A profound new look at Gurdjieff's life, teaching, and role as a spiritual leader through the lens of esotericism.

Gurdjieff warned against taking anything literally or on faith and advised accepting only experience that could be lived oneself. He also said that one has to find out "how to know" and that understanding higher knowledge depends on the "level of being." The aim of the Fourth Way is toward a change of being-from the level of man number one, two, and three to that of man number four. Stephen Grant offers a radical reassessment of Gurdjieff's role as a spiritual leader and the Fourth Way in terms of esoteric theory. The book outlines Gurdjieff's early life and view of ancient history, followed by the itinerant course of his teaching from Russia in 1915 to his death in Paris in 1949. The discussion then focuses on his esoteric mission-to bring the Fourth Way to the West-and its three major stages- (1) introducing the system of ideas to and through P. D.Ouspensky; (2) writing his own theory of the teaching, principally in Beelzebub's Tales; and (3) passing on the practical teaching toward consciousness to and through Jeanne de Salzmann. The last five chapters deal with Gurdjieff's relationship with his closest pupils, his system of ideas, his hidden doctrine in Beelzebub's Tales, and the practical knowledge revealed by Mme. de Salzmann. Those interested in Gurdjieff will come away with a rich new perspective on his teaching and legacy. This includes recognizing the teaching as esoteric Buddhism.