William Segal

Gurdjieff International Review

William Segal

1904 – 2000

William Segal was interested in Eastern thought and meditation. He studied with many religious leaders of the twentieeth century. Zen pioneers D. T. Suzuki and Paul Reps were personal friends. He studied with G. I. Gurdjieff in the forties and guided others in the Gurdjieff teaching for many years.

For William Segal

William Segal, a long time student of Gurdjieff, died on May 16, 2000. David Appelbaum’s compact, articulate eulogy celebrates the multi-faceted life of William Segal as a philosopher, business-man, artist and spiritual teacher.

A Voice at the Borders of Silence

These excerpts are taken from the recently published book, A Voice at the Borders of Silence: The Autobiography of William Segal. Segal was a pupil of some of the most influential spiritual masters of the 20th century—including Mr. Gurdjieff and D. T. Suzuki. His life is explored through his own writings and art, as well as through interviews.

Wm. Segal

William Segal illuminates an exceptional array of topics, especially self-transformation, in this interview with Daniel Hess which was first published in the Shambhala Sun, November–December 1992.

In Light of Meaning: An Interview with William Segal [Excerpt Only]

In this 1995 interview, William Segal and David Appelbaum discuss uses of language and demonstrate that quality of attention and an inner presence are essential elements in the art of communication. First published in Parabola, Vol. XX, No. 3, New York, and is reprinted with their kind permission.

The Patriarch Goes West

William Segal compares Gurdjieff to a Zen Patriarch and points out that his teaching has a timely appeal to Westerners, especially for those who are “hungry for deeper, more authentic modes of life.”