One obvious consideration with Gurdjieff is the relationship to sufism, and its history, legacy, and relationship to Islam. At the time of Gurdjieff's appearance this connection was veiled, although many discovered it soon enough. 

It is obvious in retrospect that Gurdjieff was raised in and explored the field of the sufistic tradtion, managing to find a number of its hidden corners. However, his 'teaching' is something quite different from what is conventionally seen as the 'sufi path' (whatever that is). In general the question of sufism is not easy to map out successfully and suffers from the totalitarian context it is forced to survive. It is difficult and finally counterproductive to attempt to embark on such a 'path' armed with nothing more than the public materials of that tradition. 

The figure of Idries Shah has done a great deal to partially illuminate this tradition, and it is also an open question as to his connections with Gurdjieff. He has also produced a number of books, one with a pseudonym, attempting to throw some light on Gurdjieff's 'search'. Mostly his remarks are as untrustworthy as anything in Gurdjieff's own autobiography, so it is difficult to draw any conclusions. 

J. G. Bennett pursues the distinction between the different sufistic strains, as between the so-called Kwajagan and straight sufistic/Arabian strains or schools, and we can, especially given our historical perspective (to be developed in next chapter) easily see that sufism is being cast between the poles of monotheistic/gnostic mysticism and the Buddhist influences that had long before penetrated the field of Central Asia where Gurdjieff was at home. Don't let all this confusion distract from the basic simplicity of the situation as it revolves around a Buddhistic and monotheistic dialectic. Scratch an accomplished sufi and you'll find someone who has cripped notes from Patanjali, no doubt. Since most sufis 'in place' must bluff their way through a difficult totalitarian environment, the West has rapidly become a more useful milieu for the pursuit of sufi issues. 

No accurate or reliable accounts exist of either the history or legacy of Sufism, or of its more recondite manifestations, such as we see in Gurdjieff, who was, in any case, attempting to create a breakaway tradition of his own. 

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