G.I. Gurdjieff, Paris Meetings, 1943
Georges Ivanovitch GurdjieffOn the one hand, he worked on our essential being with endless patience and with a goodness that was painful to bear because we felt unworthy. He listened to our inner need; he was interested in our difficulties and gave us practical ways to take the next step. He indicated with incredible precision the definite inner action each person needed at a given moment in order to become freer from his automatism. He never used manipulation or pressure. It was truly a gift from above, which left an impression of love, and compassion for the human condition. He made us feel our possibilities and, with the means that he provided, he always gave us the hope of seeing them grow.
On the other hand, he worked on us implacably with ceaseless and ever-increasing demands, putting us into impossible situations with every sort of shock. Not only did he take care not to attract us, he pushed us to extreme limits. He forced us to resist him, to react against him. He was pitiless. T he first direction was outside of ordinary life, entirely concentrated on inner action. The second was in life itself and through life
With one hand he called us. With the other he beat us by making us see our slavery to our own functioning. This was the greatness of Mr. Gurdjieff.
— Jeanne de Salzmann.