Four Mystery Plays
GA 14
The Soul's Awakening
Scene 11
The same. Enter Benedictus and Strader.
Strader:
Thou didst speak gravely, and Maria spoke
Right harshly to me also, when ye two
Showed yourselves to me at my life's abyss.
Benedictus:
Thou know'st those pictures have no real being;
Their content only strives to make its way
Into the soul and takes pictorial form.
Strader:
Yet it was hard to hear these pictures say:
‘Where is thy light? Thou rayest darkness out,
’Midst light thou dost create the baffling gloom.’
So spake the spirit through Maria's form.
Benedictus:
Because in thine ascent thou hadst attained
To higher levels on the spirit-path,
The spirit, which had led thee to itself,
Used darkness as a symbol to depict
The state of knowledge which was thine before.
This spirit chose to use Maria's form
Because thy soul itself so fashioned it.
The spirit, my dear Strader, at this hour
Works mightily within thee and will lead
Thee with swift flight to lofty grades of soul.
Strader:
And yet these words still terrify my soul:
‘Because thou art afraid to ray out light.’
The spirit spake this also in that scene.
Benedictus:
The spirit had to call thy soul afraid
Because in thee those things were cowardice
Which would, in lesser souls, be bravery.
As we advance, our former bravery
Turns into fear which must be overcome.
Strader:
Oh! how these words do pierce me to the heart!
Romanus lately told me of his plan:
I was to carry out the work myself
No longer with thee but without thine aid.
In this event, he was prepared to use
All that he had to succour Hilary.
When I declared that I could ne'er consent
To separate the work from out thy group,
He answered that in that case it would be
In vain to make more effort. He it is
Who backs the opposition to my work,
Which Hilary's companion offereth.
Without these plans my life must worthless seem.
Since these two men have torn away from me
My field of action, all that I can see
Ahead is life reft of the breath of life.
In order that my spirit may not show
Discouragement I need that bravery
Of which thou spak'st just now. But whether I
Shall find my strength sufficient for the task
Is more than I can say, for I can feel
How that same force which I must needs set free
Will likewise work on me destructively.
Benedictus:
Maria and Johannes have just now
In seership progressed; what recently
Hindered them from bridging o'er the gap
Between the mystic life and world of sense
Is no more there, and in the course of time
Aims will appear in which both thou and they
Can take part jointly. 'Tis not guidance, but
Creative strength that flows from mystic words:
‘For that which must will surely come to pass.’
And so in wakefulness we must await
The way in which the spirit sends the signs.
Strader:
A vision came to me not long ago
Which I must hold to be a sign from fate.
I was aboard a ship, thou at the helm,
The labouring oars were under my command;
And we were bearing to their place of work
Maria and Johannes; there appeared
Another ship quite close to us; on board
Romanus and the friend of Hilary—
They lay athwart our course as enemies.
I battled with them;—as the fight went on
Lo! Ahriman stood by their side to help.
While I was bitterly engaged with him
Came Theodora to my side, in aid,—
And then the vision vanished from my sight.—
I dared to say once to Capesius
And Felix that I could with ease endure
The opposition which now menaceth
My work from outward sources e'en if all
My plans were ruined—I should stand upright.
Suppose that picture now should show to me
That outward opposition doth imply
An inward fight—a fight with Ahriman:
Am I well armoured also for this fight?
Benedictus:
My friend, I can behold in thine own soul
This picture is not fully ripe as yet.
I feel thou canst make stronger still the power
Which showed this picture to thy spirit's eye.
I can feel too that for thy friends and thee
This picture can create new powers of soul
If only thou wilt rightly strive for strength.
This can I feel;—how it shall be fulfilled
Remains a secret hidden from my sight.
Curtain
Elftes Bild.
Dasselbe Zimmer wie in den beiden vorigen Bildern. Benedictus und Strader treten in das Zimmer.
Strader:
Ihr sprachet ernste und Maria auch
sehr harte Worte, als ihr beide mir
am Abgrund meines Lebens euch gezeigt.
Benedictus:
Ihr wisst, die Bilder sind nicht wesenhaft;
der Inhalt ist’s, der zu der Seele dringen
und sich im Bilde offenbaren will.
Strader:
Doch hart war, was aus diesen Bildern sprach:
»Wo ist dein Licht? ‒ Du strahlest Finsternis,
Du schaffst ins Licht die wirre Finsternis.»
So sprach, als Bild Marias, doch der Geist.
Benedictus:
Da Ihr Euch auf der Bahn des Geistes
um eine Stufe höher hobt, deshalb bezeugte
der Geist, der Euch zu sich empor geführt,
was Ihr vorher erreicht, als Finsternis.
Marias Bild hat dieser Geist gewählt,
weil eure Seele ihn Euch so gestaltet.
Mein lieber Strader, mächtig waltet jetzt
der Geist in Euch; er führt in raschem Fluge
zu hohen Seelenstufen Euch hinan.
Strader:
Und doch, es klingt ganz furchtbar meiner Seele:
»Weil du zu feige bist, dein Licht zu strahlen.«
Auch dieses sprach der Geist in jenem Bilde.
Benedictus:
Es mußte Euch der Geist doch feige nennen.
Weil eurer Seele wahrlich feige ist,
was für gering’re Seelen Tapferkeit.
Im Fortschritt wird, was früher mutig war,
zur Feigheit, die zu überwinden ist.
Strader:
O, wie berühren diese Worte mich!
Romanus sprach mir jüngst von seinem Plane.
Ich sollte nicht mit Euch vereint das Werk
vollführen, sondern ohne Eure Hilfe.
Er wäre dann bereit, Hilarius
mit allem, was er habe, beizustehn. ‒
Auf meinen Einwand hin, daß ich das Werk
von eurem Kreise niemals trennen werde,
erklärte er, daß dann das weitre Mühen
vergeblich sei. Romanus unterstützt
den Widerstand, den Gottgetreus Gefährte
dem Plane bietet, ohne den mein Leben
mir wahrhaft völlig wertlos scheinen muß.
Ich sehe, da die beiden Männer mir
das Tatenfeld entreißen, nichts vor mir
als Leben, dem die Luft zum Leben fehlt.
Daß jetzt mein Geist nicht flügellahm sich zeige,
bedarf ich jener Tapferkeit, von der
ihr eben spracht. ‒ Ob ich jedoch dazu
mich stark genug auch zeigen werde, dies
vermag ich nicht zu sagen, denn ich fühle,
wie sich die Kraft, die ich entfesseln will,
zugleich auch gegen mich verderblich wendet.
Benedictus:
Maria und Johannes sind im Schauen
seit kurzem fortgeschritten; was sie noch
vorher gehindert, von dem Mystenleben
den Schritt ins Sinnensein zu tun, es ist
nicht mehr vorhanden; Ziele werden sich
im weitern Zeitverlauf für Euch und sie
gemeinsam finden. ‒ Nicht als Führer, doch
als Kräfteschöpfer gilt das Wort des Mysten:
Es wird geschehen, was geschehen muß.
Deshalb erwarten wir in Wachsamkeit,
in welcher Art der Geist die Zeichen weist.
Strader:
Zum Bilde schuf sich mir vor kurzer Zeit,
was mir als Schicksalswink erscheinen muß.
Ich war in einem Schiff; am Steuer Ihr;
besorgen mußte ich das Ruderwerk;
Maria und Johannes fuhren wir
an ihre Wirkensstätte; da erschien
ganz nah’ an uns ein andres Schiff; in ihm
Romanus mit dem Freunde Gottgetreus.
Sie stellten sich uns feindlich gegenüber.
Ich kämpfe gegen sie; ‒ im Kampfe trat
dann Ahriman an ihrer Seite auf.
Noch schaut’ ich mich im harten Kampf mit ihm,
zur Seite trat mir helfend Theodora.
Dann schwand das Bild aus meinem Geisteskreis. ‒
Ich wagte vor Capesius und Felix
einmal das Wort: Ertragen würd’ ich leicht
den Widerstand, der meinem Werke jetzt
von aussen droht; wenn auch an ihm mein Wollen
zerschellte, ‒ ich vermöchte mich zu halten. ‒
Ob jenes Bild mir jetzt bedeuten will,
daß äussrer Widerstand der Ausdruck ist
für innren Kampf ‒ für Kampf mit Ahriman?
Bin ich für diesen Kampf denn auch gerüstet?
Benedictus:
Mein Freund, ich kann in Eurer Seele schauen,
daß dieses Bild noch nicht Euch voll gereift.
Ich fühle, Ihr vermögt’ die Kraft zu stärken,
die Euch dies Bild vor Geistesaugen stellte. ‒
Empfinden kann ich auch, daß Ihr für Euch
und auch für eure Freunde Kräfte schafft,
wenn Ihr die Stärkung recht erstreben wollt.
Erfühlen kann ich dies; doch wie es sich
vollziehen wird, verbirgt sich meinem Schauen.
(Vorhang fällt.)
Scene Eleven
The same room as in the previous two pictures. Benedictus and Strader enter the room.
Strader:
You spoke serious words, and Mary also
very harsh words, when you both showed yourselves to me
at the abyss of my life.
Benedictus:
You know that the images are not essential;
it is the content that penetrates the soul
and wants to reveal itself in the image.
Strader:
But what spoke from these images was harsh:
“Where is your light? You radiate darkness,
you bring confused darkness into the light.”
So spoke the spirit, in the image of Mary.
Benedictus:
Since you have raised yourself one step higher on the path of the spirit,
the spirit that has led you up to itself has testified
to what you previously achieved as darkness.
This spirit has chosen the image of Mary
because your soul has shaped it for you in this way.
My dear Strader, the spirit now reigns powerfully within you; it leads you swiftly upward
My dear Strader, the Spirit now reigns powerfully
within you; it leads you in swift flight
to high levels of the soul.
Strader:
And yet, it sounds terrible to my soul:
“Because you are too cowardly to let your light shine.”
This, too, was spoken by the spirit in that image.
Benedictus:
The spirit had to call you cowardly.
Because your soul is truly cowardly,
what bravery for lesser souls.
In progress, what was once courageous
becomes cowardice that must be overcome.
Strader:
Oh, how these words move me!
Romanus recently told me of his plan.
I should not carry out the work together with you,
but without your help.
He would then be prepared to assist Hilarius
with everything he had. ‒
When I objected that I would never separate the work
from your circle,
he declared that further efforts would then
be in vain. Romanus supports
the resistance that Gottgetreu's companion
offers to the plan, without which my life
must seem truly worthless to me.
I see, since the two men are snatching
the field of action from me, nothing before me
but a life that lacks the air to breathe.
That my spirit does not now show itself wingless,
I need that courage of which you just spoke. ‒ Whether I will
be strong enough to do so, I
cannot say, for I feel
how the power I want to unleash
is at the same time turning against me to my detriment.
Benedictus:
Mary and John have recently made progress in their vision;
what previously prevented them
previously prevented them from taking the step from the mystic life
into the life of the senses is
no longer present; goals will
be found for you and them
together in the course of time. Not as a guide, but
as a creator of power, the mystic's word applies:
What must happen will happen.
Therefore, we wait vigilantly,
to see in what way the Spirit will show us the signs.
Strader:
A picture came to me a short time ago,
which I must regard as a sign of destiny.
I was in a ship; you were at the helm;
I had to take care of the rudder;
We were sailing Maria and Johannes
to their place of work; then another ship appeared
very close to us; in it
Romanus with his friend Gottgetreus.
They stood hostile towards us.
I fought against them; ‒ in the fight
Ahriman then appeared at their side.
I still see myself in the fierce battle with him,
Theodora came to my aid.
Then the image faded from my mind. ‒
I dared to say to Capesius and Felix
once: I would easily endure
the resistance that now threatens my work
from outside; even if my will were to be shattered by it,
I would be able to hold my ground.
Does that image now mean to me that external resistance is the expression
of an inner struggle—a struggle with Ahriman?
Am I equipped for this struggle?
Benedictus:
My friend, I can see into your soul
that this image has not yet fully matured in you.
I feel that you are capable of strengthening the power
that this image has placed before your mind's eye. ‒
I can also sense that you are creating strength for yourself
and also for your friends,
if you truly strive for this strengthening.
I can sense this; but how it will come about
is hidden from my view.
(Curtain falls.)