The Rudolf Steiner Archive

9. On the Inner Life

[ 1 ] In the lectures on the basic concepts of theosophy, I took the liberty of sketching out for you a picture of the nature of the human being and the so-called three worlds: the physical world proper, the world of the soul, and the spiritual world. Now, after the New Year, my task will be to present to you the most important theosophical insights regarding the origin of humanity, the origin of the Earth, and the celestial bodies in general. This will open up a broad perspective for the worldview that Theosophy can present to us.

[ 2 ] Today, however, I would like to offer a few hints as to how a person’s inner development must proceed if they wish to arrive at a conviction regarding the things proclaimed by the Theosophical worldview. In doing so, however, I ask you to bear in mind that a great distinction must be made between the training of the human soul and mind that leads to an individual understanding of what the theosophist proclaims as his truth, his knowledge, and his experience, and a second stage. A higher stage is only that which enables one to arrive at such knowledge and experiences oneself. I would like to say that one must distinguish between an elementary stage of training, which leads to the ability to say “yes” to what the experienced mystic says, to say: I understand, I can reflect on this within myself, feel it, and acknowledge it as a truth within certain limits—and a higher stage, through which one is enabled to have experiences in the realm of the soul or spirit oneself. We shall concern ourselves today with the first stage. The second stage concerns actual clairvoyance, and insofar as any hints at all can be given publicly about this actual clairvoyance, we shall deal with it in a later lecture.

[ 3 ] So, how one arrives at a kind of personal understanding of theosophical truths—that is the question that concerns us today. Do not expect me to offer more than a few hints; for the training that the human soul and mind must undergo in order to arrive at even a rudimentary understanding of these truths is a comprehensive one. It requires a long, long period of inner study, and naturally, all the details necessary for this cannot even be touched upon in the course of a short lecture. What I am able to tell you is to the personal instruction given in this field as the description of a microscope or a telescope is to the instruction in the handling of the instrument that you can receive in the laboratory or at the observatory itself.

[ 4 ] First of all, it should be noted that for most people, genuine instruction in this area can only be obtained through a personal teacher. It may seem to some as though a person could develop inner abilities, spiritual powers, and spiritual insight through their own experimentation, and it might perhaps seem regrettable that personal guidance should be necessary in this important area of life. Yet the very nature of such guidance provides sufficient assurance that one can in no way fall into any kind of dependence on another. There is no higher esteem and honor for what has been called human dignity and self-respect than that which the Secret Teacher holds. The one who teaches in mystical and theosophical development will give nothing but advice, and the highest teachers in these fields gave nothing but advice and instructions, and it depends entirely on the individual’s own discretion to what extent one wishes to follow them or not. It depends on the individual to determine what task he sets for his own soul and spirit; so great is the esteem for human freedom that the teachers offer nothing but advice and instructions. Everything that can be said in this field must be understood with this reservation in mind.

[ 5 ] Then you must also be clear that the most important training in this area is not one that takes place through specific external forms, requiring very particular external measures, but rather that this training is an entirely intimate development of the human soul; that all the important stages that must be passed through take place in the deepest innermost part of the human being; that a transformation is taking place within the person, and no one, not even the closest friend, needs to notice anything. Thus, in silence, in stillness and seclusion, the mystic is formed, the one who seeks to understand the world of the soul and spirit. No one—and this must be emphasized again and again—needs to change anything about their daily occupation, needs to neglect their daily duties in the slightest, or take any time away from them, when they devote themselves to an inner mystical education. On the contrary, anyone who believes they must set aside a special time for their mystical training, who neglects their duties, and who thereby becomes a poor citizen and a poor member of human society by attempting to gain insight into the higher worlds, will soon realize that in this way, the very least can be achieved in this realm.

[ 6 ] This inner training takes place not in a tumultuous manner, but quietly, in a state of complete inner peace. And let me mention today that no, I would say, “very special” instructions are given, but only a description of such a path, the following of which, however, demands one thing from the person, and this one thing is at the same time that without which one’s own higher experience can never be attained: that is patience. Whoever lacks steadfastness and patience, whoever cannot persevere and follow the inner rules in question again and again in complete silence, will generally achieve nothing at all. There is only one single way in which one can achieve something without following these rules. But then one is very far along in the development of the human being. This is the case when one has already reached a certain level of clairvoyance in previous lives; then the path is much shorter and quite different. The one who is to provide the relevant guidance will soon know this, and will only need to remove the corresponding obstacles that stand in the way like a wall.

[ 7 ] It is therefore generally inadvisable to seek mystical development without personal guidance, because the right path for this development is different for almost every person, and because the one who provides the guidance must know his student very well—not in the ordinary sense of the word, but in the spiritual sense. The secret teacher, however, need not know anything about the student’s profession, way of life, family members, or experiences; he need only acquire an intimate knowledge of the student’s soul and spirit and the stage at which they currently stand. The manner in which the Secret Teacher acquires this knowledge cannot be disclosed at this time; however, this information will follow in the lectures on clairvoyance. Furthermore, inner development is linked to very specific consequences for every human being. Anyone who sets out on this path must be clear that very specific qualities will emerge within their being. These qualities are symptoms of inner development. They are, so to speak, a testimony to this inner development, and they must be carefully observed. The Secret Teacher must know how to interpret these symptoms. Only then will the development be able to proceed in the right way.

[ 8 ] The development of the inner human being is a birth—the birth of the soul and the spirit—and this is not merely a metaphorical or figurative sense, but a literal fact in the truest sense of the word. And a birth in this realm is not without consequences, and as a secret teacher, one must know how to deal with them. I had to preface all of this.

[ 9 ] Now you will be able to ask for yourself the questions that are usually asked first when one hears about the basic teachings of Theosophy, about the teaching that the human soul has been embodied many times before and will return many times again, about the teaching of reincarnation and the teaching of balancing justice, of karma. You will ask how one can understand this, how one can gain an understanding of it for oneself. That is the great question that now confronts every person. There is a golden rule that must be followed; then everyone—this is a common experience among those who have truly undertaken the relevant exercises—will eventually arrive at this understanding. There is no person who cannot acquire this understanding of reincarnation and karma in the easiest way possible. Yet one might say with Goethe: “It is easy, yet the easy is hard”—for few find the right resolve, the steadfastness, and the patience to work through certain specific processes of the soul and spirit that are necessary for this understanding. This golden rule is: Live as if reincarnation and karma were truths; then they will become truths for you. — It seems as though this should be achieved through a kind of self-suggestion. But that is not the case. You are familiar with the mystical symbol of the snake biting its own tail. This symbol has various profound meanings, but among the many meanings it holds is also the one expressed in this golden rule.

[ 10 ] You see that the premise, in a certain sense, wraps itself around itself, just as a snake coils around itself. How is this possible? If reincarnation is a truth, then it cannot be in vain that certain efforts made by a person have an effect on his soul, and these effects must later become part of his nature. One of the great laws that a person must establish and intimately test within himself is what is expressed in an Indian scripture with the words: What you think today, you will become tomorrow. — Anyone who believes in reincarnation must be clear that a quality they cultivate within themselves, a thought they impress upon themselves by cherishing it over and over again, becomes something permanent in their soul and must appear again and again in that soul. Therefore, the most important thing is that the seeker of mystical development attempts within himself to break the habits he previously had and to acquire new ones simply by intimately cherishing and clinging to the thought of this inclination, virtue or quality, and incorporating it into himself in such a way that he is thereby able to transform his soul through his own will. This must be tried just as a chemical experiment must be tried. Whoever has never attempted to transform his soul, whoever has never made the initial resolution to develop the qualities of perseverance, steadfastness, and calm, logical reflection, and has never remained steadfast in this—and if he does not succeed in a week, has then devoted a month, a year, or a decade to it—cannot discern these truths within himself.

[ 11 ] This is the intimate path the soul must follow. It must be able to internalize qualities, thoughts, and inclinations. A person must be able, over the course of a certain period of time, to develop entirely new habits through the power of their will. A person who was previously careless must have acquired the habit of being precise and exact, not through external compulsion, but through their own volitional decision. When this happens through small traits, through small things, it is particularly effective. The clearer the things are that he discerns in himself, the more surely he will arrive at true insight in this area. As soon as he is able to objectively observe a gesture of his own, a facial expression, an insignificant habit—as if he were observing it in someone else— and then, purely through the power of his will, to replace the habit, the inclination, and so on, with something he himself desires—thus incorporating it into himself—whoever does this is on the path to learning to understand the great law of reincarnation for himself. Just as an experienced chemist can give instructions about what happens in the laboratory, so too can someone give you instructions based on what they have tried. Through small transformations, the highest is attained.

[ 12 ] Now, regarding karma, the great law of just retribution. We acquire knowledge and understanding of it when we live as if karma were a truth. If you are struck by some misfortune, pain, or the like, then try, over and over again, to hold this thought: This pain, this accident, does not stand in the world as a miracle, but must have a cause. — You need not investigate the cause. Only the one who can comprehend karma will truly be able to see the cause of a stroke of luck, a pain, and so on. But you need, you must have, a mere feeling to surrender to it and to sense that such an action, such pain, or such joy must have a cause, and that it must be the cause of future events. Whoever imbues themselves with this feeling and views their life and what rushes upon them from the outside as if karma were a truth will see that it becomes understandable to them. Whoever does not get angry when something happens to them, but is able to restrain their anger and thinks to themselves that just as a stone begins to roll when it is pushed, that which has annoyed them must have a necessary cause and unfolds according to a necessary law in the world, will come to the understanding of karma. Just as surely as you will wake up tomorrow morning if all circumstances remain as they are and you yourself remain healthy, so surely will you come to an understanding of karma if you view life in this way.

[ 13 ] These are the two prerequisites for anyone who wishes to undergo spiritual training. These are the two prerequisites for every spiritual student: that they view life in this way. They need not immediately accept these ideas as if they were truths. They must keep an open mind: perhaps they are true, perhaps they are not. They should have neither doubt nor superstition, for these are the most significant obstacles. If someone is capable of observing life in this way, then they are actually only then ready to receive mystical instruction. And a third condition is necessary.

[ 14 ] No secret teacher will agree to instruct a person who is driven by superstition or the most severe prejudices, or who is prone to irrational judgment or to succumbing to every illusion. This is the golden rule: before one seeks to reach the first stage, one must strive to free oneself from every delusion of thought, from every superstition, and from any tendency to mistake illusion for reality. Above all, the secret student must be a rational person who submits only to the strict sequence of his thoughts and observations. If you succumb to a prejudice or superstition in sensory reality, it will soon be corrected in sensory reality. But if a person does not think logically but fantasizes, then the correction is not so easy. Therefore, before entering the world of the soul and the realm of the spirits, it is necessary to be completely secure in one’s thought life and to be able to exercise strict control over one’s thoughts. Anyone who is therefore prone to fantasy, superstition, and illusions is unsuitable to enter the preparatory school of spiritual science. One might easily counter: I am free from fantasy, superstition, and illusion. — It is easy to delude oneself into believing this. Freedom from prejudice, fantasy, and illusion, and freedom from superstition—these are things that must be acquired through strict self-discipline; these are things that are not so easily attained by every individual. Consider how most people wander aimlessly and are incapable of strictly regulating their thoughts through the power of their own will.

[ 15 ] Now let us consider what life is like. It is not possible to free oneself entirely from external impressions. Therefore, it is necessary to set aside a short time each day. The short time that is necessary without coming into conflict with one’s duties is sufficient—even if it is only five minutes, or even less, that is enough. But then one must be able to tear oneself away from everything that the sensory impressions have offered, from what one has taken in through one’s eyes, through one’s ears, through one’s sense of touch. One must become blind and deaf to one’s entire surroundings for a while. Everything that flows in from the outside connects us to the sensory, to everyday life. That must fall silent for a while. A complete inner stillness must set in. And then, once this inner stillness—this shedding of all sensory impressions—has taken hold, something else must follow: all memory of past sensory impressions must fall silent. Consider how, through everything I have just mentioned, a person is always connected to the temporal and the spatial, to that which arises and passes away. Try to examine this for a brief moment. Take the thought that crossed your mind a minute ago, and examine whether it does not rely on the transitory. Such thoughts are of no use for inner development.

[ 16 ] All thoughts that connect us to the finite, to the transitory, must fall silent. When this stillness is established in the soul, when what surrounds us—such as eras, tribes, peoples, and centuries—is set aside, and inner silence has settled in for a while, then the soul begins to speak of its own accord. Not immediately; rather, it is necessary for a person to first bring it to speak, and for this there are means and instructions that evoke this inner language of the soul. A person must surrender to such thoughts, ideas, and feelings that do not originate from the temporal but from the eternal, that were not merely true today, yesterday, and tomorrow, not merely a century ago, but will always be true. You will find such thoughts in the most diverse religious books of all peoples. You will find them, for example, in the Bhagavad Gita, the Song of Human Perfection. Also in the New and Old Testaments, but especially in the Gospel of John from the thirteenth chapter onward. Such thoughts, which are particularly effective for people who belong to the Theosophical Movement and are given to them in the booklet *Light on the Path*, are also found in the first four sentences of this book. These four sentences, which are engraved on the inner walls of every temple of initiation, these four sayings are not dependent on time and space; they do not belong to a single person, a single family, a single century, nor even a single generation; they extend across the entire course of evolution. They were true millennia ago and will remain true millennia from now. They awaken the slumbering powers and draw them forth from within. However, this must be done correctly. It is not enough to think one understands the maxim. One must allow such a sentence to come alive within oneself. One must let the full power of such a sentence radiate from within, one must surrender oneself to it completely. One must learn to love such a sentence. Only when one believes one understands it has the right moment come to let it shine within oneself again and again. What matters is not intellectual understanding, but loving the spiritual truth. The more love flows through us toward such inner truths, the more power of inner vision grows within us. Such a sentence must occupy us not for a day or two, but for weeks, months, and years; then such powers of the soul awaken within us. And then a very specific moment comes when yet another illumination occurs.

[ 17 ] Anyone who proclaims theosophical truths based on personal experience knows this inner, contemplative life. Today and tomorrow, he proclaims theosophical truths to you. They are part of a grand theosophical worldview that he perceives through the inner power of his mind and soul. He turns his gaze toward the world of the soul and the realm of spirits; he turns his gaze away from Earth toward the solar systems to explore them. But this power would soon fade within him if he did not nourish it anew every morning. That is the secret of the secret seeker. The great picture of the world and humanity, which he has let pass through his soul a hundred and a hundred times, passes through his soul again every morning. What matters to him is not that he understands all of this, but that he learns to love it more and more; that every morning he performs a service of worship in which he looks up in reverence to the great spirits. He has learned to survey the entire picture in a few minutes. Gratitude fills him for what has been given to his soul. Without this path of reverence, one cannot attain clarity. Yet his words must be shaped by this clarity. When that is the case, only then is he truly called to speak of the truths of mysticism, of the truths of theosophy and spiritual science. This is how the spiritual researcher proceeds, and this is how everyone must proceed, beginning in the simplest, most elementary way, until they come to an understanding of these teachings. The human being and the beings of the worlds are profound, infinitely profound. Nothing can be achieved in this field except through patience, perseverance, and love toward the world forces. These are forces that, like electricity in the outer world, are powerful in the inner world. They are not merely moral forces, but also forces of knowledge. When the student has allowed such truths to live within him for a time, when he has practiced them and accepted them with gratitude toward those who revealed them to him, then a moment comes that occurs for everyone who has allowed peace and stillness to develop within his soul. This is the moment when one’s own soul begins to speak, when one’s inner self begins to perceive the great eternal truths. Then suddenly the world around him is illuminated by colors he has not seen before. Something becomes audible to him that he has never heard before. The world will shine in a new light; new sounds and words will become perceptible. This new light and this radiance shine upon him from the world of the soul, and the new sounds he hears come to him from the spirit realm. One sees the world of the soul; one hears the spirit realm. This is a characteristic of these worlds.

[ 18 ] If one wishes to pursue development in this field oneself, this requires observing a large number of individual rules, for I have been able to suggest only in broad strokes how such a thing comes about and how it is experienced. These individual rules must be strictly followed, just as a chemist must weigh and measure the smallest substances he needs for a compound using the most delicate instruments. A description of those rules that can be made public can be found in my book *How Does One Attain Knowledge of the Higher Worlds?* These rules are specific instructions on how this path must be walked. They, too, require the utmost patience and perseverance. These rules have never been published before. Be aware that the secret teachings have been imparted only in secret schools, and even today are imparted only in secret schools, because they are of an intimate nature, passing from person to person as such. It is of no help to seek guidance and try things out for yourself based on specific things you read or hear here and there as fragments. As a rule, this is of no use at all. All the instructions you can obtain from various sources—there are even businesses that advertise such instructions!—are nothing more than small fragments from the great book of esoteric training. Anyone who uses them must be clear that they are exposing themselves to certain dangers, and that it is by no means advisable for the individual to allow these matters—which pertain to the inner transformation of the soul, to the greatest and most significant aspects of the soul—to come to them through commercial channels. Whatever comes to you in this field through promotion for money will not only be worthless but, under certain circumstances, dangerous as well. This must be said because so much in this field is being presented to people today. The rules given in “How Does One Attain Knowledge of the Higher Worlds?” stem from ancient traditions, and because it is necessary today—in the face of the things that are pressing upon people from all sides—to provide a picture of the truth in relation to these instructions, the Masters of Wisdom have granted permission for the publication of such rules. It is only possible to publish a few select items; the rest had to be excluded. The most important things can only be communicated by word of mouth.

[ 19 ] What you will find in *How Does One Gain Knowledge of the Higher Worlds?* has, unlike much else, the quality of being harmless. Only those things have been communicated which—even if they are not carried out with patience and steadfastness—do no harm to a person. Even if they are not carried out with steadfastness, they cannot cause harm. No one can suffer harm from them. This had to be said because I have been asked how it is that a number of such rules have been communicated recently. It also depends on the fact that, in order to become conscious in the soul world, one must have organs for this soul world just as one has for the sensory world. Just as you have eyes and ears in the body, so must you have organs in the soul and in the spirit to be able to perceive the lights of the soul and the sounds of the spirit. The one who is experienced in this field, who can see for himself, sees how, in the person who is in the process of inner development, these organs begin to develop, enclosed in the aura as in a cloud of light. In undeveloped people, the aura is cloud-like in form. When a person sleeps, it hovers above the physical body because the astral body separates from the physical body. It is then visible as two spirals intertwined, like rings of mist. In this way, they coil around each other, only to disappear into the indefinite in ever-widening spirals. Such two intertwined rings form the aura of the sleeper. As a person undergoes occult development, the aura becomes increasingly defined. The ends of the spirals that extend into the distance disappear, and the two intertwined spiral structures begin to organize themselves. More and more they will become a distinct, closed structure, and they will then reveal very specific organs that appear within this aura, which are called chakras. These are the sensory organs of the soul. These come into development. This development takes place under no other circumstances. The structures are delicate; they must be cherished and nurtured. Whoever fails to do this will never truly be able to enjoy a spiritual vision. This spiritual eye must be nurtured by the person suppressing all negative sensations and feelings within themselves. The chakras cannot emerge if the person becomes angry at every opportunity. One must maintain equanimity; one must have patience. Anger and rage prevent the soul organ from emerging; nor do haste and nervousness allow it to develop.

[ 20 ] Furthermore, it is necessary for a person to shed, in particular, what is exceptionally difficult to shed in our culture: namely, the desire to constantly be the first to know the latest news. This has a great influence on the eye of the soul. Those who cannot reach for the newspaper quickly enough, and who, even when they have learned something, must immediately share it with another; those who cannot hear and see and keep it to themselves; those who cannot suppress this desire—such people cannot achieve the development of their souls. Furthermore, it is necessary for people to adopt a very specific way of judging their fellow human beings. This is difficult to achieve: the absence of criticism. Understanding is needed instead of criticism. If you immediately confront your fellow human being with your own opinion, this suppresses the development of the soul. We must first listen to the other, and this listening is an extraordinarily effective means for the development of the eyes of the soul, and whoever reaches a higher level on this path owes it to the fact that they have broken the habit of criticizing everything, of judging everything. How can we look into the soul? We should not condemn the criminal, but rather understand him as well—understand the criminal just as we understand the saint. Understanding for everyone—that is necessary. That is the higher, occult listening. When a person, through firm will, brings themselves to not judge their fellow human beings, nor the rest of the world, according to their personal judgment, opinion, and prejudice, but instead allows them to affect them in silence, then they have the opportunity to acquire occult powers. Every moment when a person resolves: I will now refrain from thinking something evil that I wanted to think about my fellow human beings—every such moment is a victory.

[ 21 ] The wisest person can learn from a child, and the simplest person might say: “What is this child babbling about? I know that much better!” But he might also say: “What is this wise person babbling about? What good is that to me?” Only when he listens to the child’s stammering as if it were a revelation does he create within himself the power that wells up from the soul.

[ 22 ] Nor should one expect the eyes of the soul to be there tomorrow. Those who combat anger, irritation, curiosity, and so on are, at first, merely removing obstacles that have been placed before their soul like dams. This must be repeated over and over. Ever new efforts must be made. The occultist can assess how these delicate structures develop. When human words have “unlearned” how to wound, when they are no longer sharp and pointed, when they have become gentle in order to perceive people with understanding, then the throat chakra awakens. However, a person must practice for a long time before this becomes perceptible to their own personality. In humans, nature first formed a point of vision, then the first beginnings of a lens, and very slowly and gradually the physical eye developed over millions of years. The soul’s eye does not take as long. For some it takes a few months, for others a longer time. One must have patience. Eventually, the moment comes for everyone when these delicate structures begin to see, and then, if the person continues these exercises in the appropriate manner—namely, if they develop certain virtues that can sometimes even awaken the life of a tested soul within them—there are three virtues they must still develop, which will almost make them a seer. They must simply be practiced with sufficient strength and intensity: self-confidence paired with humility, self-control with gentleness, and presence of mind coupled with steadfastness. These are the great levers in the development of the spiritual faculties. However, these three virtues lead to terrible vices if they are not paired with the other three virtues: humility, gentleness, and steadfastness.

[ 23 ] These are hints that can be offered. They are selected examples of what the secret student experiences on the three stages known as preparation, enlightenment, and initiation. In the secret training, there are these three stages: preparation or catharsis, enlightenment, and initiation. Preparation serves to equip the human being in such a way that the delicate structures of the soul can emerge. Through enlightenment, he gains the ability to see in the realm of the soul, and through initiation, he gains the ability to express himself in the spiritual realm. What I have described today may seem difficult to some. It is indeed easy, yet it is also true that what is easy is difficult.

[ 24 ] Anyone can walk the secret path; it is open to all. The secrets lie within each person’s own heart. All that is required is serious inner work and the ability to free oneself from all obstacles that hinder this intimate inner life. The most distant and greatest things in the world are revealed to us through the most intimate paths. We must be clear about this. The greatest sages of humanity have attained the great truths by no other means than the one described here. They attained them because they found the path into their inner selves, because they knew that they must exercise patience and steadfastness in these endeavors. When a person deepens their inner life in this way, when they rise from the thoughts that assail them from without to the thoughts that signify eternity, then they kindle within themselves the flame that shines for them across the worlds of the soul. When a person develops within themselves the higher qualities of serenity, calm, and inner peace—and the qualities we have mentioned—then they nourish the flame so that it is sustained. And when a person is able to be silent and no longer send mere words out into the world, but instead lives love, so that what is meant to be life becomes worship, then the world begins to resound for him. This is what is called Pythagorean celestial music. This is not merely a symbol, but a reality. I could only offer hints pointing the way to the path that leads to a narrow gate. Everyone can come to the narrow gate, and to those who spare no means or effort, it will be opened, and they will find what has been communicated to them in the great worldviews of humanity: the eternal, single truth and the way of life.