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

MR. O. If it was possible to put it into plain words, I would put it intoplain words. But you see these are things you must understand. Take,for instance, the programme of the Society. We put into that everythingit is possible to put on paper. It describes our work completely. It evenlooks ahead (like the possibilities of public lectures, publishing and soon) to things we cannot do at present. But how can one put in theprogramme the idea of its being a way or about the struggle with falsepersonality and things like that? That enters into psychological study,but it cannot be explained in the programme. But the programme sayswhat the work is and when necessary (this is not your worry, but thatof the management, so to speak) the programme may be published andsome people made acquainted with it. At present, even if it werenecessary, there would be nothing to show.MR. H. And what will be the relationship between the Society and theoutside world of men and of events?MR. O. No relationship.MR. H. Will the Society provide more opportunities for working withother people?MR. O. This is not only Society, but simply because we shall have abigger house.MR. H. When the suggested smaller groups are organized, will it meanthat we shall, to some extent, lose the opportunity of asking youquestions directly?MR. O. No. Quite the opposite. There will be more chance.MR. H. What are the kind of things to look for in oneself in trying toseparate false personality from the rest of yourself?MR. O. It is necessary to understand the features of false personality—what makes it. You may be able to see in your life glimpses of the ageto which you can attribute the beginning of false personality. For anyserious study of oneself it is necessary first to know it a little andremove it a little.MR. H. Sometimes at meetings with other people I gradually becomeheavier and heavier. This is an extremely distasteful experience andappears to be infectious.Is it right to say that at such times intellectual and emotional centresare . . .?MR. O. No, leave centres out of it, then it will be possible to speakabout it. It means identification or mechanical attitude.