The Rudolf Steiner Archive

19. On the Inauguration of the Christian Rosenkreutz Branch

[ 1 ] We are gathered here to seek the blessing of those spiritual powers that preside over our Theosophical Movement—a blessing for a working group that, to its deepest satisfaction, has created a place of work which, through the most varied symbols, expresses the impulses of our will: namely, submission to the spiritual powers and the will to serve them in the right way. Much work of the mind and soul has been devoted to fitting out these rooms with dignity. Surrounded by these symbols, the members will always receive the right inspiration for their work; but those who have hurried here to witness the opening will take away a lasting memory, as will those who, in order to send invigorating inspiration here, are constantly connected in spirit with those who have sought a place of work here.

[ 2 ] To be part of a movement such as our Theosophical Society, we must regard it as a blessing from spiritual powers, for in the future this Theosophical Society is a necessity, and we must be the first to stand within this current, which must flow into the future development of humanity if it is not to wither and die. As occultists, we see that such fertilization is inevitable. And the fact that we, in particular, may feel obligated to lend a helping hand in this fertilization—let us regard that as a blessing.

[ 3 ] The period between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries brought waves of materialism, which is also a necessity, even if it could only bring blessings that are essential to the physical world. Few among the leading minds of modern times have been able to understand that from the necessary, yet also dragging, bonds of materialism, a new ascent must spring forth.

[ 4 ] The Theosophical Movement is the outpouring of spiritual forces and truths from higher worlds. People should once again come to know things that have been hidden for millennia.

[ 5 ] If we wish to examine the nature of the movement in which we find ourselves, we can identify its most significant characteristic. It is as if the most beautiful and genuine spirit of humanity had worked within it, for three points, when felt in the right way, immediately convey the idea that this is something entirely in line with the demands of our time. These three points say nothing less than that a spiritual movement is to be brought into the world in which every human being can participate. The most universally human current is characterized by the statement: This society forms the core of a universal human brotherhood—and so on. This says nothing less than: There can be no human being on Earth who could not become a member of this society. Yet the most diverse creeds and philosophies are spread across the Earth. These cannot all be errors. Anyone who claimed that would be accusing the wise governance of the world. It can therefore only be a matter of seeking the objective core of all worldviews, which leads to mutual understanding. As something of a motto, the statement “No religion stands higher than the truth” has emerged from these principles. The pursuit of truth can bring all people together, for it will foster mutual understanding. Then, in essence, the third principle is already there. But one might say that materialists are, after all, excluded from society. They are so only if their materialistic belief is held higher than the search for the forces underlying all phenomena. We do not exclude the materialist, for no one who seriously sought would have remained at the materialistic standpoint. So they exclude themselves, because they do not want to seek the truth. Our movement needs no other principles, for if everything is understood correctly, there can be no abuse or degeneration within the Theosophical Movement, since it embodies the great ideal of soul harmony and soul peace. Let us make it clear to ourselves how peace and harmony can be carried throughout the world.

[ 6 ] A Christian who has not become a Theosophist will have little understanding of what elevates Buddhists to the higher worlds. A Christian who has become a Theosophist, however, must strive to understand them; he feels it is his duty based on the principles of the Theosophical Movement, which he acknowledges. And it becomes clear to the Christian that the life of Gautama Buddha on Earth had meaning when he realizes that a human being must have undergone countless incarnations before becoming a Buddha. The Buddhist knows that after attaining Buddhahood, the Buddha need not return to Earth. In Kristiania, reference has been made to the mission of Gautama Buddha. It has been shown how this soul has a special task to fulfill on Mars. The Buddha underwent the preliminary stage on Earth in order to play a role among the Martians similar to that of the Christ on Earth—not through a kind of Golgotha mystery, not through passing through death, for the Martians have different living conditions than Earthlings. It is therefore clear to the occultist that the Buddhist belief that Gautama Buddha does not need to return to Earth in a physical body is fully justified. We therefore no longer oppose their conviction, that which is so close to their hearts, but wish to show them our deepest interest.

[ 7 ] When the Buddhist becomes a Theosophist, he learns to recognize what is most sacred to the Christian. He recognizes that a world mystery lies in the fact that a certain personality passes through physical death, that Christ descended from higher worlds for a single incarnation, never to enter a physical body again. He begins to understand that this mystery is the resolution of the struggle between Christ and Lucifer. When the Buddhist learns this through Theosophy, he says to himself: I understand what the Christian means in the deepest sense; I understand the unique incarnation of the Christ and see that the Christ was not on Earth before he found a body through Jesus of Nazareth.

[ 8 ] If we devote ourselves to the principles emphasized here, we will learn something that is the very opposite of a certain fear often found among Christians. The fearful person is quick to believe that his own creed loses its luster when the merits of others are also highlighted. The Christian creed, in fact, gains even greater luster when one examines the individual religious creeds from an occult perspective. Anyone who is so anxiously concerned that their faith might lose its luster when placed alongside the Buddhist faith should remember that there are still many unresolved questions for the Christian theologian—for example, whether people who lived before the Mystery of Golgotha also share in salvation. But if the Christian adds to his understanding what the Buddhist knows, he sees that these are the same souls who lived in a body even before the appearance of Christ and who, after the Mystery, return to Earth again and again. Now one might ask: But what about the Buddha-soul, who incarnated for the last time six hundred years before Christ and did not return?

[ 9 ] Here, too, occult research provides us with a satisfactory answer. We are shown that the Buddha was a forerunner who, belonging to a higher hierarchy, was sent down with the Venusian beings, so that one may rightly speak of the Buddha’s mission as a preparation for the Christ. One can understand every other religion from the perspective of any given one, provided that no one seeks to tyrannize the others out of selfishness. An orthodox Buddhist might indeed wish to elevate his Buddha above all other beings, though no true Buddhist would do so. If someone were to be fanatical in the sense of a narrow-minded Buddhism, they might teach that there can be no other being who does not need to return to Earth as a human being except the Buddha, and that he must therefore be the Supreme One. This would grant Buddhism an infinite advantage over Christianity, placing the latter in second place. Then one religion would be fought against by the other. But that would be an untheosophical act. For Theosophy is here to spread peace across the earth, to lead to the realization of the importance of each through the understanding and study of the same truths. Therefore, let us bear in mind that we must not merely profess our principles with our lips and then turn them into their opposite.

[ 10 ] We must be convinced that the establishment of a working group is not merely something to be glad about, but that it entails a great responsibility—especially when we choose to name this initiative after the noble martyr who, through his manner of working, has endured more and will have to endure more in the future than any other human being. I say: a human being—for what Christ suffered, a God suffered. This is connected to the great dangers that the truth will have to endure in the future. When we take the name “Christian Rosenkreutz,” we must be fully aware that it is difficult to uphold this very covenant. We vow a loyalty for which we may not be strong enough. Nevertheless, no one should be denied the right to nurture this loyalty in their soul—a loyalty that necessitates our taking our future into our own hands in a specific direction. If we feel so drawn to something that already exists that we make it our own field of work, we appeal to the powers of idealism that has already gained strength. But if we establish something new, the friend of all separatism, of all supernatural self-centeredness, stands behind us: with every new foundation, a new hope arises for Lucifer. Not so when we join something old. Therefore, woe to us if we do not heed the saying: “The little people never sense the devil, even if he had them by the collar.” But we can always remove him from our collar if we are of good will.

[ 11 ] It is a momentous yet perilous occasion when we link the founding of this group to the name borne by such a great martyr. The founders themselves must take a vow not to treat this undertaking lightly, but to uphold what they have pledged with all their loyalty and strength. With every founding of a theosophical working group, one takes on a heavy responsibility. When one considers how little has yet been understood of the impulse given by Christian Rosenkreutz, one can appreciate that immense difficulties will arise precisely for those who are determined to follow him.

[ 12 ] No one contradicts the Orientals when they speak of the Maitreya Buddha in their own way. But once the principle of Christianity—which is essentially rooted in the three principles of the Theosophical Society—is established throughout the world, powerful forces will rise up that will pile error upon error. Those who can remain faithful to him will belong to Christian Rosenkreutz.

[ 13 ] Even in our own time, we can see how difficult it is to understand Christianity and how little willingness there is to grasp its essence. The principles that guide the Theosophical Movement like guiding stars and have been defined today will contribute both to a deepening of understanding and to a stirring of the lukewarm. It is necessary to awaken a sense of responsibility. To deeply instill this within ourselves—that should be our task at this point. Even in the smallest of spaces, many trials will still come your way!

[ 14 ] The moment the name Christian Rosenkreutz is mentioned, the principle is upheld: no religion is higher to us than the pursuit of truth. - Christian Rosenkreutz never demands any kind of personality cult and ensures that the teachings are made accessible to the intellect and understood. Nic does not demand blind faith in the Masters. If we first use our own powers, then the opportunity will arise to recognize, through truth, the Masters of wisdom and the harmony of the senses. No one is required to believe in them from the outset, for then belief in the Masters would take precedence over the truth. If anything like unconditional belief in a Master were ever demanded, the principles of the Theosophical Society would already have been violated.

[ 15 ] One can determine whether something originating from occult sources is true or false by paying attention to certain methods. For example, it would have been easy, when publishing the book *How to Attain Knowledge of the Higher Worlds*, to write: These teachings are given under inspiration and so on; they come from the Master and the like. — However, the principle of the Theosophical Movement is violated if the writer does not take responsibility for what is written. If it were claimed anywhere that a book was written without the author’s responsibility, you can be certain that there is no truth here, but rather Luciferic-Ahrimanic deception. The Masters do not permit this today—that the writer should shirk responsibility—therefore it is a duty to always consult one’s reason and not to accept anything as true merely on the basis of authority. It is, of course, much more convenient to swear by a cult of personality, for reason must be earned. Only those who approach what is given from the spiritual worlds with a critical eye can remain faithful to Christian Rosenkreutz. Therefore, bear in mind that a working group is being established here that intends to remain faithful—beyond the personality appointed as the respective teacher—to the principle of translating into humanly comprehensible terms that which flows down from the spiritual worlds through the Christ.

[ 16 ] If you vow to think and strive in this way, then I may call down upon us at this hour the blessing of the spiritual beings, in whom we need not believe, even as we know ourselves to be part of their current. May the good spirits reign here and bless this work—those whose existence I am as convinced of as I am of the existence of all who sit here in physical bodies. With this, may this place of work also be consecrated. That which brings about theosophical work in a good spirit will be able to avert the darkness that would otherwise inevitably descend upon Christianity. May the Masters of Wisdom and of the Harmony of Feelings reign here.