“The idea of a miracle in the sense of a violation of laws by the will which made
them is not only contrary to common sense but to the very idea of will itself. A
‘miracle’ can only be a manifestation of laws which are unknown to men or rarely met
with. A ‘miracle’ is the manifestation in this world of the laws of another world.” ISOM P.D. Ouspensky p 84

“We had many talks about the idea of miracles, and about the fact that
the Absolute cannot manifest its will in our world and that this will
manifests itself only in the form of mechanical laws and cannot manifest
itself by violating these laws.
I do not remember which of us was first to remember a well-known, though not
very respectful school story, in which we at once saw an illustration of this law.
The story is about an over-aged student of a seminary who, at a final examination,
does not understand the idea of God’s omnipotence.
‘Well, give me an example of something that the Lord cannot do,” said the
examining bishop.
“It won’t take long to do that, your Eminence,” answered the seminarist. “Everyone
knows that even the Lord himself cannot beat the ace of trumps with the ordinary
deuce.”
Nothing could be more clear.
There was more sense in this silly story than in a thousand theological treatises. The
laws of a game make the essence of the game. A violation of these laws would destroy
the entire game. The Absolute can as little interfere in our life and substitute other
results in the place of the natural results of causes created by us, or created
accidentally, as he can beat the ace of trumps with the deuce. Turgenev wrote
somewhere that all ordinary prayers can be reduced to one: “Lord, make it so that
twice two be not four.” This is the same thing as the ace of trumps of the seminarist.”
ISOM P.D.Ouspensky p.94

“The manifestation of the laws of one cosmos in another cosmos constitutes what
we call a miracle. There can be no other kind of miracle. A miracle is not a breaking
of laws, nor is it a phenomenon outside laws.
It is a phenomenon which takes place according to the laws of another cosmos. These
laws are incomprehensible and unknown to us, and are therefore miraculous.”
Quotations from G.I.G Teaching M.W. Thring p.201