A Record of Meetings held by P.D. Ouspensky - HolyBooks.com

e very carefully given. Only the right kind of shock will help in thoseparticular octaves, otherwise they will branch off. If you have a certainline of action and want to continue straight, then only the right shockwill help.MISS M. Where does it come from?MR. O. If it is your action it must come from you. It is necessary toknow the moment and remember to give shocks.MR. A. Will you give a practical example?MR. O. Practical examples are in the Food Diagram. You must findanalogous things in your own actions. You will remember that thefirst shock is provided by nature, where air comes in. But at the secondinterval, no shock is provided by nature and shock must be providedby self-remembering. Also at the third interval, no shock is providedand it must be provided in exactly the way we have been speakingabout. Transformation of negative emotions into positive, producedby non-identification.MR. R. Are opportunities for the use of will always present if you canfind them?MR. O. Where there is friction. That depends on whether you want it,depends on your decision, your state and your position. If one builds ahouse, for instance, every moment one has to overcome laziness,inertia, wanting to stop. If one goes into the shade and sleeps, there isnothing to overcome. If you work at anything you have always toovercome your desire to stop work.MR. R. Are there two kinds of shocks, conscious and accidental?MR. O. Accidental does not count. Things happen. People find moneyin the street, but cannot rely upon it! When we speak about this'giving shocks', we speak about conscious shocks. Or things can bearranged in a certain way to produce shocks. For instance, three linesof work—one line gives shocks to another line. A certain arrangementis created to give shocks.Q . Would not death be a shock to the people who knew they werelikely to go on?MR. O. You mean the idea of Eternal Recurrence? That is theory. Whyis Eternal Recurrence theory? Because you can do nothing about it; ifit is so we cannot change it. There is only one thing we can change.We can try to awake and hope we remain awake. If we have to comeback, we cannot stop it. We are in a train, the train is going somewhere.