Chapter 8, Ekim Bey Summary and Analysis

Gurdjieff meets Ekim Bey while both are still young men and staying in Constantinople. They cross paths after Gurdjieff becomes ill and ends up being cared for in Bey's house by way of circumstance involving the diving for tossed coins from steamers. Gurdjieff had retrieved a valuable item accidentally dropped by Bey's father from a steamship.

Four years later, Bey shows up at the town of Suram, where Pogossian, Yelov, Karpenko and Gurdjieff live. All become good friends and share many quixotic ideas. They hear of an expedition that Prince Yuri Lubovedsky plans and decide to join him. While on their way, they hear about a dervish who is purportedly very wise. They decide to make the side trip to meet this man.

The dervish notices the Gurdjieff seems to be a practicing yogi and proceeds to...