I wanted something for myself.

P.D. Ouspensky: Gurdjieff gave me many new ideas I did not know before, and he gave a system I did not know before. About schools I did know, for I had been travelling and looking for schools for 10 years.

He had an extraordinary system, and quite new. Some separate fragments of it could be found elsewhere, but not connected and put together like they are in this system.

And certain things, particularly belonging to the psychological side, were quite a revelation. And also on many other lines.

This was sufficient proof for me that this system was not a thing one can meet with every day. And I had already met with a sufficient number of schools to able to judge.

Question: Did you never ask Gurdjieff about the origin of the system?

Ouspensky: We all asked about 10 times a day and every time the answer was different.

Question: Did you ask Gurdjieff why he always gave different answers?

Ouspensky: Yes.

Question: What did he say?

Ouspensky: He said he never gave different answers.

Question: Has it ever crossed your mind to regret having ever met Gurdjieff?

Ouspensky: Never. Why? I got very much from him. I am always very grateful to myself that after the first evening I asked him when I could see him next time. If I had not, we would not be sitting here now.

Question: But you wrote two very brilliant books.

Ouspensky: They were only books. I wanted more. I wanted something for myself.

P. D. Ouspensky: A Biographical Outline
Compiled by Merrily E. Taylor

"Suddenly he (Ouspensky) appeared at the table, showing an emotion that was very unusual for him, and without pausing for a formal 'Good morning' or even stopping to sit down he said, 'I think this time we've really found what we need! I must tell you all about it. I have found the Miracle!'

With Gurdjieff in St. Petersburg and Paris
Anna Butkovsky-Hewitt