The Herald of Coming Good

by G.I. Gurdjieff

First printed on 26 August 1933 by La Société Anonyme des Editions de l¿Ouest, this is the 75th anniversary edition, a reprint of the first edition. This edition has been digitally retypeset and is not a facsimile.

Genres: Philosophy, Spirituality, Religion

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1933

About the author

Georges Ivanovich Gurdjieff (Armenian: Գեորգի Իվանովիչ Գյուրջիև, Georgian: გიორგი გურჯიევი, Greek: Γεώργιος Γεωργιάδης, Russian: Гео́ргий Ива́нович Гюрджи́ев, Georgiy Ivanovich Gyurdzhiev, or Gurdjiev) was an influential Greek-Armenian mystic, spiritual teacher of the early to mid-20th century, and a self-professed 'teacher of dancing'.

He taught that the vast majority of humanity lives their entire lives in a state of hypnotic "waking sleep," but that it was possible to transcend to a higher state of consciousness and achieve full human potential. Gurdjieff developed a method for doing so, calling his discipline "The Work" (connoting "work on oneself") or "the Method." According to his principles and instructions, Gurdjieff's method for awakening one's consciousness is different from that of the fakir, monk or yogi, so his discipline is also called (originally) the "Fourth Way." At one point he described his teaching as being "esoteric Christianity."

At different times in his life, Gurdjieff formed and closed various schools around the world to teach the work. He claimed that the teachings he brought to the West from his own experiences and early travels expressed the truth found in ancient religions and wisdom teachings relating to self-awareness in people's daily lives and humanity's place in the universe. The title of his third series of writings, Life Is Real Only Then, When 'I Am', expresses the essence of his teachings. His complete series of books is entitled All and Everything.

Reviews

[Zaubin Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

I took a while to get to this book because Gurdjieff had requested that no one read it. But after reading everything else he has ever written, I felt I could give myself permission. I don't see what the big deal is. It's a short book. It gives some very good very general overview of some of his very basic primary ideas. In summary: thoughts, emotions, and actions need to coincide and work together. It is very hard to do this. Most people act purely as reaction, are completely mechanical, blah blah blah. Second main point: the primary evil of humanity is vanity (read, egotism). My opinion: these ideas are fine in and of themselves, and aren't really that revolutionary. Of course, in characteristic manner, Gurdjieff takes as much time as possible to get to the point, and in as round-about manner as possible. He seems to take a special joy in making as convoluted sentences as possible. It is a purposeful challenge to the readers. And I get it, he wants to develop concentration in his readers, lengthen our "criminally" short attention span. But at times, it seems unnecessary confusion. I mean, I was able to get it, after struggling through his Beelzebub earnestly. You get used to it. You develop the skill of cutting through the bullshit and getting to the crux of things. But at the end of the day, not much is said. Or maybe what is most important has been said.
All the same, I get the feeling that Gurdjieff is himself subject to a very special, very subtle, and very insidious sort of vanity. At one point he stresses that there is no prescribed system that will work for every individual, and anyone who claims such is a delusional liar. And then he immediately proceeds to tout his own system as a cure-all for everyone. Seemed like a strange about-face for me. And then he spends, here and there, about a third of the book grumbling about people who he feels have slighted him, and grumbling about his problems and making excuses. And it starts to get annoying when he constantly insists that everything he has to say is absolutely, 100% objective and impartial, and that every conclusion he has come to is incontrovertible by anyone for all of time. Again, seems a bit vain. And then there is his repetition of synonyms for the purpose of making his sentences more complicated, but which add no value to his propositions. Repetition repetition repetition. And taking f*ing forever to get to the point. And then complaining about how nothing is his fault.
Don't get me wrong. I love Gurdjieff and his writings. But like many of my favorite authors, they are highly complex individuals, with their own faults and complexes. I recommend his works as platforms for personal contemplation, but as with all things, to be taken with large grains of salt.

[Dean Paradiso · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many words, little actual content, but that’s probably Gurdjieff’s intention on this one. More of an advertisement for his work, with a few words about what needs to be done to rectify man’s fallen state. May be of interest to the most devoted Gurdjieff follower (as I once was), but largely a nuisance to read for 99%.

[Dimitris Tselios · Rating 1 out of 5]

The art of saying very little, almost trivialities, with too many self-self-centred pompous words!

A great example of an purposefully and almost absolutely VAGUE description of presumably very SPECIFIC actions taken by Mr. Gurdjieff. This, unfortunately, in my universe, is the exposition and a demonstration of a charlatan.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's basically an invitation to read all of his other books offering a few basic ideas and outlining some autobiographical history. It's a great introduction to his writing style. It is by no means essential reading to understand G. I. Gurdjieff.

[Matthu Stull · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was the first book that was intended to reach the public, to feel out the potential for this sort of thing....it suggests something of possibilities to those with the sense to respond, but i believe this book was quickly seem as somewhat of a mistake by Gurdjieff himself. perhaps it was too sincere or something

[Tine!]

The official invitational of G.I.G's extremely long workload, with a very pompous title, which bodes well, in my opinion, for the future, should I choose to accept it. Comma, comma, comma. G.I.G. hates grammar and so can I.

[Jay Warren]

Wow. There are so many reviews here by people who "understand" Gurdjieff that I am beginning to doubt that old Principle that "the many are bad and the few good." But then we are evolving, right, and Gurdjieff is an old guy who died way way back in the middle of the 20th Century. We're probably able to understand his Teachings with a greater facility than those who were still inhaling the smoke of the guns of W.W. II. JWC

[Tony Haring · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am a student of the mysteries. This book was in my opinion a total waste of time, but great for learning how to write in a way that builds suspense without ever revealing anything. Strange to see a book filled with egotistical nonsense in the spiritual aisle.

[Y · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gurdjieff describes some of the history of his schools, methods and writings. He elaborates on his overall objectives and provides background on the source of his teachings, which he says he learned from an unnamed Muslim sect. Of course he also complains about all the past students and associates who have wronged him.

The writing is useless to one who isn’t already familiar with him and his work, as it mostly points readers to join his school in France, a local Fourth Way group, or buy his books.

[Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really into the way Gurdjieff writes and cannot believe it took me so long to read something by him!

[Michael John Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gurdjieff is the master of run-on sentences, if you read this aloud you will run out of breath mid-sentence. But of course, part of the mysticism is the challenge.

This book is important because it sets context for the rest of the series (even though Gurdjieff tried to withdraw it). It doesn't give you much information at all on the Fourth Way or "the work" so it is in no way a summary, but alludes to the process & explains exactly how & why you should go about reading the remaining series:

FIRST SERIES: Three books under the title of “An Objectively Impartial Criticism of the Life of Man,” or, “Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson.”
SECOND SERIES: Three books under the common title of “Meetings with Remarkable Men.”
THIRD SERIES: Four books under the common title of “Life is Real Only Then, When ‘I Am.’”

All written according to entirely new principles of logical reasoning and strictly directed towards the solution of the following three cardinal problems:

FIRST SERIES: To destroy, mercilessly, without any compromises whatsoever, in the mentation and feelings of the reader, the beliefs and views, by centuries rooted in him, about everything existing in the world.
SECOND SERIES: To acquaint the reader with the material required for a new creation and to prove the soundness and good quality of it.
THIRD SERIES: To assist the arising, in the mentation and in the feelings of the reader, of a veritable, non-fantastic representation not of that illusory world which he now perceives, but of the world existing in reality.

Friendly Advice
[Written impromptu by the author on delivering this book, already prepared for publication, to the printer.]
ACCORDING TO the numerous deductions and conclusions made by me during experimental elucidations concerning the productivity of the perception by contemporary people of new impressions from what is heard and read, and also according to the thought of one of the sayings of popular wisdom I have just remembered, handed down to our days from very ancient times, which declares: “Any prayer may be heard by the Higher Powers and a corresponding answer obtained only if it is uttered thrice:
Firstly—for the welfare or the peace of the souls of one’s parents.
Secondly—for the welfare of one’s neighbor.
And only thirdly—for oneself personally.”
I find it necessary on the first page of this book, quite ready for publication, to give the following advice: “Read each of my written expositions thrice:
Firstly—at least as you have already become mechanized to read all your contemporary books and newspapers.
Secondly—as if you were reading aloud to another person.
And only thirdly—try and fathom the gist of my writings.”
Only then will you be able to count upon forming your own impartial judgment, proper to yourself alone, on my writings. And only then can my hope be actualized that according to your understanding you will obtain the specific benefit for yourself which I anticipate, and which I wish for you with all my being.