Spiritual Knowledge: A Way of Life
GA 231
16 November 1923, The Hague
Translated by Mary Adams
The road that leads to a knowledge and understanding of the spiritual world differs in many respects from the method of knowledge that meets with general acceptance to-day.
As I have explained on other occasions, not only is it possible in our time to travel on this road, but there is in the man of the present day a deep need—yes, a hunger—for knowledge of the super-sensible. Certain preparatory inner experiences are, as you know, required in order to awaken in man the hitherto slumbering consciousness of the spiritual world and of the eternal in his own being. Man cannot, therefore, follow this path of knowledge without its affecting him in his innermost soul. Here we have at once a radical difference from the way of cognition to which we are accustomed.
Consider for a moment the scientific knowledge we acquire to-day by the activity of the intellect—and all present-day knowledge is so acquired, whether it be based on observation or on experiment. Where, to begin with, is this knowledge? For the most part, in books, in writing. The path of knowledge is in consequence well-defined, and man has continually to accept—and is often glad to accept—the limits marked out for recognised knowledge. How readily, when entering into some question of practical life, a man will defer to books—or shall we say, for it sounds a little better, will seek the requisite knowledge along purely scientific lines! This knowledge once acquired, he is, of course, ready to be himself—to be man—again. He has no wish to remain, in life, in the mood that accepts without question, maintaining even with a certain pride: it has been scientifically proved. ... When anyone brings forward something he has discovered out of his own experience, it will frequently happen that one who is au fait in scientific matters will immediately reply: But that does not tally with what is already known and proved, with what has been established as scientific fact. Knowledge has become severed from direct personal experience, so much so indeed that it is regarded as genuine only if acquired and experienced quite apart from any relation to what springs from the heart of man.
The path of knowledge which leads to a recognition of the spiritual world and of the eternal in the human being has quite another character. It calls upon the personal in man; he cannot so much as take one step upon it without heart and soul being directly concerned. And I want to-day to speak of the results for the life of man when knowledge is in this way brought into immediate connection with the personal in the human being.
Knowledge of the spiritual world is not just a continuation or extension of the knowledge that prevails to-day; rather does it imply a change in the whole way of experiencing knowledge.
Let us look a little more closely at a distinctive feature of the knowledge that has made such advances in our day and generation. Do not think I want to criticise this method of knowledge. It has achieved a very great deal on its own ground, and has brought to humanity quite remarkable blessings of a material kind, although it must be admitted that these are, in the present age of civilisation, somewhat heavily cancelled out! Present-day knowledge has, throughout, this characteristic: it starts from the assumption that things are either “true” or “untrue”, and sets out to decide between the alternatives by the exercise of the intellect. We make a point, do we not, of being logical and of basing our conclusion on the facts of experience. Once we have come to see that some scientific statement is true or untrue, then it stands there before us in its truth or untruth and our personality has very little concern with it. We can of course—and should—be filled with enthusiasm for the truth, and turn with loathing from error and falsehood; but if we compare our personal relation to the scientific findings of our time as regards their truth and falsehood with other relations of life, we find a considerable difference.
Let me take a simple, practical example. When we satisfy our hunger, we are doing something in which we are ourselves personally involved; the satisfied hunger cannot be said to stand before us as something objective to ourselves. Whereas when we come to a conclusion between truth and untruth in the realm of science we seek rather to keep our personality out of the decision. If yesterday we were in error on a certain matter, and to-day are no longer so, the implication is, we have arrived at a conclusion, but in doing so we have not essentially changed in our personal being. If, on the other hand, we have eaten something we never tasted before, and have enjoyed it, then we are not quite the same as we were.
Now it will be found that the concepts “true” and “untrue”, “true” and “false” become changed when we begin to have immediate experience of the truths of spiritual science. As we gradually find our way on this new path of knowledge, we stop saying: This is true, that is false. The criterion holds good for the material world; there we can rightly let it be our guide. Few people, however, are aware of its origin. If we trace back the word “true” in the various languages, we make an interesting discovery. The abstract concept, it denotes to-day is comparatively new; it is a product of evolution. In earlier times, anything to which man felt he owed acknowledgement and assent was said to be “what the Gods willed.” The world was divided for man into what the Gods have willed and what the Gods have not willed. In many languages the word “true” still retains this older meaning as well. “True” meant “true to the Divine Order”; the abstract meaning came later. When the intellect took command in the field of knowledge, men forgot the origin of the word “true”. And so to-day we have this completely impersonal relation to knowledge.
The new way of knowledge, however, leads us again to associate something actual and vital with what we assent to or reject. In spiritual science we are not content to say of something that it is true or correct; we ascribe to it a quality, an effectual quality. We speak of knowledge being sound, wholesome—or unwholesome, and to be discarded. The concepts “true” or “correct”, and “untrue” or “incorrect”, which are really valid only for the physical world, are replaced by the concepts “sound” and “unsound”. We are thereby obliged to come into a nearer, more personal relation with the whole of knowledge. For we must needs regard as desirable what is sound and wholesome, we incline to it; on the other hand, we turn away from, we reject, so far as we are able, what is unsound or unhealthy. And as we begin to discern in the field of knowledge whether ideas enrich life or impoverish it, strengthen and aid life, or render it sick and feeble, we begin to realise how intimate is the connection of ideas with life. The knowledge of the present day we approach rather as we do a person to whom we are more or less indifferent, with whom we have merely a conventional relation. Not so with the Spiritual Science I am representing here. We approach it in the way we would a friend whom we love.
As we come to apprehend the truths of the pre-earthly life of man—the life he had as a being of soul and spirit in a purely spiritual world—or as we take our way into the realms of the spiritual world through which man lives between death and new birth, we begin to feel deeply connected with these worlds and with all that they contain; we feel impelled to unite our very being with what we recognise as sound and healthy knowledge, giving us a sound, healthy outlook on life, while on the other hand we naturally reject and cast behind us views that we cannot help seeing are unhealthy, unsound.
Let me illustrate my point by comparison once again with a familiar everyday experience. Normally, man takes nourishment, and this, when it has undergone change inside him, enables him to replace what he has used up in his body; and in this metamorphosis of the means of nourishment man has a feeling of well-being. Conditions, however, may arise, owing to which he is unable to take food—perhaps because his organism is not in a state to digest it, or for some other reason. When this is so, man feeds on what is in his own body; he begins, so to say, to devour himself. Certain illnesses are associated with this condition. This is not unlike what happens with us in the pursuit of knowledge. As we gradually acquire knowledge of the spiritual world, we come to feel how, through such knowledge, we are being brought together with the spiritual world, we are becoming one with it; we are finding our way to the Gods, and to our own immortal soul, finding our way to what we shall experience in the spiritual world when we have passed through the gate of death, and to what we experienced there before we came down to earth. It is almost as though we had offered up our own existence, surrendered it in devotion to the world; but that thereby our life had become richer, inwardly richer. We have become the world, and in so doing we begin to apprehend ourselves for the first time in our full human inwardness. We discover that the whole being and existence of man depends on his coming together with the world in this way. Similarly, too, we learn to understand how the lack or neglect of such truths is like having to live in the world without the organs for receiving nourishment, driven to feed on our own body.
It is different on the intellectual plane. Here we can dispute and argue about idealism and materialism, and so forth; to one we may feel kindly disposed—to another perhaps not, but we do not suffer on that account; none of them affects us deeply. But when we have learned to apprehend sound spiritual truths, then ideas that have a materialistic orientation give us pain; for we know, such truths leave man to feed upon himself.
Now we shall find that the experience I have described enables us to distinguish spiritual truths in yet another way, for it brings home to us that truth is related to love, that healthy and sound knowledge is related to selflessness in man—not the selflessness that loses the self but that leads rather to the possession of the self in the true sense. When man has learned to go out of himself and into the world, becoming in this way not empty but filled with world content, then it is that he finds his true manhood.
Devotion, loving devotion to the spiritual facts of life, becomes a characteristic of one who is able to receive spiritual knowledge. We do not, as a rule, find that the pursuit of purely intellectual knowledge has any specific effect on character; but when a man has probed to the heart of spiritual knowledge, he knows that he cannot apprehend such knowledge without its affecting his character, without its entering—to speak in a paradox—into the flesh and blood of his soul, developing in him an inclination to selflessness, to love. He comes also to understand that when man receives knowledge that lacks this health-giving impulse, it drives him—spiritually speaking—to feed on himself, and from this he can learn the true nature of egoism.
The effect upon character is one of the most important results that can accrue from spiritual knowledge. Abstract intellectual knowledge is like an artificial root; it has been constructed by the intellect—no plant can grow from it. This is true of all the scientific knowledge that men respect and revere to-day, useful though it be, and by no means to be disparaged. From a real root grows a real plant; and from a real knowledge, whereby man can unite his spirit with the Spirits of the World, grows little by little the complete man who knows what true selflessness—selfless love—is, and what egoism is, and from this understanding derives impulses to act and work in life—the impulse, where it is right, to be selfless; or again, where he perhaps has need to draw forth something from his own being in preparation for life—there, openly, without any disguise, to develop egoism.
A certain clairvoyance will be found to enter into this self-observation, and into the way it is led over into deed and action. From the root of spiritual knowledge springs the plant of the higher man, the man of soul and spirit. Spiritual knowledge leads therefore quite naturally and inevitably to morality. As regards present-day knowledge, we tend to be proud of the fact that it has no connection with morality or ethics. We assume as a matter of course that we have to examine the inorganic processes in Nature in accordance with their laws, looking in them for cause and effect and not expecting to find in them any ethical working. We boast that we can even go on to apply these methods to living processes, to our study of the plant, of the animal and of the human being, allowing ourselves to concede the presence of a moral element only when we come to consider the deeper impulses that rise up in human hearts and souls: impulses of which, however, we cannot say that they are able to demonstrate their independent existence by accomplishing the transition to objective reality.
Knowledge of the spirit, on the other hand, leading as it does to an intensive development of the experience of selflessness, of that loving devotion to the matter in hand, without which spiritual knowledge is unattainable, and on the other hand to a fine perception of the nature of egoism, brings us right into the moral world-order. The moral world-order begins to be for us an immediate reality. Let us examine a little how this comes about.
We begin to speak no longer merely in an abstract way of a pre-earthly life of man, but actually to look into the spiritual world in which we lived before we descended to Earth, even as we look out: with our physical eyes on our physical surroundings; and we find that we are surrounded there by beings who never take on a physical body, just as here in the physical world we have around us beings who have, like ourselves, a physical body. The spiritual world and its beings become actual and objective; we begin to be familiar with them.
What is the secret of our bodily existence on earth? Even as through the years of childhood, from birth onward, we are continually being impelled, unconsciously or half consciously, to find our way into our body, to grow increasingly one with it, so do we in like manner, throughout our physical life on earth, gradually approach the world, feeling our way towards it by means of our physical organs. When we are active and creative, we—so to speak—lose ourselves in our body; soul and spirit are surrendered to the body and we lose consciousness of them. The content of the world is communicated to us through our bodily nature. Materialism is quite right as far as earthly consciousness is concerned, for we are obliged to make use of the body as long as we remain in the earthly consciousness, and so have to be content with perceiving only what is bodily. If, however, man wants to comprehend the spiritual world and his own super-sensible being, he has to undergo in himself a development wherein the body acts as a hindrance. For the body would wrench us away from the spiritual world, would alienate us from it, driving us back again and again upon ourselves and our own egoity; whereas in spiritual knowledge we have to come right out of ourselves—rather as we do when we love another human being. And in so far as we become able to do this, a deeply significant truth begins to dawn upon us, namely, that man passes through repeated earthly lives.
As a matter of fact, many of the feelings and impulses that we carry in our soul are there as a result of earlier lives on earth; only we do not observe them as such because we remain in our body. Suppose we meet someone, and the meeting leads to a friendship that alters the whole course of our life. When we look back over the earlier years, we discover with the eye of the spirit what we could never find by the aid of bodily vision alone: namely, that our whole life up to the moment of meeting him was a search for that person. One who is already a little older and looks back in this way is able to see his life as the working out of a plan; he recognises how, when he was quite a little child, his life took a direction that was to bring about eventually the meeting with this friend. We can go further in this kind of observation of life and discover that all we do, though it may seem to result from the working of earthly physical forces, is in reality guided from elsewhere. We come in fact to recognise that the life we are now living is dependent on earlier lives on earth. And between these have been also lives in a spiritual world.
Now we can come to a knowledge of the other lives we have lived on earth only when we learn to imbue with love the faculty of cognition. It is by no means so easy as some people think, to discover the man we were! For he is a complete stranger to us now. Only a selfless, love-imbued faculty of cognition can grasp this other person, so that he enters into our consciousness.
This is how it is with all stages of higher, spiritual knowledge. Our knowledge has to become a loving knowledge, intimately bound up with our personality, a knowledge that simply cannot be at all without our personality taking part in it. And as we grow into this larger world, and learn to look beyond birth and beyond death, to look also beyond and behind the world of the senses—for in the plant, animal, and mineral kingdoms we begin to behold beings, spiritually active beings—as we do this, we come into a kingdom of reality, where the ethical impulses that inhere in our knowledge have place. I will give you an example.
Destiny, we say, is hard to bear. So little good seems often to result from actions that spring from the highest motives, whilst others that flow from evil motives reap marvelous success! How is this? The reason is that this physical world of the senses, not-withstanding that we have taken for ourselves a fragment of it to form, as it were, a garment for our souls, has in it no moral impulses. The moral and ethical impulses that are behind our actions have no place there; they are wiped away out of whatever we do or make in the physical world; the nearest approach to moral working is a purely formal compensatory effect. But this physical world is permeated throughout with spirit; we carry our moral or immoral actions into the world of the spirit. And here, even as we found that “true” comes to mean for us sound or healthy, we recognise that when man devotes himself to moral truth, he becomes in his inner being, strong, well developed; whereas when he gives himself up to error he becomes a cripple in soul and spirit.
In the present cycle of evolution this does not find expression in the physical body (there we carry the results of what we did and achieved in our previous life on earth); but when we have laid down our physical body and gone through the gate of death, then there is no longer anything to prevent our soul and spirit from assuming the physiognomy we have acquired from the ethical quality of our experience. There in the spiritual world we, as soul and spirit, are strong and well-developed, or crippled and weak. Then, later on, comes the time for us to resume a physical body; and in forming it we build, from within, our own destiny. For we may, on the one hand, be able, having brought from an earlier life a harmonious soul-and-spirit nature, to form the new body in perfect order and proportion, so that we can employ it in good and useful activity; or, coming into incarnation, as it were, as a moral cripple, we may find ourselves able only to form and guide the new body in a clumsy and awkward fashion, from embryo up to adult age. And now this inner destiny becomes our outer destiny. For it is clear to an unprejudiced observation that whatever befalls us from without is closely connected with what we ourselves have prepared as our inner destiny. In all our intercourse with the world outside, we make use of the body as an instrument, and according as we use it skillfully and well, or badly and clumsily, we occasion, at any rate in part, the events that befall us. And then, in the further lives that follow, come new compensation and balancing-out. Thus in the spiritual world we find the formative forces that belong to our moral life. The moral world becomes for us a reality.
We see how an ethical impulse cannot in one earth-life effect a change in the physical body, but when it passes over into the next life on earth, can work there quite definitely as a health-giving influence, no less truly than heat works in the physical world, or light, or electricity. That we imagine the moral world—order to be no more than a man-made abstraction is due to the fact that we take cognisance only of the physical world, tracing everything back there from effect to cause; we can, however, equally well recognise this law at work in the spiritual world; only there we have to trace the effects, as they show themselves in one life, back to causes in an earlier life on earth. In other words, we need to know the level on which the law of cause and effect has to be applied to human destiny.
Now all that sounds very well, someone might say, but as things are, men have not this spiritual knowledge of which you speak; only a researcher in the spirit can see into the spiritual world-others must be content with the words and ideas in which he clothes his perceptions. To this I would reply: To paint a picture, one must be an artist; but to experience the beauty and inner content of the picture one need not be an artist, one has only to approach the picture with a sincere and open mind. It is the same with spiritual knowledge. In order to “paint” in ideas, one must be a researcher in the spirit; but once the picture is painted, it stands there for others to behold. And if these, who are not themselves “artists”, are free from prejudice and are sincere seekers after truth, they will receive health and healing from the descriptions of the spiritual world.
We are actually, at the present day, in a peculiar position in this respect. Spiritual Science, in the sense we understand it here, is, comparatively speaking, a new thing in our civilisation. The person who is able to represent it from immediate experience, stands alone; and all he can do is to clothe it in words and ideas, and impart these to his fellow men. It might even be thought that what he has to say concerns himself alone! In any case, that is how the position is to-day. One earnestly hopes it will soon alter, for Spiritual Science has power to quicken and awaken man inwardly. As things still are, however, mankind remains to-day a recipient only of spiritual knowledge.
For him who acquires spiritual knowledge, the case is very different. There comes a point where he has to undergo a pain with which no other pain can be compared. It is at the moment when he passes beyond his own spiritual experience between birth and death and launches out into the vast ocean of eternity in which we shall be when we have gone through the gate of death, and in which we were before we descended through birth to physical life on earth. An indescribable pain is involved in leaving, on the path of knowledge, the world of the physical senses, and entering the world of the spirit. The whole being is, as it were, steeped in pain. And now a remarkable thing happens. At first the higher knowledge seizes hold of the traveler in his entire being; but then, it wrests itself free of him with unbelievable force and certainty.
Since we have set out in this lecture to show where the personal has place in the path of knowledge, you will allow me, I think, to describe at this point what is, on the face of it, an entirely personal matter. As we shall find, however, what seems most personal in it has nevertheless an impersonal character. It is an experience that can befall anyone who comes into a similar situation.
To begin with, as I said, the knowledge of the spiritual takes hold of the entire human being. Ordinary intellectual knowledge is a concern of the head, the intellect. It is in the head alone that we have to exert ourselves. True, the acquisition of this kind of knowledge often obliges one to sit still for long hours at a stretch, so that one may be glad to break off for sheer weariness! It is nevertheless true to say that ordinary knowledge does not call upon the whole human being. But if we try to acquire, with the aid of the intellect alone, knowledge of the spiritual and super-sensible, it evades us like a dream; its great and far-reaching conceptions slip from our grasp. When we have, so to speak, pressed forward to the spiritual world, when we have passed what is spoken of as the Guardian of the Threshold, we have the greatest trouble to bring to consciousness—not the content; that one can acquire as a matter of knowledge—but the experience.
It is a fact that very many people become able, comparatively quickly, to have experiences in the spiritual world. But presence of mind is needed to grasp these experiences. With the majority of persons it happens that before they can give their attention to some experience, it is gone again. Presence of mind is altogether indispensable for the attainment of spiritual knowledge, as you will know from my book How to Attain Knowledge of the Higher Worlds. When one succeeds in acquiring knowledge of things that are beyond space and beyond time, they seem like a dream, and only with the greatest difficulty can one lift them on to a higher level of consciousness. They vanish-away like a dream if one tries to grasp them with the head alone.
Now it is important for one who speaks about the spiritual world in ideas to have always the spiritual world before him as he speaks; and he can acquire the habit of standing in this way within the spiritual world only if his whole being participates in the knowledge. Everyone will find his own way of doing this. I, for example, find it necessary to fix the results of spiritual knowledge by jotting down either brief notes or symbolical drawings. I need hardly say, I mean by this nothing of a mediumistic nature, but a perfectly conscious and deliberate action. Putting down some note at once ensures that the activity is not confined to the head alone but is shared in by the whole human being. It is of no consequence whether later on one refers to these notes: the point is, to make them. I can assure you I have used up whole cartloads of notebooks in this way and never looked at them again. What has been seen in the spiritual world is more strongly retained when the experience is allowed to flow into an impulse of will that leads to the activity of writing; for ultimately, all depends on experiencing the truths of the spiritual world—let me say—”organically”, experiencing them with one's whole being.
Initiation-knowledge of the present day has perforce another characteristic, which need not continue indefinitely and was not present in earlier and other paths to initiation. I mean the following. Suppose one has produced some spiritual knowledge, and later on has occasion to come back to it. If one is, let us say, as old as I am, and produced some 40 years ago much of what one has to communicate, then as far as the inner spiritual activity is concerned, it is almost as though one had to deal with something one was reading for the first time in an old book. Please understand me aright. Knowledge one has oneself produced many years ago becomes as strange to one as a book one has never seen before. It is not remote in the way that we feel abstract knowledge to be remote, but spiritually it severs itself from one. A man who stands outside initiation-knowledge, may feel how this knowledge, when he receives it, becomes united with his very being; but for the one who has produced it, it separates itself from him; he feels as if he had before him another human being.
Many a book, I assure you, by one or other of our friends, strikes me as more familiar than the books I wrote myself in earlier years. In fact, I read these only when I must: for instance, to revise them for a new edition. The teaching of the spiritual researcher severs itself from him and becomes objective; he is quite unable to feel any particular pleasure or satisfaction in it—as one might naturally expect in other circumstances! This has nothing to do with the knowledge as such; it arises only from the fact that one is obliged in the present day to attain the knowledge in solitude. In earlier times, when the path of initiation knowledge was far more instinctive and less conscious, it could not rightly be pursued in solitude. There were societies for the fostering of initiation knowledge. Such societies exist even in our time, but they merely carry on a tradition. If to-day one speaks from direct personal experience in knowledge, one is compelled to stand alone.
How was it arranged in societies of this kind? And how will it be in the future, when knowledge of the spiritual will be received again into civilisation and be called upon to enter once more into all the practical spheres of life? For spiritual knowledge will be able to do this, when once man begins to take hold of it. The societies of which we have spoken were ordered in the following way. An agreement was come to, freely and willingly on the part of all, that one of their number should undertake a particular field of knowledge, another, another field, and so on. One, for example, would concentrate all his powers on inquiring into the influence exercised upon the life of man by the world of stars, another on investigating the path leading from pre-earthly existence into the sphere of the earth.
This plan made it possible for the several fields of knowledge to be investigated in detail. For if it takes ten years to get to know something of the influence of the stars on human life, it takes, not ten years, but a lifetime to explore in detail even a few steps of the way from pre-earthly into earthly life. There was accordingly good reason for distributing among different persons the several realms of knowledge. Each made a deep study of the field of knowledge upon which he set himself to concentrate, and for the rest, allowed himself to take the knowledge from his companions. He had thus the double experience; he knew what it was to produce knowledge himself inwardly, and he had also the experience of receiving knowledge he had not himself produced.
When men learn to be more open-hearted and to approach knowledge with real warmth of soul, then it will afford them the same kind of experience one may have from the painting of a great artist. Man's own natural feeling for reality will enable him to take hold of what lives in the idea he has not himself produced; he will have a direct inner experience of the idea. He will undergo also the pain and suffering of which I told you—all the phases of inner personal experience that come from meeting spiritual knowledge face to face. This can be achieved by one who receives spiritual truths; he can grasp them, take hold of them with the entire forces of his soul. Such an experience is, however, in large measure denied to the spiritual researcher of the present day; he has to forgo it in so far as he produces the knowledge.
The fruits of spiritual knowledge can accrue to those who receive the truths with warmth of heart. And within the societies of earlier times provision was always made for the receiving of knowledge. When a particular field of spiritual research was allotted to one member—or the member chose it for himself—then, as far as that field was concerned, he went without the receiving which gives so much help and enrichment to life; on the other hand he experienced the blessing of receiving, in that he received knowledge from his companions who undertook other fields of research. Something, of the kind must come again in the future.
Do not think I speak out of a desire to attach importance to my own experiences; I want rather to draw your attention to the fact that in order to reap the fruits of spiritual knowledge, one does not need to have produced the knowledge oneself. Let a man follow the exercises—in meditation, concentration, etc.—described in my book, How to Attain Knowledge of the Higher Worlds. Then, if he succeeds in rousing himself to inner activity of soul, and takes but a few first steps towards an understanding of life, his heart will be open to receive what the spiritual researcher can give, and what he receives will unite itself with him in quite an intimate manner, for it speaks directly to the personal in him, and he will find the way, as personal man, to the deep sources of life whence the eternal in his own being is derived; he will enter into the experiences man has in the spiritual world before his life on earth, and into those also that await man when he has passed through the gate of death and come again into the spiritual world. And as he makes this knowledge his own, a second higher man will grow up within him.
On this path of knowledge we learn to feel, as it were, at home in the spiritual world in the way we feel at home in the world of nature, with its secure and stable laws. The fact that we have muscles and bones unites us with nature; our own physical nature makes us feel at home in the physical nature of the world around. And when we begin to apprehend the reality of spiritual conceptions and to see their content as part of the spiritual world, then we begin to feel at home in a divine spiritual world—even as with our body we feel at home in the world of the senses. And it is this feeling at home in the spiritual world that is so important, for thereby we attain to a knowledge of ourselves as having eternal spiritual existence in the eternal divine spiritual world.
For not only is it true that mankind in general is rooted in a spiritual world. Every single human being, just through that which is most personal in him, just through that which he, as an individual, can experience by being on earth in a particular place and at a particular time, is rooted in, and belongs to, a spiritual world which bears the stamp of eternity. As we come to realise this, we begin to feel as though a voice were calling to us: “Make not yourself a cripple in soul and spirit!” For not merely man in general, but each single human being, is relied upon to play his part.
It is also through what is most individual and personal in him that man finds his way to religion, and to all true artistic experience. Hence it is that Spiritual Science leads directly into a religious mood of life. You will find abundant evidence in our literature of how Christianity is deepened, and can stand forth in its true light and in its true being, when we try to understand the personal experiences of the Christ Who appeared in a personal form.
Attaining thus by a personal path to our own eternal being, we know how to give personality its right place and meaning in the world, conscious that each one of us is needed and reckoned upon as single personality. Knowledge of the spirit has become for us a human and personal path in life. We feel inwardly seized and quickened by the content of spiritual knowledge, in the same way that our body is seized and quickened by the power of the blood.
The meaning we have been led to discern in our personal, our individual existence, may perhaps be best conveyed in a picture. A meeting has been called, and we are summoned to attend the meeting, because it is important for just that to be said in it which we alone can contribute. Suppose we take some action which has the result of preventing our being present. We are not there; we—who are expected, who are looked for—do not appear.
Whatever we do and accomplish under the impulse of spiritual knowledge serves, we shall find, to enrich our life; we begin indeed to recognise how our path in life leads always in a direction where we are needed and expected. In the world where spiritual beings are at work, creating and fashioning our individual existence, we begin to see that we are counted upon to do our part, and we understand that the only way we can fulfill what is expected of us and join with our companions in a higher spiritual world, is by following this personal path of life into the spiritual world, and finding within us, as we tread the path, the higher eternal man, the soul and spirit of our being.
Thus does this human knowledge of the spirit bring us face to face with the challenge: Are we going to arrive in that place where it is given to human beings to unite in a common experience of the spiritual—for we are expected there, we are awaited—or, having passed through many births and deaths, shall we come at length to a point where the word of reproach rings out: You were expected, and you did not come!
Anthroposophie Als Menschlich-Persönlicher Lebensweg
Gestern habe ich mir erlaubt, darzustellen, wie der Weg des Menschen, zu einer Erkenntnis der geistigen Welt zu wandern, möglich ist, und wie dadurch, daß ein solcher Weg heute als eine Möglichkeit hingestellt wird, tatsächlich einem tiefen Bedürfnis, ich möchte sagen einem Hunger der gegenwärtigen Menschheit nach einer übersinnlichen Erkenntnis, Genüge geschehen kann. Es wird nun aus der gestrigen Schilderung ersichtlich geworden sein, wie dieser Weg zu geistigen Erkenntnissen in die unmittelbare Nähe des elementarsten menschlichen Strebens, des elementarsten inneren menschlichen Seelenlebens dringt. Mußte ich doch schildern, wie eine solche Erkenntnis des Ewigen in der Menschenseele nur möglich ist, wenn der Mensch erst gewisse innere vorbereitende Seelenerlebnisse durchmacht und dadurch gewissermaßen das sonst für die Welt des Geistes schlafende Bewußtsein erst aufweckt.
Dadurch unterscheidet sich das, was als eine solche übersinnliche Erkenntnis, als eine Erkenntnis des Ewigen in der Menschenwesenheit gestern geschildert werden konnte, ganz wesentlich von dem, was heute als die einzig anerkannte Erkenntnisart gilt, was ja, wie ich gestern auseinandersetzte, überall zu Grenzen dieser Erkenntnis führt. Sehen wir nur einmal darauf hin, wie das, was heute, sei es durch Beobachtung, sei es durch Experiment, aber doch in alledem nur durch die Betätigung des Verstandes an der Beobachtung und an dem Experiment als Erkenntnis gewonnen wird, einen ganz und gar unpersönlichen Charakter trägt. Dieser unpersönliche Charakter tritt uns gerade dann am lebhaftesten entgegen, wenn wir durch unser Schicksal an das heute gebräuchliche Erkenntnisleben näher herangeführt wurden. Aber wo ist denn dieses Erkenntnisleben? Man könnte sagen, es ist in Büchern. Es ist in einer mehr oder weniger geschriebenen Tradition, und der Mensch nimmt es sehr häufig, allermeistens, durch äußere Veranlassung auf. Bedenken wir doch nur einmal ganz ehrlich mit uns selbst vorgehend, wie der Mensch heute herangebändigt werden muß zu dem, was anerkannte Erkenntnis ist, und wie er im Hinblick auf alle die Prozeduren, die er zur Erlangung einer solchen Erkenntnis durchzumachen hatte, oft sehr froh ist, wenn er, hineintretend in die Fragen des praktischen Lebens, wiederum alle diese Dinge zum größten Teile den Büchern - der Objektivität könnten wir sagen, damit es schöner klingt - überlassen kann. Er will dann wieder ganz Mensch sein, will nicht bei dem stehenbleiben, von dem man immer mit einem solchen Stolz sagt, «man» hat es gefunden. Wie tritt einem doch dies «Man hat es gefunden» auf allen Gebieten entgegen! Wenn jemand aus den Tiefen seines Erlebens behauptet, etwas gefunden zu haben, dann wird gleich einer, der fix ist auf dem Gebiete des Wissenschaftslebens, kommen und sagen: Das stimmt aber nicht zu dem, was «man» gefunden hat, was wissenschaftliche Erkenntnis ist.
So möchte ich sagen, die Erkenntnis ist etwas, was sich abgesondert hat von dem unmittelbaren, herzlichen Erleben des persönlichen Menschen. Man glaubt sogar, es könne nur dann etwas wahr sein, wenn es abgesondert von alledem, was aus dem unmittelbaren Gemüt der menschlichen Natur heraus kommt, erlebt wird. Dagegen mußte ich Ihnen gestern einen Erkenntnisweg schildern, der nicht so ist, sondern der einen persönlich in Anspruch nimmt, der auch unmittelbar das menschliche Gemüt elementar beteiligt. Man kann ihn nicht goutieren, wenn ich so sagen darf, ohne daß man mit dem innersten Herzen dabei ist. Da wird also die Erkenntnis an die menschliche Persönlichkeit herangeführt. Und heute möchte ich Ihnen einmal sprechen von allen Folgen dieser Heranführung der Erkenntnis an das persönliche Element für das menschliche Leben.
Es ist ja nicht so, daß diese gestern geschilderte Erkenntnis, wenn sie an uns herankommt, gewissermaßen nur eine Fortsetzung dessen ist, was man unter der Flagge des «Man hat es gefunden» heute als Erkenntnis auffaßt. Es ändert sich nicht bloß die Summe der Erkenntnisse, es ändert sich auch die ganze Art, wie man diese Erkenntnis erlebt.
Sehen wir uns einmal das hervorstechendste Charakterzeichen jener Erkenntnis an, in der es die gegenwärtige Menschheit gerade zur allerhöchsten Höhe gebracht hat. Ich will damit gar nicht etwas einwenden gegen diese Erkenntnisart. Sie hat auf ihrem Boden die allergrößten Erfolge erzielt, hat der Menschheit in äußerer Beziehung außerordentlich viel Segen gebracht, allerdings einen Segen, der sich im gegenwärtigen Zeitalter der Zivilisation wiederum stark aufhebt. Aber diese Erkenntnis hat ein Kennzeichen, sie spricht davon, daß irgend etwas «wahr» oder «falsch» oder «irrtümlich» ist. Und man geht ja darauf aus, verstandesmäßig oder durch das, was der Verstand an der äußeren Welt sich erobern kann, zu entscheiden: Was ist wahr, was ist irrtümlich? - Man will logisch sein, will erfahrungsmäßig vorgehen, will Wahrheit und Irrtum erfahrungsgemäß feststellen. Gewiß, man hat schon Mittel, um Wahrheit und Irrtum erfahrungsgemäß festzustellen. Wie gesagt, eingewendet soll nichts gegen diese Methode werden; aber es soll hingestellt werden, wie anders jene Methoden auf den Menschen wirken, von denen ich gestern gesprochen habe. Wenn man nun schon wirklich etwas entdeckt hat, zu dem man sagt, das ist wahr, das ist falsch, das ist wirklich - dann bleibt es doch so auf einem abstrakten Tableau vor uns stehen. Es sondert sich auch in seiner Wahrheit und in seinem Irrtum so von uns ab, daß wir uns mit unserer Persönlichkeit wenig an dieser Wahrheit und an diesem Irrtum beteiligen. Gewiß, wir können für die Wahrheit enthusiasmiert sein und sollen es sein, wir können den Irrtum verabscheuen und sollen ihn verabscheuen, aber wenn wir alles, was wir als Wahrheit und Irrtum feststellen können, mit den anderen Lebensverhältnissen der Menschheit vergleichen, so zeigt sich doch ein gewaltiger Unterschied. Ich möchte etwas ganz Grobes sagen: Wenn wir das Hungerbedürfnis befriedigen, dann wissen wir, wir tun damit etwas an uns, was einen ganz persönlichen Charakter hat. Es läßt sich der Mensch dabei nicht ausschalten von dem, was wir da tun; es stellt sich das nicht auf einem solchen objektiven Tableau vor uns hin. Wenn wir dagegen über Wahrheit und Irrtum entscheiden, so wollen wir nicht eigentlich, daß dies mit uns in unmittelbarem Zusammenhange steht. Wenn wir gestern über eine Sache noch im Irrtum waren, heute über sie nicht mehr im Irrtum sind — gewiß, es ist eine abstrakte Entscheidung, aber wir sind dadurch in unserem persönlichen Sein nicht wesentlich geändert. Wenn wir jedoch seit gestern etwas gegessen haben, was wir vorher nicht gegessen haben, was wir uns innerlich einverleibt haben, dann hat sich in uns etwas persönlich geändert.
Diese Begriffe «Wahrheit» und «Irrtum», «richtig» und «falsch» ändern sich im unmittelbaren Erleben der geisteswissenschaftlichen Wahrheiten. Indem man sich in jenen Erkenntnisweg hineinlebt, den ich gestern beschrieben habe, spricht man allmählich nicht mehr so, daß man sagt, etwas ist wahr, etwas ist Irrtum oder falsch. Diese Worte gelten eigentlich im Grunde genommen für das, was in der äußeren materiellen Welt von uns anerkannt oder abgewiesen werden kann, und die wenigsten Menschen wissen ja, was es mit dieser Wahrheit oder diesem Irrtum eigentlich auf sich hat. Denn dringt man ein wenig ein in das, was es heißt, etwas ist wahr, etwas ist falsch - so muß man zurückgehen in der Auffassung der Menschen über diese Begriffe Wahrheit und Irrtum, und dann kommt man auf etwas ganz Besonderes. Gerade wenn man in verschiedenen Sprachen die Bezeichnungen für Wahrheit und Irrtum auffaßt, kommt man darauf, daß diese beiden Begriffe in ihrer heutigen Abstraktheit ja erst entstanden sind. Sie waren in früheren Zeiten nicht vorhanden, sie sind ein Entwickelungsprodukt. In früheren Zeiten galt einmal eine bestimmte Sache, die ein Mensch anerkennen sollte, als das, was von den Göttern gewollt ist; und was er nicht anerkennen sollte, war das, was von den Göttern nicht gewollt ist. So unterschied man die Welt als das von den Göttern Gewollte und als das von ihnen nicht Gewollte. Und indem der Mensch das anerkannte, was von den Göttern gewollt wurde, war er wahr, war er treu den Göttern. Das Wort «treu» für «wahr» erkennt man noch in verschiedenen Sprachen. Wahr: treu der göttlichen Weltordnung, unwahr: untreu der göttlichen Weltordnung. Die andere Auffassung ist erst hinterher gekommen. Als der Intellekt alle Erkenntnis beherrschend geworden ist, hat man vergessen, auf welche Urgründe die Bezeichnungen Wahrheit und Irrtum eigentlich zurückgehen. Und so stehen wir heute der anerkannten Erkenntnis unpersönlich, ja in einem hohen Grade gleichgültig gegenüber.
Die Erkenntnisart, von der ich gestern gesprochen habe, führt uns wieder dazu, etwas Reales, etwas Konkretes mit dem zu verbinden, was wir anerkennen, und mit dem, was wir abweisen. Daher sprechen wir in der anthroposophisch orientierten Geisteswissenschaft nicht bloß davon, daß etwas wahr ist, sondern wir kommen da zu einem Begriff, der sehr ähnlich dem ist, wenn wir etwas gesund für uns Menschen nennen. Und was in der hier gemeinten Geisteswissenschaft gestern von mir vorgebracht worden ist, bezeichnet der, der in ihr drinnen steht, viel lieber als «gesund» denn als «wahr». Man spricht von gesunden Erkenntnissen, und man spricht von kranken Erkenntnissen, die abgewiesen werden sollen. So treten allmählich an die Stelle der Begriffe wahr und irrtümlich, die nur für die physische Welt gelten, die Begriffe gesund und krank. Dadurch ist man aber als Mensch genötigt, persönlich schon der ganzen Erkenntnis näherzukommen. Denn wir sind ja in begreiflicher Weise gewöhnt, irgend etwas als gesund zu empfinden, was wir begehren, was wir wollen, wozu unsere Persönlichkeit drängt. Dagegen weisen wir, sofern wir es können, das Kranke zurück als das, wozu unsere Persönlichkeit nicht drängt.
Indem sich so für uns das, was wahr ist, verwandelt in das Lebenfördernde, in das Gesunde, in das Lebenbereichernde - und das Unwahre, für uns Irrtümliche, in das das Leben Verarmende, das Leben Krankmachende, es Lähmende und Verödende, erweisen sich nach und nach die Vorstellungen, die man hat, als etwas, was sich allmählich mit unserem Empfinden und mit unserem ganzen persönlichen Leben intensiv verbindet. Dadurch ist es so, daß man der heute gebräuchlichen Erkenntnis wie einer Persönlichkeit entgegenkommt, die einen mehr oder weniger gleichgültig läßt, mit der man eigentlich - so ist es ja in der Mehrheit der Fälle - nur ein äußeres, konventionelles Verhältnis hat. Der hier gemeinten Geisteswissenschaft dagegen kommt man nicht auf eine so konventionelle Weise entgegen. Ihr kommt man entgegen wie einem Freunde, wie einer Wesenheit selber, zu der man Liebe aus dem Elementarsten seines Wesens heraus empfinden kann. Dadurch wird diese Geisteswissenschaft immer mehr und mehr zu einer persönlichen Angelegenheit.
Wenn man so zu den Wahrheiten hingeht, die ich gestern nur andeuten konnte - von dem vorgeburtlichen, vorirdischen Leben des Menschen; von einem geistig-seelischen Wesen des Menschen, das aus einer rein geistigen Welt durch Empfängnis und Geburt heruntersteigt in den physischen Menschenleib; oder wenn man, wie Sie dies aus der Literatur der Anthroposophie ersehen können, immer weiter und weiter hineinkommt in die Gebiete der geistigen Welten, die der Mensch zwischen dem Tode und einer neuen Geburt durchlebt, so wie er hier durch seine Sinne die physische Welt durchlebt -, wenn man in diese Welten immer mehr und mehr hineinkommt, dann fühlt man sich mit einem gewissen Inhalt dieser Welten so verbunden, daß man sein eigenes Sein an die gesunden Erkenntnisse, an die gesunden Anschauungen anknüpfen muß. Und ebenso fühlt man, daß man von dem, was man kranke Anschauungen nennen muß, abrücken muß, wegkommen muß.
Wir wissen zum Beispiel, um einen Vergleich zu gewinnen für das, was ich meine, daß der Mensch, der sein Dasein physisch normal entfalten kann, Nahrung genießt, daß diese Nahrung in ihm eine Verwandlung durchmacht, und daß er dadurch ersetzen kann, was er von seinem Körperlichen verbraucht, und wir wissen, daß er sein gesundes Wohlbefinden in dieser Umwandlung der äußeren Nahrungsmittel für sein persönliches physisches Dasein hat. Wir wissen aber auch, daß beim Menschenwesen Verhältnisse eintreten können, durch die er vielleicht keine Nahrungsmittel aufnehmen kann, weil sein Organismus nicht dazu angetan ist, sie in der entsprechenden Weise zu verdauen, weil sein Verdauungssystem krank ist, oder es kann andere Gründe geben, warum der Mensch das, was er verliert, nicht durch die Nahrung ersetzen kann. Dann zehrt er von dem, was in seinem eigenen Leibe ist, dann beginnt er, sich selber zu verzehren.
Das ist etwas, was uns hinführt zu dem Zusammenhange von gewissen Krankheitserscheinungen mit dem Verzehren des eigenen Leibes. Aber das ist auch das, in was man hineinwächst, wenn man allmählich über die geistige Welt Erkenntnisse gewinnt. Man hat gegenüber den Erkenntnissen, die gesundend wirken, eben das Gefühl: Man kommt durch sie zusammen mit der geistigen Welt, man geht durch sie in der geistigen Welt auf, man wird eins mit der geistigen Welt, man macht den Weg zu den Göttern, man macht den Weg zu der eigenen unsterblichen Seele. Man macht den Weg zu dem, was man durchlebt, wenn man durch die Todespforte gegangen ist und sich in der geistigen Welt findet, man macht aber auch den Weg zu dem, was man durchlebt hat, bevor man durch die Empfängnis oder Geburt aus der geistigen Welt auf die Erde herabgestiegen ist. Das alles empfindet man so, als ob man als Mensch in die Welt hinaus sein Dasein hingegeben habe, aber dadurch im Inneren voller, reicher geworden wäre. Dadurch, daß man allmählich geradezu Welt wird, erfaßt man sich erst in seiner vollen menschlichen Innerlichkeit. Und in der Art, wie sich eine solche Erkenntnis, eine solche gesunde Erkenntnis in einen einlebt, empfindet man, wie ja das ganze Sein des Menschen davon abhängt, daß man mit der Welt zusammenkommt. Ebenso empfindet man es nach und nach, daß das Entbehren solcher gesunder Wahrheiten so ist, als ob wir hineinlebten in die Welt ohne Aufnahmeorgan für die Nahrung und uns selber verzehren müßten. Und dasjenige, demgegenüber man das Gefühl hat, daß es etwas ist, was abgewiesen werden muß, was als krankmachender Inhalt der Welt sich ergibt, das empfindet man, wenn man es aufnimmt, so, als wenn man sich selber verzehren, als wenn man immer weniger und weniger würde.
Das ist der Unterschied zwischen dem Wahrheitsuchen, wenn man bloß im Intellektuellen bleibt, und dem, wenn man vordringt zu wirklichen geistigen Erkenntnissen, wozu ich gestern den Weg schilderte. Hier in der Sphäre des Intellektuellen kann man streiten über Idealismus, Spiritualismus und Materialismus, das eine macht freundliche Gesinnung, das andere tut nicht weh, es ist nicht ein intensives Menschliches darinnen. Wer dagegen die geistigen Wahrheiten, also die gesunde geistige Erkenntnis ergreift, den schmerzen die Ideen, die in materialistischer Richtung orientiert sind, weil er weiß, durch diese materialistisch gefärbten Wahrheiten verzehrt sich der Mensch. Damit aber bekommen die geistigen Wahrheiten wiederum zwei neue Nuancen - Nuancen, die man sehr scharf empfinden kann, wenn man sich allmählich in das Erfassen der geistigen Erkenntnis hineinlebt. Da lernt man erkennen die Verwandtschaft der Wahrheit mit der Liebe, die Verwandtschaft der gesunden Erkenntnis mit der Selbstlosigkeit des Menschen, aber jener Selbstlosigkeit, die nicht das Selbst verliert, sondern indem sie sich entwickelt, das Selbst erst recht gewinnt. Wenn der Mensch aus sich herauszugehen und in die Welt hineinzugehen weiß, wenn er in diesem Sinne - nicht daß er inhaltleer wird, sondern sich mit Welteninhalt erfüllt - selbstlos ist, dann führt diese Selbstlosigkeit erst zum rechten Menschensein, zum rechten Menschenfühlen, zum Seeleninhalt überhaupt.
Dieses Hingegebensein an die geistigen Tatsachen des Lebens, das ähnlich ist der Liebe, das ist es, was sich einem dann aufdrängt als eine Art Charaktereigenschaft. Sie wird daher eine charakteristische Erscheinung bei demjenigen, der geistige Erkenntnisse aufnehmen kann. Daher ist es auch so: Man verspürt in den Menschen nicht viel von den Charakterimpulsen der bloß intellektualistischen Verstandeserkenntnisse, weil sie eben nicht nahe an die Persönlichkeit herankommen, aber wenn man die geistige Erkenntnis in ihrem innersten Wesenskern erfaßt, dann wird man auch wissen, daß man diese geistige Erkenntnis nicht anerkennen kann, ohne daß sie einem den Charakter verwandelt, ohne daß sie eine, wenn ich das Paradoxon gebrauchen darf, wie in seelisches Fleisch und Blut hineingehende Charaktereigenschaft bringt, nämlich Hinneigung zunächst zur Selbstlosigkeit, zur Liebe. Das ist es, was die Aneignung von geistigen Wahrheiten von dem Aneignen physischer Wahrheiten unterscheidet.
Und wiederum lernt man erkennen, wie man in sich hinein verzehrend lebt, bei sich bleibt, wenn man die ungesunden Erkenntnisse aufnimmt, wie man sich da wirklich in geistiger Beziehung selber verzehrt. Und man lernt mit den beiden Empfindungsnuancen das erkennen, was der innerste Egoismus in der menschlichen Natur sein kann. Man lernt also an dieser Erkenntnis Liebe und Egoismus erkennen, und es gehört sogar zu den größten Errungenschaften, die durch geisteswissenschaftliche Erkenntnis an den Menschen herantreten können, daß die Ergebnisse dieser Geist-Erkenntnis charakterologisch sein können, daß solche Charaktereigenschaften notwendig werden können. Die bloß abstrakte Verstandeserkenntnis nimmt sich eigentlich aus wie eine künstlich aus Wachs gebildete Pflanzenwurzel. Aus der kommt keine Pflanze hervor, sie ist ja auch durch unseren Verstand künstlich gemacht. Alle die Erkenntnisse, die wir heute so verehren, so nützlich sie sind und nicht angefochten werden sollen, sie sind durch den Verstand künstlich geformt. Aus der wirklichen Pflanzenwurzel aber kommt auch die wirkliche Pflanze heraus. Und aus der wirklichen Erkenntnis, durch die der Mensch seinen Geist mit den Geistern der Welt verbinden kann, kommt nach und nach heraus der ganze innere Mensch: der Mensch, der in lebendigem Gefühl versteht, was Selbstlosigkeit, selbstlose Liebe, und was Egoismus ist, und der von diesem Verstehen nun Antriebe erhält, im Leben zu wirken, zu wirken da, wo es richtig ist, in Selbstlosigkeit, oder da, wo er es notwendig hat, zum Beispiel zur Vorbereitung des Lebens aus sich selbst heraus zu schöpfen, mit vollem Bewußtsein nichts bemäntelnd, dann diesen Egoismus zu entwickeln.
Dadurch entsteht eine gewisse Hellsichtigkeit in der menschlichen Selbstbeobachtung und in der Überführung dieser Selbstbeobachtung in das äußere Tun. Ein seelisch-geistiger Mensch sprießt und sproßt hervor aus dem, was geistige Erkenntnis werden kann. Dadurch aber kommen wir ganz praktisch durch eine solche Erkenntnis heran an das Moralische. Wenn wir unsere heute anerkannte Erkenntnis treiben, so setzen wir ja unseren Stolz darein, nur ja nicht den Übergang ins Moralische zu finden. Wir wollen dadurch «objektiv» sein, daß wir sagen: Nun ja, die Vorgänge in der unorganischen, leblosen Natur müssen wir natürlich nach ihren Naturgesetzen so durchschauen, daß wir in ihnen Ursachen und Wirkungen verfolgen, aber das Moralische finden wir darin gar nicht. - Wir setzen unseren Stolz darein, diese Methode nun weiter fortzusetzen in die belebten Naturvorgänge hinein, ins Pflanzliche, Tierische und Menschliche hinein und als Moral nur gelten zu lassen, was ja nur aus gewissen Tiefen der Menschennatur hervorsprießt, wovon wir aber nicht sagen können, daß es sich in der Welt auch durch seine innere Kraft und Impulsivität Geltung verschaffen und den Übergang finden könne ins objektive Sein.
Indem wir so durch eine Geist-Erkenntnis getrieben werden, einerseits in uns intensiv lebendig das Erleben der Selbstlosigkeit, der liebevollen Hingabe an die Sache auszubilden - denn ohne diese ist Geist-Erkenntnis nicht möglich -, andererseits uns ein feines Empfinden anzueignen für das, was selbstverzehrender Egoismus ist, treiben wir mit der Geist-Erkenntnis unmittelbar in die moralische Weltordnung hinein. Deshalb stellt sich uns dann nach und nach auch diese moralische Weltordnung wirklich in ihrer Konkretheit dar, und wir gelangen dazu, nicht nur in einer abstrakten Weise auf das vorirdische Menschenleben hinzuschauen, das heißt auf dasjenige, was der Mensch als geistig-seelisches Wesen durchgemacht hat, bevor er durch Empfängnis und Geburt auf die Erde heruntergestiegen ist, sondern wir gelangen dazu, wirklich hineinzuschauen in die geistige Welt, wie wir durch unsere physischen Sinne in die physische Umgebung schauen. Und wir lernen auf diese Weise erkennen, wie wir dort in der geistigen Welt umgeben sind von geistigen Wesenheiten, die niemals einen physischen Leib annehmen, so wie wir hier in der physischen Welt uns zusammenfinden mit Wesen, die gleich uns in einem physischen Leibe sind. Wir lernen aber diese geistige Welt und ihre Wesenheiten konkret kennen; wir lernen sie nicht kennen, ohne daß wir durch den Erkenntnisweg uns innerlich charakterologisch, lebensvoll angeeignet haben die Empfindung von der Selbstlosigkeit, von der selbstlosen Hingabe. Denn das ist das Geheimnis des irdischen körperlichen Daseins: Indem wir von unserer Geburt an durch das kindliche Lebensalter, wo wir noch mehr oder weniger triebhaft-unbewußt oder halbbewußt sind, hindurch immer mehr und mehr in unseren Körper hineinwachsen, treten wir — und das ist gerade das, was sich vor das Seelenauge eines Menschen so klar hinstellt - im physischen Leben durchaus durch unsere physischen Organe an die Welt heran. Wir verlieren uns seelisch und geistig, indem wir schaffend tätig sind, allerdings an unseren Körper. Aber dieses Seelisch-Geistige löscht sich für unser Bewußtsein aus. Aller Weltinhalt wird uns durch das Körperliche vermittelt. Daher hat für das irdische Bewußtsein der Materialismus recht, denn im Irdischen müssen wir uns des Körpers bedienen, wenn wir beim irdischen Bewußtsein, das uns auch nur dieses Körperliche gibt, bleiben. Für das irdische Bewußtsein müssen wir bei der Wahrnehmung des Körperlichen bleiben, wenn wir uns nicht zu der vom Körperlichen unabhängigen Bewußtheit erheben wollen.
So müssen wir sagen: um zum Ergreifen der geistigen Welt und seines eigenen übersinnlichen Wesens zu kommen, muß der Mensch etwas in sich entwickeln, woran ihn der Körper hindert, es zu ergreifen. Der Körper reißt uns heraus aus der geistigen Welt, er entfremdet uns der geistigen Welt und führt uns immer mehr auf das eigene Selbst und auf die Egoität zurück, und wir müssen es in der geistigen Erkenntnis so machen wie in der Liebe, wo wir aus uns heraus müssen. Da stellt sich insbesondere dann, wenn der Mensch zu einer vom Körperlichen unabhängigen Bewußtheit kommt, die tiefbedeutsame Wahrheit heraus, daß der Mensch wiederholte Erdenleben durchmacht. Was in unserer Seele durch die wiederholten Erdenleben auftritt, das beachten wir deshalb nicht, weil wir in unserem Körper drinnen stecken. Wir lernen im Leben einen Menschen kennen, dessen Erlebnis für uns ein Schicksal ist. Wir treffen ihn in einem bestimmten Lebensjahre, wir erleben mit ihm etwas, was nun Einschlag wird unseres ganzen folgenden Lebens. Wenn wir nun unbefangen auf unseren Lebensweg bis zu diesem Moment zurückschauen, wo wir diesen anderen Menschen getroffen haben, dann finden wir, wenn wir geistig schauen, was wir mit dem körperlichen Schauen nicht finden können, daß eigentlich unser bisheriges Erdenleben ein Suchen dieses Menschen war. Daher haben Leute, die in diesem Sinne alt geworden sind, rückschauend auf dieses Erdenleben auch immer gesagt: Es nimmt sich ganz planvoll aus, was wir in diesem Erdenleben gefunden haben. Es ist so, wie wenn man schon als kleines Kind die Richtung dahin nimmt, später mit einem bestimmten Menschen zusammenzutreffen. - Man muß, wenn man seinen Lebensweg geistig überschaut, dann sagen, man richtet jeden Schritt darauf ein, daß ein solches Erlebnis zuletzt sich vollziehen kann. Und wenn man in diesem Erleben immer weiter und weiter kommt, dann kommt man zu der Einsicht, daß alles, was man tut, was unter dem Einfluß der physischen Erdenkräfte steht, durch etwas anderes gelenkt wird. Und wir kommen dazu, anzuerkennen, daß dieses Leben, das wir gegenwärtig leben, abhängig ist von früheren Erdenleben, zwischen denen andere Leben zwischen Tod und neuer Geburt in einer geistigen Welt waren.
Aber wir kommen nicht zur Anerkennung dieser anderen Leben, wenn wir nicht Erkenntnisliebe und liebende Erkenntnis entwickeln können. Denn der, der wir damals waren, der ist nicht so leicht zu erreichen, wie man sich dies oftmals vorstellt. Was wir in einem früheren Erdenleben waren, das ist der gegenwärtigen Persönlichkeit so fremd wie ein anderer Mensch, dem wir begegnen. Und nur wenn wir liebende Erkenntnis und Erkenntnisliebe entwickeln können, können wir diesen anderen, dem wir zunächst ganz fremd gegenüberstehen, auch wirklich mit der Erkenntnis erfassen. Dann tritt er herein in unser Bewußtsein.
So ist es mit allen Schritten der höheren geistigen Erkenntnis, daß wir etwas entwickeln müssen wie liebende Erkenntnis, also etwas, was mit unserer Persönlichkeit innig zusammenhängt, woran wir unmittelbar persönlich beteiligt sind, und was wir sogar gar nicht haben können, ohne daß wir daran persönlich beteilige sind. Dadurch aber, daß wir in eine solche Welt hineinwachsen, daß wir tatsächlich im Erkennen das Dasein erweitern über Geburt und Tod hinaus, daß wir es erweitern auch über die sinnliche Welt hinaus - im Pflanzenreich, Tierreich, Mineralreich, überall sehen wir geistig wirksame Wesen -, dadurch steigen wir zu einem Reich der Wirklichkeit auf, das nun die sittlichen Impulse in unserer Erkenntnis annehmen kann. Speziell für den Menschen nimmt sich das etwa in der folgenden Weise aus. Wir sagen, es ist oftmals außerordentlich bedrückend, das Schicksal zu ertragen. Gewiß, wenn wir hier im physisch-sinnlichen Erdenleben bleiben, so sehen wir, wie nur allzu häufig das, was den besten sittlichen Impulsen entspringt, wenig Er folge trägt, während manches, was gar nicht guten, sittlichen Impulsen entspringt, gute Erfolge davonträgt. Warum ist das so? Es ist so aus dem Grunde, weil eben diese physisch-sinnliche Welt, die wir gewissermaßen auch «angezogen» haben, nämlich ein Stück von ihr als das Kleid unseres Leibes, ja gar nicht sittliche Impulse enthält. Es löschen sich zunächst aus unserem ganzen Tun und Treiben innerhalb der physischen Welt die sittlichen Impulse aus, höchstens der konventionelle Ausgleich kann kommen. Aber durch GeistErkenntnis lernen wir diese Welt erkennen als nicht die einzige, sondern als überall durchsetzt von Geistigem, und wir lernen auch erkennen, wie wir das, was wir mit uns tragen in unserem sittlichen oder unsittlichen Handeln, hineintragen in diese Welt des Geistigen. Lernen wir die Wahrheit als das Gesunde, die Irrtümer als das Kranke erkennen, dann dehnen wir diese Erkenntnis auch aus auf die sittliche Wahrheit und die unsittlichen Irrtümer, und wir lernen erkennen, wie der Mensch dadurch, daß er sich der sittlichen Wahrheit hingibt, innerlich, geistig-seelisch, ein voll ausgebildeter Mensch wird. Das braucht im gegenwärtigen Erdenleibe nicht unmittelbar zum Ausdruck zu kommen. Dadurch, daß einer sittliche Impulse in sich erlebt, wird er ein innerlich voll ausgebildeter geistig-sittlicher Mensch. Dadurch, daß sich jemand hingibt dem Irrtum, wird er innerlich, geistig-seelisch ein Krüppel. Dann lernt man das Sittliche als Gesundendes und das Irrtümliche als Krankmachendes erkennen, und man lernt erkennen, wie das Leben in der sittlichen Wahrheit den Menschen harmonisch ausgestaltet. Doch in dem Zyklus der Entwickelung, in dem wir drinnen sind, ist das nun etwas, was sich in dem physischen Leibe, den wir als das Ergebnis dessen tragen, was wir uns im vorigen Erdenleben schaffend angeeignet haben, nicht gleich zum Ausdruck bringt. Aber wir werden, indem wir uns der sittlich gesunden Wahrheit oder dem sittlich ungesunden Irrtum hingeben, entweder gesunde, harmonische Menschen an Geist und Seele, oder wir werden geistig und seelisch Krüppel. Gehen wir durch die Pforte des Todes, legen wir den physischen Leib ab, dann ist dieser kein Hindernis mehr, dann nimmt unsere geistig-seelische Wesenheit diejenige Physiognomie in ihrer Gänze an, die wir uns durch das Erleben des Sittlich-Guten oder des Sittlich-Bösen angeeignet haben; dann leben wir da entweder als ein Vollmensch an Seele und Geist oder als ein geistig-seelischer Krüppel.
Und so gehen wir durch die geistige Welt durch, bis wir wieder zu einem physischen Erdenkörper kommen, durch den wir uns von innen heraus unser eigenes Schicksal bauen, indem wir entweder dadurch, daß wir aus einem früheren Erdenleben ein harmonisches Geistig-Seelisches an uns tragen, diesen Erdenkörper auch vollinhaltlicher gestalten können, ihn zu dem oder jenem Tüchtigen im Leben führen können, oder dadurch, daß wir als moralische Krüppel ankommen, ungeschickt und ungelenk leben in der Führung unseres Erdenkörpers, vom Embryo bis herauf zum Erwachsenen, dadurch uns ein inneres Schicksal bereiten, das dann auch zum äußeren Schicksal wird. Wer das Leben unbefangen zu betrachten vermag, der wird finden, wie sich das innere Schicksalbilden mit dem äußeren Schicksalerleben zusammenkettet, indem wir imstande sind, uns des Leibes und dessen, was mit ihm zusammenhängt, zu bedienen, wo wir durch unseren Leib mit der sinnlich-physischen Welt verkehren, ihn von innen heraus geschickt oder ungelenk gebrauchen können. Dadurch bereiten wir auch die äußeren Ereignisse, teilweise wenigstens, in einer solchen Weise zu, daß sich auch das äußere Schicksal ergibt als ein teilweises Ergebnis des inneren Schicksals. Und das, was wir so durchmachen, gleicht sich in den aufeinanderfolgenden Erdenleben wiederum aus.
So gewinnen wir in der geistigen Welt - und hier ist es, wo sich wahr und falsch in geistiger Beziehung in gesund und krank verwandelt — tatsächlich die Gestaltungskräfte des Geistig-Seelischen und der moralischen Impulse. Es wird uns die moralische Welt zu einer ebensolchen Realität, und wir sagen uns: In dem einen Erdenleben kann der moralische Impuls nicht unmittelbar eine Wirkung im Physischen erzielen; wenn er aber von dem einen Erdenleben ins nächste hinübergeht, dann hat er seine gesundende Wirkung auch in aller Realität, so wie die Wärmekraft, das Licht und die Elektrizität in der physischen Welt ihre Wirkung haben. Daß wir der Meinung sind, die moralische Weltordnung wäre bloß eine aus dem Menschen entsprungene Abstraktheit, rührt nur davon her, daß wir nur die für die physische Welt zusammenfassenden Bedingungen zu kennen meinen. Wir überschauen da von der Wirkung aus den Weg der Ursachen. In der geistigen Welt können wir jedoch ebenso die Bedingungen des Zusammenwirkens der Kräfte erkennen, nur müssen wir für die Wirkungen in einem Erdenleben auch die Ursachen dazu in einem früheren Erdenleben - zwischen beiden liegt dann ein Leben in der geistigen Welt - erkennen. Mit anderen Worten, wir müssen das Niveau erkennen, auf dem sich für das menschliche Schicksal Ursache und Wirkung geltend machen. Dadurch erweitert sich das, was sonst nur als robuste physische Erkenntnis gilt, eben hinaus in die moralisch-geistige Weltordnung hinein, und wir erobern uns damit diese moralisch-geistige Weltordnung.
Es könnte nun der auch schon gestern angedeutete Einwand gegen diese Geisteserkenntnis erhoben werden: Das mag alles sehr schön sein, aber zunächst haben doch die Menschen diese Geist-Erkenntnis nicht, sondern nur wer ein Geistesforscher ist, kann das, was er in der geistigen Welt schaut, in Worte und in Ideen kleiden, und diese Ideen können dann erfaßt werden. - Ich sagte schon gestern: um ein Bild zu malen, muß man ein Maler sein, aber um die Schönheit und den inneren Gehalt des Bildes zu erleben, braucht man kein Maler zu sein, sondern dazu braucht man sich nur der unbefangenen, unbeirrten Menschennatur hinzugeben. So ist es in der Tat auch bei der Geisteswissenschaft. Um sie selber in Ideen zu «malen», muß man Geistesforscher sein, wenn sie aber hingestellt wird, so wie sie in den Vorträgen, die darüber gehalten werden, und in unserer Literatur dargestellt ist, dann steht sie da wie das Bild vor dem Beschauer, der selber kein Maler ist. Nichts anderes braucht der Mensch, als sich seinem unbefangenen, unbeirrten Wirklichkeitssinn hinzugeben - und er bekommt den gesundenden Eindruck von der Schilderung der geistigen Welt! Ja, es muß darüber sogar etwas ganz Besonderes gesagt werden. Es ist ja heute noch immer so: Weil die Geisteswissenschaft, die hier gemeint ist, etwas verhältnismäßig Neues in unserer Zivilisation ist, deshalb steht ja auch der, der aus seiner unmittelbaren Erkenntnis heraus diese Geisteswissenschaft vertritt, recht einsam da, und er muß sich darauf beschränken, sie in Worte und Ideen zu kleiden, um sie den anderen Menschen mitzuteilen. Man könnte nun glauben, was er zu sagen hat, ginge eigentlich nur ihn an. So wie die Sachen aber heute liegen, noch liegen - man muß sehr hoffen, daß diese Dinge sehr bald anders werden, weil die Geisteswissenschaft für den Menschen etwas innerlich Belebendes ist -, so steht ja dem Geist-Erkennenden die Menschheit noch gegenüber als eine bloß aufnehmende. Für den aber, der heute in dieser Einsicht zur Geist- Erkenntnis in unmittelbarer eigener Anschauung vordringt, für den ist diese Geisteswissenschaft dennoch etwas anderes als für den Menschen, der sie zunächst, wie ich es eben geschildert habe, durch seinen unbeirrbaren Wahrheitssinn aufnimmt. Ich habe schon gestern angedeutet: An einem gewissen Punkte der Geist-Erkenntnis muß man einen Schmerz durchmachen, der sich sonst mit keinem Lebensschmerz vergleichen läßt. Es ist an dem Punkte, wo wir gerade über das eigene geistige Erleben zwischen Geburt und Tod hinausdringen in das weite Meer der geistigen Ewigkeit, in der wir sind, wenn wir durch die Pforte des Todes gegangen sind, oder in der wir waren, bevor wir durch die Geburt zum physischen Erdenleben heruntergeschritten sind. Man muß einen unsäglichen Schmerz durchmachen, wenn man in der Erkenntnis die sinnlich-physische Welt verlassen muß und eindringen will in die geistige Welt. Dieser Schmerz, möchte ich sagen, färbt schon ab auf das gesamte Menschenleben. Und vor allen Dingen stellt sich für den, der heute - und heute muß es ja so sein - aus eigener Kraft die Initiation, die Einweihung in die höhere Erkenntnis durchmacht, es stellt sich diese höhere Erkenntnis als etwas ein, was zwar zunächst seinen ganzen Menschen ergreift, sich aber dann in einer unglaublich starken Weise von ihm loslöst. Und gestatten Sie, daß ich an dieser Stelle etwas schildere, was scheinbar einen ganz persönlichen Charakter hat, aber das ganz Persönliche darin - ich will ja heute auch mehr auf das Persönliche eingehen - hat schon einen unpersönlichen Charakter, das kann jeder erleben, der in eine ähnliche Lage kommt.
Erst ergreift das Geist-Erkennen den ganzen Menschen. Das gewöhnliche intellektualistische Erkennen ergreift ja nur den Kopf des Menschen, den Verstand, das heißt das, was im Grunde genommen recht neutral sich zu dem unmittelbar persönlichen Erleben verhält. Man weiß auch, wie man nur den Kopf anstrengen muß, und wie das andere alles Beigabe ist. Gewiß, man muß, um gewisse Dinge in der heutigen Erkenntnis zu erreichen, viel sitzen. Es wissen manche von diesem Sitzen zu erzählen, das sie öfter unterbrochen haben, weil es nicht angenehm ist. Aber was man in der gewöhnlichen Erkenntnis anstrengt, ist eigentlich nicht der ganze Mensch. Dringt man jedoch, wie ich es geschildert habe, in wirklicher Erkenntnis der übersinnlichen Welt vor, dann hat man das Gefühl: Wenn du nur deinen Verstand, das, wozu der Kopf das Organ ist, anstrengst, dann verfliegt dir diese Geist-Erkenntnis wie Träume, sie verfliegt in ihren großen umfassenden Ideen wie auch in bezug auf Details. Und es ist wirklich so, daß man beim Durchstoßen in die geistige Welt, beim Hinüberkommen über das, was man den «Hüter der Schwelle» zur geistigen Welt nennt, eine große Plage hat, nicht um den Inhalt, den man erkenntnismäßig erringt - der ist sehr real -, aber um das Erleben in vollster Realität in das Bewußtsein hereinzubringen. Es ist eigentlich so, daß sehr viele Menschen verhältnismäßig rasch Erlebnisse in der geistigen Welt haben können. Man muß aber Geistesgegenwart dazu haben, das heißt rasch auffassen. Für die meisten Men sehen ist das, was sie in der geistigen Welt erleben, zwar da, aber che sie die Aufmerksamkeit darauf verwenden, ist es schon wieder weg. Man muß die Geistesgegenwart haben, den Seelenblick rasch auf das Erlebte hinzuwenden. Geistesgegenwart ist etwas ungeheuer Notwendiges für die Geisteserkenntnis. Man muß die Geistesgegenwart, wie ich sie in meinem Buche «Wie erlangt man Erkenntnisse der höheren Welten?» geschildert habe, ganz ernst nehmen. Wenn man dazu gelangt, diese eigentlich aus dem Raume und aus der Zeit draußen liegenden Erkenntnisse zu erfassen - weil sie draußen liegen, entschlüpfen sie einem auch leicht -, dann nehmen sie sich äußerlich wie Träume aus. Man hat eine Plage, sie über den Traumcharakter hinüberzunehmen. Es entschlüpft wie Träume, was man nur mit dem Kopf behandelt. Daher darf ich schon sagen: wer aus der geistigen Welt heraus in Ideen redet, der muß auch in dem Momente, wo er redet, die geistige Welt immer vor sich haben. Er kann sich aber nur an dieses Drinnenstehen in der geistigen Welt gewöhnen, wenn er diese Erkenntnis, in irgendeiner Art wenigstens, mit dem ganzen Menschen teilt. Das kann der eine so machen, der andere anders. Mir zum Beispiel ist es immer eine Notwendigkeit, entweder durch einzelne abgerissene Worte oder durch kleine symbolische Zeichnungen das zu fixieren, was sich mir in geistiger Anschauung ergibt. Das ist nicht deshalb, um etwa medial zu schreiben. Es ist voll besonnenes, absolut bewußtes Schreiben, aber man betätigt dabei nicht bloß den Kopf, sondern auch noch etwas anderes, was die menschliche Tätigkeit vervollständigt zum ganzen Menschen hin, wenn man zugleich schreibt. Es kommt dabei gar nicht darauf an, daß man dies, was man so geschrieben hat, dann später als Notizen verwendet, sondern es kommt nur darauf an, was man tut. Ich kann Ihnen verraten, daß ich ganze Wagenladungen von Notizbüchern auf diese Weise in meinem Leben zustandegebracht habe, die ich nie wieder angesehen habe - weil es darauf ankommt, das, was man in der geistigen Welt geschaut hat, mit einer stärkeren Kraft festzuhalten, als es die bloße Kraft des Kopfes ist. Und es wird mit einer stärkeren Kraft festgehalten, wenn man das Erlebnis in die Hand hinein in jenen Willensimpuls ergießt, der zum Schreiben führt. Dies Fixieren der inneren Erlebnisse in der geistigen Welt hängt davon ab, daß man die Wahrheiten, ich möchte sagen «organisch» mit seinem ganzen Menschen erlebt.
Es kommt dann noch etwas anderes dazu, etwas, was nicht so bleiben muß in der Zivilisation, was auch bei früheren, ganz anders gearteten Wegen zur Initiations-Erkenntnis nicht so war. Was ich aber jetzt meine, und was heute in einem hohen Grade so ist, das ist folgendes. Wenn man Geisteswissenschaftliches irgendwie produziert hat, und man will darauf später wieder zurückkommen, so ist dies - wenn man so alt geworden ist wie ich zum Beispiel und manches, was man nun mitzuteilen hat, vielleicht vor vierzig Jahren produziert hat - etwas sehr Altes eben, und dann ist die Tätigkeit, die man innerlich geistig ausübt, wirklich fast so, wie wenn man jemandem irgend etwas mitteilen will, was man in einem ganz fremden alten Buche liest. Verstehen Sie mich: Was man selber vor Jahren produziert hat, wird einem so fremd, wie etwas, was in einem fremden Buche aus diesen Jahren steht. Es sondert sich - nicht so wie die abstrakte Erkenntnis, die ich geschildert habe -, aber es sondert sich geistig von einem ab. Was man sonst, wenn man außerhalb der Initiationserkenntnis steht, so recht als mit seiner eigenen Wesenheit verbunden fühlt, das tritt heraus wie ein zweiter Mensch. Ich kann sagen, manche Bücher von befreundeter Seite sind mir heute vertrauter als die, welche ich selber früher geschrieben habe. Ich lese meine früheren Bücher ohnedies nur, wenn ich muß, zum Beispiel wenn ich sie bei Neuauflagen korrigieren muß, denn sie sind mir ja fremd. So sondert sich heute noch das, was der Geistesforscher hervorbringen muß, von ihm ab, es wird etwas Objektives. Man kann daran nicht in einer ganz elementaren Weise etwa furchtbare Freude erleben oder furchtbare Erhebung haben und so weiter. Das ist aber nicht verbunden mit der Erkenntnis als solcher, sondern das ist verbunden mit der Art und Weise noch, wie man heute dazu kommen muß - in Einsamkeit. In der früheren Zeit, als noch eine viel mehr instinktive, weniger besonnene Art zur Initiationswissenschaft zu kommen geherrscht hat, da wurde diese Initiationswissenschaft überhaupt nicht gut in Einsamkeit gepflegt. Sie werden, wenn Sie die Geschichte in dieser Beziehung verfolgen, immer davon hören, daß die Initiationswissenschaft in Gesellschaften gepflegt wird. Solche Gesellschaften gibt es auch heute, aber sie treiben nur Tradition. Wer aber heute aus dem unmittelbar persönlichen Erkenntnisweg heraus spricht, ist schon zu einer gewissen Einsamkeit verurteilt.
Aber wie waren denn solche Gesellschaften eingerichtet, und wie wird es denn wiederum sein, wenn die Erkenntnis des Geistigen wieder in die Zivilisation aufgenommen sein wird, wenn sie wiederum berufen sein wird, in alle Lebenskreise und in alle Lebenspraxis einzuziehen? Denn das wird sie schon können, wenn die Menschen diese Geist-Erkenntnis ergreifen werden. Es war so, daß in solchen Gesellschaften durch eigene freie Übereinstimmung der eine diese, der andere jene Partie der Erkenntnis übernahm. Der eine konzentrierte sein eigenes geistiges Forschen darauf, den Einfluß der Welt der Gestirne auf das menschliche Leben zu erforschen, der andere darauf, den Weg des menschlichen Lebens von dem vorirdischen, geistigen Dasein in die irdische Sphäre hinein zu erforschen. Man wollte damit erreichen, daß die einzelnen Gebiete in allen Details erforscht werden könnten.
Denn braucht man schon zehn Jahre, um etwas von dem Einfluß der Gestirne auf das Menschenleben zu erkennen, so braucht man, um wenige Schritte des Weges aus dem vorirdischen Leben in das Erdenleben hinein mit allen Details zu erforschen, eigentlich nicht zehn Jahre, sondern man brauchte eigentlich dazu ein ganzes Menschenleben. Daher war es ganz berechtigt, die einzelnen Wissensgebiete aufzuteilen. So lebte sich also jeder in das Gebiet hinein, worauf er sich besonders konzentrierte, und alles andere ließ er sich von den Genossen geben. Er hatte damit zugleich jenes innere Erlebnis, das im Produzieren der Erkenntnis besteht, und das andere Erlebnis, das im Empfangen der nicht selbst produzierten Erkenntnis besteht.
Wenn die Menschheit einmal wärmer werden wird, wenn sich die Herzen einmal öffnen werden in voller Wärme, dann wird es schon mit der Geisteswissenschaft so sein müssen wie mit einem gemalten Bilde. Dann wird der Mensch durch seinen natürlichen Wirklichkeitssinn auffassen, was in der Idee lebt, die er nicht selbst produziert hat, die er aber dadurch unmittelbar erlebt, daß er mit seinem unbefangenen Wahrheitssinn sie aufnimmt. Und auf der anderen Seite wird er auch jenen Schmerz und jenes Leid, von denen ich sprach, kurz, alle persönlichen Nuancen erleben an dem, was ihm als Erkenntnis entgegensteht. Dadurch wird er durchstoßen zu einem Erfassen des Geistigen mit seinen seelischen Kräften. Das kann der Mensch, indem er die geistigen Wahrheiten empfängt. Auf das muß er heute vielfach verzichten, in bezug auf das muß er vielfach resignieren, wenn er ein gewisses Gebiet der geisteswissenschaftlichen Wahrheiten selber produziert. Daher können die Früchte der geisteswissenschaftlichen Wahrheiten, wenn nur das volle warme Herz dazu da ist, gerade in diejenigen eindringen, die diese Wahrheiten empfangen. Empfangen mußte man eben in den früheren geisteswissenschaftlichen Genossenschaften. Daher wurde einem ausgesondert - oder man isolierte sich selbst - ein bestimmtes Gebiet des geistigen Forschens, für das man verzichtete auf jenes das Leben Fördernde, Bereichernde des Empfangens. Dagegen hatte man dieses das Leben Bereichernde des Empfangens von den anderen Genossen. Etwas Ähnliches muß für die Zukunft wieder entstehen.
Ich schildere dies nicht deshalb, um gewissermaßen persönliche Erlebnisse vorzubringen, sondern um von dieser persönlichen, gefühlsmäßigen Seite darauf aufmerksam zu machen, daß die Früchte der hier gemeinten Geisteswissenschaft nicht allein davon abhängen, daß man sie selber produziert. Hat man auf irgendeinem Gebiete etwas produziert, so kennt man eben das Produzieren. Und dazu kann jeder kommen, wenn er nur einigermaßen das ins Auge faßt, was ich zum Beispiel in meinem Buche «Wie erlangt man Erkenntnisse der höheren Welten?» geschildert habe als Seelenübungen, Meditation und Konzentration und so weiter. Wenn er dann dadurch die innere Seelentätigkeit auch nur für einige Schritte erfaßt, die ins Leben hineinführen, dann öffnet er sich damit das Herz für das, was von den dazu berufenen Geistesforschern empfangen werden kann. Und dann wird die empfangene Geistesgabe das, was sich tief mit dem Persönlichen des Menschen verbinden kann, weil sie zu dem Persönlichen des Menschen spricht. Dann kommt der Mensch mit dem Persönlichen an die Quellen jenes Lebens, aus dem das Ewige in seiner Wesenheit stammt. Dann vertieft er sich in das hinein, was vor dem Erdenleben des Menschen war, was nach dem Erdenleben sein wird, vertieft sich in die Erlebnisse, die man vor dem Erdenleben in der geistigen Welt gehabt hat, und die man nach dem Erdenleben, nach dem Durchgange durch die Todespforte in der geistigen Welt haben wird. Es wächst der zweite, höhere Mensch aus dem ersten, niederen heraus. Dieser zweite, höhere Mensch kann aber nicht herauswachsen, wir können nicht Verständnis gewinnen für die Ideen der Geisteswissenschaft, ohne daß wir uns ruhend fühlen mit etwas in der geistigen Welt, so wie wir uns hier in der physischen Welt mit ihren robusten Naturideen in etwas ruhend fühlen. Daß wir Muskeln und Knochen haben, verbindet uns mit der äußeren Natur, wir ruhen dadurch mit unserer eigenen physischen Natur in der äußeren physischen Natur. Wenn wir den wahren Inhalt der geistigen Ideen erfassen und ihn erkennen als eins mit der geistigen Welt, dann lernen wir uns fühlen ruhend in einer geistig-göttlichen Welt, so wie wir uns durch unseren Körper ruhend fühlen in der sinnlichen Welt. Und auf dieses Sich-ruhend-Fühlen kommt es an, denn dadurch erfassen wir uns ebenso in unserem geistigen Sein, wie wir uns durch unseren Körper in unserem physischen Sein erfassen. Wie wir aber durch unseren Körper nur das vergängliche Sein erfassen, das Dasein zwischen Geburt und Tod, so erfassen wir uns durch unser geistig-seelisches, ewiges Dasein in der ewigen, göttlich-geistigen Welt. Gerade indem wir tiefer in das Persönliche untertauchen, erfahren wir, wie nicht nur der Mensch im allgemeinen, der abstrakte Mensch, in einer geistigen Welt wurzelt, sondern wir erfahren dann, wie jeder einzelne gerade durch sein Persönlichstes - durch das, was er in voller Individualität an einem Orte und in einer Zeit auf der Erde erleben kann - ganz elementar in einer geistigen Welt wurzelt, in einer geistigen Welt, der er angehört, und die den Charakter der Ewigkeit trägt. Und indem er so fühlt, fühlt er sozusagen die Stimme, die ihm zuruft: Mache dich nicht durch die ungesunden geistigen Inhalte zum seelisch-geistigen Krüppel, denn wie auf jeden Menschen, so ist auch auf dich nicht nur im allgemeinen gerechnet, sondern es ist auf dich gerechnet, insofern du ein ganz persönlicher, individueller Mensch bist!
Und in diesem persönlichen, individuellsten Menschentum taucht der Mensch unter in die religiöse und in die höchste künstlerische Stimmung, die man der Welt gegenüber empfinden kann. Daher führt Geisteswissenschaft unmittelbar in ein religiöses Erfühlen hinein. Und jeder kann aus unserer Literatur sehen, wie das Christentum vertieft wird, wie es erst in seinem vollen Lichte und in seiner wahren Wesenheit dargestellt werden kann durch das Untertauchen in die persönlich-menschlichen Erlebnisse des in einer persönlichen Gestalt erschienenen Christus.
Dadurch, daß wir auf diese Weise auf einem persönlichen Lebenswege zu einer ewigen geistigen Wesenheit vordringen, dadurch stellt sich unsere Persönlichkeit erst in der richtigen Nuance in die wirkliche Welt hinein, denn dadurch bekommen wir das Bewußtsein, daß auf jeden von uns als Persönlichkeit gerechnet ist. Und wir bekommen wirklich dann die Erkenntnis des Geistes wie etwas, was unmittelbar ein menschlich-persönlicher Lebensweg wird. Wir kommen uns dann vor wie innerlich ergriffen werdend von dem Inhalte der Geisteserkenntnis, wie unser Körper ergriffen wird von der Kraftgewalt des Blutes für sein Leben.
Wir kommen uns dann so vor, wie wenn wir unser individuelles, persönliches Dasein auf der Erde etwa durch folgenden Vergleich charakterisieren könnten. Irgendwo ist eine Versammlung. Wir sind aufgefordert, in diese Versammlung zu kommen. Wir sind deshalb aufgefordert, in diese Versammlung als einzelner zu kommen, weil man dort darauf wartet, daß gerade das gesagt wird, was nur wir, was das einzelne Ich als persönliche Individualität vorbringen kann. Nehmen wir an, wir machen nun irgend etwas, bevor wir in die Versammlung gehen, wo auf uns gewartet wird, machen etwas, was zur Folge hat, daß wir nicht hingehen können. Wir kommen nicht. Wir sind derjenige, der erwartet wird - und der nicht kommt!
Indem Geisteswissenschaft persönlich-menschlichste Angelegenheit wird, lernt man allmählich erkennen, wie das, was man durch die Geisteswissenschaft im Leben tut, das Leben bereichert auch in seiner äußersten Praxis. Man lernt erkennen, daß dies die Richtung unseres persönlichsten Lebensweges nach etwas hin ist, wo man auf uns wartet. Indem wir in die geistige Welt hineinschauen, in die Welt, wo göttlich-geistige Wesenheiten schaffend an unserem individuellen Dasein tätig sind, schauen wir damit hinein in etwas, von dem man sieht, da wird auf uns gewartet, und wir werden die Erwartung, die man in uns setzt, nur erfüllen und bei denen ankommen, die die Genossen einer höheren, geistigen Welt sind, wenn wir durch den menschlich-persönlichen Lebensweg in die geistige Welt diesen ewigen Menschen in seiner vollen Harmonie, in seiner vollen Macht finden, indem wir das Geistig-Seelische in ihn aufnehmen. So führt uns die ins Menschliche vertiefte Geisteserkenntnis dazu, die Entscheidung darüber zu treffen, ob wir hingelangen oben in jenes Gebiet des menschlichen Miterlebens des Geistigen, wo auf uns gewartet wird, oder ob wir - wir gehen ja doch durch Geburten und Tode hin einmal an jenem Punkte ankommen werden, wo uns einst das vorwurfsvolle Wort entgegentönen wird: Auf dich ist gewartet worden - und du bist nicht gekommen!
Anthroposophy as a Human-Personal Way of Life
Yesterday I took the liberty of showing how the path of man to a knowledge of the spiritual world is possible, and how, by presenting such a path as a possibility today, a deep need, I would say a hunger of present-day humanity for supersensible knowledge, can actually be satisfied. It will now have become clear from yesterday's description how this path to spiritual knowledge penetrates into the immediate vicinity of the most elementary human striving, the most elementary inner human soul life. I had to describe how such a realization of the eternal in the human soul is only possible if the human being first undergoes certain inner preparatory soul experiences and thereby, as it were, first awakens the consciousness that is otherwise asleep for the world of the spirit.
Thus, what could be described yesterday as such a supersensible knowledge, as a knowledge of the eternal in the human being, differs quite substantially from what is today considered the only recognized kind of knowledge, which, as I explained yesterday, leads everywhere to limits of this knowledge. Let us just look at how that which is gained as knowledge today, whether through observation or experiment, but in all cases only through the activity of the intellect in observation and experiment, has an entirely impersonal character. This impersonal character confronts us most vividly precisely when our fate has brought us closer to the cognitive life in use today. But where is this cognitive life? One could say it is in books. It is in a more or less written tradition, and man very often, for the most part, takes it up through external causes. Let us consider, just once, quite honestly with ourselves, how man today has to be brought up to that which is recognized knowledge, and how, in view of all the procedures he has had to go through to attain such knowledge, he is often very glad when, entering into the questions of practical life, he can again leave all these things for the most part to the books - to objectivity, we might say, so that it sounds nicer. He then wants to be completely human again, does not want to stop at what one always says with such pride that “one” has found it. How one encounters this “one has found it” in all areas! If someone from the depths of his experience claims to have found something, then someone who is fixed in the field of science will immediately come and say: But that does not correspond to what “one” has found, which is scientific knowledge.
So I would like to say that knowledge is something that has separated itself from the direct, heartfelt experience of the personal human being. It is even believed that something can only be true if it is experienced separately from everything that comes out of the immediate mind of human nature. On the other hand, yesterday I had to describe to you a path of knowledge which is not like that, but which involves one personally, which also directly involves the human mind in an elementary way. It cannot be appreciated, if I may say so, without one's innermost heart being involved. Knowledge is thus brought to the human personality. And today I would like to speak to you about all the consequences of this introduction of knowledge to the personal element for human life.
It is not the case that the knowledge described yesterday, when it comes to us, is to a certain extent only a continuation of what is understood today as knowledge under the banner of “one has found it”. It is not only the sum of knowledge that changes, but also the whole way in which this knowledge is experienced.
Let us take a look at the most prominent characteristic of that knowledge in which contemporary humanity has just reached the highest heights. I do not mean to object to this kind of knowledge. It has achieved the greatest successes on its soil, has brought mankind an extraordinary amount of blessing in external terms, albeit a blessing that is in turn greatly cancelled out in the present age of civilization. But this realization has one characteristic, it speaks of something being “true” or ‘false’ or “erroneous”. And one sets out to decide intellectually or by means of what the intellect can conquer from the external world: What is true, what is erroneous? - One wants to be logical, wants to proceed experientially, wants to determine truth and error experientially. Certainly, one already has the means to determine truth and error according to experience. As I said, no objection is to be raised against this method; but it is to be shown how differently those methods of which I spoke yesterday affect man. If we have already really discovered something and say that it is true, it is false, it is real, then it remains before us on an abstract tableau. It also separates itself from us in its truth and in its error in such a way that we participate little with our personality in this truth and in this error. Certainly, we can and should be enthusiastic about the truth, we can and should abhor error, but if we compare everything we can identify as truth and error with the other living conditions of humanity, a huge difference becomes apparent. I would like to say something very general: when we satisfy the need for hunger, we know that we are doing something to ourselves that has a very personal character. The human being cannot be excluded from what we are doing; it does not present itself to us on such an objective tableau. If, on the other hand, we decide on truth and error, we do not really want this to be directly connected with us. If yesterday we were still mistaken about something and today we are no longer mistaken about it - of course, it is an abstract decision, but we are not essentially changed in our personal being as a result. However, if we have eaten something since yesterday that we did not eat before, something that we have inwardly assimilated, then something has changed in us personally.
These terms “truth” and “error”, ‘right’ and “wrong” change in the direct experience of spiritual-scientific truths. By living into the path of knowledge that I described yesterday, we gradually no longer speak in such a way that we say something is true, something is error or something is false. These words actually apply to what can be recognized or rejected by us in the outer material world, and very few people actually know what this truth or this error is all about. For if one penetrates a little into what it means that something is true, something is false - then one must go back in people's conception of these terms truth and error, and then one arrives at something quite special. It is precisely when one understands the terms for truth and error in different languages that one comes to the conclusion that these two terms in their present abstractness have only just come into being. They did not exist in earlier times, they are a product of development. In earlier times a certain thing which a man was to recognize was once regarded as that which was willed by the gods; and that which he was not to recognize was that which was not willed by the gods. Thus the world was distinguished as that which was willed by the gods and that which was not willed by them. And by recognizing what was wanted by the gods, man was true, he was faithful to the gods. The word “faithful” for “true” can still be recognized in various languages. True: faithful to the divine world order, untrue: unfaithful to the divine world order. The other view only came later. When the intellect came to dominate all knowledge, people forgot the original reasons for the terms truth and error. And so today we have an impersonal, indeed highly indifferent attitude towards recognized knowledge.
The kind of knowledge I spoke of yesterday leads us again to associate something real, something concrete, with that which we recognize and with that which we reject. Therefore, in anthroposophically oriented spiritual science we do not merely speak of something being true, but we arrive at a concept that is very similar to what we call healthy for us human beings. And what I put forward yesterday in the spiritual science I am referring to here is much better described as “healthy” than as “true” by those within it. One speaks of healthy knowledge, and one speaks of sick knowledge, which is to be rejected. Thus the concepts of true and false, which only apply to the physical world, are gradually replaced by the concepts of healthy and sick. As a human being, however, this forces us to come closer to the whole of our knowledge. After all, we are understandably accustomed to perceiving something as healthy that we desire, that we want, that our personality urges us to do. On the other hand, we reject, as far as we can, that which is ill as that which our personality does not urge us to do.
By thus transforming that which is true into that which promotes life, into that which is healthy, into that which enriches life - and that which is untrue, which is erroneous for us, into that which impoverishes life, which makes life ill, which paralyzes it and makes it desolate, the ideas we have gradually prove to be something that gradually becomes intensely connected with our feelings and with our whole personal life. As a result, we are confronted with the knowledge that is common today, as with a personality that leaves us more or less indifferent, with whom we actually - as is the case in the majority of cases - only have an external, conventional relationship. The spiritual science meant here, on the other hand, is not approached in such a conventional way. We approach it like a friend, like an entity itself, for which we can feel love from the most elementary part of our being. As a result, this spiritual science becomes more and more a personal matter.
If you approach the truths in this way, which I could only hint at yesterday - of the pre-natal, pre-earthly life of man; of a spiritual-soul being of man, which descends from a purely spiritual world through conception and birth into the physical human body; or if, as you can see from the literature of anthroposophy, one enters further and further into the realms of the spiritual worlds which man lives through between death and a new birth, just as he lives through the physical world here through his senses - if one enters these worlds more and more, then one feels so connected with a certain content of these worlds that one must tie one's own being to the healthy knowledge, to the healthy views. And you also feel that you have to move away from what one calls sick views.
For example, to gain a comparison for what I mean, we know that the human being who can develop his existence physically normally enjoys food, that this food undergoes a transformation in him, and that he can thereby replace what he consumes from his physical being, and we know that he has his healthy well-being in this transformation of the external food for his personal physical existence. We also know, however, that conditions can arise in the human being through which he may not be able to take in food because his organism is not suited to digesting it in the appropriate way, because his digestive system is ill, or there may be other reasons why the human being cannot replace what he loses through food. Then he feeds on what is in his own body, then he begins to consume himself.
This is something that leads us to the connection between certain symptoms of illness and the consumption of one's own body. But this is also what you grow into when you gradually gain knowledge about the spiritual world. In relation to the knowledge that has a healing effect, one has the feeling that through it one comes together with the spiritual world, that through it one is absorbed into the spiritual world, that one becomes one with the spiritual world, that one makes the way to the gods, that one makes the way to one's own immortal soul. You make your way to what you experience when you have passed through the gate of death and find yourself in the spiritual world, but you also make your way to what you experienced before you descended from the spiritual world to earth through conception or birth. You experience all this as if you had given up your existence as a human being into the world, but had become fuller and richer inside as a result. By gradually becoming almost a world, one grasps oneself in one's full human inwardness. And in the way in which such a realization, such a healthy realization, settles into you, you feel how the whole being of man depends on your coming together with the world. In the same way one gradually feels that the lack of such healthy truths is as if we were living in the world without a receptacle for food and had to consume ourselves. And that which one has the feeling that it is something that must be rejected, that which arises as a pathogenic content of the world, one feels, when one takes it in, as if one were consuming oneself, as if one were becoming less and less.
This is the difference between the search for truth when one remains merely in the intellectual and when one penetrates to real spiritual knowledge, for which I described the path yesterday. Here in the sphere of the intellectual one can argue about idealism, spiritualism and materialism, the one makes for a friendly attitude, the other does not hurt, there is no intense humanity in it. On the other hand, those who grasp the spiritual truths, i.e. healthy spiritual knowledge, are hurt by ideas that are oriented in a materialistic direction, because they know that man is consumed by these materialistically colored truths. This, however, gives the spiritual truths two new nuances - nuances that can be felt very keenly when one gradually lives into the comprehension of spiritual knowledge. There one learns to recognize the kinship of truth with love, the kinship of healthy knowledge with the selflessness of man, but that selflessness which does not lose the self, but by developing itself, gains the self even more. When man knows how to go out of himself and into the world, when he is selfless in this sense - not that he becomes empty of content, but that he fills himself with world content - then this selflessness only leads to true humanity, to true human feeling, to soul content in general.
This devotion to the spiritual facts of life, which is similar to love, is what then imposes itself on one as a kind of character trait. It therefore becomes a characteristic phenomenon in those who can absorb spiritual knowledge. That is why it is so: One does not sense much of the character impulses of purely intellectualistic cognitions in people, because they do not come close to the personality, but if one grasps spiritual cognition in its innermost essence, then one will also know that one cannot recognize this spiritual cognition without it transforming one's character, without it bringing a character trait, if I may use the paradox, as if entering into the flesh and blood of the soul, namely an inclination first of all to selflessness, to love. This is what distinguishes the acquisition of spiritual truths from the acquisition of physical truths.
And again one learns to recognize how one lives consuming oneself, how one remains with oneself when one takes in the unhealthy insights, how one really consumes oneself in a spiritual relationship. And with the two nuances of feeling you learn to recognize what the innermost egoism in human nature can be. One therefore learns to recognize love and egoism through this knowledge, and it is even one of the greatest achievements that can come to man through spiritual-scientific knowledge that the results of this spiritual knowledge can be characterological, that such character traits can become necessary. The merely abstract knowledge of the intellect actually looks like a plant root artificially formed from wax. No plant emerges from it; it is also artificially made by our intellect. All the knowledge that we so revere today, as useful as it is and should not be disputed, is artificially formed by the mind. But the real plant comes out of the real plant root. And from the real knowledge, through which man can connect his spirit with the spirits of the world, the whole inner man gradually emerges: the man who understands in living feeling what selflessness, selfless love, and what egoism is, and who now receives impulses from this understanding to work in life, to work where it is right, in selflessness, or where he has need, for example, to draw out of himself in preparation for life, with full consciousness not cloaking anything, then to develop this egoism.
This gives rise to a certain clairvoyance in human self-observation and in the translation of this self-observation into external action. A soul-spiritual human being sprouts and grows out of that which can become spiritual knowledge. In this way, however, we approach the moral in a very practical way through such knowledge. When we pursue the knowledge we recognize today, we take pride in not finding the transition to the moral. We want to be “objective” by saying: "Well, of course we must see through the processes in inorganic, lifeless nature according to its natural laws in such a way that we can trace causes and effects in them, but we cannot find the moral in them at all. - We take pride in continuing this method further into the animate processes of nature, into the vegetable, animal and human, and only accept as moral that which only sprouts from certain depths of human nature, of which we cannot say that it can also assert itself in the world through its inner power and impulsiveness and find the transition into objective being.
Because we are thus driven by a spirit-knowledge, on the one hand to develop intensely alive in us the experience of selflessness, of loving devotion to the cause - for without this spirit-knowledge is not possible - and on the other hand to acquire a fine sense for what is self-consuming egoism, we drive with the spirit-knowledge directly into the moral world order. Therefore, little by little, this moral world order really presents itself to us in its concreteness, and we come to look not only in an abstract way at pre-earthly human life, that is, at that which man has gone through as a spiritual-soul being before he descended to earth through conception and birth, but we come to really look into the spiritual world, just as we look through our physical senses into the physical environment. And in this way we learn to recognize how we are surrounded there in the spiritual world by spiritual beings who never take on a physical body, just as here in the physical world we find ourselves together with beings who are like us in a physical body. But we get to know this spiritual world and its beings concretely; we do not get to know them without having inwardly acquired the feeling of selflessness, of selfless devotion, through the path of knowledge. For this is the secret of earthly physical existence: as we grow more and more into our bodies from birth onwards through the childhood years, when we are still more or less instinctively unconscious or semi-conscious, we approach the world in physical life through our physical organs - and this is precisely what presents itself so clearly to the eye of a person's soul. We lose ourselves emotionally and spiritually to our body by being creatively active. But this soul-spirituality is extinguished for our consciousness. All the content of the world is conveyed to us through the physical. Therefore, materialism is right for the earthly consciousness, for in the earthly we must make use of the body if we remain with the earthly consciousness, which also only gives us this physical. For the earthly consciousness we must remain with the perception of the physical if we do not want to rise to a consciousness independent of the physical.
So we must say: in order to come to grasp the spiritual world and his own supersensible being, man must develop something within himself which the body prevents him from grasping. The body pulls us out of the spiritual world, it alienates us from the spiritual world and leads us back more and more to our own self and to egoity, and we must do the same in spiritual knowledge as in love, where we must come out of ourselves. In particular, when the human being comes to a consciousness independent of the physical, the profound truth emerges that the human being goes through repeated earthly lives. We do not pay attention to what occurs in our soul through repeated earth lives because we are stuck in our body. In life we get to know a person whose experience is a destiny for us. We meet him in a certain year of our life, we experience something with him that now becomes the impact of our whole subsequent life. If we now look back impartially on our life up to this moment, when we met this other person, then we find, if we look spiritually, what we cannot find by looking physically, that our previous life on earth was actually a search for this person. That is why people who have grown old in this sense have always said, looking back on this earthly life, that what we have found in this earthly life is quite planned. It is as if, even as a small child, you set out to meet a certain person later on. - If you take a spiritual view of your life's journey, you must then say that every step you take is geared towards the eventual realization of such an experience. And if you go further and further in this experience, then you come to the realization that everything you do that is under the influence of the physical forces of the earth is directed by something else. And we come to recognize that this life we are currently living is dependent on previous earth lives, between which were other lives between death and new birth in a spiritual world.
But we do not come to recognize these other lives unless we can develop cognitive love and loving knowledge. Because who we were then is not as easy to achieve as we often imagine. What we were in a previous life on earth is as alien to our present personality as another person we meet. And only if we can develop loving knowledge and love of knowledge can we really grasp this other person, to whom we are initially completely alien, with knowledge. Then he enters our consciousness.
So it is with all steps of higher spiritual cognition that we must develop something like loving cognition, that is, something that is intimately connected with our personality, in which we are directly personally involved, and which we cannot even have without being personally involved in it. But by growing into such a world, by actually extending existence beyond birth and death, by extending it beyond the sensuous world - in the plant kingdom, animal kingdom, mineral kingdom, everywhere we see spiritually active beings - we ascend to a realm of reality which can now take on the moral impulses in our cognition. Specifically for the human being, this takes the following form. We say that it is often extraordinarily oppressive to endure fate. Certainly, if we remain here in the physical-sensual life on earth, we see how all too often that which springs from the best moral impulses bears little fruit, while some things which do not spring from good moral impulses at all bear good results. Why is this so? It is because this physical-sensual world, which we have also “put on” so to speak, namely a part of it as the clothing of our body, does not contain moral impulses at all. The moral impulses are initially extinguished from all our actions and activities within the physical world; at most the conventional balance can come. But through knowledge of the spirit we learn to recognize this world as not the only one, but as permeated everywhere by the spiritual, and we also learn to recognize how we carry what we carry with us in our moral or immoral actions into this world of the spiritual. If we learn to recognize truth as what is healthy and error as what is ill, then we also extend this knowledge to moral truth and immoral error, and we learn to recognize how, by giving himself to moral truth, man becomes inwardly, spiritually and mentally, a fully developed human being. This need not be expressed directly in the present life on earth. By experiencing moral impulses within himself, he becomes an inwardly fully formed spiritual-moral man. If someone gives himself over to error, he becomes inwardly, spiritually and mentally a cripple. Then one learns to recognize the moral as healthy and the erroneous as disease-causing, and one learns to recognize how life in moral truth harmoniously shapes the human being. But in the cycle of development in which we find ourselves, this is something that is not immediately expressed in the physical body, which we carry as the result of what we have creatively acquired in our previous life on earth. But by giving ourselves over to morally healthy truth or morally unhealthy error, we either become healthy, harmonious people in spirit and soul, or we become spiritually and mentally crippled. If we pass through the gate of death, if we discard the physical body, then it is no longer an obstacle, then our spiritual-soul entity takes on the physiognomy in its entirety that we have acquired through the experience of the morally good or the morally evil; then we live there either as a full human being in soul and spirit or as a spiritual-soul cripple.
And so we go through the spiritual world until we come again to a physical earthly body, through which we build our own destiny from within, either by the fact that we carry a harmonious spiritual-soul from a previous earthly life, we can also shape this earthly body more fully, or by arriving as moral cripples, living clumsily and awkwardly in the guidance of our earthly body, from embryo to adult, thereby preparing an inner destiny for ourselves, which then also becomes an outer destiny. Whoever is able to look at life impartially will find how the formation of inner destiny is linked with the outer experience of destiny, in that we are able to make use of our body and what is connected with it, where we can communicate with the sensual-physical world through our body, use it skillfully or clumsily from within. In this way we also prepare the outer events, at least in part, in such a way that the outer destiny also arises as a partial result of the inner destiny. And what we go through in this way balances itself out again in successive earth lives.
So in the spiritual world - and here it is where true and false in spiritual relationship turns into healthy and sick - we actually gain the formative powers of the spiritual-soul and the moral impulses. The moral world becomes just such a reality to us, and we say to ourselves: In one life on earth the moral impulse cannot achieve an immediate effect in the physical; but when it passes from one life on earth into the next, then it has its health-giving effect in all reality, just as the warmth force, light and electricity have their effect in the physical world. That we are of the opinion that the moral order of the world is merely an abstraction arising from the human being is only due to the fact that we think we only know the conditions that summarize the physical world. There we survey the path of the causes from the effect. In the spiritual world, however, we can likewise recognize the conditions of the interaction of forces, but for the effects in an earthly life we must also recognize the causes in a previous earthly life - between the two then lies a life in the spiritual world. In other words, we have to recognize the level at which cause and effect assert themselves for human destiny. In this way, what is otherwise only considered robust physical knowledge expands into the moral-spiritual world order, and we thereby conquer this moral-spiritual world order.
The objection to this spiritual knowledge, which was already mentioned yesterday, could now be raised: It may all be very beautiful, but at first people do not have this spiritual knowledge, but only those who are spiritual researchers can put what they see in the spiritual world into words and ideas, and these ideas can then be grasped. - I already said yesterday that in order to paint a picture, one must be a painter, but in order to experience the beauty and the inner content of the picture, one does not need to be a painter, one only needs to surrender to the unbiased, unperturbed human nature. This is indeed also the case with spiritual science. In order to “paint” it in ideas, one must be a spiritual researcher, but when it is presented as it is in the lectures that are given about it and in our literature, then it stands there like a picture before the observer, who is not a painter himself. All a person needs is to surrender to his unbiased, unperturbed sense of reality - and he will receive a healthy impression of the depiction of the spiritual world! Indeed, something very special must be said about this. It is still the case today: because spiritual science, which is meant here, is something relatively new in our civilization, he who represents this spiritual science out of his direct knowledge stands quite alone, and he must confine himself to clothe it in words and ideas in order to communicate it to other people. One might think that what he has to say is really only his business. But as things are today, as they still are - one must very much hope that these things will very soon change, because spiritual science is something inwardly enlivening for man - mankind still stands opposite the spirit-recognizer as a mere receptive one. But for him who today penetrates in this insight to the knowledge of the spirit in his own direct contemplation, this spiritual science is nevertheless something different than for the man who at first, as I have just described, receives it through his unwavering sense of truth. I already indicated yesterday that at a certain point in the realization of the spirit one must go through a pain that cannot be compared with any other pain in life. It is at that point where we penetrate beyond our own spiritual experience between birth and death into the vast ocean of spiritual eternity, where we are when we have passed through the gate of death, or where we were before we stepped down through birth to physical earthly life. One has to go through an unspeakable pain when one has to leave the sensual-physical world in cognition and wants to penetrate into the spiritual world. This pain, I would like to say, rubs off on the whole of human life. And above all, for him who today - and today it must be so - undergoes initiation, initiation into higher knowledge by his own power, this higher knowledge presents itself as something which at first seizes his whole man, but then detaches itself from him in an incredibly strong way. And allow me at this point to describe something that appears to have a very personal character, but the very personal aspect of it - I want to go more into the personal today - already has an impersonal character, which can be experienced by anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation.
First of all, the recognition of the spirit takes hold of the whole person. Ordinary intellectualistic cognition only grasps the human head, the intellect, that is, what is basically quite neutral in relation to the immediate personal experience. One also knows how one only has to exert the head, and how the rest is all incidental. Certainly, in order to achieve certain things in today's knowledge, one has to sit a lot. Some people can tell of this sitting, which they have often interrupted because it is not pleasant. But what one exerts oneself in ordinary cognition is not actually the whole person. If, however, as I have described, one advances in real knowledge of the supersensible world, then one has the feeling that if you only exert your intellect, that for which the head is the organ, then this spirit-knowledge flies away from you like dreams, it flies away in its great comprehensive ideas as well as in its details. And it is really the case that when you push through into the spiritual world, when you cross over what is called the “guardian of the threshold” to the spiritual world, you have a great plague, not for the content that you gain cognitively - that is very real - but to bring the experience into your consciousness in the fullest reality. It is actually the case that many people can have experiences in the spiritual world relatively quickly. But you have to have presence of mind for it, that is, to grasp it quickly. For most people, what they experience in the spiritual world is there, but as soon as they pay attention to it, it is already gone again. You have to have the presence of mind to turn your soul's gaze quickly to what you are experiencing. Presence of mind is something tremendously necessary for the realization of the spirit. One must take presence of mind, as I have described it in my book “How does one attain knowledge of the higher worlds?”, quite seriously. When one comes to grasp these realizations, which actually lie outside of space and time - because they lie outside, they also easily slip away - then they appear outwardly like dreams. It is a nuisance to take them beyond the dream character. What you treat with your head slips away like dreams. Therefore I may say that he who speaks in ideas from the spiritual world must always have the spiritual world before him at the moment when he speaks. But he can only become accustomed to this being inside the spiritual world if he shares this knowledge, in some way at least, with the whole human being. One person may do it this way, another may do it differently. For me, for example, it is always a necessity to fix, either by means of individual torn words or small symbolic drawings, what arises in my spiritual perception. This is not in order to write medially. It is fully reflective, absolutely conscious writing, but one does not merely activate the head, but also something else that completes human activity towards the whole person when one writes at the same time. It is not at all important that what one has written in this way is later used as notes, but it is only important what one does. I can tell you that I have produced whole truckloads of notebooks in this way in my life, which I have never looked at again - because it is important to hold on to what one has seen in the spiritual world with a stronger force than the mere power of the head. And it is held on to with a stronger force when the experience is poured into the hand in that impulse of will which leads to writing. This fixation of inner experiences in the spiritual world depends on the fact that one experiences the truths, I would say “organically”, with one's whole being.
Then something else is added, something that does not have to remain so in civilization, something that was not the case with earlier, quite different paths to initiatory knowledge. But what I mean now, and what is true to a high degree today, is the following. If you have somehow produced spiritual science and you want to come back to it later, then this is - if you are as old as I am, for example, and some of what you now have to communicate was produced perhaps forty years ago - something very old, and then the activity that you carry out inwardly spiritually is really almost like wanting to communicate something to someone that you read in a completely strange old book. Understand me: What you yourself produced years ago becomes as foreign to you as something that is written in a foreign book from those years. It separates itself - not like the abstract knowledge I have described - but it spiritually separates itself from you. What one otherwise feels to be quite connected with one's own being when one stands outside of initiatory knowledge emerges like a second person. I can say that some books written by friends are more familiar to me today than those I wrote myself in the past. In any case, I only read my earlier books when I have to, for example when I have to correct them for new editions, because they are foreign to me. In this way, what the intellectual researcher has to produce still separates itself from him, it becomes something objective. One cannot experience terrible joy or terrible exaltation and so on in a very elementary way. But this is not connected with knowledge as such, but with the way in which one has to come to it today - in solitude. In earlier times, when there was still a much more instinctive, less prudent way of approaching the science of initiation, this science of initiation was not at all well cultivated in solitude. If you follow history in this respect, you will always hear that initiation science is cultivated in societies. Such societies also exist today, but they only practise tradition. However, anyone who speaks today from the directly personal path of knowledge is already condemned to a certain loneliness.
But how were such societies set up, and how will it be again when the knowledge of the spiritual is once more accepted into civilization, when it is once more called to enter all circles of life and all life practices? For it will be able to do so when people grasp this knowledge of the spirit. It was the case that in such societies, by their own free agreement, one person took on this part of knowledge and the other that part. One concentrated his own spiritual research on investigating the influence of the celestial world on human life, the other on investigating the path of human life from the pre-earthly, spiritual existence into the earthly sphere. The aim was to ensure that the individual areas could be researched in every detail.
For if one needs ten years to recognize something of the influence of the heavenly bodies on human life, one does not actually need ten years to explore a few steps of the path from pre-earthly life into earthly life with all details, but one actually needs a whole human life for this. It was therefore entirely justified to divide up the individual areas of knowledge. In this way, each person immersed himself in the area on which he was particularly focused, and everything else was given to him by his comrades. He thus had both the inner experience of producing knowledge and the other experience of receiving knowledge that he had not produced himself.
When humanity will one day become warmer, when hearts will one day open up in full warmth, then spiritual science will have to be like a painted picture. Then man will grasp through his natural sense of reality what lives in the idea, which he has not produced himself, but which he experiences directly by absorbing it with his unbiased sense of truth. And on the other hand, he will also experience the pain and suffering of which I spoke, in short, all the personal nuances of that which stands against him as knowledge. In this way he will penetrate to a grasp of the spiritual with his spiritual powers. Man can do this by receiving spiritual truths. Today he often has to do without this, he often has to resign himself to it if he produces a certain area of spiritual-scientific truths himself. Therefore the fruits of spiritual-scientific truths, if only the full warm heart is there for it, can penetrate precisely into those who receive these truths. One had to receive in the earlier spiritual-scientific cooperatives. Therefore one was segregated - or one isolated oneself - to a certain field of spiritual research, for which one renounced that life-enhancing, life-enriching aspect of receiving. On the other hand, one had this life-enriching receiving from the other comrades. Something similar must arise again for the future.
I am not describing this in order to bring forward personal experiences, so to speak, but to draw attention from this personal, emotional side to the fact that the fruits of the spiritual science meant here do not depend solely on the fact that one produces them oneself. If one has produced something in any field, then one knows how to produce. And everyone can come to this if he only considers to some extent what I have described, for example, in my book “How does one attain knowledge of the higher worlds?” as soul exercises, meditation and concentration and so on. If he then grasps the inner activity of the soul for even a few steps that lead into life, then he opens his heart to what can be received from the spiritual researchers who are called to do so. And then the spiritual gift received becomes that which can connect deeply with the personal of the human being, because it speaks to the personal of the human being. Then the person with the personal comes to the sources of that life from which the eternal in his being originates. Then he immerses himself in what was before man's life on earth, what will be after his life on earth, immerses himself in the experiences which he had in the spiritual world before his life on earth and which he will have in the spiritual world after his life on earth, after passing through the gate of death. The second, higher human being grows out of the first, lower one. But this second, higher man cannot grow out, we cannot gain understanding for the ideas of spiritual science without feeling at rest with something in the spiritual world, just as we feel at rest in something here in the physical world with its robust natural ideas. The fact that we have muscles and bones connects us with the outer nature, we thereby rest with our own physical nature in the outer physical nature. When we grasp the true content of spiritual ideas and recognize it as one with the spiritual world, then we learn to feel ourselves at rest in a spiritual-divine world, just as we feel ourselves at rest in the sensual world through our body. And it is this feeling of being at rest that is important, for through it we grasp ourselves in our spiritual being just as we grasp ourselves through our body in our physical being. But just as we only grasp our transient existence through our body, the existence between birth and death, we grasp ourselves through our spiritual-soul, eternal existence in the eternal, divine-spiritual world. It is precisely by immersing ourselves more deeply in the personal that we experience how not only man in general, the abstract man, is rooted in a spiritual world, but we then experience how each individual, precisely through his most personal being - through what he can experience in full individuality in one place and at one time on earth - is rooted quite elementarily in a spiritual world, in a spiritual world to which he belongs and which bears the character of eternity. And by feeling this way, he feels, so to speak, the voice that calls out to him: Do not make yourself a mental-spiritual cripple through the unhealthy spiritual contents, for as with every human being, you are not only counted on in general, but you are counted on insofar as you are a very personal, individual human being!
And in this personal, most individual humanity, man immerses himself in the religious and in the highest artistic mood that one can feel towards the world. Spiritual science therefore leads directly into a religious feeling. And everyone can see from our literature how Christianity is deepened, how it can only be presented in its full light and in its true essence through immersion in the personal-human experiences of Christ appearing in a personal form.
Through the fact that we advance in this way on a personal path of life to an eternal spiritual being, our personality first presents itself in the right nuance into the real world, because through this we receive the awareness that each of us is counted on as a personality. And then we really get the realization of the spirit as something that immediately becomes a human-personal way of life. We then feel as if we are seized inwardly by the content of the knowledge of the spirit, just as our body is seized by the power of the blood for its life.
We then feel as if we could characterize our individual, personal existence on earth by the following comparison. Somewhere there is an assembly. We are called to come to this assembly. We are called upon to come to this assembly as individuals because they are waiting there for precisely that to be said which only we, the single I as a personal individuality, can bring forward. Suppose we do something before we go to the meeting where they are waiting for us, do something which means that we cannot go. We do not come. We are the one who is expected - and who does not come!
As spiritual science becomes the most personal-human matter, one gradually learns to recognize how what one does in life through spiritual science enriches life even in its outermost practice. One learns to recognize that this is the direction of our most personal path in life towards something where people are waiting for us. By looking into the spiritual world, into the world where divine-spiritual beings are creatively active in our individual existence, we are thus looking into something that is seen to be waiting for us, and we will only fulfill the expectation that is placed in us and arrive with those who are the comrades of a higher, spiritual world if, through the human-personal path of life into the spiritual world, we find this eternal man in his full harmony, in his full power, by absorbing the spiritual-soul in him. Thus the spiritual knowledge deepened into the human leads us to make the decision as to whether we will arrive at the top in that area of human co-experience of the spiritual, where we are waited for, or whether we - after all, we go through births and deaths - will one day arrive at that point where the reproachful word will once sound towards us: You have been waited for - and you have not come!