Au OBJECT IVS—IMPAETIAL—CRITI CIS —OF_~T2E_-LIFE_OF_uay
, or
SEELIGSUS 'S—TA0ES_—TO_ZTS_cRawpson
ty
GEORGE GURDJIESF
Book ONE CONTENTS OF THE FIRST SERIES
COSSISTING OF TEEES BOOKS ENTITLED
“Ay CBIECTIVE CRIRICISH OF TEE LIZZ OF SAN
oz |
EEELIBUS'S TALES TO ETS GRANDSON."
BOOK OFS
OuAPTERS
1, Warning. (Instead of a Preface). .
2. Introduction; Why Seelzetub was on this Solar System,
3. The Reeson for the Delay in the Fallizg of the Trans-space Ship
. ‘kercakt,
4, The Law of Felling.
5, The System of Archangel Eariton.
6 Perpetual Motion.
7. ‘Becoming Aware of Gemine Seing-Duty.
8, The Ingudent Bret Eessein, Zeelzebub's Grandson, Dares to Call Us
. ‘Slugsts
$, The Cause of the Genesis of the loom
10, Why "Men! are not Men,
TL, A Piguant Trait of the Pecolfarity of Yen's Psyche.
32, the Hirst Growl.
13, Thy, in-Man's Zeason, Fantasy Way be Ferceived as Reality.
14, The Beginnings of Perspectives Promising Nothing Very Cheerful,
15, The First Descent of Beelzetub on the Zarth.
15. ‘The Reletive Understending of Tim.
17. The Arch Abed. Ia the Opinion of Zcelzebub, Cor Sun, it Sppears,
Neither Lights sor Heats.
18. The Arch-Preposterous.
19. Beelzedcs's Tales about Eis Secoui Descent on the Planet Zarth,
20. The Third Flight of Zeclzetmb to the Planet Tarth.
21, Tho First Vielt of Beelzebub to Indte.
22, Beclzeved in Thivet for the First Tim.
23, The Fourth Personal Sojourn of Beelzovub on the Planet Zarth.
24. Beelretub's Flignt the Planet Zarth for the Fifth Tim.
25. ‘the Very Saintly Astinte Shiemash Sent from Above to the Zarth.
26. The Legomonism Concerning the Deliberations of the Vory Saintly
Ashiata Shtemsh wnier tho Title of "The Torror of the Situation."
2% The Zing oF Orgonizaticn for Man's Existence Created by the Very
Saintly Ashiata Shiemesh,
28. The Chief Culprit of the Destruction of all the Very Saintly labours
5 of Asbiata Shieresh.
28, he Froita of Turmr Civilizations snd the Blossoms of the Contemporary.
30, det, BOOK THO
CEAPTERS
SL. The Sixth end Last Sojourn of Beelzebub on the Surface of our Zerth.
S, The Hypnotism,
33, Beelzebub Professional Byrnotist.
34 Russia. Old Russie and the Cause of the New.
35, The Change in the Pre-Determined Course of the Falling of the Inter
System Ship ‘fark,
36, Just # Tee Bit More about the Germms.
37, Trence.
38 Religionss their Bice ani Distortion.
39, The Eoly Planet Purgatory. ‘The Creation and Maintenance of the
Universe. Wsn's Flece in this Yeintenance. The Trancubstantiation
oz Forces in Man ani bis Highest Destiny.
40. The History Related by Zeelzebub of bow Yen Learnt and Agein Forgot
about the Fumdenental Universel Lew of Eeptapareparshinkh.
41, The Bokharian Dervish Fadjistsvatz-Troov's Experiment on the Law of
Vibrations.
BOOK THEEE -
42. Beelzebub in Anerics,
43, Beelzebub's Survey of the Process of the Periodic Reciprocal Destric—
tion of Men.
44, Good and Evil. In the Opinion of 3eelzebub, Man's Understanding of
Justice is for hin in the Objective Sense an Accursed Wrage.
45. In the Cpinton of Beelzeoub, Man's Sxtraction of Tlectricity from
Mature and its Destruction During its Use, is one of the Chief
Causes of the Shortexing of the life of Man.
48. Beelzetab Explains. to his Grandson the Significance of the Form
apd Sequence rhich he Chose for Expouniing the Information Concerm-
ing Men.
47 The Inevitable Result of Imartiel Mentation. Beolzebub!'s Opinton
of ‘the Sole Ueens for the Salvation of Men.
From the Author. vs
its itr : Tf Hie
‘TARNING
(Instead of a Preface)
CEAPER I
Everywhere on the Zarth, before beginning anything new, it 1s customary
first of all, to pronounce aloud, or, at least mentally, the following
words understandable by every contexporery even quite illiterate person -
nemely: "In the nene of the Father and of His Son end in the name of
that Holy Ghost who, if not understood by ell ordinary mortals, is, at
any rate, understood and beyond ell doubt known by our priests end theo-
‘logians.
That is why I also, setting oat on this for me new venture, nmely, suthor—
ship, begin with these sexe words and even pronounce then eloud very dis-
tinctly and with the proper intonation, with the intonation, of course,
arising from(the data crystallized in my comnon presence in the course of
ny life) those date, which, in general, engender ine man's Being, @ quality
of intonation manifest of the impulses of th", "doubt", "superstition
and so on.
"In the nene of the Father and of the Son and of the Eoiy Ghost, Amen.”
Having begm in this way, I ought to be quite assured and to be able to
count without any(@ssence anxiety} upon everything further sow gliding
along, as is said, "on-oil~to-an-I talian-burty-gurdy-accompeninent."
I shell begin by placing my own hand = though sonewhat injured through a
misfortune which recently befeli me, yet nevertheless indeed my own - won
my heart, of course also my own, and frarkly confess that, (for myself, I
have not the slighost wish to write; but unfortunately for me, I am con
strained to do-so.by surrounding circunstances, not dependent on my indivi-
duality, which heve either arisen accidentally, or perhass have been in-
tentionally created by an outside force, and which constrain me to write
not just "so="so but ("weighty-fat-tomes".)
And so I begin, But how?
Just in this case, emertenced people, "sho-knownhat!s-shat", always talc
about "being-omthree-horne-of-e-dilema".
Eurreh! Eureka! Chapter 1
ost of Ge Pooks I have chanced to read in ay 1449)have bogus with a pref
ace :
So I, too, shall begin with something of the kind.
I say "ofathe-kind® because (in the process of ny life, I have so far in
general done absolutely everything not as otherGimilar biped deings 04)
so that, in writing now, I must also begin not as any writer would.
Im the present instance, instead of the required conventional preface, I
shall begin quite simply with a Warning.
Beginning with a Warning will not only not be contrery to Ghose of my ale
ready thoroughly fixed urincipled)hich have now become, as it were, nat—
ural inherencies, tut fromn(Gy point of view ~ ensuing from the totality of
those aims upon which I intend to base uy proposed writings)~ it will be °
more honest, of course, in the objective sense.
Professional writers usually begin such introductions with en eddress to
the reader full of all kinds of "svgary", magniloquently borbastic what
are called "bloynup-rhrases".
Just in this alone, I shall follow their example and also begin with an
address, but, of course, not with a vory, as is said, "mell:fluous" one,
as they usuelly doo
Timseesee
Uy dear, highly honoured and very patient Sirs, and my highly respected,
charming, and of course impartial ladies! Forgive ne, I have omitted the
nost importent - and ny "in-nowise-hysterical" ladies!
I have the honour to inform you that although, with the help of my patron
saints and ty the permission of the local authorities, and also of course
of ryC@nerciloss-domestic~tyrent® — a personality, that is, inevitably
Bresent in every contemporary houschold, who has automatically acquired
power owing only to the abnormally established conditions of contemporary
ordinary lifo)— I am now about to write books, nevertheless, I have not
only never airing tho whole of my life written either books or various
what aro called "inforcative-articles", but also never even a letter in
which the rules of uhat is called "bonton-gramaticality", prevalent in
contemporary civilization, should be observed; and having, in consequence
of this, no practice at all in so to say "outomtic-twadile", therefore
although I have now to become a writer, I am now in respoct of ell the ac-
cerked rules and procedures of vrofessional writers and also in respect of
what is called the "literary~language-of-the-intelligentsia" a complete as
is said "booby", or as certain contemporary so-styled "nell-read" people
would call me, Yan-ignorams-on-the-zigzag-plane~squared" = in consequence
of all which, I am not going to write at all lize the "Patented-profession=
al-writers", to viose form of writing you are undoubtedly already well acm
customed; and I mst add that of course in you also,(an ideally well working
automatism has already been acquired end permonently Fixed for perceiving Chapter 1 3
as nell as for as ts seid "digecting")(Ghanks to which "blessing no indie
vidual effort whatscever is ever required of yous)
I particularly warn you about the latter, namely, whet I have celled the
"Literary-language-cf-the-intelligentsia™ «
Concerning this language it mst be said that although I too was taught it
in my childhood, and some of my elders who were preparing me for responsi_
Ble life even constantly compelled me to "leara-by-rote" the mititade of
various mances which compose this "contenporary-delight", yet unfortunate.
ly ~ in this case obviously for you ~ nothing of all I then learnt ty rote
stuck, and nothing now survives for my writing activities.
And according to the very nimite investigations and elucidations of a mete
orologist very well known at the present time on the continent of Zurope,
with whom I chanced to become what is called "bosomdriends” owing to fre
quent meetings in the nocturnal restaurants of Montmartre, it was not ase
simileted for the reason that(even in my childhood my instinct already cone
tained e certein, as he defined it, "something" which did not pernit my
Being to absorb this contemporary high-wisdoms)and also because, owing to
various fortuitous surrounding conditions of my later life, I neither euto-
matically nor semi—consciously, nor even at times, I confess, on principle,
that is to say, consciously, employed that language for intercourse with
others¢
As a result of all this, esteemed buyer of xy writings, though I now intend
to become a professional writer, yet having, as you see, rone of the mem
tioned "autcmatio-experience" for it, I em elready willy-nilly compelled to
@isregard = and if you like, I egein confess, I will even, as if intention
ally dteregard - that e and @ite in the ordinery simple everyday lan
guage established ty ed nituoae any so-so say "gramerianwiseacreings" +
But the pot is not yot full. For I have not yet decided the most important
iten of all - in which language to writes
Although I have begun to write in Russian, nevertheless as the wisest of the
Wise, Mulloh Nassr Z4din vould say, in that lenguage "yow-camnot—go-for".
Maliah Hassr Bidin, or as he 1s also called, Hodja Uassr Badin, is, it seems,
Little Imowa in Zurope and America, but he is very well known in all the
countries of the continent of Acia. This legendary personage corresponds
sonewhat to the German [112 Bulenspiecel. Munerous tales popular in the
East, okin to wise scyings, are ascrived to this Nossr Badin; and various
witticisms, some of long standing and others newly arisen, still contime to
be ascribed to him also.
I recalled this saying from omong the muy "infallible" ond "indisputoble”
sayings of thet, in uy cpinion, universal teacher, the wisest of all the
terrestrial seges, one thom I particularly estcom, and one who, ogain, of
course, in ny opinion, ought to be esteemed and respected by everybody with. Chapter 1
out exception ~ Jinllah Nassr Badin, and I have set it down at this point
dn my Warning, Gecause of ny proposed subgequent writings I intend often
$e touch upon shilological questions alse)
The said Russian language is, it cannot be denied, very good, I even like
it, but....only for swapping anecdotes in the cooling room of thet "Haman!
of mine, which I especially constructed on a spot in that place which by
the Will of Fate has become uy refuge, like a second "native-land".
The Russian language is like the English, which language is also very good
seceefor discussing on the easy sofas of what are called "smking-rooms",
the topic of "Austrolian-frozen-meat™ or, sonetines, the "Indian-question” «
Both these languages are like the dish which is called in Moscow "Solanim",
dato which everything goes, dear buyer of my wiseacreings, except just you
and mo.
I think I might as well sey here also, that although the surrounding ciz—
cumstances and conditions of my life during both my preparatory age and al-
so my maturity ave been such that I have had to speak, read and write in
neny languages, yet circumstances have so fallen out that in recent yeers I
have bad practice mostly in Pussian and in Armenian.
regret,(the niceties of philosophical questions cannot be expressed in
Buss: While, to,the misfortune to all contemporary irmenisns, although
this is possible if Armenian, it has now become quite impossible (to exploy
that langunge for contempersry questions.)
T con gi write in either of these languages with case, but to my pained
In ny carly youth, when I fist became interested in and was mich absorb
ed in@bilolosical questions,)I preferred the Armenian language above all
others I spoke.
This language wes then my favorite chiefly because it was original and nad
nothing in common with the neighboring languages, of which there ere today
an inmunerable host.
All of its tonalities were peculiar to it alone, and according to my ue
derstanding then, based of course, as is characteristic of young people who
have not yet ‘tasted the "delights-of-life", upon the impulses of "selfs
imgining", self-entimsing", "self—puffing-up! and so on, it responded per
fectly to the psyche of the people composing that nation.
But I have witnessed éuring-the last thirty or forty years, such a cheuge
in that language, thet instead of an original independent lengvage, there
has resulted and now exists — although similarly original and independent -
what might be defined as @ "kind-of-motley-pot-pourri~of-larngusges", the
totality of whose consonances, falling on the ear of a mre or less com
scious listener, rings just like the tones of Turkish, Persian, Kurd,
French and Bussion words, together with various other completely "indigest-
ible! inarticulate noises. Chapter 1 5
4s for ny native language, namely, the Greek which I spoke in childhood,
and as might be said, the "taste-of-the-automtic-ascociative-pomer-of—
which" I still retain, I could.now, I dare say, express anything I wish in
it, but I cannot employ it for writing, for the following for me very se-
rious reasons.
For mist not someone Granseribe ny writings and translate them into the
language I desire?) ind who can do this?
Bven the most learned-philologist of modern Greek would understand sixply
nothing of what I should write in the native language I assimilated in
childhood, because my dear compatriots being also inflamed with the wish
at all costs to be like the representatives of contemporary civilization
also in their conversation have, as a consequence, in the rentioned flow
of time, treated ny dear native language just as the Armenians, anxious to
become Russian intelligentsia, have treated theirs.
That Greek language, the spirit and essence of which were transmitted to
ne ty heredity, and the language now spoken by contemporary Greeks, are as
mich alike, as, eccording to the expression of linllah Naser Bddin, "e-nail-
igelike-a-requien! .
That is to de done?....e+
BhseeEheeoEchl Mever mind, esteemed buyer of my writings.
Iz only there be plenty of French "Armegnsc" and "Khdizarian-basturma" — I
find 4 way ont of even this difficult situation.
I am an old hend at thish)
ng the period of the process of my life, I have so many times got into
fficult situations and out of: them, that this has for me become almst a
matter of habits
In the present case, I shall meannhtle write partly in Russian and partly,
where it is necessary, so to say, to "philosorhise!’, in Armenian, the more
readily because there aro people near to me and always at hand who "cere=
brate" more cr less in both lenguages, and I entertain the hope that they
will be able to(transcribe and translate)from these languages feirly well
for moe
But, of course, Ghatever language I use, you mst know that I chal always
@isrogard the aforesaid "bon-ton-language"
Thy from ny carliest childhood I have always dislited this “languoge-of-
the-intolligentsia? I de not imow, - apparently simply because at the mo-
nent of uy sppearance here below there was being played in our neighbor's
house a "phonograph" and at the same time the "midwife" had in her mouth
@ lozenge dipped in cocoines
Thilo still a youth, I felt that the whole of ny, as the ancient Theoso~ Chapter 1 6
phists called it, "planotary-body", and moreover — why I don't kmow = chief—
ly with the right-holf, ond in later years ~ particularly when I became a
“teacher-of-doncing" and came in contact with people of different "type:
I became gradually convinced of it also with my what is called "mindt, —
that the so-styled "grammer" of any language is compiled ty people who not
only in respect of knowledge of the given language are those biped "somo
things" vhich Eis Uniqueness Wallah Nossr Eddin characterizes by the words
Nall they~can-do~is-to-wrangle-with-pigs~about—the-quality-of-orenges", but,
who furthermore, have not even any approximate representation of the scream
dugly obvious fact that@aring the preparatory age there is required in the
brain-functioning of every creature, and, of mm, of course, also, a partic-
wlar ond definite property, the eutomatic actualizetion and manifestation of
which the ancient Korkolans called the "lav-of-association", and that the
process of the mentation of every "life", including the "life", man, proe
ceeds exclusively in accordance with this law)
From the vory beginning on the Earth it bas become usual that every man who,
so to soy, "devotes-hinself-to-the-ficld-of—c-conscious=thinker" should be
well informed while still in the early years of his responsible existence,
that(Gan hos in general two Kinds of mentation; one Kind, by thoughts, for
the oxpression of which, subjective words, possessing alvays o relative
sense, ore employed; and another kind, proper to man as woll‘as to all eni~
mals, called ty those sane ancient Korkolans "nentatiom-by-form"s)
Tho second kind of mentation, ty which, strictly speaking, the exact sense
of all writing mst also be perceived, is formed in dependence upon the
conditions of geographical locality, climte, time and, in general, upon
the whole environment in which the arising of the given men has proceeded
and in which his existence has flowed up to maturity.
Gecordingly, in the brains.of people of different geographical localities,
different races and different conditions, there are formed about one and
the same thing or idea, a munber of quite independent forms, which in their
association evoke in a being some sensation or other which in turn condi~
tions a picturing, and which picturings in their turn are expressed by this,
that or the other word thst sorves for thoi outer expressicaty
That isGhy each word, for the samo’ thing or idea, almost always acquires
for people of varying geographical locality and race, entircly different so
to say "inner-content! 5
In other words, suppose that in the common presence of some given man who
has arisen and boen forned in any given locality, @ certain "form! has been
crystallized from the results of specific local influences and impressions,
and that this form evokes in him by association the sensation of a definite
“imner-content' and consequently of a definite image or notion, and he should
‘then employ for the exnression of this image or notion some word which has
eventually become habitual and subjective to him, then, the hearer of that
word - in whose being, oving to the quite other conditions of his arising
and formation, there has been crystallized concerning the given word, quite
another form of data for the mentioned "inner-content"= will in consequence
always perceive and inevitably understand that same word in quite another Chepter 1 &
senses
This fact, by the way, can with attentive end irpertial observation be very
clearly constated when one is present at an exchange of opinions between
persons belonging to different nations«
And so, esteemed tuyer of my writings, I worn you that I am going to write’ ~!
not as "professional-ariters" usually write, tut quite otherwise. So be-
fore exbaricing on the reading of ny further "wiseacreings", first reflect
sertously, and only then undertake it. Maybe your hearing and other percep.
tive organs are already so thoroughly eutovetized to the "literary—language-
ofsthe-intelligentsia", that the reading of these writirgs of mine night ef-
fect you frightfully cacaphorously, as a result of which you might lose your
++ssyou know what?....your relish for your favorite diche
I consider it my duty to say, that thanks to oft-repeated past experiences,
I am already quite es convinced with muy whole being of this possibility en
suing from my language or rather from(the form of my mentation) as a "thor~
ough-bred-donkey" 1s convinced of the right and justice of bis obstinacy.
Yow that I have given you warning of the most imortant thing, I em elready
tranquil about everything further, because if any misunderstanding should
arise on account of my writings, you alone will be entirely to blame, and
my own conscience will be as clear as the Hx-Kaiser Wilhelnts.
In all probability you are now thinking that, as a novice in writing, I am
obviously trying to be eccentric, in the hope of becoming femous and there
‘by riche And of course you also think that I ama young man with a pleas~
ing exterior and, as sone express it, "suspicious-interior™.
If you indeed thin so, then you are mightily mistaken.
First of all, I am not young. Ihave already 1tved so mich that I have
‘een througn even more than one mill in my lifes and secondly, I am not try-
ing to be eccentric nor do I intend to make my career or to plant myself in
this profession ~ a profeceion which, I mst add, in my opinion provides
many opportunities for candidates d.i.r.e-cet+--s-for "Zell", assuming of
course, that euch people can in general ty their Being perfect themselv
that extent, ~ for the reason that Imowing nothing whatsoever themselves,
they write all kinds of "cleptrap', and acquiring authority thereby, they be-
come, of course unconsciously, what are called “automatically-workiag-fac~
tors" for the dintzution of the without this already sufficiently diminished
psyche of those around theme
to
Ga as regards uy personel career, then thanks to all forces high and low
and, if you like, even right and left, I have actualized it long ago, and
have already long been standing on "firmfeet", and maybe on very good feet;
and moreover, I am certain that their strength is sufficient for many mre
years, in spite of all my past end future enemies.)
But enough of trifling, old fellow, one. mst writes Chapter 1 8
Yes+..++I think you might as well be told also avout an idea which has only
arisen in uy brain, and, namely, specially to request the rrinters, to whom
I shall give uy first book, to print this warning on the opening pages so
‘that anybody may reed it before cutting the pages of the book itself, where-
upon, on learning that it is not written in the "languageof-the-intellix
gentsia", he my if he likes, without wasting words with the bookseller, re~
turn it and get his noney back, which perhaps he has earned ty the sweat of
his brow.
While writing and cogitating how to explain this idea to Mr. Printer, there
arose unsovght in this madcap brain of mine, another idea quite disadvan
tageous for me personally, namely, the idea to be sure to assign a definite
sum of money for the nisunderstandings which may arise when the uncut books
are retarned to the bookseller.
The disadvantage to nyself in this idea which has spontaneously arisen in
uy macap brain consists chiefly in this; that I shall be forced to take
this money froma fund, dependent solely on ay owa will, free from the ed-
vice or disagreenent of others, misbegotten tusyocdics, always around me,
and, namely, from what is called my "Crayfish-fund".
Now that I happen to be speating of this fund of mine, which depends sole~
ly on my independent will, objective justice demands that I showld not fail,
first of all, to praise and extol with an impulse of great affection ‘and
sentiment the nanes of the noble "Uncle San" end "John Bull", and then, with
an impulse of gratitude, to remark that daring several years, genuine sprigs
of those names I have just extolled, wao for various objective merits bave
become worthy to rank as "Crayfish-idiots", have hitherto always puncteally
and even with unction kept supplied end so far still supply this solitary
hearth of ny, so to sey, hopes and expectations.
It mst be allowed that by reducing the mmbor of my so to say "crayfish
parisites", who have become indispensable cssfstents in what hes lately be *
come, as it were, @ necessity for my recreation, I ought to be able also »
provide that sum of roncy fron this fund; but owing to that specific ond
moreover terrible disease, clveys chronic end, lately, on the increase among
the poor and wretched moncy—changers, which disease has become well known on
tho Earth under the description of being "hell-bent", not even such a self
deprivation can save ne, because on account of this terrible diseaso, it hes
already now become extrenely difficrlt for me to make both ends meet.
Eh..-Hkhl... unfortunate no, hapless victim of a combination of planetary
influonces at the moment of ny appearance here below!
This tine also it is already beyond doubt - as it has hevpencd to me many
@ tine before my arrival in Zurope — that on account of this altruistic in
tention which spontaneously arose in me, all the rest of the parts of my
entire whole will once again "totally-unexpectedly" be mae the "scapegoats".
It bas always been so; no sooner does an idea arise in my madcap brain, but
it inexorably compels the whole of ne to carry it out at any cost, as for
instance in the present case, to assign witout fail the said sum of roney, Chapter 1 . 3
when, in fact, I have none, nor ere there in sight eny likely "fat-sheep-
for-shearing? «
The data engendering just this feature of my character, on account of which
on all occasions, all kinds of factors for the formation of diverse for me
personally "indigestible-consequences" olvays arise, were crystallized in
ny common presence from an impression perceived by me in uy early youth,
thanks to e story I heard about what hopponed to a certain "Transceucasian-—
urd! .
Of course I mst not fail to confess here, that it wes only recently that I
made clear to my pure Reason when precisely these data for uy psyche were
formed in ne and ell the details of their crystallization ~ that is to say,
it was only after I had forced myself to spend a certain tie punctiliously
following all the indications of the Yogis and after I had later thoroughly
studied from ell sides that perfectly bewitching branch of "contemorary
science" now existing everywhere under the name of 'Psycho-analysis".
These specific data together with cther similar date which constitute and
manifest uy present individuality, and which had in their formation decid~
edly nothing issuing from my essence and which were crystallized in ay com
non presence owing only to various fortuitous surrounding conditions of m7
life, not only became thereafter, for the whole of me for the rest of oy
life, almost the dominant whet is called "initiating-factor" in the beget-
ting of always the sane “indigestible-consequenzes", wut also, during their,
as the learned psychiatrists would say, "gravity-centre-functioning", which
proceeds ingeneral under the influence of a corresponding association, they
evoke in ne almost every tine the experiencings called in ancient Indien
philosophy "commiserationwith-impartial-affection".
Thanks to this feature of uy character, oa account of which especially in
recent years, I find uyself already quite incapable of refreining from act-
walizing in practice every idea, however personally disadvantageous te ne,
s0 in this case also, the whole of my common presence will be inexorably
compelled to follow this solicitous procedure, merely in order to caution
you, just you a person wholly alien to me, against falling a victim to cum
ning through the effect upon you of the usual "honied-words" of the took
seller; I repeat that I do this in spite of the fact that this measure, as
you see for yourselves will mean a considerable loss for me personally.
fo fret ebout it now and to think up some measure less detrimental for ma,
it is already too late.
So it pleases Fate. :
But meanwhile, I think it will not be useless and may perkaps be productive
for me as well as instructive for you, if I relate to you somewhat in de~
tail the story of what happened to the nentioned Trenscaucasian Zurd.
And it my be productive for me end instructive for you because I have al-
ready categorically decided to mike use in my proposed writings of the very
"zinmse" of this story also for the actualization of the aims I have in Chapter 1 10
views
This Transcaucasian Kurd once set out from his villege on some business or
other to town, and there in the market he saw ina fruiterer's shop, « hand-
somely arranged @isplay of all kinds of fruit.
In this display he noticed one fruit, very beautiful in both color and form,
and its appearence so took his fancy and he so longed to tzy it, that, in
spite of bis having scarcely eny money, he decided that he couldn't not buy
at least just one of these fruits, and try ite
With intense eagerness and with an audacity not common to hin, he entered
the shop end pointing with his horny finger at the frvit which had teken his
fency, he asked the shopkeeper its price.
The shopkeeper replied that e pound of the fruit would cost "six-groschen™.
Finding that this price was not at all high, our Kurd decided to buy a whole
pounds
Having finished his business in town, he set off for home the same dey.
Weliing at sunset over the hills and dales, and perceiving the exterior vis~
ibility of those enchanting scenes of the bosom of Great Nature, the common
mother, and there inhaling a pure air uncontaminated by the usual exhel~
ations of industrial towns, our Kurd quite naturally suddenly felt a wish to
gratify himself with some ordinary food also; so sitting down by the side of
the road he took from his provision-bag some treed and the fruit he had
brought that had looked so good to him and began to eat.
But-s+ech horrorl....very soon everything inside him began to burn.
But in spite of this he kept on eating.
And this hapless biped creature of our planet kept on eating only thanks to
that same particular Iunen inherency which I first mentioned, and which was
just what I bad in view when I began to relate the present story, and the
sense and meaning of which moreover you will, I am sure soon grasp - of
course, according to the degree of your resourcefulness ~ during the reed~
ing of any subsequent chapter of uy writings ~ assuming, of course, that
you take the risk and read further ~ or, it my perhaps be that you will
even already "smell" something at the end of this warning of mine.
Meanwhile I boldly or, if you like, impudently, take it uron myself in ad~
vance to advise you to absorb with, as might be said, and "intensive-mbil-
ization” of all your perceptive orgens, the informtion elaborating the
rest of this story, in order that the crystallization in you of the new im
pression may proceed normlly and not in the manner in which it bas already
Decome habitual for this to proceed, that is to say, as the great sage
Mallah Nassr Zidin defines and expresses it: "One pert is used up for one's
own welfare, and that only for today, while all the rest going in at one
car, is exhausted in the process of trying to get out at the other." Chapter 2 nu
Well then, just at the moment when our Zurd was ove>wholmed by all the uu
snal sensations proceeding within hin from this strange repast on the bosom
of Nature, there came along the same road a follow-villager of his, once _
reputed by those who knew him to be very clever and experienced; end, seeing
that the whole face of our Zurd was aflame, that his eyes were streaming
with tears, and that in spite of this, as if intent upon the fulfillnent of
his mst — Guty, he was eating real "red-pepper-pods", he said to
him
"That are you doing, you jackass! You!ll be turnt alivel Stop esting that
extraordinary and, for your nature, unsccustomed product".
But our Kurd replied:
No, not for anything on Zarth rill I stops Didn't I pey ay last "siz-grom
schen" for them? Zven if my soul leaves my body, I shall go on eating."
Whereupon our resolute Kurd — it mist, of course, be assumed that he was
such ~ did not stop, but continued eating the "red-pepper~pods!.
After what you kave just perceived, esteemed buyer of uy writings, I hope -
of course only faintly ~ that there my already be arising ix your mento
tion a corresponding association which should, es a result, bring about as
it heppens sometimes to some people, what you call an understanding, and
that in the present case you will understand just why I, well knowing and
having many a time commiserated with this imen inherency— whose inevit~
able nanifestation takes the form that if anybody pays coney for sonething
he is bound to use it to the end — was seized wita the idea, to take every
possible measure in order that you, my "zofthbour’ — in the event that you
should prove to be already accustomed to reading books, though of any idnd
yet nevertheless only those written exclusively in the mentioned "language
of-theintellizentsia! — having already paid money for my writings and
learning only afterverds that they are not written in the usual easily end
comfortably reed lenguage, showld not be compelled, as a consequence of the
said Inman inherency, to read xy writings through to the end at all costs,
as otr poor Transceueasion Kurd was compedled to continue eating what he
had tokens fency to from its appearance alone — that "not-to-be-joked-with*
noble "red-pepper".
For the purpose of avoiding any misunderstanding through this inherency in
man, I wish thet this warning of mine my be printed in the said manner, so
that everyone can read it through without cutting the pages of the book ite
selfs
Otherwise I am very moh afraid thet the bookseller my, in that case also,
try to mike a profit for himself end decline to take back a took whose pages
hed once been cute
Ihave no doubt of this possibility, end I fully expect such unconsciom
ableness on their pert.
And the data for the engendering of xy certeinty as to their unconsciom
ableness were acquired in me just when, while I wes 2 professional "Indian Chapter 1 2
fakirt, I happened to become familiar also with, among other things she va
rious aspects of the psyche cf contemporary booksellers and particularly
with that of their clerks when pelming off books on their byyers, and now,
having become, since the misfortune which befell me, ty nature just, in the
maximum degree, I cannot help repeating, that is to say, I cannct help egain
warning you and even imploringly advising you before beginning to cut the
pages of my first book, to read through very attentively ani even more than
once this Warning of mines
But in case you decide and notwithstanding thie Warning of mine, showld
wisk to become ecquainted with the further contents of ay "wiseacreings",
then there is already nothing else left for me to do but to wish you with
all ny gentine soul an excellent arpetite, and thet you my "digest! al?
that you may read not only for your own health, tut also for the health of
all those near to yous
I say with ny "genuine-sowl" because it is a habit of mine to refer often to
what is called ny "English-soul"; but why it is 2 habit of sine, I suggest
that you puzzle out for yourself, assuming, of course, that there is or
should arise in you any curiosity to learn how easily the very highest and
most particularly beloved of our All-Uaintaining Creator may unconsciously
be taken Zor the very lowest mmmen.
The plan and sequence of my intended expositions I have already composed in,
zy "swollen" head, tut into what form they will mould themselves tpon. pax
per, I frankly confess that I ayself do not know with my consciousness,
though with the total result of the functioning of ny instinct I already
definitely feel that on the whole it will all mould itself into "something"
so to say "hot", and will have an affect on the common presence of every
reader like that which the "red-pepper-pods" had on the poor Trensceucasian
urd
Thenks to the date crystallized in me which long ago became the min lever
of ny individuality, end about which I wish just now to inform you, I shall
of course touch in my proposed writings upon questions not only of the ever
day life of people, already so to say regularized on the Zarth — an every~
dey life, it mst be said, contracted — of course only in my opinion ~ to the
point of wretchedness ~ but I shall also touch upon questions from which
there mst inevitably arise umsual sexsations acd uncommon picturings in all
your separate relatively independent narts, which parts the ancient sages
characterized as "falsely-ascribing-initiative-to-themselves"; namely, in
your thoughts, your feelings, and sicpiy in your body. The process of the
Deneficent Armgnec proceeding at the present moment in my common presence
ids me confess to you and warn you that owing to the aforementioned data,
the whole of my common presence, in the present period of my life, namely,
just when from causes not dependent on me, I have now to become a profession
al writer, is already suck that even with the whvle of uy mental categorical
decision and desire, and with the help of all oy separately spiritualized and
independent parts, — those educated of themselves as well. as those educated
intentionally by ay own will, just that will of mine which flows from and is
based exclusively only on oy Pure Reason, — which parts constitute in me as
well as in you this common presence of mine, — I cannot Ce otherwise thanas Chapter 1 | 13
the most exalted great terrestrial sage Mllab Nass Zddin would say, "tam
@le-and-entengle" the whole of you, or as he also sometines says, "put-you-
in-goloshes", in full face of the fact that J em counting on your help, or
rather on your money, which I shall receive thanks to your purchase of ny
writings, for the full poseibility of accomplishing even with a "flourish",
ny self-imposed and perhaps from your point of view, purely egoistic atm.
And now, my dear, as yet only, candidate for my, so to say, future "vol
untary-slaves", listen attentively and try your hardest without letting any—
thing escape you, to transsubstantiate in your coma presence the izform
tdon concerning the arising of the original couse end also of those two
events whose effects on the whole of me, having become by the Will of Fate,
es contemorary scientists and pious pastors would say, "vivifying', served
as factors for the accomplished crystallization in my comon presence, of
just those specific data on account of which, it my be said, firstly, that
I am now en "exceptional-mrster" among the many millions of animals sintlar
to me, end secondly, that since in the present period of my existence I mst
‘become a professional writer, I am compelled to employ this new profession
of mine, at whatever cost, as our esteemed Ullah Nassr Badin hes expressed
it, to "tangle-end-entangle# all your, as you call them, "imges and "a0
tions" you have until now acquired, rhich though they ore your om atteine
nents, are nevertholess, even in your fren opinion, "very-suspicious".
And so, my dear end precious future "voluntary-slave".
‘Then T was still only as is said, a "ckubbyamite", my dear, now deceased
grenduother ~ my she attain the Zingdon of Heaven — was still living and
was a iundred and some years olde
When she wes dying, uy mother, as was then the custom, took me to her bedside,
and as I kissed her right hand, my dear now deceased grandmother placed her
dying left hand on uy head end in a low voice but very Cistinctly and evena
ttle imperatively saids
"Zldest of my grandsons!"
"“Idsten and always remenber uy strict injumction to yous
"In life never do za others do~
"Bither do nothing = just go to school = or do something that nobody else
does"
Thereupon, she imediately, without hesitation, and witha perceptible im |
volse of contempt and with commendable selfcoguizance, gave her soul directly |
into the hands of Eis Truthfulness the Archangel Gabriel. j
I think 2¢ will interest you and even perhaps he instructive, to know that all
thie then mde so powerful an impression on ne, that I suddenly could not hear
those similar around meg and when we left the room where the mortal "plan.
etary=body" of the cause of the cavse of ny arising lay, I very quietly, with
out attracting attention, stole away to the mit where the tran for our pigs Ghepter 1 sr
wes stored, and lay there without food or drink in a tempest of whirling ani
confused thoughts — of which, fortunately for me, I hed then in my childish
brain still only a very limited number — right until the return from the
cemetary of my mother, vhose weeping, on finding me gone and after searching
for me in vain, recalled me to’myself, end I emerged from the pit as if-ina
state of somembulism, end, flustered, ren to her end es is seid "clung-fest"
to her skirts.
Though many times in later years, and somehow or other always during the days
we call "Shtove-tide’, I have seriously thought end tried to make clear to -
nyself exactly why this event mde so strong an impression on me, I have rot
succeeded to this dey.
Perhaps it wes only becuse the room in which occurred this sacred scene
which was to be significant for the whole of my life, was full of the scent
of incense from what is called "Old-Athos". =
Thatever it may have been, the fact remains a fect.
During the days following this event, nothing particular cowld heve procecdéal
in uy general state, or I should now have rencmbered it, unless it was pen
haps the fact that during these deys I walked more often then usuel with ny
feet in the air, that is to say, on my hands. .
Uy first act,of obvious discordance with the menifestations of others, occum
red exactly on the fortieth day after the death of uy dear grendmother, when -
ell our femily, our relatives, ani all those by whom my dear grendmother, who
was loved by everybody, hed been held in esteem, gathered in the cemetary ac~
cording to custom, to perform over her mortal body, reposing in what seemed
to me a not very cosy grave, what is called the "requiemservice". Suddenly
without any rhyme or reason, instead of observing the conventional what is
called "bon-tometiquette", that is to say, standing as if overwhelmed, with
an expression of grief on one's face end even if possible with tears in one's
eyes, “I started skipping around the grave as if dencing, and sangt -
"Let her with the seints repose
Yow that she's turned up hor toes..
And just from this it began, thet in my common presence @ "something! arose
which in respect of any Kind of so to say "aping”, that is the imitation of!
the ordinary cutonatized manifestations of those around me ~ always ani in | -
everything engendered what I should now call en "Irresistable urge! to do
not as others do.
At that age, of course, I did all this as yet unconsciously; that is to sey,
uy what you call "reasonsble~consciousness" did not then participate in all
these manifestations of mins.
At that age these acts of mine were like the following? Chepter 1 1s
If for exemple when learning to catch a bell with the right hand, my brother,
sisters, and the neighbor's children rho came to pley with us, threw the ball
into the air, I, with the seme purpose, would first bounce the ball on the
ground, end only on the rebound would I catch it, and then just with the
thumb and middle finger of the left hand,
Or 4f all the other children sledded down hill head first, I would try to do
it, and moreover as expertly es possible, as the childred then called it,
"hecksideafizst®.
Or 12 we children were given various Kinie of what are called "Aberenian-
pastries", then all the other children would first of all lick them, evident
ly to try their taste before putting then into their mouths; but Ie.e.emould
first sniff 1t end sometines even put it to my car oni listen intently with
the definite instinctive intention of discovering whether there might be in
this exterior form some imer peculiarity that would disclose itself, and so
on and so forth.
Tne poseod. From a "chubty-nitelt I changed into whet de called @ "young
rascal",
Just at the eni of this age, namely, the age in which one is sometimes call-
ed a "condi dbte-fors-young-nan-of=pleasing-appearence-exd-dublous-content™,
the first of the mentioned two: events occured, the effect of which enabled
the essence of ny dear granimther's behest to teke foot in as yet ny nature
alone,
And this fell out in the following way.
‘With a mmber of other young rascals like myself, I wes once setting snares
for pigeons on the roof of a ueigbbor!s house. °
One of the boys, who was watching me closely, saidr
"Y think the sntckel of horsehair ought to be so arranged that the rigeon!s
big toe never gete caught init, because, as our zoology teacher recently
explained to me, during movement it is just in that toe that the pigeon's
greatest strength is concentrated, end it might therefore easily, of course,
‘real the noose."
Another bay, leating just opposite me, from whose mouth by the way, whenever
he spoke, ssliva alvays splashed abuniantly in all directions — sneezed at
thie remask of the first toy ani delivered himself, with a copious quantity
of saliva, of the following words! 7
"grat your trep, you ottentot bastard, you sbortion, just like your teacher?
"Sagpose its true that the. greatest physical force of the pigeon is concen
treted in that toe, then ail the more, all we've got to see is that just
that toe rill be snickeled.
"Only then will there by any sense for cur aim — that is, for the catching of
these also unfortunate pigeon creatures — in that brain-particularity proper chapter 1 16
to all possessors of that soft and “slippery something", nazely, in that
perticularity which, then a little disharmony occurs in it, or so to say
confusion" arises, enables the centre of gravity of the whole functioning
in vEich that particolarly pleys a very small part to vass temporarily to
anotasr place and this at tines yields suzprising results ridiculous to the
poist of absurdity."
He "discharged" the last ord with such a shower of seliva, that it was as
Af my face was expose to the action of the “pulverizer invented by the
Germans for dyeing material with aniline dyes,
This was wore than I cocld endure, and rithout changing my squatting posi~
thon, I flung myself at Lim, and my head, charging Bim with full force in
the pit of his stomach, inmdiately laid him out ani made him lose what is
called "consciousness".
Curious and exceedingly peculiar is the coincidence of accidental life-cim
cumstances, that this dexterity should have been thorougtly taught me only
a few days before this event ty a Greck priest from Turkey who, persecuted
dy the Turks for his pcliticel convictions, had been compelled to flee from
there, ani having arrived in our town had been hired by my parents as 2
teacher for me of the new Greek language. It mst de said that be longed
to get to the island of Crete and there manifest binself as befits a true
patriot.
On beholding the effect of my skill, I was, I must confess, extremly fright-
ened, because, knowing nothing of any such reaction from a blow in thet place,
I quite thought I had killed him,
‘But another boy, his cousin, seeing this, without a moment's pause, and ob~
viously overcome with the feeling called "consenguinity" immediately leant
at me and with a full swing struck me in the face with his fist.
This blow struck sparks from uy eyes and at the seme time my mouth became
as full as'if it bed been stuffed with the porridge for the artificial fat
tening of 2 thousand chickens.
After a little tine when both these sensations had died dewn within me and
Plood began to coze out of uy mouth, I then actually discovered that ia ny
mouth wes some foreign substance and when I pulled it out with my finger,
it turned out to be nothing less than e tooth of large dimensions and strange
form.
By this time the boy wao had been prostrate bad recovered and was standing up;
and seeing me staring at this extraordinary tooth, he ani all the other boys
swarmed round me es if nothing hed happened and gazed at it with me ith
utter curiosity end ina strange silence.
This tooth had seven fangs and at the end of each of them realisticelly stood
@ Grop of blood, end through each drop there shone clearly, definitely, ond
seperately, ell the seven aspects of the white roy. Chapter 1 Ww
‘ter this silence, rare emong us “young-rescels", the usual hubbub broke out
egein, and in this clatter it was decided to go ab once to the barber, a
specialist in extracting teeth ani to ask him just shy this tooth was like
that.
So we all climbed down from the roof ani went off to the barber's,
4nd I, 2s the "hero-of-the-day” stalked at the head of them all.
the barter, after @ casual glance, simply pronounced it a “wisdom-tooth,"
From the whole totality of the effect of this event - which became signifi~
cant for the rest of uy lige end in the process of which my poor "wisdom
tooth" hed become so to say the "exemplary victin’ - not only did the essence
of my dear grandmother's injunction becone definitely instilled into my ne
tare, tut also beceuse I Gia not go to e "quilified-dentist” to have the
former cevity of this tooth of mine treated, — which as 2 matter of fect I
covld not, deceuse cur hone was too far from exy contemporery centres of
calture,—
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