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

of the work may keep one back, but one must go on making efforts,that is all.MR. E. I have found interest in a subject is almost synonymous withidentification—the more interested I become the more identified Ibecome. This is clearly undesirable yet in a way it appears that thisvery identification gives me the energy and incentive to pursue thesubject or work on it. It is very hard to see what 'interest' can meanwithout identification. Does real interest correspond to some quality ofessence, if so, I can see that it must be possible to have interest withoutidentification?MR. O. No, it is not the same thing; we will speak about it when youfind this out, only now there is nothing to speak about if you thinkthey are the same thing, but when you find out then there will bematerial for discussion.MR. E. The outer cause of anger or annoyance is usually somethingwhich opposes something I want to do. Being identified with my wish,I am unable to resolve these two opposed forces into a third. Theresult of this is an insoluble problem which sets up friction making menegative. ...MR. O. No, 'insoluble problem' was used as term; it was something ofquite a different nature, you cannot use it as just imaginary quantity.MR. H. There are two ways in which I think about the idea of unity, ofpermanent 'I'. Either I think, 'If ever I am to approach nearer to somekind of unity, this part of me will have to be got rid of, that part of meis harmless, another part of me is useful and will have to be retained.'At other times I think, 'All these different sides of my nature willremain, but they will be harmonized and subordinated before any kindof unity can be reached.' In point of fact I don't know how to think ofthe idea of permanent 'I' at all. My question is how to do so?MR. O. By realizing your present state first—divided and impermanent;the more you realize the present situation the more you can understandwhat could be opposite to that. We ascribe to ourselves, we areaccustomed to think of ourselves as something united and permanent,and these illusions must be broken in us.MR. H. The following incident constantly occurs—I leave the houselost in thought; I shut the front door and am half way down the streetwhen I suddenly think, 'Have I switched off the light?' I go back and Ialmost always find that I have turned off the light. Is it not one of the