a new type of Sage

Gurdjieff: "The doctrine has always existed, but the tradition has often been interrupted.  In ancient times certain groups and castes knew it, but it was incomplete. The ancients went in too much for metaphysics.  The doctrine was too abstract."

Saurat: Why have you come to Europe? 

Gurdjieff: "Because I want to combine the mystical, Oriental spirit with the scientific, Occidental spirit. The Oriental spirit dwells in the truth, but only in its tendencies and  general ideas;  the Occidental spirit dwells in the truth in so far as its methods and technique are concerned.  Only Occidental methods are good in history and observation. I want to create a type of sage who unites the spirit of the Orient and the technique of the Occident."

Saurat: Do you teach any positive doctrine over and above questions of method?

Gurdjieff: "Yes. Few human beings have a soul.  Nobody has a soul at birth.  One must acquire a soul.  Those who do not succeed in this die.  The atoms disperse and nothing remains.  Some make a partial soul and are then subject to a kind of reincarnation that permits them to progress.  Finally, a very small number of men succeed in possessing immortal souls.  But this number is extremely small.  There are only a few of them.  Most of those who accomplish anything have only partial souls."

from Denis Saurats interview with Gurdjieff on February 18th 1923