-12% 🏆 Bestseller Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson: All and Everything, First Series (Revised) — Theosophy

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Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson: All and Everything, First Series (Revised)

Name: Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson: All and Everything, First Series (Revised)
Price: 35.00 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780140194739

✍️ Gurdjieff, G I

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

This single-volume paperback restores the authoritative English translation of Gurdjieff's major metaphysical narrative. The text uses an outer-space framework to critique human belief systems and everyday consciousness. Through conversations with his grandson Hassein, Beelzebub analyzes Earth's history, cosmic mechanics, and spiritual development across several historical descents to regions such as Tibet and India. The work delivers a comprehensive system of philosophy encompassing natural laws, time, and human destiny.

Gurdjieff, G I

📚 all books by this author (2) →

☀️

Theosophy

🏛 Penguin Books 📅 1999 📖 1248 pages 🌐 en 📐 Paperback ISBN: 9780140194739

Fun Fact

Gurdjieff's magnum opus is less a book and more an initiation. It excels at provoking profound introspection and shattering intellectual complacency, making it essential for serious spiritual seekers. Those looking for a light, linear narrative will likely be frustrated by its demanding prose and complex allegory. Within the esoteric tradition, it stands as a unique, often intimidating, but ultimately transformative work, unparalleled in its scope and relentless pursuit of truth through an alien lens.

📝 Description: Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson: All and Everything, First Series (Revised)

Born in 1887 in Alexandropol, G. I. Gurdjieff established the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man in France after learning from spiritual masters across Asia and the Near East. In this modern metaphysical novel, a wise figure named Beelzebub recounts personal anecdotes and lessons to his grandson Hassein while traveling aboard the ship Karnak. Across its first book, the narrative covers the creation of the cosmos, man's teleological purpose, and the genesis of the Moon. Beelzebub details his journeys through the solar system, including visits to India and Tibet, alongside his first four descents to planet Earth. The chapters examine natural, physical, and spiritual topics alongside peculiar traits of human reasoning and psyche. Early sections outline the Archangel Hariton system, the law of falling, perpetual motion, and the relative understanding of time. Beelzebub challenges conventional ideas, asserting that the sun neither lights nor heats, while explaining why fantasy appears as reality to human reason. Later chapters explore genuine being-duty and address why contemporary men act as slugs rather than true men. This single-volume paperback from Penguin Books presents the restored authoritative translation. It suits readers seeking a philosophical examination of human existence, natural laws, and spiritual self-awareness. It does not suit those looking for standard occult guides or light spiritual reading.

📑 What's inside

Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson
First Book
1. The Arousing of Thought
2. Introduction: Why Beelzebub Was in Our Solar System
3. The Cause of the Delay in the Falling of the Ship Karnak
4. The Law of Falling
5. The System of Archangel Hariton
6. Perpetual Motion
7. Becoming Aware of Genuine Being-Duty
8. The Impudent Brat Hassein, Beelzebub's Grandson, Dares to Call Men "Slugs"
9. The Cause of the Genesis of the Moon
10. Why "Men" Are Not Men
11. A Piquant Trait of the Peculiar Psyche of Contemporary Man
12. The First "Growl"
13. Why in Man's Reason Fantasy May Be Perceived as Reality
14. The Beginnings of Perspectives Promising Nothing Very Cheerful
15. The First Descent of Beelzebub upon the Planet Earth
16. The Relative Understanding of Time
17. The Arch-absurd: According to the Assertion of Beelzebub, Our Sun Neither Lights nor Heats
18. The Arch-preposterous
19. Beelzebub's Tales About His Second Descent onto the Planet Earth
20. The Third Flight of Beelzebub to the Planet Earth
21. The First Visit of Beelzebub to India
22. Beelzebub for the First Time in Tibet
23. The Fourth Personal Sojourn of Beelzebub on the Planet Earth
24. Beelzebub's Flight to the Planet Earth for the Fifth Time
25. The Very Saintly Ashiata Shiemash, Sent from Above to the Earth
26. The Legominism Concerning the Deliberations of the Very Saintly Ashiata Shiemash Under the Title of "The Terror-of-the-Situation"
27. The Organization for Man's Existence
28. The Chief Culprit in the Destruction of All the Very Saintly Labors of Ashiata Shiemash

💎 Expert review

“

💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

Gurdjieff’s monolithic text demands patience and an open mind, serving as a rigorous intellectual and spiritual exercise rather than casual entertainment. While its tapestry of anecdotes offers immense value for those ready to challenge their worldview, it decidedly does not suit readers seeking straightforward plot progression or light philosophical musings. The dense allegorical nature requires significant engagement with life lessons spanning cosmic scales, making it unsuitable for those preferring conventional narrative structures or quick reads. It is a heavy, transformative weight for the dedicated seeker.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers seeking to dismantle ingrained beliefs and awaken to their deeper potential will find this book profoundly transformative. It invites a new generation to confront the universe through an audacious allegorical narrative that spans cosmic creation to human purpose. By walking with Beelzebub, you gain a unique cosmic perspective on existence, shedding delusions to see reality anew. This is not merely a story but a philosophical discourse designed to reshape your understanding of self and the world around you.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

If you are a seeker unafraid to challenge your most fundamental assumptions about life, spirituality, and the cosmos, this book is for you. Prepare for a demanding, yet ultimately rewarding, intellectual and spiritual pilgrimage that promises to reframe your entire worldview.

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

Gurdjieff’s monolithic text demands patience and an open mind, serving as a rigorous intellectual and spiritual exercise rather than casual entertainment. While its tapestry of anecdotes offers immense value for those ready to challenge their worldview, it decidedly does not suit readers seeking straightforward plot progression or light philosophical musings. The dense allegorical nature requires significant engagement with life lessons spanning cosmic scales, making it unsuitable for those preferring conventional narrative structures or quick reads. It is a heavy, transformative weight for the dedicated seeker.

❓ Frequently asked questions

While presented as a narrative, it functions more as an allegorical philosophical treatise, using Beelzebub's tales as a vehicle for profound spiritual and metaphysical instruction rather than traditional plot development.

This revised single-volume paperback offers the original, most authoritative English translation of Gurdjieff's extensive work, ensuring readers access the text as closely as possible to the author's intended presentation.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Critique of Human Folly

The narrative mercilessly scrutinizes and deconstructs humanity's ingrained beliefs, behaviors, and societal structures. Beelzebub's observations from across the cosmos highlight the absurdities and inherent contradictions in conventional thought, prompting readers to question their own perceptions of reality and purpose, urging a radical re-evaluation.

Cosmic Origins & Purpose

This epic delves into the grand sweep of cosmic history, from the creation of the universe to humanity's place within it. It explores not only the physical and natural laws governing existence but also the spiritual dimensions, offering a unique teleological framework for understanding human evolution and its ultimate meaning beyond earthly concerns.

Awakening Self-Awareness

At its heart, the book is a call to heightened consciousness and personal transformation. By exposing the mechanical nature of human existence, Gurdjieff, through Beelzebub, guides the reader toward a deeper understanding of their inner workings. The ultimate goal is to cultivate genuine self-awareness and intentional action in daily life.

📜 Historical context

Emerging from the early 20th-century esoteric landscape, Gurdjieff’s work is a cornerstone of his 'Fourth Way' teaching, a path of self-development distinct from traditional monastic, yogic, or fakir paths. It integrates spiritual awakening into everyday life, offering a unique blend of ancient wisdom and psychological insight that continues to influence seekers today.

📚 Glossary

Teleological
Fourth Way
Esoteric

📔 Questions to reflect on

What deeply held belief about humanity or the universe have I never truly questioned, and how might Beelzebub challenge it?
Consider a 'lesson learned' from your own life. How would you transmit its essence to a younger generation, stripped of conventional assumptions?
If our 'teleological purpose' extends beyond earthly life, what practices or insights might help me align with that greater aim in my daily existence?