Beelzebubs-Tales-to-His-Grandson-by-G-I-Gurdjieff

properties unbecoming to them which, in the absence of proper actualizations,permit them not to perceive or sense reality.And Great Nature was constrained to adapt herself to such an abnormality,in the objective sense, because owing to the conditions of ordinary lifeestablished by men themselves, the deterioration in quality of the radiationsrequired of them for higher common-cosmic purposes insistently demanded,for the maintenance of equilibrium, an adaptation in the number of arisingsand in the duration of these lives.Thus it is clear that life is given to men not for themselves but for servingthese higher cosmic purposes, and that is why Great Nature watches over thislife so that it may flow in a more or less tolerable form, and takes care that itshould not prematurely ceas.eDo not we also—we men—feed, watch over, look after, and make the livesof our sheep and pigs as comfortable as possible?Do we do all this because we value their lives for the sake of their lives?No! We do all this in order to slaughter them one fine day and to obtain themeat we need, with as much fat as possible.In the same way Nature takes all measures to ensure that we shall livewithout seeing the terror, and not hang ourselves, but live long, and then,when we are required, she slaughters us.In the established conditions of the ordinary life of people, this has alreadybecome an immutable law of Nature.There is in our life a certain very great purpose and we must all serve thisgreat common purpose—in this lies the whole sense and predestination of ourlife.All people without exception are slaves of this "Greatness," and all arecompelled willy-nilly to submit, and to fulfill without condition orcompromise what has been pre-