Gurdjieff (1866?-1949) was an eminently practicalphilosopher. After a traumatic car accident in 1924 from which hemiraculously survived, Gurdjieff decided to transmit all of his lifelong learning into book form, and embarked upon an intensive writing effort that resulted in Beelzebub's Tales to this Grandson.
Gurdjieff advises us to read Beelzebub's Tales to his Grandson thrice, with the open heart of a child listening to a fairy tale. This is not an easy task, for one is dealing here with an account of God, World and Man intentionally composed to provide a self-transforming shock. However, any sincere effort to 'fathom the gist' of this work will provide unexpected benefits. The ultimate impression one recieves is of unsurpassed compassion for the human condition and a heartfelt call to awaken a dormant conscience.
The manuscript version was edited into readable English by A R Orage from the literal translation done from Gurdjieff's original Russian by Thomas and Olga de Hartmann. The result was then read to Gurdjieff who consequently revised the text, which was again refined by Orage. This arduous cycle was repeated for the full seven years (1924-31) that Gurdjieff worked on Beelzebub's Tales.
This manuscript version was published by Orage's New York group in a limited edition of a 102 mimeographed copies in September 1931. The authorised version that Gurdjieff published in 1950 differs significantly both in wording and content. The main difference is that the manuscript version is simpler and more direct in its language and presentation of ideas, although this does not make it any easier to understand.
An interesting literary footnote relates directly to the manuscript version of Beelzebub's Tales. In 1931, a philosophical novel by John O'Hara Cosgrave entitled The Academy for Souls was published in New York. Cosgrave was a member of Orage's New York Group and The Academy for Souls is a thinly veiled adaptation of the story and themes of Beelzebub's Tales. It stars a savvy, irascible Martian engineer who pontificates much in Beelzebub's manner.
I wish you good hunting in your quest for the Hidden Learning. END
