Gurdjieff and his one-time disciple Ouspensky revived the doctrine of Eternal Recurrence and put it forward as a better alternative to the doctrine of Reincarnation. If we examine the historic Tibetan Buddhist symbol called "The Wheel of Life," we see pictures of human beings being moved through contrasting phases of experience as the wheel turns round. But after it comes full circle they are subjected to exactly the same conditions, the same phases as before. It is pertinent to remember that Gurdjieff learnt about Eternal Recurrence in a Buddhist monastery in Central Asia, where the same version of Buddhism prevails as in Tibet. It is also pertinent to remember the monotonous movement of life for the somewhat primitive inhabitants of that wild region for centuries until very lately. The pattern of their existence recurred again and again in the same way. What more fitting in their beliefs than that their rebirths would be similar too?
-- Notebooks Category 9: From Birth to Rebirth > Chapter 2 : Rebirth and Reincarnation > # 207
