GURDJIEFF, G.I. – Life is real only then, when I am - Integral Book

members of this new group, I gave the order to answer to all of them asfollows:"To the next general meeting of the newly organized group, anyformer member of the Orage group can be admitted on the twofollowing conditions;"The first condition is to pay a fine, for not having signed theobligation in time, of a sum of dollars corresponding to the materialpossibilities of the given person, which will be established by acommittee, specially chosen for this purpose, of several members of theformer group."The second condition is that all those who have fulfilled the firstcondition, that is, the immediate payment of the fine imposed on themwhich will not in any circumstances be returned, will be enrolled for thetime being only as candidates for the new group, and only after acertain established term will it be decided, depending on the fulfillmentor nonfulfill-ment by them of subsequent conditions, who is worthy toremain in the group as a full member and who is unconditionally toleave the group."On the same day, a committee was formed by my choice of fourmembers who, together with me, established seven gradations of fines.The first and highest fine was fixed at the sum of $3, 648, the secondat $1, 824, the third at $912, the fourth at $456, the fifth at $228, thesixth at $114 and the last and lowest at $57.To the sum total of these fines were added the charges which I fixedfor shorthand copies of the talks I delivered at the first three meetingsof the new exoteric group—to those who had been absent,indispensable for the understanding of my subsequent talks: from thefirst group, that is to say, those who unconditionally signed theobligation—$10; from