The Effort of Effort
In In Search of the Miraculous Gurdjieff is quoted as saying “Ordinary efforts do not count. Only super- efforts count.”
He then explains …
“A very important role in the human machine is played by a certain kind of accumulator. There are two small accumulators near each center filled with the particular substance necessary for the work of the given center.
“In addition, there is in the organism a large accumulator which feeds the small ones. The small accumulators are connected together, and further, each of them is connected with the center next to which it stands, as well as with the large accumulator.”
And drew the diagram below …
The accumulators are rechargeable batteries, i.e. temporary stores of energy. The four centers (Intellectual, Emotional, Moving and Instinctive thinking) are all supplied by two small accumulators which are in turn supplied by the single large accumulator as indicated in the diagram. Each center uses one of the two small accumulators while the other refills. In this way, our use of energy is managed during the day and the large accumulator refills while we sleep at night.
Under certain circumstances, we can gain direct access to the large accumulator. This happens when we consume the energy of the small accumulators so rapidly that both of them become exhausted. this is unusual because when a small accumulator empties we tend to “take a break” and then resume our activity, allowing time for the small accumulators to recharge.
A supereffort is when we proceed to work with a particular center, despite episodes of feeling tired, until both of the small accumulators are emptied. When that occurs a direct link to the large accumulator can take place and we are no longer subject to bouts of feeling tired.
Gurdjieff says:
“Small accumulators suffice for the ordinary, everyday work of life. But for work on oneself, for inner growth, and for the efforts which are required of a man who enters the way, the energy from these small accumulators is not enough.
“We must learn how to draw energy straight from the large accumulator.
“This however is possible only with the help of the emotional center. It is essential that this be understood. The connection with the large accumulator can be effected only through the emotional center. The instinctive, moving, and intellectual centers, by themselves, can feed only on the small accumulators.
Other Cosmoses
Elsewhere in In Search of the Miraculous Giurdjieff makes the following statement:
“In our system the end of the ray of creation, the growing end, so to speak, of the branch, is the moon. The energy for the growth, that is, for the development of the moon and for the formation of new shoots, goes to the moon from the earth, where it is created by the joint action of the sun, of all the other planets of the solar system, and of the earth itself. This energy is collected and preserved in a huge accumulator situated on the earth’s surface. This accumulator is organic life on earth.”
Perhaps you thought that the Moon “feeding on organic life” was nothing to do with accumulators, but depending on how you read this excerpt, maybe life on Earth constitutes the great accumulator both for the Earth and for its embryonic Moon—passing to them the high hydrogens that they need for their own thinking, emotional and moving centers.