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

MR. B. Are there different degrees of death? What is the differencebetween the way a dead person functions and man No. 3 functions?MR. O. No. 3 can be dead or alive. So there is no direct difference. ButNo. 3 is normal; he can become No. 4.MR. B. What is the change, as far as being dead is concerned, in manNo. 3 who begins to wake up?MR. O. There may be a little change. Many parts of his essence maydisintegrate. Some, which are necessary for physical life, may remain.MISS R. Could a person who was only interested in gambling, and towhom something overwhelming happens, change to a person of greaterdevelopment?MR. O. It depends on the degree of gambling.MISS R. But does this not indicate that the person was of higherdevelopment before?MR. O. I don't know. It is a question of degree. If one cannot accept Binfluences at all, there is nothing to keep man from dying. B influencesare sent to keep men from dying, even though they are asleep. But ifthey reject them, there is nothing to prevent them dying.MRS. W. Since dead people are predominant, is that the cause of ourslow development?MR. O. That is too easy to say. We cannot develop without schools,and there are no schools. I was looking for schools, knowing what Iwas looking for. After some years I met others who were also lookingfor a school. But if you ask for the address of another school, I cannotgive it to you.MRS. P. What is one to do who wants to awake?MR. O. If one has met some kind of instruction, one knows what todo. If one has not, one must stick to influences B, because influences Bmay bring him to influence C.MRS. H. I wonder why you put the circle which represents schoolsentirely outside life?MR. O. Because it is under different laws.MRS. H. You mean they are entirely free of life?MR. O. This is formatory. Sufficiently free to be put outside.MRS. P. Are schools sufficient unto themselves, or do they needpeople?MR. O. What means sufficient unto themselves?MRS. P. Are they complete?