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

Wednesday. October 6th 1943. (New York.)MR. A. If this were the last meeting, the last week of lecture, howcould we as individuals carry on this work—assuming it could becarried on?MR. O. You cannot. Thank God you realize at last that you cannot.Every lecture is the last. In the dictionary we had, there was a word'examination'. This is a permanent examination. So every lecture mustbe taken as the last, and every day as a final examination.MRS. N. Some time ago we had a dictionary of words. Was 'action'included in it? Are action and effort the same thing?MR. O. No, there is no such word.MR. A . What was the principle about the rule in the EleusinianMysteries, not to divulge anything that went on in the mystery itself?MR. O. They were so good at not divulging it, that now we knownothing. That was one thing that was successful.MRS. N. Can better impressions come if one tries to be more silent? Ithink I have an observation on this. The mind seems less confused.MR. O. Sometimes. Talking may kill impressions. But not only talking.MR. W. How can one increase one's sincerity with oneself?MR. O. By being sincere. It is not a question of decision, but of long study.MR. P . What is the source of knowledge possessed by schools?MR. O. First, knowledge comes to one school from another. Second, itis a question of being. If someone writes all school knowledge in abook, someone else may read it and understand nothing. But schoolknowledge is knowledge of man No. 4, 5 and 6.MRS. v. If tension impedes effort, doesn't relaxation correct tension,thereby making effort more effective?MR. O. I don't think I ever used the word relaxation technically. Whatrelaxation? Relaxation, which we have not studied yet, means muscularrelaxation only. I don't know what you know about it. It is sometimesdangerous, particularly with stopping thoughts. You will hypnotizeyourself, and who will dehypnotize you?