly language in the following manner: A is both A and Not-A. or Everything is both A and Not-A. or, Everything is All. But these axioms are in effect absolutely impossible. They are not the axioms of higher logic, they are merely attempts to express the axioms of this logic in concepts. In reality the ideas of higher logic are inexpressible in concepts. When we encounter such an inexpressibility it means that we have touched the world of causes.

P. D. Ouspensky

When I possessed the keys, read the book and understood the symbols, I was permitted to lift the curtain of the Temple and enter.

P. D. Ouspensky

With his hands he unites heaven and earth, and the four elements that form the world are controlled by him.

P. D. Ouspensky

We know that with the very first awakening of knowledge, man is confronted with two obvious facts: The existence of the world in which he lives; and the existence of psychic life in himself. Neither of these can he prove or disprove, but they are facts: they constitute reality for him.

P. D. Ouspensky

Knowledge must start from some foundation, something must be recognized as known; otherwise we shall be obliged always to define one unknown by means of another.

P. D. Ouspensky

The absurdity of both these propositions shows that they cannot refer to our world.

P. D. Ouspensky

And I saw another man. Tired and lame he dragged himself along the dusty road, across the deserted plain under the scorching rays of the sun.

P. D. Ouspensky

Generally speaking, the significance of the indirect results may very often be of more importance than the significance of direct ones.

P. D. Ouspensky

This is the Hall of Wisdom. No one can reveal it, no one can hide it. Like a flower it must grow and bloom in thy soul. If thou wouldst plant the seed of this flower in thy soul - learn to discern the real from the false. Listen only to the Voice that is soundless... Look only on that which is invisible, and remember that in thee thyself, is the Temple and the gate to it, and the mystery, and the initiation.

P. D. Ouspensky

The fool always carries them, although he has long since forgotten what they mean. Nevertheless they belong to him, even though he does not know their use.

P. D. Ouspensky

To hope to find in the world of causes anything logical from our standpoint is just as useless as to think that the world of things can exist in accordance with the laws of a world of shadows or stereometry according to the laws of planimetry.

P. D. Ouspensky

And then I saw a man in terrible suffering, hung by one leg, head downward, to a high tree.

P. D. Ouspensky

There exist moments in life, separated by long intervals of time, but linked together by their inner content and by a certain singular sensation peculiar to them.

P. D. Ouspensky

I Saw the Man. His figure reached from earth to heaven and was clad in a purple mantle. He stood deep in foliage and flowers and his head, on which was the head-band of an initiate, seemed to disappear mysteriously in infinity. Before him on a cube-shaped altar were four symbols of magic - the sceptre, the cup, the sword and the pentacle. His right hand pointed to heaven, his left to earth. Under his mantle he wore a white tunic girded with a serpent swallowing its tail. His face was luminous and serene, and, when his eyes met mine, I felt that he saw most intimate recesses of my soul. I saw myself reflected in him as in a mirror and in his eyes I seemed to look upon myself. And I heard a voice saying: -"Look, this is the Great Magician!

P. D. Ouspensky

"What has he in the bag?" I inquired, not knowing why I asked. And after a long silence the voice replied: "The four magic symbols, the sceptre, the cup, the sword and the pentacle. The fool always carries them, although he has long since forgotten what they mean. Nevertheless they belong to him, even though he does not know their use. The symbols have not lost their power, they retain it in themselves.

P. D. Ouspensky

An unexpected vision appeared to me. A circle not unlike a wreath woven from rainbow and lightnings, whirled from heaven to earth with a stupendous, velocity, blinding me by its brilliance. And amidst this light and fire I heard music and soft singing, thunderclaps and the roar of a tempest, the rumble of falling mountains and earthquakes. The circle whirled with a terrifying noise, touching the sun and the earth, and, in the centre of it I saw the naked, dancing figure of a beautiful young woman, enveloped by a light, transparent scarf, in her hand she held a magic wand. Presently the four apocalyptical beasts began to appear on the edges of the circle; one with the face of a lion, another with the face of a man, the third, of an eagle and the fourth, of a bull.

P. D. Ouspensky

Philosophy is based on speculation, on logic, on thought, on the synthesis of what we know and on the analysis of what we do not know. Philosophy must include within its confines the whole content of science, religion and art. But where can such a philosophy be found? All that we know in our times by the name of philosophy is not philosophy, but merely "critical literature" or the expression of personal opinions, mainly with the aim of overthrowing and destroying other personal opinions. Or, which is still worse, philosophy is nothing but self-satisfied dialectic surrounding itself with an impenetrable barrier of terminology unintelligible to the uninitiated and solving for itself all the problems of the universe without any possibility of proving these explanations or making them intelligible to ordinary mortals.

P. D. Ouspensky