We have to be at peace with ourselves, we have to accept ourselves very deeply; accept this nature of ours such as it is, neither revolting against the fact that we are imperfect beings, nor hiding or disguising from ourselves any imperfections which we do not want to find. The confusion comes when we wish to change what cannot be changed and do not trouble to change what can be changed

J. G. Bennett

Reciprocal Maintenance

The doctrine of Reciprocal Maintenance is that everything that exists in this world depends on other things for its maintenance and must in its turn maintain the existence of something else.

When we look at Gurdjieff's message we can see that it is indeed a message of hope. The unexpected answer to the question: "On what are we to build?" is that we shall not find it in matter or spirit, but in the creative work of Reciprocal Maintenance.

The points of responsibility: the earth's crust and its minerals, the soil, the vegetable kingdom on land and in the seas, the invertebrates and animals and man himself, are just those very situations that \are causing great anxiety on the score of depletion of resources, over soil impoverishment, disease, over-population, famine and war. When Gurdjieff propounded his scheme sixty years ago, these anxieties seemed remote. Now they are urgent. Today we can look at Gurdjieff's Reciprocal Maintenance and see in it a final warning and also a supreme hope.

As we look at these portents of disaster, we can see how they all come under the heading of aberration from the principle of Reciprocal Maintenance.

The key to understanding human life is given in the doctrine of Reciprocal Maintenance. This alone breaks down the barrier that man has erected between himself and his mother Nature.

J.G. Bennett, Gurdjieff:
Making a New World, Chapter 12

Camp Caravan Summer Seminar 2011

The 2011 Camp Caravan Summer Seminar described below was conducted using a new approach. All participants took a turn at creating and directing our work together. The result was a tremendously varied and creative schedule that still had a coherence and structure focused on a clear aim.

It was an experiment in finding new ways of working together.

June 26 - July 3, 2011
Camp Caravan, 255 South Royalston Road, Royalston, MA 01368
www.campcaravan.org 978-249-9725
Contact: registrar@campcaravan.org

My dear now deceased grandmother placed her dying left hand on my head and in a whisper, yet very distinctly said: 'Eldest of my grandsons! Listen and always remember my strict injunction to you: In life never do as others do… either do nothing—just go to school—or do something nobody else does.'
G.I. Gurdjieff, Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson

You must realize that each man has a definite repertoire of roles which he plays in ordinary circumstances…and at different times the man is fully identified with one of them and is unable to separate himself from it. To see the roles, to know one's repertoire, particularly to know its limitedness, is to know a great deal. But the point is that, outside his repertoire, a man feels very uncomfortable should something push him if only temporarily out of his rut, and he tries his hardest to return to any one of his usual roles. Directly he falls back into the rut everything at once goes smoothly again and the feeling of awkwardness and tension disappears. This is how it is in life; but in the work, in order to observe oneself, one must become reconciled to this awkwardness and tension and to the feeling of discomfort and helplessness. Only by experiencing this discomfort can a man really observe himself.
P.D. Ouspensky, In Search of the Miraculous

This year, we invite you to come and Work differently. What does that mean for each of us and for all of us?

We find ourselves sharing our stories. Whether they are traditional fairy tales, folk tales, personal stories read or told aloud, bring some with you to share during this event.

Join us for dinner on the evening of Saturday, June 25, and begin the seminar with Morning Exercise at 7:30 a.m. on June 26. We work with the ideas of G.I. Gurdjieff and J.G. Bennett, Gurdjieff Movements, Morning Exercise, Practical Work, Themes, Meditation, Community Meals, and more…but what will be different?

Lodging, meals, and activities are all included for the $450.00 seminar fee. This year, the summer seminar immediately follows the Gurdjieff Movements Seminar at Camp Caravan led by Margit Martinu. A reduced rate is offered for those participating in both events.

General Information

People working at all levels, including those with no previous experience are welcome. These seminars present extraordinary opportunities to join interested people from all over the world who come together to work intensively in a practical way with Fourth Way Work ideas and techniques. We offer a ten-day live-in program including explorations in the Gurdjieff Movements, inner exercises, the thematic technique, the enneagram, gardening, cooking, arts, construction, music, psychology, cosmology, practical work tasks, zikhr, and meditation.

For more information or to confirm your registration contact the Registrar at registrar@campcaravan.org