The Karma of Vocation
GA 172
18 November 1916, Dornach
Lecture VI
You have seen how involved the more profound questions of destiny are in human life, something we recognize when we try to approach them in ways made possible by spiritual science. For this, however, many things today will be necessary if man is to correctly put himself into the nature of those phenomena that lead to a truly fruitful grasp of life. When we consider these involved problems, we must frequently take roundabout paths in order to see clearly the difficulties that hinder our understanding. We have all grown up, in a sense, in the thinking of the present, and even though many of us suppose we have attained to unprejudiced thinking, it is always well to be quite unsparing in testing ourselves and our self-knowledge, especially the unprejudiced character of our thinking. Before we proceed further, therefore, permit me to draw your attention to some particulars.
It is often difficult to discuss these things because language is obstinate when we undertake to work out concepts in accord with reality. It is easy to suppose that a concept that has been worked out and is, as it were, obtained from the sum total of occult science is directed toward an entirely different objective than is really intended. In this way, various misunderstandings arise. A certain observation may frequently be made when we discuss the course of life of eminent personalities. I will give you an example. A small brochure has just been published in Switzerland. It deals with the person we have mentioned in a different connection, Friedrich Theodor Vischer, the author of Auch Einer and the great Aesthetics, and describes with loving devotion the life of this true-hearted and extraordinarily prolific Swabian. Permit me to mention him here simply as an example of some things that we desire to consider in connection with the question of human destiny; we could just as well select another example.
Vischer was as true a Swabian by nature as might be found in the nineteenth century. The biographical sketch73 Franza Feilbogen, F. Th. Vischer's “Auch Einer“ (Zurich, 1916). that has just been published shows how he grew up in poverty, how this compelled him to take the theological training in the Tubingen seminary, and so on. Now, the point that interested me is that at the very beginning attention is called to the fact that even his secondary schooling was rather narrow. To be sure, the boys learned to get along in Latin and later in the Greek writers, but they really did not know until a rather late age into what main river the Neckar empties, nor had they even seen a map until they were fairly well along in years. Many such defects in the educational system are mentioned.
Now let us look at the matter in the right light. Friedrich Theodor Vischer became, in a sense, a great and famous man who accomplished something important. We must understand how he became the specific individual we find in history. The fact that he had never seen a map before a particular age has something to do with this; if he had seen a map earlier, a certain trait in his character would not have been present. Much else that is severely criticized had to be so. In short, if we view the matter from a more comprehensive standpoint, we shall say that the soul of Vischer descended from the spiritual world and chose precisely his environment. It wanted to have just the education that would keep it for a time from seeing a map. Likewise, his soul wanted to be close to the Neckar river but did not wish to know into which major river it emptied. If we study Vischer, we shall see that precisely all his whims and abundant peculiarities are truly integrating components of his greatness. So it seems really out of order for someone to write his biography and criticize the school that actually made him the very man he was.
Let it be clearly understood that I did not want to emphasize that schools which do not show maps to children are of the right kind. But for Vischer it was entirely right and had to be so. We have often experienced this in the nineteenth century and up to the present day. Certain famous scientists are a case in point. They were quick to criticize the present system of education, demanding that much more natural science be introduced into the schools. However, when someone would ask the scientists: “You yourselves experienced these conditions—do you find them so terribly bad,” they generally did not know what to say. We must understand clearly that everything has at least two and, under some circumstances, many sides. What do we have really when a biographer sits down and so forms his concepts and ideas—in this case the biographer was a woman—that such a thing is written as I have just told you about Vischer? It really contributes nothing whatever to an understanding of the personality concerned. When someone forms such concepts, he actually slashes—spiritually, I mean—into the person with whom he is dealing. If we do not wish to slash into a personality with our concepts, we should simply have to characterize in a loving way the nature of the school in all its narrowness and how it brought forth this individuality. But people slash—and criticize, which is surely slashing in many respects. What is the cause of this?
It comes from cruelty, a quite definite characteristic that is widespread in the thought system of the present and is rooted in the subconscious. Since people lack the courage to practice this cruelty outwardly, they are cruel in their concepts and ideas. In many works of the present time we observe this cruelty in descriptions and representations. We observe it in much that is done and said, and it is far more common at the bottom of the soul than is ordinarily supposed. I have told you that in some schools of black magic the custom exists of acquiring the means for performing black magic by having the novitiate cut into the flesh of living animals. Certain characteristics are thus developed in the soul. Not everyone can do that at present, but many people gratify the same lust through their system of concepts; this does not lead to black magic, of course, but to our present civilization. Much today is permeated by this characteristic; of this we must be entirely clear. We arrive at an unprejudiced grasp of the world only by paying attention to such things; it is achieved in no other way.
Today, beginnings tending toward attaining a particular view of the relationships of the fifth post-Atlantean epoch do exist everywhere. We do not come to understand this period when we simply criticize it or surrender to an abstract idealism, without taking into consideration that what appears in the form of mechanism, as a mechanistic culture, belongs absolutely and necessarily to it. Merely to condemn the mechanical element has no meaning whatever. Now, beginnings toward some understanding of what gives continuing life to our fifth post-Atlantean epoch have actually appeared, but few concepts that correspond with reality have yet been found for it and there is little inclination to pay attention to those who have tried to grasp it. It will be necessary for us to deal with these people whose endeavors will be a point of departure for true energetic, spiritual scientific activities.
There is a significant poet of the fifth post-Atlantean epoch through whose poetic works the life of the age pulses. This is Max Eyth,74 Max von Eyth (1836–1906) was an engineer and author of the book Hinter Pflug und Schraubstock (Behind Plough and Bench-Vice]. He introduced the steam-plough that was developed by John Fowler to Egypt, America, and Germany. who ought to be better known because he is truly a poet of our epoch. He is also a Swabian, the son of a schoolmaster who wanted his son also to be a schoolmaster but karma willed otherwise. Relatively early in his life he chose a technical vocation, became a true technician, and then went abroad to England. There he devoted himself especially to the production of steam-ploughs and became their poet. The way he has sung with warm, loving heart of these amazing mechanical beasts is today's true poetry. There is a peculiar interplay of sentiment in this heart. On the one hand, he is a man fully devoted to technology; on the other, he is receptive to everything that can be grasped without preconceptions by an intellect schooled in the mechanistic-materialistic concepts of the fifth post-Atlantean epoch.
Max Eyth wrote a novel which deals with the modern life of Egypt, where the English company that employed him frequently sent him to introduce and test the steam-ploughs. This novel contains an explanation of how the pyramids were built according to a specific system. Now, if you calculate certain ratios that Eyth discovered and included in a supplement to one of his novels, you will find, up to the thirtieth decimal point at least, the so-called number,75 The “Ludolf number“ was named after the mathematician Ludwig van Ceulen (1540–1610). π, by which the diameter of a circle must be multiplied in order to arrive at the circumference. You understand: 3.14159 ... carrying many decimals and extending to infinity. It might easily be supposed that this symbol π represents the result of later scientific progress. However, it occurred to Max Eyth that the ancient Egyptian temple priests must have known it up to the thirtieth or fortieth decimal point in primeval times because they used it to determine the ratios according to which they built the pyramids. In other words, because Eyth was a technician, something was disclosed to him that is deeply hidden in the ancient structure of the pyramids. Thus he was able to point out that our culture really has two origins: the one that we know from historical records and that of ancient times in which people depended on a kind of knowledge that relied more on atavistic clairvoyance; this later disappeared and today must be found again.
But still other things are to be found in Max Eyth. However insignificant it seems, this is extraordinarily important. One of his stories, a collection of which is entitled Behind the Plow and Vice, brings you face to face with a riddle of life, a riddle of destiny. It contains a splendid description of an engineer's capacities and ability to build bridges. But he is a little too brilliant; one might say, a bit careless. After he has built a bridge, which is again described in a splendid way, he is in a train passing over the bridge. There he sits in the train, but he has overlooked something in building the bridge. As he passes over it, it collapses and he is killed. This is an impressive karmic question—not answered, naturally, but posed. We see here how modern man approaches the profound question of destiny. Here we have a man who is brilliant in his profession and who dies at a relatively early age through his connection with a work that he created. I should like to say that this poetic fiction raises an important question of a sort that spiritual science seeks to answer. Such things do, of course, happen in the numerous variations of life. Now we have described a case that shows us how karma is fulfilled swiftly and precipitously. To be sure, such an event makes karma inevitable, but let us suppose hypothetically that in another case the person was not on the train as it passed over the bridge, but was sitting at home by the fire. Then he would probably have been imprisoned for a couple of years because of his mistake, but not much more than that would have happened to him in this life. What then?
You see, the important point is that what had brought death to this man, the death he suffered in connection with his work, must enter his karma either here in this life or in the life between death and a new birth. The experience must be gone through, but it may be accelerated as in the case described by Eyth, or it may be extended over a longer period of time. Indeed, life itself in the fifth post-Atlantean epoch will raise profound questions of destiny and the very conditions of life in this epoch will make people realize how life reveals riddles in a new way that is different from that of earlier epochs.
Thus, when we consider people who are really somewhat gifted with brilliant intellects, we can observe that they seek today for different complexities of life in their artistic creation than those of earlier periods. How frequently it happents that the individuals who do discover significant complexities of life are those who are engaged in practical vocations. From this point of view the books of Max Eyth are extraordinarily instructive: first, because he is really a great and gifted writer, and second, because, as an entirely modern human being, he creates wholly from the requirements of modern life. It is especially interesting—permit me to make this remark parenthetically—that those who read Eyth learn through this mere outward exposure much that it would be important for theosophists to know—for example, many things connected with the life of Olcott,76 Henry Steel Olcott (1832–1907). the first president of the Theosophical Society. We find this hidden away in the writings of Eyth, who was in America at a time when Olcott was doing all kinds of strange things there. In short, even social karma may thrust itself upon us when we do not disdain acquainting ourselves with what this modern spirit has written. In general, however, the peculiar fact is that often not the individuals gifted with genius—Max Eyth was a genius—but those formed by the life-mechanisms of the fifth post-Atlantean epoch, see the intricacies of modern life with special clearness because their minds are formed in a special way.
I am acquainted with a man who was a jurist in his younger years77 Dr. Max Burckhard (1854–1912). The description is based on Hermann Bahr's Erinnerung an Burckhard [In Memory of Burckhard] (Berlin, 1913). Cf. Rudolf Steiner, “Gesammelte Aufsätze zur Dramaturgie“ [Collected Essays on Dramaturgy], Bibl.-No. 29, CE (Dornach, 1960), p. 60 ff. (“The Crisis of the Vienna Burg-theater“). —a time when one could be a legal mind without necessarily realizing his financial gains from the practice of law. He was a clear-headed person who viewed everything without preconceptions, who by reason of his gifts attracted the attention of his superiors, as one calls them, not so much on account of his brilliance, but because he was a good and diligent worker whom they could use. Now, since he had established his reputation as an actuary or assessor, he entered a government ministry where he was also a remarkable worker who viewed everything with open eyes. There he was once assigned an important, significant task. He was to prepare a report on matters pertaining to the schools and to education and he was instructed to prepare it in such a way that it would indicate a transition to a sort of liberal system. That pleased him and, since he was a clearheaded individual who saw through the present state of affairs, an excellent report resulted, really an excellent plan of reform that looked to liberalizing and modernizing some of the conditions in the schools. But while he was working on his report, the market changed, as people say, and a reactionary report was required. His superior then said to him, “This report is so good that you certainly will be able to prepare a comparable reactionary report also; now, can you do this?” The man replied, “No, that I cannot do!” “Indeed, why not?” “Because this report presents my conviction!” “What? This is your conviction?” Well, the superior was most indignant and saw quite clearly that he no longer had any use for this man, a person not only diligent but also possessed of a conviction of his own. Clearly, such a person could not be used.
Yet, the man was an excellent jurist and worker. What could be done? He had proven himself everywhere, and it was well known that he was a competent jurist. Well, the effort was made to give him a promotion. People who have proven themselves in this way must, if possible, be kept contented. Things were arranged a little behind the scenes, as the expression goes, and one day—I think it was at a game of skittles—the secretary of a theater met this person as if by chance and said to him, “Do you know that the position of director of an important theater is vacant?” Now, the jurist, who had been attached to a government ministry, could not take it amiss when he was given this news. So when the game was over, the secretary said to him, “Won't you join me at the coffee house so I can explain the matter in detail? Would you like to be a theater director? We need one, but we cannot know, of course, when we select someone whether he would want the position under present conditions.” Then the jurist, who was quite intelligent and well versed in juristic matters and things pertaining to administration, replied, “Of course, that simply has to be accepted. One must be willing and, if one is not, he will simply be arrested.” Now, the end of the affair was that the position of director of the theater was offered him. There was one difficulty, however. There was a famous actress connected with the theater and whoever was to become the director had to be acceptable to her. “Well now,” said the secretary, “can you also get along with this actress?” “Oh, if that's all that's required! I have been in a theater no more than seven times in my life but, if I take this job, I shall certainly be able to get along with her. Can you tell me what she likes to eat?” Now, the other knew that her favorite food was poppyseed cake. That was lucky. He said, “We will go at once to the bakery and order a large cake for her.” This was delivered early the next morning. In the afternoon the secretary called on the actress in order—well, I suppose to sound her out, as the expression goes. He knew that she had a good deal of influence so he said to her. “We should like very much to have this gentleman as director. What do you think of him?” “Well,” she answered, “I don't know him at all, but so far he has only been good to me.” So the jurist became the director of the theater.
Well, the most famous critic of that city still had to be won over. He was always writing the most terrible stuff until one day he also was brought around—at least, to such an extent that even if he did not write approvingly of the director, he did not disapprove either. This came about in the following way. I am not telling you a fairy story but something that actually happened; I only wish to describe it to you. So, the most highly placed person connected with the theater, even above the director, did not know what to do because of the critic. The new director was simply there, and he gave a good account of himself, being just as competent as the director of the theater as he had previously been as a jurist. But their top executive simply did not know what to do. He could not discharge the director, but the critic kept up his clamor. What did he finally do? He invited both of them in and served them some good wine. The director could drink and drink and drink. So could the critic, but not to equal the director. So it happened that early the following morning—about five o'clock, I think—the director rang the critic's doorbell and said he had to speak to his wife because he had left something quite heavy down below on the steps that he had to deliver to her. Well, she put on her dressing gown and he delivered her husband to her, a veritable bundle of misery. From that very hour the criticism decreased. Later, after this man had gone too far as a theater director in the view of his superiors, he was once more helped to a promotion in the legal profession.
Now, this man described in a remarkable way what he had observed in his occupation, and I wish only to show by this example that those people who are involved in the actual life of the present can make quite significant comments on it.
Still more interesting is a similar man, but one of nobler attitude than the one I have just mentioned, who wrote various things during his life. Shortly before his death—everyone of whom I am speaking is no longer alive—he produced a very interesting novella, really a contemporary work of art. Just think how anyone can write such a short story today according to the taste of the age. There must be nothing spiritual in it and, if there is, it must be pointed out quite clearly that the reader may believe the story or not; or better, he may consider it to be merely a fable. Now, I will present the material for the story, which this writer found in contemporary life. A person lived in the same environment as the man whom I have previously described. For a number of years he belonged to the legal profession and was relatively successful. The novelist can describe this. He can show how this character passed through the stages of his career as a jurist, how he had this or that experience and underwent complications of one kind or another. Then he can weave a love story into this material; of course, that also is the modern way. That is, the writer can tell how an exotic young lady comes to the jurist accompanied by her mother, how this eminent jurist falls in love with her and how, because a theme of espionage is introduced and he has to deal with this as a judge, he is again brought into relationship with the young lady. This brings him into a conflict, and so on. The story may then relate quite realistically how he is finally led to commit suicide.
The writer to whom I refer, however, did not do this; he wove the following significant material into his story. He narrated a course of events that is outwardly almost the same as I have told you, but he also lets the jurist read Schopenhauer and other philosophers in such a way that their thoughts, I might say, become totally enmeshed with his individual being, if not his nervous system. Now, he is a competent jurist. What does it mean when one, as a judge, is a competent jurist? It means such a person must be able to discover all possible hair-splitting subtleties in order to bring about a defendant's undoing, and he must likewise discover all possible legal casuistries of the defense. In short, this jurist is extraordinarily competent, and he convicts a certain person in a set of circumstances similar to those I have just described. But the defendent in the story behaved in a most astonishing way during the trial—that is, as if demonic—and especially the look in his eyes remained unforgettable in the minds of the people who were present during the trial. Well, the person concerned was, of course, imprisoned. The whole affair was then associated with that young lady with whom the judge had fallen in love. The convicted man, who was in ill health, was sentenced to twenty years the penitentiary.
The judge is exceedingly well described in this story. He had not thought of the convict since the trial, which people thought he had conducted brilliantly, when one night he awoke at about twelve o'clock. He lay only half asleep. At about two o'clock there was a knock at the door of the room and the convict entered. You can imagine the situation, but he nevertheless fell again into a half-sleep and when he awoke, it was already day. He was now seized with a terrible fear. He went to the court; once, on the way to his chambers he heard the name of the convict called out. This terrified terrified him tremendously. He decided to study the documents again and had them brought to him. But he left them lying there for three weeks. Finally, in a conversation one day it was revealed that about two o'clock on a certain night the convict had died in the penitentiary. It was precisely the time, as the judge could establish, when the prisoner had visited him in his bedroom!
This is the plot of the story, which is called Hofrat Eysenhardt and in which the judge finally commits suicide. Hofrat Eysenhardt by Berger78 Alfred Freiherr von Berger (1853–1912) was a theater manager, first in Hamburg and then in Vienna. On December 14, 1915, Rudolf Steiner spoke in detail about the novella Hofrath Eysenhardt in the fifth lecture of the cycle “Schicksalsbildung und Leben nach dem Tode“ [The Formation of Destiny and the Life after Death], Bibl.- No. 171, CE (Dornach, 1964). is an entirely modern story and shows even through other descriptions that the author was quite familiar with various recent endeavors to penetrate the secrets of occult existence. From this point of view alone the story is brilliantly written.
Now, there is something extraordinary here. Berger is not the same writer I previously described; I introduced him only as an example of a man whose perception was incisive and who described well the very nerve of the fifth post-Atlantean epoch. I brought in this Berger as an official colleague, so to speak. Alfred Baron von Berger wrote that remarkable story, Hofrat Eysenhardt; it is written in such a way that we see he understands the various endeavors today to enter the spiritual world. Berger wrote much during the course of his life, but he published this story only after he had attained a position beyond which he could make no further progress. We may say this occurred “by chance” shortly before his death. This is most significant since it shows us that today whose who wish to get somewhere, as the expression goes, believe they make a mistake when they become involved in such things. But it also shows us how the striving of men tends in the direction of penetrating the mysterious aspects of existence. These aspects will increasingly come to the fore because they set important riddles before man.
If we wish to consider the question of destiny without presuppositions, we must first acquire a clear perception and try not to sleep through life—excuse the bald expression—but rather look around ourselves. Let me express figuratively the important point to bear in mind. Let us say that we have here one stream of life, there a second, there a third, since life consists of many streams crossing one another in the most manifold ways—for example, the life of the individual and that of groups of people, as well as the life of all humanity. The sort of concepts that dominate today are entirely too simplistic to disentangle the intertwining threads of life. Frequently, what needs to be done is to direct one's gaze first toward one point, then another, and then to relate these two points through one's perception. When we thus hit upon the right facts, the situation is then illumined.
Now, you will say, “Yes, but how can such things be accomplished?” Well, that is just the point. When you pursue spiritual science in the right way, your imagination will reveal to you those points in life that you must consider together, so that life may unveil itself to you. By contrast, if you simply trace the consecutive events of life, you will understand nothing whatever of its totality. This is the way the historians do, in a sense; they draw threads from one event to another but do not understand life at all because what is needed is to view the world symptomatically. This will become increasingly necessary; that is, to view the world in such a way that we direct our perception to the right places and then draw the lines of connection from them to other things. A clear, symptomatic view of things is especially important in the concrete study of karma—with which so much is associated that is confusing because so much is seductive in it.
I have already pointed out79 Lecture of October 30, 1916, published in Innere Entwicklungsimpulse der Menschheit [Inner Development Impulses of Mankind], Bibl.-No. 171, CE (Dornach, 1964). that some contemporary occult societies have endeavored to keep this symptomatic study as far as possible from human beings. I have called your attention to the societies that are derived from ancient institutions and still continue to call themselves “occult,” especially in Western Europe. Within these occult societies special study has been devoted to human character in order to be able to use and grasp these characteristics in the right way. All sorts of ways have been used to keep this knowledge, which is fostered within their walls, from the rest of humanity. When the connection between the occult endeavors of these modern societies and public events are some day laid bare, when the threads are exposed that lead from them to modern events and their methods are exposed, it will be exceedingly interesting. These occult societies had a way of dealing with human characters by taking in hand the threads of their karma, guiding and directing them without their being conscious of this. Simple attempts have often been made in the Theosophical Society, but they have remained for the most part dilettantish because the theosophists lacked the skills of other occult societies. It is, of course, difficult to speak about these things, especially today when an objective characterization is not only suppressed by prejudice but is even forbidden by law. It is difficult to speak of these things; indeed, in a certain sense, it is quite impossible. But intimations must be given in one way or another since it is impossible for people simply to live and share in all that flows from the karma of the age into the unconscious region of their souls and then, in spite of living in this nebulousness, also to cultivate spiritual science, which demands clear and unprejudiced minds. There must be truth in certain things, but it is not possible to gain the truth in an abstract way by hypocrisy when we have to do with things that pertain to the real occult world. What is essential is that we must have a real will to truth. Now, this will to truth meets with many obstacles, especially today because men have gradually lost their sense for it. Just think how often in public life people are not concerned with discovering the truth, but rather with saying whatever suits one person or another and offers certain advantages to them.
Nowadays one comes upon particular fields everywhere of which it is not possible to speak, even though it is so necessary to do so. But I ask you to give the most earnest attention to this very fact because we must understand quite clearly that what has been said is the truth. You may ask, “What have these things to do with the question of karma we are now discussing?” Indeed, they have much to do with this, and we shall undertake to go into some of them in order finally to reach the goal toward which we are really striving.
Sechster Vortrag
Sie haben gesehen, wie verwickelt die tieferen Schicksalsfragen des menschlichen Lebens sind; wir erkennen das, wenn wir uns ihnen zu nähern versuchen auf den Wegen, die uns die Geisteswissenschaft möglich macht. Allein es wird mancherlei notwendig sein für den Menschen der Gegenwart, damit er sich in richtiger Weise in dasjenige hineinversetze, was wirklich zu einer fruchtbaren Auffassung des Lebens führen kann. Und wir müssen schon, wenn wir die verwickelten Probleme betrachten, an denen wir jetzt versuchen uns zurechtzufinden, ich möchte sagen, manche Seitenwege gehen, um die Schwierigkeiten ins Auge zu fassen, die dem Verständnis sich gerade in solchen Gebieten entgegensetzen. Wir sind ja in gewissem Sinne alle herausgewachsen aus dem Denken der Gegenwart, und wenn auch mancher glaubt, daß er vorurteilsloses Denken hat, so ist es immer gut, sich gerade mit Bezug auf die Vorurteilslosigkeit des Denkens recht sehr die Selbstprüfung, die Selbsterkenntnis nicht zu ersparen. Daher sei, bevor wir weiterschreiten, auf einzelnes aufmerksam gemacht.
Es ist oftmals recht schwierig, diese Dinge zu besprechen, weil schon die Sprache widerspenstig ist, wenn man wirklichkeitsgemäße Begriffe ausarbeiten will.Man kann sehr leicht glauben, daß ein Begriff, der ausgearbeitet wird, der gewissermaßen herausgeholt wird aus der Summe der okkulten Wissenschaft, auf ganz anderes hinziele als auf das, was eigentlich gemeint ist, und dadurch entstehen dann die mannigfaltigsten Mißverständnisse. Man kann heute sehr häufig eine gewisse Beobachtung machen, wenn menschliche Lebensläufe besprochen werden, welche sich auf große, bedeutende Persönlichkeiten beziehen. Ich will ein Beispiel anführen. Es ist jetzt eben hier in der Schweiz eine kleine Schrift erschienen über den ja neulich in anderem Zusammenhange erwähnten V-Vischer, den Verfasser des «Auch Einer» und der großen «Ästhetik». Mit einer gewissen liebevollen Hingabe wird das Leben dieses gesinnungstüchtigen und außerordentlich arbeitsreichen Schwaben, des V-Vischer, beschrieben. Er sei hier nur als Beispiel angeführt für gewisse Dinge, die wir betrachten wollen in bezug auf die menschliche Schicksalsfrage; man könnte ja ebensogut ein anderes Beispiel herauswählen.
Eine richtige Schwabennatur war V-Vischer, eine Natur, die herangedieh im 19. Jahrhundert. Nun wird in der Lebensbeschreibung,. die eben jetzt erschienen ist, gezeigt, wie er aus armen Verhältnissen herausgewachsen ist, der Friedrich Theodor Vischer, wie er durch die ärmlichen Verhältnisse seiner Familie gezwungen worden ist, die Stiftserziehung im Tübinger Stift durchzumachen und so weiter. Nun das, worauf es mir ankommt, ist das Folgende: Es wird gleich anfangs darauf hingewiesen, wie schon die Gymnasialerziehung dieses V-Vischer eine gewisse engherzige war, wie die Buben wohl gelernt haben, sich zurechtzufinden im Latein, später in griechischen Schriftstellern, wie sie aber eigentlich bis zu einem sehr späten Alter nicht gewußt haben, in welchen Hauptfluß der Neckar sich ergießt, wie sie überhaupt bis in ein verhältnismäßig spätes Alter niemals eine Landkarte gesehen haben und so weiter. Viele solche Fehler des Erziehungssystems werden angeführt.
Nun bedenken wir einmal die Sache recht. Der V-Vischer ist in gewisser Beziehung ein großer Mann geworden und hat Bedeutendes geleistet, ist ein berühmter Mann geworden. Wir müssen uns klar sein darüber, wodurch er das geworden ist, wodurch er gerade diese spezifische Individualität geworden ist, als die er dasteht in der Geschichte. Dazu gehört auch, daß er bis zu einem gewissen Lebensjahre keine Landkarte gesehen hatte; hätte er eine Landkarte gesehen bis zu einem bestimmten Lebensjahre, so wäre ein bestimmter Charakterzug nicht in seiner Seele gewesen. Und manches andere, was da scharf getadelt wird, das mußte sein. Und wenn wir es schließlich von größerem Gesichtspunkte überschauen, so werden wir uns sagen: Die Seele dieses V-Vischer stieg herunter aus den geistigen Welten und hat sich gerade dieses Milieu ausgesucht, wollte gerade eine Erziehung haben, welche ihr ermöglichte, soundso lange bewahrt davor zu bleiben, eine Landkarte zu sehen, wollte gerade lange Zeit zwar den Neckar immer vor sich haben, das Heimatflüßchen, aber wollte nicht wissen, in welchen Hauptstrom sich der Neckar ergießt. Und gerade, wenn man diesen V-Vischer studiert, so sieht man, wie alle seine Schrullen, alle seine Eigenheiten, die er ja hinlänglich hatte, richtige integrierende Bestandteile seiner Größe sind, so daß es sich ziemlich deplaciert ausnimmt, wenn man versucht, seine Biographie zu schreiben und dann die Schulen tadelt, die eigentlich dasjenige gemacht haben, was er geworden ist.
Seien wir uns nur klar darüber, daß jetzt nicht einer sagen darf: Nun hat er einmal wiederum sagen wollen, daß die Schulen, die den Kindern keine Landkarten zeigen, ganz die rechten Schulen seien. — Aber für den V-Vischer war das doch ganz gut und mußte so sein. Wir haben ja das vielfach dann im 19. Jahrhundert und bis in unsere Tage herein ins Große erlebt. Wenn namentlich gewisse dann berühmt gewordene Naturforscher aufgetreten sind und sich gegen die Erziehung gewandt haben, gegen das Erziehungssystem, und gefordert haben, daß man viel mehr Naturwissenschaft hineintragen soll in die Schulen, und wenn man die Herren gefragt hat: Und nun, ihr selber, ihr seid ja durch diese Verhältnisse gegangen; findet ihr, daß sie so schlecht waren? - so hat man in der Regel keine Antwort bekommen. Man muß sich schon klar darüber sein, daß ein jegliches Ding mindestens zwei, aber unter Umständen recht viel mehr Seiten har. Was ist denn das nur eigentlich, wenn sich der Biograph - in diesem Falle war es eine Biographin - hinsetzt und nun so Begriffe, Vorstellungen formt, daß das hingeschrieben wird, was ich Ihnen gesagt habe? Aus dem Hinschreiben einer solchen Sache kann man ja natürlich zum Verständnis der betreffenden Persönlichkeit nichts beitragen. Wenn man solche Begriffe formt, schneidet man eigentlich, geistig nur, in das Wesen hinein, das man behandelt. Würde man nicht hineinschneiden wollen mit seinen Begriffen, so würde man gerade liebevoll charakterisieren müssen, wie die Schule war inall ihrer Engherzigkeit und wie sie diese Individualität hervorgebracht hat. Aber man schneidet, man kritisiert, und Kritisieren ist ja in vieler Beziehung Schneiden. Woher kommt das?
Nun, das kommt von einer ganz bestimmten menschlichen Eigenschaft, die namentlich im Gedankensystem der Gegenwart weit, weit verbreitet ist, die im Unterbewußten wurzelt, deren sich die Menschen also nicht bewußt sind: das ist die Grausamkeit. Und weil die Menschen in der Gegenwart nicht gerade den Mut haben, diese Grausamkeit äußerlich zu betreiben, sind sie grausam in Begriffen und Ideen. Und vielen Werken der Gegenwart merkt man die Grausamkeit an in der Art der Schilderung, in der Art der Darstellung, und vielem, was getan wird und gesagt wird in der Gegenwart, merkt man die Grausamkeit an, die auf dem Grund der menschlichen Seele in viel weiterer Verbreitung vorhanden ist, als man denkt. Ich habe Ihnen gesagt, daß in gewissen sogenannten schwarzmagischen Schulen die Gepflogenheit besteht, sich die Eigenschaften, die man braucht zu schwarzer Magie, dadurch anzueignen, daß man den Zögling in lebendiges Fleisch von Tieren zunächst schneiden läßt. Dadurch werden gewisse Eigenschaften der Seele anerzogen. Das kann nicht jeder machen in der Gegenwart. Aber dieselbe Lust befriedigt mancher einfach in seinem Begriffssystem, wo es zwar nicht zur schwarzen Magie führt, aber zur Zivilisation der Gegenwart. Und von dieser Eigenschaft ist vieles, vieles in der Gegenwart durchsetzt, dessen müssen wir uns klar sein. Nur dadurch, daß man auf solche Dinge wirklich achtet, kommt man zu einem vorurteilsfreien Auffassen der Welt, in die man hineingestellt ist, sonst nicht, sonst auf keinen Fall.
Und es sind in der Gegenwart durchaus Anfänge vorhanden, die dahin streben, einen gewissen Ausblick in die Verhältnisse des fünften nachatlantischen Zeitraums zu erringen. Denn man kommt diesem fünften nachatlantischen Zeitraum verständnisvoll nicht bei,wenn man ihn nur kritisiert, wenn man nur gewissermaßen einem abstrakten Idealismus sich hingibt, ohne in Erwägung zu ziehen, daß das, was zum Beispiel als Mechanismus und mechanistische Kultur in der Gegenwart auftritt, ganz notwendig zu diesem fünften nachatlantischen Zeitraum gehört. Bloß abkritisieren das Maschinenmäßige in unserer Zeit, das hat keinen Sinn. Nun sind wirklich Anfänge aufgetreten dahingehend, ein wenig Verständnis zu gewinnen, menschliches Verständnis zu gewinnen für dasjenige, was unsern fünften nachatlantischen Zeitraum schon jetzt belebt und immer mehr beleben wird. Allein es sind noch wenig wirklichkeitsgemäße Begriffe für unseren fünften nachatlantischen Zeitraum gefunden, und man hat auch nicht viel Neigung, sich mit denjenigen Leuten zu beschäftigen, welche versucht haben, diesen Zustand des fünften nachatlantischen Zeitraums zu fassen. Man wird sich mit diesen Leuten beschäftigen müssen, denn an ihre Bestrebung wird sich gerade wahre, energische geisteswissenschaftliche Bestrebung in vielfacher Weise anschließen müssen.
So gibt es einen bedeutenden Dichter des fünften nachatlantischen Zeitraums, der in seinen Dichtungen ganz durchpulst ist von dem Leben dieses fünften nachatlantischen Zeitraums; das ist Max Eyth, der bekannt sein sollte. Denn Max Eyth ist richtig ein Dichter unseres Zeitalters. Er ist auch ein Schwabe, der Sohn eines schwäbischen Schulmeisters, der wollte, daß er, der Sohn, auch Schulmeister werde. Aber das Karma wollte es anders. Er hat frühzeitig sich dem technischen Berufe zugewendet, ist ganz Techniker geworden, ging dann in die Fremde, nach England, und widmete sich namentlich der Herstellung von Dampfpflügen und wurde auch der Dichter der Dampfpflüge. Und die Art, wie er diese merkwürdigen Tiere der Neuzeit, die Dampfpflüge, mit warmem, innigem Herzen besungen hat, das ist recht Dichtung der Gegenwart. Merkwürdige Dinge spielen gerade in diesem Herzen ineinander. Auf der einen Seite ist Max Eyth ein absolut der Technik der neueren Zeit ergebener Mann, auf der anderen Seite empfänglich für alles dasjenige, was der Verstand wird begreifen können, wenn er vorurteilslos sich hineinfindet in das, was eröffnet werden kann gerade, wenn dieser Verstand geschult wird an den mechanisch-materialistischen Begriffen der fünften nachatlantischen Periode.
So findet sich in einem Roman des Max Eyth, der im übrigen das rein moderne Leben Ägyptens behandelt, wo er vielfach tätig war, als die englische Gesellschaft, bei der er angestellt war, dort die Dampfpflüge hingeliefert hat und er sie ausproben mußte an Ort und Stelle, so findet sich in einem dieser Romane, der diesen Stoff behandelt, ausgeführt, wie die Pyramiden nach einem gewissen System gebaut sind. Und wenn man gewisse Verhältnisse ausrechnet — das rechnete Max Eyth aus, und das steht in dem Anhange eines Romans von ihm -, so findet man bis in weite, weite Dezimalen hinein, jedenfalls bis zu 30 Dezimalen hinein die sogenannte Ludolfsche Zahl, das x, mit dem man multiplizieren muß den doppelten Halbmesser eines Kreises, um den Umfang zu bekommen. Sie wissen, 3,14159 und so weiter; aber das geht ins Unendliche, das sind viele Dezimalen. Man könnte leicht glauben, diese Ludolfsche Zahl, die sogenannte Ludolfsche Zahl, sei erst ein Ergebnis späterer Errungenschaft. Max Eyth kam darauf, daß die alten ägyptischen Tempelpriester in uralten Zeiten bis in die 30.,40. Dezimalstelle hinein dieses x gekannt haben müssen, weil sie danach die Verhältnisse, nach denen sie die Pyramiden gebaut haben, bestimmt haben. Also es hat sich ihm erschlossen, diesem Max Eyth, gerade weil er Techniker war, etwas, was tief verborgen ist in der Natur des alten Pyramidenbaues. Damit konnte er zugleich darauf hinweisen, daß im Grunde genommen unsere Kultur zweierlei Ursprung hat: auch den der alten Zeiten, in denen die Leute auf anderer Wissenschaft gefußt haben als später, auf einer mehr mit dem Hellsehertum atavistischer Art verbundenen Wissenschaft, die dann verschwunden ist und die wieder gefunden werden muß in unserer Zeit.
Aber auch anderes findet sich bei Max Eyth, und das ist, so unscheinbar es aussieht, außerordentlich bedeutsam. In seinen Erzählungen — «Hinter Pflug und Schraubstock» heißt eine Sammlung - findet sich eine Dichtung, die, ich möchte sagen, ein Lebensrätsel aufwirft, ein Schicksalsrätsel aufwirft. Da wird ein Techniker, ein Ingenieur geschildert, der Brücken baut. In großartiger Weise wird geschildert, welche Fähigkeiten er hat, wie er Brücken bauen kann. Nur ist er etwas, nun, sagen wir genial, leichtfertig könnte man auch sagen. Und so baut er eine Brücke, die nun wiederum großartig geschildert wird. Er befindet sich selbst in einem Zug, der über diese Brücke geht. Da sitzt er drinnen. Aber er hat etwas versehen bei dem Brückenbau. Als der Zug, in dem er selbst darin ist, über die Brücke geht, stürzt sie ein und er geht dabei zugrunde. Es ist eine großartige karmische Frage, natürlich nicht beantwortet, aber aufgeworfen. Man sieht, wie der moderne _ Mensch herankommt an die großen karmischen, an die großen Schicksalsfragen. Wir haben einen Menschen, der durch seinen Beruf glänzend wirkt und der durch diesen Beruf in verhältnismäßig frühem Lebensalter zugrunde geht, zugrunde geht bei dem Werke, das er selbst geschaffen hat. Ich möchte sagen: Diese Dichtung steht wie eine große Frage da. Geisteswissenschaft wird gerade auf solche Fragen Antwort suchen. Diese Dinge kommen natürlich vor in den mannigfaltigsten Variationen des Lebens. Denn wir haben ja den Fall geschildert, der, ich möchte sagen, mit größter Akzeleration, mit größter Beschleunigung uns die Erfüllung des Karmas zeigt. Nehmen wir an — was ja nur eine Hypothese ist, denn natürlich macht es, wenn so etwas eintritt, das Karma notwendig -, aber nehmen wir hypothetisch an, was in einem anderen Falle eintreten könnte: der Betreffende wäre nicht in jenem Eisenbahnzug, der über die Brücke fuhr, gewesen, sondern er wäre eben damals zu Hause beim Ofen gesessen, so würde er vielleicht zwei Jahre eingesperrt worden sein, aber viel mehr dürfte ihm nicht passiert sein in diesem Leben zwischen Geburt und Tod. Wie wäre es dann gewesen?
Ja, sehen Sie, das ist das Bedeutsame: Dasjenige, was in das Karma dieses Menschen hineingebracht hätte der Tod, den der andere erleidet bei seinem eigenen Werk, das muß unter allen Umständen in das Karma hineinkommen, und derjenige, der es hier nicht hineinbekommt, der muß es dann in dem Leben zwischen dem Tod und einer neuen Geburt hineinbekommen. Diese Erfahrung, die muß gemacht werden. Solch eine Erfahrung kann also, ich möchte sagen, beschleunigt gemacht werden, wie in dem Fall, den Max Eyth schildert, oder aber sie kann sich über weite Zeiträume ausdehnen. Gerade wichtige Schicksalsfragen wird aus dem unmittelbaren Leben heraus der fünfte nachatlantische Zeitraum dadurch erzeugen, daß aus den Lebensverhältnissen dieses Zeitraumes heraus einzelne Menschen sehen werden, wie die Rätsel durch das Leben in neuer Weise aufgegeben werden, in einer Weise, wie sie in früheren Zeiträumen gar nicht aufgegeben worden sind.
Daher kann man schon auch bemerken, wenn man bei Menschen, die in einer gewissen Weise wirklich mit hellem Verstande begabt sind, nachsieht, wie sie heute schon andere Verwickelungen des Lebens suchen, wenn sie künstlerisch schaffen, als man in früheren Zeitläuften gesucht hat, und wie oftmals gerade diejenigen Menschen, die signifikante Verwickelungen des Lebens finden, heute in praktischen Berufen drinnenstehen. Des Max Eyth Bücher sind also in dieser Beziehung außerordentlich lehrreich, erstens, weil er wirklich ein großer, begabter Dichter ist, und zweitens, weil er, als ganz moderner Mensch, ganz aus den Anforderungen des modernen Lebens heraus schafft. Es ist gerade interessant — lassen Sie mich, ich möchte sagen, diese Bemerkung in Parenthese machen -, daß diejenigen Menschen, die Max Eyth lesen, durch äußere Lektüre auch etwas erfahren über mancherlei, was nun wiederum Theosophen wichtig sein könnte zu wissen, zum Beispiel über allerlei Dinge, die zusammenhängen mit dem Leben des ersten Präsidenten der Theosophical Society, des Olcott. Man findet das gerade bei Eyth, der in Amerika war in einer Zeit, in der Olcott dort allerlei Zeug getrieben hat, ein bißchen hineingeheimnißt in die Dinge. Kurz, sogar soziales Karma kann an einen herandringen, wenn man es nicht verschmäht, sich mit diesem modernen Geiste ein bißchen bekanntzumachen. Aber überhaupt, das ist das Eigentümliche, daß manchmal nicht gerade geniale Naturen — Eyth war ein genialer Mensch -, sondern solche, die eben der fünfte nachatlantische Zeitraum mit seinen Lebensmechanismen gebildet hat, durch die besondere Formung ihres Verstandes die Verwickelungen des modernen Lebens mit besonderer Klarheit schauen.
So ist zum Beispiel mir und anderen auch ein moderner Jurist bekannt — Jurist war er zunächst in seiner Jugend -, aber als Jurist schon von der Zeit an, wo man Jurist ist, ohne daß man von der Juristerei klingenden Gewinn hat, ein heller Kopf, der die Dinge ringsherum vorurteilslos angesehen hat, der durch seine Begabung aufgefallen ist seinen Vorgesetzten — so sagt man ja wohl -, nicht so sehr wegen seiner Helligkeit, aber weil sie ihn gut brauchen konnten, weil das ein guter, ein flinker Arbeiter war. Nun, da kam er, da er sich als Aktuar oder Assessor ganz besonders bewährt hatte, in ein Ministerium. In dem Ministerium war er auch ein ausgezeichneter Arbeiter, aber ein solcher, der sich alles mit offenen Augen anschaute. Da bekam er einmal einen hohen, bedeutsamen Auftrag. Er sollte nämlich über Schul- und Erziehungsangelegenheiten ein Referat machen. Und zwar bekam er die Weisung, es sollte dieses Referat in der Weise gehalten werden, daß man zu einer Art liberalem System übergehen solle. Das gefiel ihm ganz gut, und da er ein heller Kopf war und die Verhältnisse durchschaute, so kam ein sehr gutes Referat zustande, wirklich ein guter Reformplan, gewisse Schulverhältnisse zu liberalisieren und etwas modern zu gestalten. Aber nun, während er das Referat ausarbeitete, hatte sich, wie man so sagt, der Kurs geändert, und man brauchte jetzt ein reaktionäres Referat. Da sagte ihm der Vorgesetzte: Das Referat ist so ausgezeichnet, daß Sie auch schon ein ausgezeichnetes reaktionäres Referatmachen werden; können Sie mir jetzt nicht auch ein reaktionäres machen? Da sagte der: Nein, das kann ich nicht! - Ja, wieso nicht? — Nein, denn das hier ist ja meine Überzeugung! — Was? So, das ist Ihre Überzeugung? — Da war der Vorgesetzte sehr böse und war sich klar darüber, daß er den Mann nun doch nicht gebrauchen konnte; einen Menschen, der nicht bloß tüchtig ist, sondern sogar eine Überzeugung hat, den kann man doch nicht brauchen!
Aber er ist ein ausgezeichneter Jurist, ein ausgezeichneter Arbeiter. Was tut man da? Er hat sich überall bewährt, und man weiß, er ist ein tüchtiger Jurist. Nun, man versucht, ihn hinaufzubefördern! Menschen, die sich so bewähren, die muß man versuchen zufriedenzustellen. Da wurde dann so ein bißchen hintenherum die Sache gedeichselt, wie man es nennt, und eines Tages — beim Kegelschieben glaube ich, war es -, da traf wie vom Zufall geführt den betreffenden Menschen ein Theatersekretär. Der Theatersekretär erzählte ihm: Ja, der Posten des Theaterdirektors eines großen Theaters ist leer! — Nun, der Betreffende, der Jurist war, bisher Ministerialbeamter, konnte doch da nicht irgend etwas Böses denken, als ihm diese Mitteilung gemacht wurde. Aber nachdem sie mit dem Kegelschieben zu Ende waren, sagte der Theatersekretär zu ihm: Wollen Sie nicht mit mir jetzt ins Kaffeehaus gehen, daß ich Ihnen die Sache näher auseinandersetze? Möchten Sie denn nicht selber Theaterdirektor werden? Wir haben keinen Theaterdirektor. Wir können ja auch nicht wissen, wenn wir einen Herrn auswählen, ob er unter den jetzigen Verhältnissen das Amt will. - Da sagte der Betreffende, der in juristischen und Verwaltungsdingen doch hell war und bekannt war: Ach, das muß jeder annehmen. Er muß auch willig sein, und wenn er nicht willig ist, verhaftet man ihn einfach. - Nun, es kam zum Schlusse dahin, daß ihm der Posten des Theaterdirektors angetragen wurde. Nur eine Schwierigkeit gab es: Es war eine sehr berühmte Schauspielerin bei dem betreffenden Theater, deren Gunst der Direktor haben mußte. Ja, sagte der Betreffende zu ihm, können Sie aber auch die Gunst dieser Schauspielerin erringen? — Nun, wenn es auf das nur ankommt! Ich war zwar in meinem ganzen Leben nur siebenmal im Theater, aber wenn ich es schon unternehme, Theaterdirektor zu werden, so werde ich doch auch die Gunst dieser Schauspielerin er i9n werben können. Können Sie mir nicht sagen, was die Schauspielerin gern ißt? — Das wußte der nun: «Mohnbeugerl» waren es. Da war er fein heraus. Er sagte: Da fahren wir jetzt gleich in die Konditorei und bestellen eine große Portion «Mohnbeugerl». — Die wurden gleich des Morgens ganz früh abgeliefert bei der Schauspielerin. Am Nachmittag mußte dann der betreffende Theatersekretär vorfahren bei der Schauspielerin, um — nun, halt um zu sondieren, wie man sagt. Er sagte zu ihr: Wir möchten gern diesen Herrn zum Direktor machen; was denken Sie darüber? — Er wußte, daß die Person sehr einflußreich war. Nun, sagte sie, ich weiß zwar gar nichts von diesem Herrn, aber bisher ist mir nur Gutes von ihm gekommen. — Jetzt war es so weit, daß er Theaterdirektor werden konnte,
Nun war noch der Kritiker da, der berühmteste Kritiker der betreffenden Stadt; der war noch zu gewinnen. Und der schrieb halt immer schreckliches Zeug, der Mann, bis eines Tages auch dieser Kritiker umgestimmt worden ist, wenigstens so, daß er, wenn auch nicht wohlwollend, so doch einigermaßen nicht abfällig über ihn geschrieben hat. Das ist auf folgende Weise zustande gekommen - ich erzähle Ihnen kein Märchen, sondern es ist vorgekommen; ich will nur ein wenig charakterisieren: Die oberste Persönlichkeit des betreffenden Theaters, die noch über dem Direktor stand, wußte sich nicht zu helfen - der Direktor war nun einmal da, bewährte sich sogar, weil er ebenso tüchtig war als Theaterdirektor, wie er sich früher als Jurist tüchtig erwiesen hatte -, aber die oberste Persönlichkeit, die wußte sich nun nicht recht zu helfen: den Direktor konnte man nicht gleich wieder fortschicken; der Kritiker zeterte immer. Was tat er? Er lud sie beide ein, so daß keiner etwas von dem andern wußte, und gab ihnen gute Weine. Der Theaterdirektor konnte trinken und trinken und trinken. Der andere konnte es auch, aber nur bis zu einem gewissen Grade, der geringer war als der des Theaterdirektors. Und so kam es denn, daß eines schönen Morgens der Theaterdirektor sehr früh am Morgen - ich glaube um fünf Uhr klingelte bei der Frau des’ Theaterkritikers und sagte, er müsse sie durchaus persönlich sprechen, denn er hätte etwas sehr Wichtiges abzugeben, das er unten auf der Treppe niedergelegt hätte. Nun, sie warf sich in den Schlafrock. Da brachte er ihr denn ihren Herrn Gemahl als ein rechtes Häuflein Unglück und lieferte ihn ab. Von der Stunde an ging es etwas besser mit der Kritik. Später wurde der Betreffende, nachdem er es so als Theaterdirektor zu toll getrieben hatte nach Ansicht dieser Vorgesetzten, zur Juristerei wiederum weiter hinaufbefördert.
Nun hat dieser Mann ausgezeichnet dasjenige beschrieben, charakterisiert, was er gesehen hat in seiner Praxis, und ich will nur eben damit andeuten, daß gerade solche Menschen, die aus dem unmittelbaren Leben der Gegenwart heraus sind, so recht bedeutsam hinweisen können auf dieses Leben der Gegenwart.
Noch interessanter ist, daß ein ähnlicher Mann, der allerdings, ich möchte sagen, um einen Grad vornehmer aufgetreten ist als der, von dem ich Ihnen erzählt habe, Verschiedenes geschrieben hat während seines Lebens, aber kurz vor seinem Tode — diese Menschen, von denen da die Rede ist, sind ja alle schon tot - eine sehr interessante Novelle geschrieben hat, so ein richtiges Kunstwerk der Gegenwart. Sehen Sie, wie kann man heute eine Novelle schreiben? Man kann heute eine Novelle schreiben nach dem Geschmack der Zeit: da darf ja nichts Spirituelles drinnen sein, oder wenn etwas Spirituelles darinnen ist, so muß möglichst deutlich darauf hingewiesen sein, daß man die Geschichte glauben kann und auch nicht glauben kann, aber daß man jedenfalls besser tut, sie nur für ein Märchen zu halten. Nun, ich nehme den Stoff, den sich der betreffende Schilderer aus der Gegenwart genommen hat. Solch ein Mensch aus der Umgebung, in die gerade der Mann, den ich vorhin beschrieben habe, hineinversetzt war lange Zeit, eine Person des Juristenstandes, bringt es verhältnismäßig sehr weit. Das kann man schildern. Man kann schildern, wie er so die Etappen der Jurisprudenz durchmacht, wie er dies oder jenes erlebt, Verwickelungen dieser und jener Art. Dann kann man — nun ja, selbstverständlich ist das auch modern - eine Liebesgeschichte hineinflechten in solch eine Sache. Man kann also, wenn man diesen Stoff vor sich hat, schildern, wie irgendein exotisches Mädchen in der Begleitung ihrer Mutter kommt, wie sich der betreffende höhere juristische Beamte nun verliebt, und wie gerade dadurch, daß vielleicht eine Spionagegeschichte hineinspielt, die er zu behandeln hat als Richter, diese wiederum ihn in Verbindung führt zu dem Mädchen, in das er sich verliebt hat, wie ihn das in Konflikte hineinbringt und so weiter. Man kann dann ganz realistisch schildern, wie er zum Selbstmord gekommen ist.
Das hat nun der Betreffende nicht getan, sondern er hat folgende bedeutsame Sache in seine Novelle hineinverwoben. Er schildert also einen Vorgang, der äußerlich fast so ist, wie ich ihn eben erzählt habe. Aber er schildert außerdem noch, daß der betreffende Justizbeamte Schopenhauer liest, andere Philosophen liest, aber sie so liest, daß er dies, ich möchte sagen, bis zu seinem Nervensystem mit seinem individuellen Wesen verbindet. Nun ist er ein tüchtiger Jurist. Was heißt das, ein tüchtiger Jurist als Richter zu sein? Das heißt, alle Spitzfindigkeiten herauszukriegen, um einen ganz hereinzulegen. Verteidigen, nun ja, dazu muß er ja wieder die Spitzfindigkeiten der Verteidiger herausfinden. Also er ist furchtbar tüchtig, und verurteilt einen Menschen aus ähnlichen Zusammenhängen heraus, wie ich sie eben dargelegt habe. Aber dieser Mensch zeigt sich in einer ganz merkwürdigen Weise bei der Verhandlung, wie dämonisch, und namentlich die Art, wie er geblickt hat, die bleibt den Leuten, die bei der Verhandlung waren, unvergeßlich. Nun, der Betreffende wird selbstverständlich eingesperrt. Die ganze Sache hängt dann zusammen mit jenem Mädchen, in das sich der betreffende Richter verliebt. Der Verurteilte bekommt zwanzig Jahre Zuchthaus; aber er ist leidend.
Nun, der Richter wird sehr gut geschildert in der betreffenden Novelle. Eines Nachts - er hat seit der Verhandlung, die er nach Ansicht der Leute glänzend geführt hat, nicht wieder an den Sträfling gedacht wird er wach um zwölf Uhr, sagen wir -— es wird auch ungefähr stimmen -, ist in einem Zustand des Halbschlafes; um zwei Uhr klopft es an seiner Türe in seinem Zimmer, in dem er schläft. Herein kommt jener Sträfling. — Sie können sich des Richters Situation ausmalen! Aber er kommt wiederum in einen Halbschlummer, und als er aufwacht, ist es Tag. Er ist nun in einer heillosen Angst. Er geht ins Gerichtsgebäude; da hört er nichts, als, indem er auf dem Gang so hingeht, einmal den Namen jenes Sträflings rufen. Das erschreckt ihn furchtbar. Er nimmt sich vor, die Akten wieder zu studieren, läßt sie sich auch geben; drei Wochen Jang läßt er sie liegen. Dann endlich ergibt sich einmal aus einem Gespräch das Folgende: In einer bestimmten Nacht um zwei Uhr ist der Betreffende im Zuchthaus gestorben. Es war genau auf die Minute, wie der Richter dann feststellen konnte, damals, als er ihn besucht hatte in seinem Schlafzimmer!
Das ist die Verwickelung der Novelle. «Hofrat Eysenhardt» heißt sie. Er stirbt dann durch Selbstmord. «Hofrat Eysenhardt» von Berger, eine ganz moderne Novelle, die zeigt, auch durch die anderen Schilderungen, die drinnen sind, daß der Verfasser ganz gut bekannt war mit den verschiedensten Versuchen der neuesten Zeit, in die Geheimnisse des okkulten Daseins einzudringen; denn einfach von diesem Gesichtspunkte aus ist die Novelle glänzend geschrieben.
Ein Merk würdiges liegt nun vor. Jener Berger ist nicht derselbe wie der, den ich vorhin beschrieben habe; den vorhin Beschriebenen wollte ich nur als das Beispiel eines Menschen, der mit hellem Blick sich umschaut und gut das schildert, was Nerv des fünften nachatlantischen Zeitraums ist, anführen. Aber als einen Amtsgenossen sozusagen wollte ich den Berger anführen, Alfred Freiherr von Berger, der die Novelle geschrieben hat, diese ausgezeichnete Novelle «Hofrat Eysenhardt», die ganz so geschrieben ist, daß man sieht: der Mann kennt die verschiedenen Anstrengungen der neueren Zeit, hineinzukommen in die geistige Welt. Er hat sein ganzes Leben viel geschrieben, der betreffende Alfred Freiherr von Berger. Erst als er diejenige Stelle erlangt hatte, über die hinauf es kein Aufrücken mehr gab, hat er diese Novelle veröffentlicht. Es ist auch, sagen wir «zufällig», kurz vor seinem Tode gewesen. Sehr bezeichnend ist das, weil es uns zugleich zeigt, daß die Menschen der Gegenwart, die, wie man das im äußeren Leben nennt, etwas erreichen wollen, nicht gut tun, sich mit solchen Dingen die Finger zu verbrennen. Aber es zeigt uns zugleich auf der anderen Seite, wie das Streben der Menschen in der Gegenwart dahin geht, einzudringen in die geheimnisvollen Seiten des Daseins, die sich immer mehr und mehr aufdrängen werden, weil sie den Menschen wichtige Rätsel aufgeben.
Wenn man die Frage des Schicksals vorurteilslos betrachten will, dann handelt es sich darum, daß man vor allen Dingen sich einen freien Blick aneignet, daß man versucht, das Leben - verzeihen Sie den harten Ausdruck — nicht zu verschlafen, sondern sich im Leben umzuschauen. Denn sehen Sie, lassen Sie mich Ihnen gleichsam symbolisch ausdrükken das, worauf es ankommt: Sagen wir, da hätten wir eine Strömung des Lebens (es wird gezeichnet), da eine zweite, da eine dritte. Das Leben besteht ja aus vielen Strömungen, die sich in der mannigfaltigsten Weise kreuzen, das Leben des einzelnen Menschen und das Leben von Menschengruppen, auch das Leben der ganzen Erdenmenschheit. Dasjenige, was heute als Begriffe herrscht, ist vielfach zu bequem, um auseinanderzuwirren die verschlungenen Fäden des Lebens, denn es kommt sehr häufig darauf an, daß man den Blick nach einem Punkte richtet, und dann den Blick wieder nach einem anderen Punkte, und daß man gerade diese beiden Punkte in ein Verhältnis bringt, daß man diese Punkte anschaut. Wenn man die richtigen Tatsachen ins Auge faßt, so findet man Lichter, die die Situation aufhellen.
Nun werden Sie mich fragen: Ja, wie macht man solche Dinge? Sehen Sie, darauf kommt es eben an. Wenn Sie Geisteswissenschaft in der richtigen Art treiben, dann finden Sie durch Imagination die Punkte im Leben heraus, die Sie zusammenschauen müssen, damit sich Ihnen das Leben enthüllt, während Sie sonst das Leben verfolgen können, Ereignis nach Ereignis betrachten und nichts verstehen können vom Leben, wie es etwa die Historiker der Gegenwart machen, die von Ereignis zu Ereignis ihre Fäden ziehen, aber nichts verstehen vom Leben, weil es darauf ankommt, symptomatisch die Welt zu betrachten. Und das wird immer mehr und mehr notwendig werden, die Welt symptomatisch zu betrachten, das heißt so zu betrachten, daß man den Blick an die richtigen Stellen hinwendet und von den richtigen Stellen aus die Verbindungslinien zieht zu anderen Dingen. Gerade wenn es sich darum handelt, Karma konkret zu studieren, menschliches Schicksal konkret ins Auge zu fassen — ein Studium, bei dem es so viel Verwirrendes, weil so viel Versucherisches gibt dabei -, gerade da handelt es sich darum, symptomatisch die Dinge ins Auge fassen zu können.
Dieses symptomatische Studium, das haben nun gerade gewisse okkulte Verbindungen der Gegenwart, auf die ich Ihren Blick schon hingelenkt habe, versucht, von den Menschen so fern wie möglich zu halten. Und ich habe Sie aufmerksam gemacht darauf, wie von älteren Einrichtungen gewisse okkult sich nennende Verbindungen geblieben sind, namentlich im Westen Europas. Innerhalb dieser okkulten Verbindungen hat man wohl gerade menschliches Charakterstudium getrieben, um menschliche Charaktere in der richtigen Weise gebrauchen zu können, in der richtigen Weise fassen zu können, und man hat mancherlei Mittel eingeschlagen, um von der übrigen Menschheit diese Erkenntnis abzuhalten, die man gerade, ich möchte sagen, innerhalb seiner Mauern oder innerhalb seiner Tore gepflogen hat. Es wird einmal zu dem Allerinteressantesten gehören, wenn bloßgelegt werden wird der Zusammenhang zwischen den Bestrebungen gewisser moderner okkulter Gemeinschaften und den öffentlichen Ereignissen, wenn die Fäden gezeigt werden, die von gewissen okkulten Gemeinschaften nach den modernen Ereignissen hereingehen, und wenn die Methoden enthüllt werden. Denn man wußte von solchen okkulten Gemeinschaften aus mit den menschlichen Charakteren zu rechnen, indem man gewissermaßen die Fäden ihres Karmas in die Hand nahm und sie lenkte und leitete, ohne daß die Leute es wußten. In der Theosophischen Gesellschaft hat man vielfach bloß Versuche gemacht, aber diese Versuche sind zumeist dilettantisch geblieben, weil man da nicht so geschickt war wie in anderen okkulten Gesellschaften. Natürlich ist es schwierig, über diese Dinge zu sprechen, insbesondere heute, wo ja objektive Charakteristik nicht nur mit Vorurteil belegt ist, sondern sogar durch die Gesetze verboten ist. Es ist schwierig, über diese Dinge zu sprechen, ja in gewisser Beziehung sogar ganz unmöglich. Aber darauf hingedeutet werden muß doch in der einen oder in der anderen Weise, weil es nicht angeht, daß die Menschen einfach in ihrer Zeit drinnen leben und mitmachen all dasjenige, was aus dem Zeitenkarma heraus in das Unbewußte der Menschenseelen hineinspielt, und dann, trotzdem sie in diesem allgemeinen Nebulosen drinnen leben, nun wiederum Geisteswissenschaft, die klaren, vorurteilslosen Geist fordert, treiben wollen. In gewissen Dingen muß Wahrheit herrschen, und es läßt sich nicht die Wahrheit bloß, ich möchte sagen, in abstrakter Weise erheucheln, sobald es sich um Dinge der wirklichen okkulten Welt handelt. Da handelt es sich darum, daß wirklich der Wille zur Wahrheit vorhanden ist. Nun, dieser Wille zur Wahrheit findet ja in der Gegenwart ganz besonders so viele Widerstände, weil den Menschen allmählich der Sinn für die Wahrheit abhanden gekommen ist. Denken Sie doch nur einmal, daß es heute sich vielfach im öffentlichen Leben gar nicht darum handelt, die Wahrheit zu ergründen, sondern dasjenige zu sagen, was dem einen oder dem anderen paßt aus gewissen Gruppenvorteilen heraus.
Man kommt überall heute auf Gebiete, über die es unmöglich ist zu sprechen, trotzdem es gerade so notwendig wäre, über diese Gebiete zu sprechen. Aber schon diese Tatsache bitte ich Sie recht sehr ins Auge zu fassen, denn auch darinnen muß man sich völlig klar sein, daß das so ist, Sie können die Frage aufwerfen: Was haben gerade diese Dinge mit der Karmafrage zu tun, die wir jetzt behandeln? — Sie haben in der Tat sehr viel damit zu tun, und wir werden auf einiges von diesen Dingen dann noch versuchen einzugehen, um endlich gipfeln zu können in den Zielen, die wir eigentlich verfolgen.
Sixth Lecture
You have seen how complicated the deeper questions of human destiny are; we recognize this when we try to approach them along the paths that spiritual science makes possible for us. However, many things will be necessary for people today to be able to put themselves in the right position to arrive at a fruitful understanding of life. And when we consider the complex problems we are now trying to find our way through, we must, I would say, take some side paths in order to grasp the difficulties that stand in the way of understanding in such areas. In a certain sense, we have all outgrown contemporary thinking, and even if some believe that they think without prejudice, it is always good, precisely with regard to the absence of prejudice in thinking, not to spare oneself self-examination and self-knowledge. Therefore, before we proceed further, attention should be drawn to a few points.
It is often quite difficult to discuss these things because language itself is uncooperative when one wants to develop realistic concepts. It is very easy to believe that a term that is elaborated, that is, in a sense, extracted from the sum of occult science, aims at something completely different from what is actually meant, and this then gives rise to the most varied misunderstandings. Today, when discussing the lives of great and important personalities, one very often makes a certain observation. Let me give you an example. A small book has just been published here in Switzerland about V-Vischer, the author of “Auch Einer” and the great “Ästhetik,” who was mentioned recently in another context. The life of this ideologically committed and extraordinarily hard-working Swabian, V-Vischer, is described with a certain loving devotion. He is cited here only as an example of certain things we want to consider in relation to the question of human destiny; one could just as well choose another example.
V-Vischer was a true Swabian character, a character that flourished in the 19th century. Now, the biography that has just been published shows how Friedrich Theodor Vischer grew out of poor circumstances, how he was forced by his family's poverty to undergo seminary education in Tübingen, and so on. Now, what is important to me is the following: It is pointed out right at the beginning how the secondary school education of this V-Vischer was somewhat narrow-minded, how the boys learned well to find their way around Latin and later Greek writers, but how they did not actually know until a very late age into which main river the Neckar flows, how they had never seen a map until a relatively late age, and so on. Many such flaws in the education system are cited.
Now let us consider the matter carefully. In a certain sense, V-Vischer became a great man and achieved great things; he became a famous man. We must be clear about what made him what he was, what made him the specific individual that he is in history. This includes the fact that he had never seen a map until a certain age; if he had seen a map before a certain age, a certain character trait would not have been in his soul. And many other things that are sharply criticized had to be so. And when we finally look at it from a broader perspective, we will say to ourselves: The soul of this V-Vischer descended from the spiritual worlds and chose precisely this milieu, wanted precisely this education, which enabled it to remain protected from seeing a map for so long, wanted precisely to have the Neckar, the river of his homeland, in front of him for a long time, but did not want to know into which main stream the Neckar flows. And when you study this V-Vischer, you see how all his quirks, all his idiosyncrasies, which he had in abundance, are actually integral parts of his greatness, so that it seems quite out of place to try to write his biography and then criticize the schools that actually made him what he became.
Let us be clear that no one should now say: Now he wanted to say once again that schools that do not show children maps are the right schools. — But for V-Vischer, that was quite good and had to be so. We have experienced this many times in the 19th century and up to the present day. When certain natural scientists, who later became famous, appeared and turned against education, against the education system, and demanded that much more natural science be taught in schools, and when people asked them, “And now, you yourselves have gone through these circumstances; do you think they were so bad?” — as a rule, no answer was given. One must be clear that every thing has at least two sides, but under certain circumstances many more. What is it, really, when the biographer—in this case it was a female biographer—sits down and forms concepts and ideas that are then written down as I have told you? Writing down such things naturally contributes nothing to an understanding of the personality in question. When you form such concepts, you are actually cutting into the essence of the person you are dealing with, albeit only mentally. If you did not want to cut into it with your concepts, you would have to lovingly describe what school was like in all its narrow-mindedness and how it brought out this individuality. But you cut, you criticize, and criticism is, in many ways, cutting. Where does that come from?
Well, it comes from a very specific human characteristic that is widespread, especially in the contemporary system of thought, that is rooted in the subconscious, and of which people are therefore not aware: cruelty. And because people today do not have the courage to express this cruelty outwardly, they are cruel in their concepts and ideas. And in many contemporary works, cruelty is evident in the manner of description, in the manner of presentation, and in much of what is done and said today, one can sense the cruelty that is present at the bottom of the human soul in much greater extent than one might think. I have told you that in certain so-called black magic schools, it is customary to acquire the qualities needed for black magic by first allowing the pupil to cut into the living flesh of animals. This instills certain qualities in the soul. Not everyone can do this in the present day. But some people simply satisfy the same desire in their conceptual system, where it does not lead to black magic, but to the civilization of the present. And we must be clear that much, much of the present is permeated by this quality. Only by really paying attention to such things can one arrive at an unprejudiced understanding of the world in which one finds oneself; otherwise, it is impossible.
And there are certainly beginnings in the present that strive to gain a certain insight into the conditions of the fifth post-Atlantean period. For one cannot understand this fifth post-Atlantean period if one merely criticizes it, if one merely indulges in a kind of abstract idealism without considering that what appears today as mechanism and mechanistic culture, for example, is quite necessary to this fifth post-Atlantean period. Merely criticizing the mechanistic aspects of our time makes no sense. Now, there are indeed signs of a beginning of a little understanding, of human understanding of what is already animating our fifth post-Atlantean period and will increasingly animate it. However, few realistic concepts have been found for our fifth post-Atlantic period, and there is little inclination to engage with those who have attempted to grasp this state of the fifth post-Atlantic period. We will have to engage with these people, because their efforts will have to be followed in many ways by true, energetic spiritual scientific endeavors.
There is a significant poet of the fifth post-Atlantean period whose poems are completely imbued with the life of this fifth post-Atlantean period; this is Max Eyth, who should be well known. For Max Eyth is truly a poet of our age. He is also a Swabian, the son of a Swabian schoolmaster who wanted his son to become a schoolmaster too. But karma had other plans. He turned to a technical profession at an early age, became a technician, then went abroad to England, where he devoted himself to the manufacture of steam plows and became the poet of steam plows. And the way he sang about these strange animals of the modern age, the steam plows, with a warm, heartfelt heart, is truly contemporary poetry. Strange things interact in this heart. On the one hand, Max Eyth is a man absolutely devoted to modern technology; on the other hand, he is receptive to everything that the mind can comprehend when it enters without prejudice into what can be revealed when this mind is trained in the mechanical-materialistic concepts of the fifth post-Atlantean period.
Thus, in a novel by Max Eyth, which incidentally deals with purely modern life in Egypt, where he was active in many ways, when the English company he worked for delivered steam plows there and he had to test them on the spot, one finds in one of these novels dealing with this subject an explanation of how the pyramids were built according to a certain system. And if you calculate certain ratios—Max Eyth calculated them, and they are in the appendix of one of his novels—you find, to many, many decimal places, at least to 30 decimal places, the so-called Ludolf number, the x that you have to multiply by twice the radius of a circle to get the circumference. You know, 3.14159 and so on; but it goes on forever, there are many decimal places. One could easily believe that this Ludolf number, the so-called Ludolf number, is only a result of later achievements. Max Eyth came to the conclusion that the ancient Egyptian temple priests in ancient times must have known this x down to the 30th or 40th decimal place, because they used it to determine the proportions according to which they built the pyramids. So it dawned on him, Max Eyth, precisely because he was a technician, something that is deeply hidden in the nature of ancient pyramid construction. This enabled him to point out that, fundamentally, our culture has two origins: one in ancient times, when people relied on a different kind of science than later, a science more closely related to atavistic clairvoyance, which then disappeared and must be rediscovered in our time.
But there is something else in Max Eyth's work that, as inconspicuous as it may seem, is extremely significant. In his stories — a collection entitled “Hinter Pflug und Schraubstock” (Behind the Plow and the Vise) — there is a poem that, I would say, raises a riddle about life, a riddle about fate. It describes a technician, an engineer who builds bridges. His abilities and his skill in building bridges are described in magnificent detail. But he is somewhat, well, let's say ingenious, or reckless, one might also say. And so he builds a bridge, which is again described in magnificent detail. He finds himself in a train traveling over this bridge. He is sitting inside. But he made a mistake when building the bridge. When the train he is on crosses the bridge, it collapses and he is killed. It is a great karmic question, unanswered, of course, but raised nonetheless. We see how modern man approaches the great karmic questions, the great questions of fate. We have a person who shines in his profession and who, because of this profession, perishes at a relatively early age, perishing in the work he himself has created. I would say that this poem stands as a great question. Spiritual science will seek answers to such questions. These things occur naturally in the most varied variations of life. For we have described a case which, I would say, shows us the fulfillment of karma with the greatest acceleration, with the greatest speed. Let us assume — and this is only a hypothesis, for of course when something like this happens, karma makes it necessary — but let us hypothetically assume what might happen in another case: the person concerned had not been on the train that was crossing the bridge, but had been sitting at home by the stove at that moment, he would perhaps have been imprisoned for two years, but not much more would have happened to him in this life between birth and death. What would have happened then?
Yes, you see, that is the important thing: what would have been brought into this person's karma by the death suffered by the other person in his own work must enter into the karma under all circumstances, and the person who does not get it in here must then get it in the life between death and a new birth. This experience must be made. Such an experience can therefore, I would say, be made in an accelerated form, as in the case described by Max Eyth, or it can extend over long periods of time. The fifth post-Atlantean epoch will bring forth important questions of destiny from immediate life itself, in that individual human beings will see, out of the conditions of life in this epoch, how the riddles of life are being posed in a new way, in a way that they were not posed at all in earlier epochs.
Therefore, one can already notice, when observing people who are truly gifted with a clear mind, how they are already seeking different complications in life today when they create art, compared to what was sought in earlier times, and how often it is precisely those people who find significant complications in life who are now engaged in practical professions. Max Eyth's books are therefore extremely instructive in this respect, firstly because he is truly a great, gifted poet, and secondly because, as a thoroughly modern man, he creates entirely from the demands of modern life. It is particularly interesting — let me make this remark in parentheses — that those who read Max Eyth also learn something through their reading about various things that might be important for theosophists to know, for example, all kinds of things related to the life of the first president of the Theosophical Society, Olcott. One finds this especially in Eyth, who was in America at a time when Olcott was doing all sorts of things there, a little bit of a secretive character. In short, even social karma can come to you if you do not spurn the opportunity to become a little acquainted with this modern spirit. But in general, it is peculiar that sometimes it is not exactly brilliant minds—Eyth was a brilliant man—but rather those who were shaped by the fifth post-Atlantean epoch with its life mechanisms, who, through the special formation of their minds, see the entanglements of modern life with particular clarity.
For example, I and others know a modern lawyer—he was a lawyer in his youth—but as a lawyer from the time when one is a lawyer without deriving any profit from the legal profession, he was a bright mind who looked at things around him without prejudice and who, thanks to his talent, attracted the attention of his superiors—as one might say— not so much because of his intelligence, but because they could use him well, because he was a good, quick worker. Now, having proven himself particularly well as an actuary or assessor, he came to a ministry. In the ministry, he was also an excellent worker, but one who looked at everything with open eyes. Then he was given an important assignment. He was to give a presentation on school and educational matters. He was instructed to give this presentation in such a way that it would lead to a transition to a kind of liberal system. He liked this very much, and since he was a bright man and understood the circumstances, he produced a very good presentation, a really good reform plan to liberalize certain school conditions and make them a little more modern. But then, while he was working on the presentation, the course changed, as they say, and now they needed a reactionary presentation. His superior said to him: “The presentation is so excellent that you will also be able to write an excellent reactionary presentation; can't you write a reactionary one for me now?” He replied, “No, I can't do that!” “Why not?” “Because this is what I believe!” “What? That's what you believe?” His boss was very angry and realized that he couldn't use this man after all; you can't use someone who is not only competent but also has convictions!
But he's an excellent lawyer, an excellent worker. What do you do? He's proven himself everywhere, and everyone knows he's a capable lawyer. Well, you try to promote him! People who prove themselves like that, you have to try to keep them happy. So the matter was dealt with behind the scenes, as they say, and one day—I think it was during a game of skittles—the person in question happened to meet a theater secretary. The theater secretary told him: Yes, the position of theater director at a large theater is vacant! — Well, the person in question, who was a lawyer and had previously been a civil servant, couldn't think anything bad of it when he was told this. But after they had finished bowling, the theater secretary said to him, “Would you like to go to a coffee house with me so I can explain the matter to you in more detail? Would you like to become a theater director yourself? We don't have a theater director. We can't know when we select someone whether he wants the job under the current circumstances. The man in question, who was well versed in legal and administrative matters and well known, replied, “Oh, everyone has to accept it. He must also be willing, and if he is not willing, he will simply be arrested.” Well, in the end, he was offered the position of theater director. There was only one difficulty: there was a very famous actress at the theater in question, whose favor the director had to have. Yes, said the person in question to him, but can you also win the favor of this actress? — Well, if that's all it takes! I've only been to the theater seven times in my entire life, but if I'm going to become a theater director, I'll be able to win the favor of this actress. Can you tell me what the actress likes to eat? He knew: it was poppy seed pastries. That was easy. He said, “Let's go to the bakery right now and order a large portion of poppy seed rolls.” They were delivered to the actress early in the morning. In the afternoon, the theater secretary had to go to the actress to—well, to sound her out, as they say. He said to her, “We would like to make this gentleman the director; what do you think?” “He knew that the person was very influential. “Well,” she said, “I don't know anything about this gentleman, but so far he has only done me good.” Now the time had come for him to become theater director.
Now there was still the critic, the most famous critic in the city; he still had to be won over. And he always wrote terrible things, until one day this critic was also persuaded to change his mind, at least to the extent that, although he was not favorable, he did not write disparagingly about him. This came about in the following way—I am not telling you a fairy tale, it really happened; I will just describe it briefly: The most senior figure at the theater in question, who was above the director, didn't know what to do—the director was there, after all, and had even proven himself, because he was as capable as a theater director as he had previously been as a lawyer—but the most senior figure didn't really know what to do: they couldn't just send the director away again; the critic was always complaining. What did he do? He invited them both, so that neither knew of the other, and served them fine wines. The theater director could drink and drink and drink. The other could too, but only to a certain extent, which was less than that of the theater director. And so it came to pass that one fine morning, very early in the morning—I believe it was around five o'clock—the theater director rang the doorbell of the theater critic's wife and said he must speak to her personally, for he had something very important to give her, which he had left downstairs on the stairs. Well, she threw on her dressing gown. Then he brought her her husband, a sorry sight indeed, and handed him over to her. From that moment on, the reviews improved somewhat. Later, after he had gone too far as a theater director in the opinion of his superiors, the man in question was promoted to the legal profession.
Now, this man has excellently described and characterized what he has seen in his practice, and I just want to point out that it is precisely such people, who are drawn from the immediate life of the present, who can point so meaningfully to this life of the present.
Even more interesting is that a similar man, who, I would say, was a degree more distinguished than the one I have told you about, wrote various things during his life, but shortly before his death—these people I am talking about are all dead now—he wrote a very interesting novella, a real work of art of the present day. You see, how can one write a novella today? One can write a novella today in keeping with the taste of the times: there must be nothing spiritual in it, or if there is something spiritual in it, it must be made as clear as possible that one can believe the story and also not believe it, but that in any case one is better off considering it only a fairy tale. Well, I take the material that the writer in question has taken from the present day. Such a person from the environment into which the man I described earlier was placed for a long time, a member of the legal profession, gets relatively far. That can be described. One can describe how he goes through the stages of jurisprudence, how he experiences this or that, entanglements of this and that kind. Then one can—well, of course, this is also modern—weave a love story into such a thing. So, if one has this material in front of one, one can describe how some exotic girl comes in accompanied by her mother, how the senior legal official in question falls in love, and how, precisely because of a spy story that he has to deal with as a judge, this in turn brings him into contact with the girl he has fallen in love with, how this leads him into conflicts, and so on. One can then describe in a very realistic way how he came to commit suicide.
The author did not do this, but instead wove the following significant element into his novella. He describes an event that is outwardly almost identical to the one I have just recounted. But he also describes how the judicial official in question reads Schopenhauer and other philosophers, but reads them in such a way that he connects them, I would say, to his nervous system and his individual nature. Now he is a capable lawyer. What does it mean to be a capable lawyer as a judge? It means finding all the technicalities in order to completely deceive someone. Defending, well, to do that he has to find the technicalities of the defense lawyers. So he is terribly capable, and he condemns a person based on similar circumstances as I have just described. But this man behaves in a very strange way during the trial, almost demonic, and the way he looks at people is unforgettable to those who were present at the trial. Well, the person in question is, of course, imprisoned. The whole thing is connected with the girl with whom the judge in question has fallen in love. The convicted man is sentenced to twenty years in prison, but he is suffering.
Well, the judge is very well portrayed in the novella in question. One night—he hasn't thought about the convict since the trial, which he believes he conducted brilliantly—he wakes up at midnight, let's say—that's about right—in a state of semi-sleep; at two o'clock, there's a knock at the door of the room where he is sleeping. In comes the convict. You can imagine the judge's situation! But he falls back into a half-sleep, and when he wakes up, it is daylight. He is now in a state of utter terror. He goes to the courthouse; there he hears nothing but, as he walks down the corridor, the name of that convict being called out once. This frightens him terribly. He decides to study the files again and has them brought to him, but leaves them lying there for three weeks. Then finally, in a conversation, he learns the following: On a certain night at two o'clock, the man in question died in prison. It was exactly the same time, as the judge was able to determine, when he had visited him in his bedroom!
That is the plot of the novella. It is called “Hofrat Eysenhardt.” He then dies by suicide. “Hofrat Eysenhardt” by Berger is a very modern novella which, through the other descriptions it contains, shows that the author was very familiar with the various attempts of recent times to penetrate the secrets of occult existence; for it is simply from this point of view that the novella is brilliantly written.
There is now something noteworthy. That Berger is not the same as the one I described earlier; I only wanted to cite the one described earlier as an example of a person who looks around with a clear view and describes well what is the spirit of the fifth post-Atlantean period. But as a colleague, so to speak, I wanted to cite Berger, Alfred Freiherr von Berger, who wrote the novella, this excellent novella “Hofrat Eysenhardt,” which is written in such a way that one can see that the man knows the various efforts of modern times to enter the spiritual world. The Alfred Freiherr von Berger in question wrote a great deal throughout his life. It was only when he had reached a position from which there was no further advancement that he published this novella. It was also, let us say “by chance,” shortly before his death. This is very significant because it shows us at the same time that people of the present day who, as they say in everyday life, want to achieve something, do not do well to burn their fingers with such things. But at the same time, it shows us how people today strive to penetrate the mysterious aspects of existence, which will become increasingly important because they pose important questions for humanity.
If one wants to consider the question of fate without prejudice, then it is a matter of acquiring a free view, of trying not to sleep through life — forgive the harsh expression — but to look around in life. For let me express symbolically what is important: Let us say that we have a current of life (it is drawn), then a second, then a third. Life consists of many currents that intersect in the most diverse ways, the life of the individual human being and the life of groups of people, even the life of the entire human race. The concepts that prevail today are often too convenient to untangle the intricate threads of life, because it is very often necessary to focus one's gaze on one point and then on another, and to bring these two points into relation with each other, to look at these points. When you look at the right facts, you find lights that illuminate the situation.
Now you will ask me: Yes, how do you do such things? You see, that is precisely the point. If you pursue spiritual science in the right way, then through imagination you will discover the points in life that you need to look at together so that life reveals itself to you, whereas otherwise you can follow life, look at event after event, and understand nothing about life, as contemporary historians do, who pull the strings from event to event but understand nothing about life, because what matters is to look at the world symptomatically. And it will become more and more necessary to look at the world symptomatically, that is, to look at it in such a way that one turns one's gaze to the right places and draws the connecting lines to other things from the right places. Especially when it comes to studying karma in concrete terms, to looking concretely at human destiny — a study in which there is so much that is confusing because there is so much that is tempting — it is precisely then that it is important to be able to look at things symptomatically.
This symptomatic study is precisely what certain occult connections of the present, to which I have already drawn your attention, have tried to keep as far away from people as possible. And I have drawn your attention to how certain occult connections have remained from older institutions, particularly in Western Europe. Within these occult connections, the study of human character has been pursued precisely in order to be able to use human characters in the right way, to be able to grasp them in the right way, and various means have been employed to prevent the rest of humanity from gaining this knowledge, which has been cultivated, I would say, within its walls or within its gates. It will one day be among the most interesting things when the connection between the endeavors of certain modern occult communities and public events is revealed, when the threads that lead from certain occult communities to modern events are shown, and when the methods are disclosed. For one knew that such occult communities could be counted on to influence human characters by taking the threads of their karma into their hands, so to speak, and directing and guiding them without people knowing it. In the Theosophical Society, many attempts have been made, but these attempts have mostly remained amateurish because they were not as skilled as in other occult societies. Of course, it is difficult to talk about these things, especially today, when objective characterization is not only prejudiced but even prohibited by law. It is difficult to talk about these things, and in a certain sense even impossible. But it must be pointed out in one way or another, because it is not acceptable that people simply live in their time and participate in everything that plays into the unconscious of human souls from the karma of the times, and then, despite living in this general fog, want to pursue spiritual science, which demands a clear, unprejudiced mind. In certain things, truth must prevail, and truth cannot be merely feigned, I would say, in an abstract way, when it comes to things of the real occult world. What is important here is that the will to truth really exists. Now, this will to truth encounters so much resistance in the present because people have gradually lost their sense of truth. Just think how, in public life today, it is often not a question of seeking the truth, but of saying what suits one or the other person out of certain group advantages.
Today, everywhere you go, you come across areas that are impossible to talk about, even though it is precisely necessary to talk about them. But I ask you to take this fact very seriously, because you must be completely clear that this is the case. You may ask: What do these things have to do with the question of karma that we are now dealing with? — They do indeed have a great deal to do with it, and we will try to go into some of these things later, so that we can finally culminate in the goals we are actually pursuing.