聲名狼籍的葛吉夫

CONTROVERSIAL REPUTATION

聲名狼籍

 

     During the 1920s Gurdjieff gained prominence in the West as a powerful teacher of esoteric ideas.  Important writers, journalists and academics began paying attention to Gurdjieff and his students.  As with many charismatic figures surrounded by an entourage of dedicated followers, rumour and innuendo swirled like dark clouds around Gurdjieff and his community at the Château du Prieuré in France:

 

在1920年代期間，葛吉夫在西方成為了一個引起注意的秘教老師。許多重要的作家、記者及學者開始關注葛吉夫和他的學生們。伴隨著一群祟拜者圍繞而製造出的魅力形象，謠言和譏諷也如烏雲罩頂般的環繞葛吉夫，和他在法國普里耶城堡裏的從眾者。

 

               A certain ambivalence broods over the historical Prieuré, almost as if

               both White and Black Magician held sway there; perhaps -- in unequal

               measure -- they did.  Bechhofer-Roberts detected signs of hoofs and

               horns all over the place; Clifford Sharpe, despite his fundamental

               sympathy, had Gurdjieff manipulating ‘with an ingenuity that is almost

               diabolical’; and Captain John Godolphin Bennett (a weekend guest)

               alleges: ‘Some people went mad.  There were even suicides.  Many

               gave up in despair.’ (1)

 

有兩種矛盾存在普里耶，就好像白魔法與黑魔法統治了那裏；或許—以不相當的份量—確實存在。貝克佛-羅伯茲察覺到到處都有蹄與角的符號；克立佛夏普，儘管有著最基本的同情，仍然認為葛吉夫「用一種幾乎如惡魔般的機巧」在操縱著一切；約翰顧德芬班納特(一位週末訪客)宣稱：「有些人瘋了。甚至有人自殺。很多人絕望的放棄了。」

 

     Even though many of the allegations were subsequently proven to be untrue or at least greatly exaggerated, an impression was created in the minds of many that Gurdjieff was disreputable or even dangerous.  He was described by cynical journalists and members of the French metaphysical establishment as an authoritarian dictator who controlled and manipulated his followers: “Gurdjieff demanded and received absolute obedience from every one of his pupils.  His word was law, and he reigned as a tyrant among devoted slaves.” (2)

 

        雖然很多言論隨後被證實是不真實的或至少某種程度的被誇大，但某種印象已經在人們心中建立起來，即葛吉夫是聲名狼籍的或甚至是危險的。他被一些冷嘲熱諷的記者和法國形上學術機構學者形容為專制的獨裁者，控制和操縱他的追隨者。「葛吉夫要求和受到每一個門徒絕對的服從。他的話就是法律，而且他如一個暴君統治這些獻身的奴隸們。」

 

     In subsequent years the press, outside observers and some of Gurdjieff’s own students continued to question and criticize his motives, scope of knowledge, unorthodox healing practices, personal behaviour and habits, patriarchal beliefs, gender attitudes and even his driving.  And after his death in 1949 a number of critical articles and books appeared which vilified the man and his teachings, reinforcing the impression that Gurdjieff was at best misguided and at worst a charlatan and demagogue.

 

在接下來的幾年，媒體、外圍觀察者和一些葛吉夫的學生繼續質疑和批判他的動機、知識範圍、非正統的治療執業、個人行為和癖好、大男人的信念、性別態度和甚至是他的駕駛行為。在他死後的1949年，一些批判性的文章和書籍出現，貶低這個人和他的教導，加強了某些印象，最好的印象是葛吉夫被誤導，最糟的是他是一個吹牛大王和群眾煽動者。

 

Criticism by Journalists and the French Metaphysical Community

記者和法國形上學團體的評論

 

     The establishment of Gurdjieff’s Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man at the Château du Prieuré in 1922 attracted the attention of many journalists eager for a sensational story.  Gurdjieff and his followers did not disappoint.  A number of rumours quickly surfaced and circulated with little or no evidence to substantiate them.  The popular press vied for the most outrageous article: Gurdjieff exercised occult powers; he seduced his female disciples; he was responsible for several deaths under suspicious circumstances.  Gurdjieff was widely referred to as a ‘Black Magician,’ and one French critic labelled him “a false prophet, a pretentious ignoramus.”

 

        葛吉夫於1922年在普里耶城堡建立的人類和諧發展機構，吸引了很多記者的注意，渴望得到一個轟動的故事。葛吉夫和他的追隨者沒有讓他們失望。一些沒有得到證實的謠言隨即四起，並且到處散播。主流媒體競逐最誇張的文章：葛吉夫運用超自然能力；他誘惑女門徒；他要為幾宗可疑的死亡負責。葛吉夫最被普遍指涉的是他是一個「黑魔法師」，而且一篇法國評論將他貼上「假先知，自負而不學無術」的標籤。

 

     Gurdjieff’s controversial image followed him to North America.  In 1933 well-known English writer Rom Landau visited Gurdjieff in a New York City hotel for an interview. According to Gurdjieff biographer James Webb, Landau was alarmed and agitated by the experience:

 

        葛吉夫聲名狼籍的形象跟隨他到北美。在1933年，知名的英國作家羅姆藍道拜訪葛吉夫位於紐約的旅館進行訪談。根據葛吉夫的傳記作者詹姆士韋伯記述，藍道因為這個訪談經驗而驚慌焦慮：

 

               The interview with Gurdjieff went badly.  Landau was discomposed

               by having unwanted cigarettes pressed on him, and Gurdjieff clearly

               did not intend to answer his questions.  Even worse, the journalist

               appeared to be falling under some “hypnotic influence” or “electric

               emanation” which deprived him of the power to move from his chair

               and gave him a feeling of “acute nervousness” in the pit of his stomach.

               Gurdjieff looked “the perfect Levantine, evasive in his answers, hyper-

               bolic and anxious as to what effect he was producing.” (3)

 

與葛吉夫的會面非常的糟糕。藍道被葛吉夫強塞雪茄而不安，而且葛吉夫很顯然的不想回答他的問題。更糟的是，記者似乎受到「催眠影響」或「電流」讓他失去力氣而從椅子上跌下來，而且在他的胃上感受到一種「尖刺的緊張」。

 

     Many of the rumours surrounding Gurdjieff during and after his life were wildly speculative without a shred of supporting evidence.  James Webb claimed that Gurdjieff was once an agent for the Russian secret service, but supplied no convincing substantia-tion in his 1980 biography of Gurdjieff.  A rumour, circulating in London émigré circles during the 1930s, suggesting Gurdjieff had been imprisoned for evading military service in his youth was, again, sheer speculation.  Allegations by French writer Louis Pauwels in 1954 that Gurdjieff played an important role in shaping Nazi ideology, including having suggested use of the inverted swastika, were subsequently refuted by credible historical sources.

 

        很多謠言圍繞著葛吉夫在他生前與死後，大部份是推測而少有支持的證據。詹姆士韋伯在他於1980所撰的葛吉夫傳記裏，聲稱葛吉夫曾經是俄國情報機構的間諜，但提不出可信的證據。1930年代，有一個謠言散播在倫敦外國移民者的圈子裏，稱葛吉夫年輕時曾因為逃避兵役而坐牢，這仍然是純粹的推測。1954年，法國作家路易斯包威爾聲稱，葛吉夫在形成納粹意識型態上扮演了一個重要的角色，包含建議使用反轉的十字記號，這項聲稱隨後被可信的歷史資料所反駁。

 

     Some of the most serious allegations about Gurdjieff involved sexual misconduct and suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths of some of his students.  Biographer James Moore thoroughly reviewed these accusations and found virtually no supporting evidence. (4)  Although the most outrageous allegations have been dispelled by Moore and others, the impression they created at the time left a cloud of suspicion that hung over Gurdjieff for the rest of his life.

 

        有些最嚴重的指控，是關於葛吉夫涉及通姦和涉嫌有些學生的死亡。傳記作家詹姆士摩爾重新探討這些指控，發現並無實質上的支持證據。雖然最惡劣的指稱已經被摩爾和其他人驅散，但這些指控在那時造就的印象，讓葛吉夫終生疑雲罩頂。

 

     Gurdjieff was also opposed by the French metaphysical establishment.  When he began teaching in France in 1922 there was already a long tradition of esoteric studies in that country.  Proponents of these metaphysical schools quickly denounced Gurdjieff and his ideas as an affront to traditional spiritual teachings. He was labeled a charlatan and accused of leading his followers into a spiritual void.

 

        葛吉夫也遭法國形上學學會的反對。當他於1922年開始在法國教授時，在這個國家已經有非常悠久的秘教研究傳統。這些形上學派的支持者們很快的譴責葛吉夫和他的思想是公開污辱傳統的靈性教誨。他被歸類為吹牛和被指控領導他的追隨者走向靈性的空洞。

 

     The chief critic of Gurdjieff and his teachings for much of the 1930s and 1940s was the leading French esotericist René Guénon, who advised his students to “flee Gurdjieff like the plague.”  He strongly condemned Gurdjieff’s personal behaviour and perceived disregard for traditional spiritual transmission through established religions such as Christianity and Islam. (5)

 

        1930年代及1940年代對葛吉夫和他教誨的批評，最主要是來自法國神秘主義的領導者瑞芮顧耶儂，他勸告他的學生們「趕快像避開瘟疫一樣的逃離葛吉夫」他強烈的譴責葛吉夫的個人行為，和他不尊重透過已建立的宗教來傳遞傳統的靈性，例如基督教和伊斯蘭教。