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Open meetings of theGurdjieff group ofVladislav VoroninThe last Sunday of every month -October 28th

Gurdjieff MovementsIntensivesOctober 14 and 28

KEITH BUZZELL OKIDANOKH

The following material is a selection from a working draft chapter in Reflections onGurdjieff’s Whim by Keith Buzzell.

Okidanokh

Introduction

Gurdjieff’s conception of Okidanokh represents a major aspect of his effort to reconcilescience and spirituality. As such, it plays a powerful role in his new conception of God inthe world. The manner in which he accomplishes this reconciliation is quite ‘oblique’ orindirect and one has to read his complex elaboration with considerable care and attentionto see how thoroughly he has blended the ‘way’ of science and of potential transformationwith the ‘way’ of the spirit.

“. . .only one cosmic crystallization, existing under the name 'Omnipresent-Okidanokh,'obtains its prime arising-although it also is crystallized from Etherokrilno from the threeHoly sources of the sacred Theomertmalogos, that is, from the emanation of the Most HolySun Absolute. “Everywhere in the Universe, this ‘Omnipresent-Okidanokh’ or‘Omnipresent-Active-Element’ takes part in the formation of all both great and smallarisings, and is, in general, the fundamental cause of most of the cosmic phenomena and,in particular, of the phenomena proceeding in the atmospheres.[1]

“. . . the Omnipresent-Okidanokh obtains its prime arising in space outside of the MostHoly Sun Absolute itself, from the blending of these three independent forces into one,and during its further involutions it is correspondingly changed, in respect of what iscalled the ‘Vivifyingness of Vibrations’ according to its passage through what are called the'Stopinders' or ‘gravity-centers' of the fundamental 'common-cosmic sacredHeptaparaparshinokh’.[2]

From these two quotations there are several observations that can serve as primary pointsto explore.

~ Okidanokh is the Omnipresent-active-element present everywhere throughout theUniverse.

~ It is crystallized (from Etherokrilno) from the Three Holy sources of the sacredTheomertmalogos (the emanation of the Sun Absolute) outside of Holy Sun Absolute.

~ It is a blending of the three independent Holy forces into one force.

~ It undergoes a corresponding involutional change (in respect to the ‘Vivifyingness ofVibrations’) as it passes through the gravity centers of the fundamental common-cosmicsacred Heptaparaparshinokh (the Ray of Creation).

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~ It takes part in the formations of all arisings and is the fundamental cause of most of thecosmic phenomena (especially those proceeding in the atmospheres).

Gurdjieff’s conception is an allegorical approach to a paradox which presents the ultimateconcerning moments of creation. The central aspect to this paradox concerns twocontrasting issues:

~ endlessness as the primal image of a single Will which is infinite and whollyself-determinant

~ The image of the Universe coming into existence in stages or in steps whichprogressively restrict or ‘automatize’ the resulting events and processes

Theomertmalogos is a result of the Will of endlessness directing the action of the forces ofthe two primordial laws (Triamazikamno and Heptaparaparshinokh) from within HolySun Absolute ‘outward’ into the space of the Universe. The Will which directs this action ispure and unconditioned; it is ‘free’ in the ultimate sense of the word.

Okidanokh arises outside the Most Holy Sun Absolute from the blending of the threeindependent forces into one. Okidanokh is, therefore, at least one step removed from thepure Will, which is directing the action of the forces of the two primordial laws. The imagearising from this description could be understood as having features resonant with boththe Ray of Creation and with the hydrogen table.[3] The highest level wills from withinitself (World one – endlessness) the forces of the changed Laws of Three and Seven to beemanated from within Holy Sun Absolute (World Three) into the space of the Universe(World Six).

With this movement, from World One through World Three to World Six, there has been apassage from the level of the immediate and free Will of the Absolute to a conditionedexpression of the Will in World Six.

“. . . . as has been said already, the will of the Absolute is only manifested in the immediateworld created by it within itself, that is, in world 3; the immediate will of the Absolute doesnot reach world 6 and is manifested in it only in the form of mechanical laws. Further on,in worlds 12, 24, 48, and 96, the will of the Absolute has less and less possibility ofmanifesting itself. This means that in world 3 the Absolute creates, as it were, a generalplan of all the rest of the universe, which is then further developed mechanically. The willof the Absolute cannot manifest itself in subsequent worlds apart from this plan, and, inmanifesting itself in accordance with this plan, it takes the form of mechanical laws.[4]

The fact that Okidanokh “obtains its prime arising in space outside of the Most Holy SunAbsolute” represents, for us, the passage from World Three (a World created by the WillItself) to World Six. The “mechanical” expression of the laws will increase progressively inrestrictiveness from the level of World 12 to World 96. We understand that “furtherinvolutions” noted in the above quotation to refer to the descent, stepwise, through Worlds12, 24, 48, and 96 and the corresponding changes in the ‘Vivifyingness of Vibrations’ to bethe lowering of the frequency of vibrations as Okidanokh passes downward through theoctavic steps of the Ray of Creation into increasingly more dense materiality.

There is also an interesting resonance between the corresponding changes in the‘Vivifyingness of Vibrations’ in the involutional motion down the Ray of Creation and theoctavic description found in the ‘hydrogen’ table. The resonance is not exact because thehydrogen table is a conception, which joins the Absolute – Sun – Earth – Moon in threesuccessive octaves. As a result, there is no specific identification of World Six (the World ofAll Suns) or of World 24 (the World of All Planets). Nevertheless, the passage of theenergies down the Stopinders, or ‘centers of gravity’, in the three octaves echoes thepassage of Okidanokh in its “further involutions.” It is also notable that Gurdjieff’sconception of the ‘hydrogen’ table includes two “step-downs” in the form he applies to thestudies of three-brained beings, (see p 174 ISM or reproduce as illustration here). Thesestep-downs can be understood as referring to Worlds One and Three (the Will ofendlessness and Holy Sun Absolute, which are inaccessible to man's “ordinary powers andcapacities."[5])

The Ray of Creation is a single octave which encompasses the whole of Creation. The samecould be said of the “fundamental common-cosmic sacred Heptaparaparshinokh.”

Illustration of Ray of Creation and Common Cosmic Heptaparaparshinok – here.

* * *

The expression “Three Holy Sources of the Sacred Theomertmalogos” (the emanation of

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the Most Holy Sun Absolute) could be understood to refer to the actions taking place inWorld Three, which establish the primordial pattern of the Great Laws for the entireUniverse.

If we take Holy Sun Absolute to be World Three, it would seem consistent to also identifyit as the Being of endlessness – with World One referring to the Will of endlessness. Thus,the expression “I Am” becomes a compressed statement of the Will and Being ofendlessness. The existent Universe becomes, in this view, the creative expression oroutflow from ‘I Am’.

It is important to emphasize the involutional changes in the Vivifying of Vibrations ofOkidanokh in its passage down the common-cosmic sacred Heptaparaparshinokh (the Rayof Creation). At each Stopinder or center-of-gravity the level of vibration changes; it slowsto a lower level of vibration. This is consistent with the three octave Hydrogen table,where, for each successive hydrogen category there are three notes in an octave (do – si –la, la – sol – fa, fa – interval mi, mi – re – do) and these notes are named as carriers of theactive, passive and neutralizing forces. At each step, the Holy Reconciling force (3, +)becomes 1 (+) for the next lower triad, echoing the action Gurdjieff describes as“Djartklom.”[6]

“. . . then the 'Omnipresent-Active-Element' does not blend, as a whole, with such a newarising, nor is it transformed as a whole in any definite corresponding place–as happenswith every other cosmic crystallization in all the said cosmic formations–but immediatelyon entering as a whole into any cosmic unit, there immediately occurs in it what is called'Djartklom,' that is to say, it is dispersed into the three fundamental sources from which itobtained its prime arising, and only then do these sources, each separately, give thebeginning for an independent concentration of three separate corresponding formations,within the given cosmic unit. And in this way, this 'Omnipresent-Active-Element'actualizes, at the outset, in every such new arising, the sources for the possiblemanifestation of its own sacred law of Triamazikamno.[7]

The “cosmic units” being referred to in this quotation are the results (the plus/minus) ofthe prior three octavic notes. Okidanokh at this new lower level, divides into the threeforces which then determine the kinds of interaction that can occur at this level of thehydrogen table. For instance, mass first appears as protons, neutrons, and electrons. Asthe energy falls, these masses (i.e., cosmic units) continue to be present but then interact,via the lower frequencies of Okidanokh (i.e., electromagnetic waves) with each other toproduce the next lower level of mass-based materiality (atoms).

Each descending ‘hydrogen’ category, having a lower vibrational level (a more densemateriality), will participate in lower energetic actions. The actions themselves are,however, all manifestations of Okidanokh. We can reasonably conclude that Okidanokhhas many, many levels of force and function, being the enlivening influence(Omnipresent-Active-Element) in the appearance of “all both great and small arisings”and the fundamental cause of most of the cosmic phenomena.

the nature of okidanokh

"'But since. . . the participation of that third part of Okidanokh existing under the name of"Parijrahatnatioose" is artificially excluded from the said process, then this processproceeds there just now between only two of its parts, namely, between those twoindependent parts which science names "Anodnatious" and "Cathodnatious." And inconsequence, instead of the obligatory law-conformable results of the said process, thatnon-law-conformable result is now actualized which exists under the denomination of“the-result-of-the-process-of-the-reciprocal-destruction-of-two-opposite-forces," or asordinary beings express it, "the-cause-of-artificial-light."[8]

"'And this phenomenon is no longer there, only because by my last pulling of a certainlever, I introduced into the process of the clash of two component parts of Okidanokh, acurrent of the third independent component part of Okidanokh, which began to blendproportionally with its other two parts, owing to which the result derived from this kind ofblending of the three component parts of the Omnipresent-Okidanokh-unlike the processof the non-law-conformable blending of its two parts-cannot be perceived by beings withany of their being-functions.[9]

“. . . amber is one of those seven planetary formations, in the arising of which theOmnipresent Active Element Okidanokh takes part with all its three separate,independent, sacred parts, in equal proportion . . .[10]

"In our youth all such ships both for intersystem and for interplanetary communication

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were still run on the cosmic substance 'Elekilpomagtistzen,' which is a totality consistingof two separate parts of the omnipresent Okidanokh.[11]

“. . . a reinforced blending of the sacred active element Okidanokh was proceeding in theatmosphere above that locality, or. . . there were great thunderstorms. . .[12]

“They named the totality or the separate parts of this substance, sacred just for them,differently at different periods, and at the present time they name the result of theblending and the mutual destruction of two parts of this omnipresent substance‘Electricity.’[13]

From the above quotations it is possible to discuss the nature of Okidanokh in thefollowing respects:

~ The triad of Okidanokh is Anodnatious (+), Cathodnatious (-) and Parijrahatnatioose(+) see illustration below

Anodnatious

Parijrahatnatioose Cathodnatious

When present in equal proportion, the three aspects of Okidanokh appear to convey theattribute of impartiality or non-reactivity to the specific formation. This understanding isresonant with Gurdjieff’s placement of amber in his discussion of the “Third SpaceDrive”[14] and the Akhaldan symbol.[15] The impartiality derives from the fact that whenall three aspects of Okidanokh are present in equal proportion there is no reaction to theexternal presence of any other source of one or two of the forces (it is non-conductive,functioning as an insulator). An analogy to to our inner world would apply here, for whenone is in a state of ‘amber’, one is insulated and does not react automatically. For example,if a person is manifesting in some negative way toward someone and if that someone isimpartial to their manifestation, that would be an example of the highest level of Partkdolgduty (to not react to the negative manifestations of other people towards oneself). One isinsulated– (one is non-conductive -- neither plus nor minus) -- one is simply impartial toboth.

~ “Elekilpomagtistzen” appears to be a barely disguised form of the wordelectromagnetism.

~ Thunderstorms are now understood to reflect the complex equilibrating processbetween separated negatively and positively charged particles; a process referred to ascharge separation. An electric field is induced that is dependent on the separation of thepositively charged earth or cloud and the negatively charged component in the clouds.When the electric field reaches a certain strength, an electrical discharge (the bolt oflightning) occurs either within clouds or between clouds and the Earth. Sufficient energy isgenerated by the electric field to produce, at times, high energy gamma rays in addition tovisible light. Thus, lightning is a dramatic example of one of the powers ofelectromagnetism. The striving to reblend of the Anodnatious and Cathodnatious, which isinherent in the nature of the Holy-Affirming and Holy-Denying forces, leads to a result (areconciliation); the production of light (electromagnetic waves of visible and otherfrequencies).

Okidanokh and modern science

At the end of the 19th Century, modern science stood on the edge of a sharp divide. On theone hand was the conviction by many scientists that the laws governing the Universe werebasically understood, needing only a ‘fill in’ of relatively few areas. On the other hand,there stood scientists who harbored disturbing questions concerning the nature of recentlydiscovered Roentgen (x-ray) and radio waves, of radioactivity, of black boxradiation/absorption and of the many implications of Maxwell’s equations which unifyelectricity and magnetism. In addition, the existence of the ether (the proposed mediumfor photonic [electromagnetic] waves) had been seriously called into question. Into thisfermentative environment (circa 1900) entered Max Planck’s early quantum theory of theunits (or quanta) of action,[16] which theory underpinned essential aspects of Einstein’sSpecial Theory of Relativity. From a strictly deterministic perspective on causation thatwas pervasive in 19th century physics, scientists were suddenly confronted withobservations and theories that confounded their previous views and, simultaneously,opened multiple doors into the quantum world of uncertainty, of the simultaneous natureof wave and particle, and of the limitations of statistical predictability.

Throughout the two centuries since Newton’s Principia, the only forces found to be

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operative in the Universe were gravity and electromagnetism (unified by Maxwell’sequations in 1873). The gradual discoveries of the Strong and Weak Nuclear forces asprimary forces in the Universe were not to take place for several decades. Notably, theneutron was not ‘discovered’ until 1932.

In 1916, with the publication of the General Theory of Relativity, the nature of the force ofgravity was called into question, as Einstein proposed that the curvature of the space-timecontinuum ‘produced’ the phenomena scientists identify and describe as gravity. Thisperspective appeared to place gravity into a derivative role rather than a primary role as afundamental ‘force’ in the Universe.

In the early years of the 20th century, the dominant role of electromagnetic phenomena inthe physical and chemical processes taking place on the Earth was well established.Gravity, as a fundamental force, was somewhat displaced into a secondary role. Suns,planets, man, animal and plant life were understood as manifestations, at varying levels ofenergy, deriving from the primary force of electromagnetism.

The above is a brief outline of the major scientific perspectives in physics which werepresent during the early years of Gurdjieff’s manifestation as a teacher.

It should not be surprising that Gurdjieff would make use of scientific discoveries and thetechnological derivatives that flowed from the then current insights into the physicalnature of the Universe. Electromagnetism had emerged as the clearly dominant andprimordial influence in all scientific perspectives and, as his goal included bringing thesearch of the science of the West and the wisdom of the East together, it would be essentialto include the current scientific views in the elaboration of his ‘new’ cosmology. Theconcepts and the technological implements (i.e., the light bulb, dynamo, batteries andwiring, etc.) that appear in the chapters, “The Arch Absurd” and “The Arch Preposterous,” are vivid testimony supporting Gurdjieff’s placement of electromagnetism at the pinnacleof world ‘forces’. What is truly remarkable is that Gurdjieff’s conception of Okidanokh,while including the fundamental + and – of electromagnetism, goes beyond these twoaspects and incorporates ‘light’ (the photon) as the reconciling influence.[17] That thephoton plays this role in all electromagnetic phenomena, was not understood in the earlydecades of the twentieth century, making Gurdjieff’s statement all the more remarkable.

[1] Gurdjieff, G.I., Beelzebub’s Tales, p 138.

[2] Ibid, p 139.

[3] Ouspensky, P.D., In Search, p 82-86 and 174.

[4] Ouspensky, P.D., In Search, p 83-4.

[5] Ouspensky, P.D., In Search, p 174.

[6] Gurdjieff, G.I., Beelzebub’s Tales, p 140.

[7] Gurdjieff, G.I., Beelzebub’s Tales, p 140.

[8] Ibid, p 156-57.

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[9] Ibid, p 158.

[10] Ibid, p 311.

[11] Ibid, p 65.

[12] Gurdjieff, G.I., Beelzebub’s Tales, p 731.

[13] Ibid, p 1159.

[14] Ibid, p 70-75.

[15] Ibid, p 309.

[16] Planck’s conclusion, which was incontrovertible, was that energy is transmittedpackets or units of energy (photons), as opposed to a linear continuous energy flow.

[17] The “light” referred to here spans the entire spectrum of electromagnetic radiation.

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