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

MRS. D. If we could rid ourselves of some of the emotions andthoughts that spring from self-importance, then we could help othersto rid themselves of these thoughts and emotions.MR. O. No. . . .MRS. H. Is the first step to try to know oneself?MR. O. This is the first step. How can one say anything withoutknowing oneself? [To Miss Q.] Do you follow? Well?MR. JA. All I really want seems to be entirely emotional How can Iexpress it or formulate it with my intellect?MR. O. I don't know. Well, continue. Anything.MRS. L. Can I learn to wear down and starve that big false part of myself?MR. O. I don't know. There are people who teach this. What is the useof it, I don't know.MR. C. For self-knowledge, is it important to try and remember andtry and study what one has been in the past?MR. O. No. One cannot remember what one has been. You don't gofurther.MR. L. How can one stop lying? Even if I say I want something, itsomehow does not seem really true.MR. O. It may happen.MR. M A . Because my observations have shown me how unsatisfactorymy machine is, even for the ordinary things of life, I find I amstimulated to make efforts to remember myself if I know I have someparticularly difficult piece of work to do.MR. O. Well, necessary to find difficult pieces of work to do.MR. M A . It seems to me this might be using work for the purposes oflife, instead of life for the purposes of work.MR. O. Purposes of life, or purposes of death, or anything. Use foranything—only use for something. [To Miss Q.] Well, can you follow?MISS T . How can we understand better how to begin again?MR. O. Nobody can. Nobody knows.MISS A . You say you do not believe in change. You have never seen itBut some. . . .MR. O. No, I never said that. If anybody says. . . .MISS A . I want to ask a question about it.MR. O. It may not be true. I don't know anything about change.MISS Q . The lady wants to ask a question about change.MR. O. I already said I can say nothing about change.