The Mystery of Death

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CONTENTS

Lecture I The Four Platonic Virtues and Their Relation with the HumanMembers

January 31, 1915

Lecture II The Path of the Human Being through the Gate of Death !Transformation of Life

February 19, 1915

Lecture III "#iritual "cience and the M$ster$ of Death February 21, 1915Lecture IV The Intimate %lement of the &entral %uro#ean &ulture and the

&entral %uro#ean "tri'ingMarch 07, 1915

Lecture V The Inter'ention of the &hrist Im#ulse in the Historical %'ents March 13, 1915Lecture VI Moral Im#ulses and Their Results March 14, 1915

Lecture VII &osmic %ffects on the Human Members During "lee# May 07, 1915Lecture VIII The (ar) an Illness Process May 09, 1915

Lecture I* The Relation of the Human Being to the Realms of +ature and theHierarchies

May 13, 1915

Lecture * &entral %uro#e between %ast and (est May 15, 1915Lecture *I &hrist,s Relationshi# to Lucifer and !hriman May 18, 1915

Lecture *II "#iritual "cience as an !ttitude June 13, 1915Lecture *III &ommon Ground abo'e -s. &hrist in -s June 15, 1915

Lecture I Postmortal %/#eriences of the Human Being June 17, 1915Lecture *V 0'ercoming Death through 1nowledge June 19, 1915

The Mystery ! "eath

The Nature an# S$%n$!$cance ! Centra& Eur'e

an# the Eur'ean F&()Su&s

*y +u#&! Ste$ner

Trans&atr $s n(n-n

./ 159

On)&$ne s$nce 15th Neber, 2013

Here are fifteen lectures) fi'e of them untranslated as of this #ublication date) gi'en b$ Rudolf "teiner at 'arious cities inthe first half of the $ear) 23245 The$ are from the lecture series entitled) The Mystery of Death6also 7nown as The Secret

of Death) #ublished in German as)Das Geheimnis des Todes. Wesen und Bedeutung Mitteleuropas und dieeuropaeischen Volksgeister5

The translation is based onDas Geheimnis des Todes) 'olume 243829: of Rudolf "teiner,s &om#lete (or7s6Gesamtausgabe;) #ublished in German b$ Rudolf"teinerVerlag) Dornach 6"wit 239?@ Rudolf"teiner+achlass'erwaltung Dornach5

%/ce#t for the #oem at the end of the tal7s) the translations of the 'erses were ta7en from Our Dead) 'olume A92 of

Rudolf "teiner,s &ollected (or7s) edited b$ "teinerBoo7s) &o#$right > A:225

The translations of Goethe,s Faust were ta7en from@Faust and ) edited and translated b$ "tuart !t7ins) Princeton-ni'ersit$ Press) #a#erbac7 #rinting 2335 &o#$right > 23= "uhr7am#8Insel Publishers) Boston5 Inc5

(e #resent them here with the 7ind #ermission of the Rudolf "teiner +achlass'erwaltung) Dornach) "wit


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The (or7ing of "#iritual Forces in the Ph$sical (orld

!urich" #$st %anuary $&$'

0ur s#iritual science has the tas7 to remo'e for our consciousness) for our whole soullife) that ab$ss which arises forthe e/ternal human consciousness between the #h$sical world in which the human being s#ends the inter'al between birth

and death) and the s#iritual world in which the human being s#ends the other time of his whole life) the time betweendeath and a new birth5

"uch a sentence is for somebod$ li'ing in s#iritual science with all the fibres of his soul so familiar) so natural5 It isonl$ at a moment when I s#ea7 Cust toda$ to $ou) a moment that is) $ou ma$ #robabl$ sa$) es#eciall$ sanctified5 (e ha'elost se'eral of our dear friends and members b$ the grie'ous war e'ents from the #h$sical #lane within a 'er$ short timeand now we are about as it were to accom#an$ two friends on their last wa$ on earth5 Here in urich) the cremation of thedear member Mrs5 &ola


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s#iritual world5 (ith a great number of those who ha'e gone from us) wonderfull$ clearest feelings li'e in their souls ofthe necessit$ of our s#iritual mo'ement5 !nd for somebod$ who is ca#able to loo7 into the s#iritual world all dead soulsare the s#iritual heralds of our mo'ement who now loo7 down on the mo'ement with which the$ were interlin7ed5 The$carr$ the s#iritual slogans before us) while the$ are calling to us continuall$@ we were con'inced of the necessit$ of thismo'ement) while we were combined with $ou5 +ow howe'er) after we ha'e entered the s#iritual world) we 7now that wecan and must assist in the time in which this mo'ement is necessar$5

This is something that those human beings will sense more and more who remain behind here on the #h$sical #lane5The$ ha'e lost dear relati'es and friends on the #h$sical #lane and Cust these words ma$ be the dee#est consolation to

them to ha'e here e'er$thing that attaches still a dee#er connection between the souls) e'en if we are no longer able tointerlin7 with those souls with #h$sical e$es and #h$sical words5

The s#iritual mo'ement in which we shall #artici#ate has to bring a lot5 Toda$ I would li7e to select a #articularcha#ter from the 'arious ones) which it should bring us5 ! time li7e ours when the e/ternal ci'ilisation is com#letel$

based E in s#ite of the last echoes of the old religions E on the materialistic consciousness) such a time can also build u#the im#ulses of moral life onl$ ) so that one ta7es the life between birth and death into consideration5 !mong the 'ariousmatters) which will come b$ our s#iritual mo'ement) will be a new construction of the com#lete moral life) the com#lete'irtue life of humanit$5 For #eo#le will learn to loo7 at the moral life) at the life of 'irtue from a 7en that goes be$ond

birth and death5 It counts on the fact that the human soul goes through re#eated earthli'es) and that the human soul) aswell as one bears it in the life between #h$sical birth and death) has gone through man$ li'es and has to ho#e for futureli'es) which he has to e/#erience5 If we ha'e e/tended our 7en of one life to the successi'e earthli'es) a more

com#rehensi'e) more correct 'iew of life will result) also a more correct and more com#rehensi'e 'iew of 'irtue andmoral life5

If we s#ea7 of the human 'irtues) we can distinguish four such 'irtues first of which one can s#ea7 as it were in theusual st$le of s#eech among #eo#le5 0ne 'irtue) as we will indicate later) is such a one which li'es in the de#ths of thehuman soul of which one has to s#ea7) howe'er) as we will see) as little as #ossible for hol$ reasons5 !ll other 'irtues)which e/ist in life and constitute the moral life) $ou can understand as s#ecial cases of the four 'irtues at which we wantto loo7) those four 'irtues of which in #articular antiuit$ has s#o7en a lot5

Plato) the great #hiloso#her of ancient Greece) distinguished these four 'irtues because he could scoo# his wisdomstill from the echoes of the ancient m$steries5 !mong the echoes of the ancient m$steries) Plato could carr$ out the

classification of the 'irtue better than the later #hiloso#hers or e'en those of our times where the 7nowledge ofm$sterioso#h$ stands so far a#art and has become something chaotic5

The first 'irtue) which we ha'e to consider when we are s#ea7ing of a moral life in this sense as it arises from acom#rehensi'e cognition of the human nature) this is the 'irtue of wisdom 6#rudence;5 Howe'er) one has to understandthis wisdom in a little dee#er sense and concerning more to the ethical) to the moral #hiloso#h$ than one normall$ does5(e cannot sa$ that wisdom is something that can sim#l$ a##roach as it were the human being5 %'en less is wisdomsomething that the human being can learn in the usual sense5 It is e'en not eas$ to characterise what wisdom should meanto us with some words@

If we li'e through our life so that we allow that to ha'e an effect on us which mo'es u# in this life to us) If we learn E induced b$ the different #rocesses of life E from a #rocess how we could ha'e dealt with

this or that more correctl$) how we should ha'e made the one or the other of our forces more s7ilful or stronger)

If we #a$ attention to e'er$thing that meets us in life and #a$ attention to the fact that if an$thing similarmeets us a second time) we do not let touch us the second time as the first time) but feel taught5

!nd if we #reser'e the mood through life to be able to learn from life) and to consider e'er$thing thatnature and life bring to us) so that we learn something) howe'er) not onl$ learn that we 7now something) but sothat we become more and more better) more 'aluable internall$)

Then we increase in wisdom) then our soullife will become such that our e/#erience has not #assed us worthless5

In worthlessness life #asses us if we ha'e s#ent decades and Cudge an$thing that we ha'e e/#erienced later also as weha'e Cudged it in a $ounger age5 If we s#end our life that wa$) we are a#art from wisdom the most5 1arma ma$ ha'e

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Howe'er) there we also see that what we do in wisdom is the most s#iritual of us) or belongs at least to the mosts#iritual) because the organs alread$ rest5 If we do an$thing with the hand) we still must use a #art of the forces for themo'ement of the hand5 If we Cudge an$thing in wisdom) decide an$thing in wisdom) the organs remain uiet5 There noforce is used to the #h$sical organ) there we are more s#iritual) and those organs which we a##l$ to the #h$sical #lane toli'e in wisdom are those to which we need to a##l$ the least strength which are as it were alread$ the #erfect ones5

Hence) wisdom is something in the moral human life that lets the human being e/#erience himself in a s#iritual wa$5(hat the human being achie'es in wisdom ma7es him able to rea# the #ossibl$ biggest fruits from his formerincarnations5 Because we li'e in the s#iritual realm in wisdom without straining the #h$sical organs) we are most ca#able

b$ the life of wisdom to ma7e the acuisitions of former incarnations fruitful for this life) to get this wisdom from formerincarnations5

For a #erson who does not want to become wise we ha'e a good German term5 (e call him a Philistine5 ! Philistineis such a #erson who struggles against becoming wise) who wants to remain his whole life long as he is) who does notwant to come to another Cudgment5 ! human being) howe'er) who wants to become wise) is eager to get from the formerincarnations what he has #erformed as wor7 and stored in former incarnations5 The wiser we become) the more we bringfrom former incarnations into the #resent one) and if we do not want to become wise) so that we allow lea'ing the wisdomof former incarnations une/#loited) then there comes somebod$ who saws it off@ !hriman5

+obod$ other than !hriman li7es it more that we do not become wiser5 (e ha'e the strength5 (e ha'e attained a lotin the former incarnations) e'en more than we belie'e) e'en more in the times in which we ha'e gone through the ancientclair'o$ant states5 %'er$bod$ could become much wiser than he becomes5 +obod$ is allowed to use as an e/cuse that hecould not bring a lot with him5 Becoming wise means that we bring the acuisitions of former incarnations to the fore) sothat the$ com#letel$ fill us in this incarnation5

!nother 'irtue is that which we can call with a word that is hard to form) actuall$) the courageli7e 'irtue 6fortitude;5It is of such a dis#osition that it remains not #assi'e towards life) but is inclined to a##l$ the forces5 The courageli7e'irtue comes) as $ou ma$ sa$) from the heart5 Jou can sa$ of somebod$ who has this 'irtue in e'er$da$ life@ he has theheart in the right #lace5 E !nd this is a good e/#ression for that if we are able to withdraw not cowardl$ from the mattersthat life reuires from us) but if we are able to ta7e in hand oursel'es) 7nowing to inter'ene where it is necessar$5 If weare inclined to #ut our acti'it$ in mo'ement in such wa$) briefl$ if we are bra'e E the term bra'e is also good for this'irtue) E then we ha'e this 'irtue of the bra'e life5 Jou could also sa$) this 'irtue) which is connected with a sound mind

life) which generates fortitude at the right moment) whose absence causes the cowardice in life5 0f course) one can#ractice this 'irtue in the course of #h$sical life onl$ b$ certain organs5 The organs to which the #h$sical and the etherichearts belong are not as #erfect as those are) which ser'e wisdom5 These organs are still on the wa$ to change) and changein future5

There is a great difference between the brain and the heart concerning their cosmic de'elo#ment5 !ssuming that ahuman being goes through the gate of death and #asses the life between death and a new birth5 His brain is generall$ a

#roduct of the gods5 Forces that com#letel$ disa##ear when he goes through the gate of death #enetrate the brain5 In thene/t life then the brain is anew built u# com#letel$) also its internal forces) not onl$ the material5 "o also) the forces areanew built u#5 This is not the case with the heart5 (ith the heart the matter so far is that the #h$sical heart does notcontinue) howe'er) the forces last that are acti'e in the #h$sical heart5 These forces go bac7 to the astral and ego andremain between death and a new birth5 The same forces 7noc7ing in our heart are also 7noc7ing ne/t time in our new

incarnation5 (hat wor7s in the brain has disa##eared. it does not come out in the ne/t incarnation5 Howe'er) the forcesthat flash across the heart are there also in the ne/t incarnation again5 If we loo7 into a head) we can sa$) in it) there wor7the in'isible forces that construct the brain5 Howe'er) when the human being has gone through the gate of death) theseforces are handed o'er to the uni'erse5 If we hear) howe'er) the heartbeat of a human being) we hear s#iritual forces)which e/ist not onl$ in this incarnation) but will also li'e in the ne/t incarnation) #assing death and new birth5

The fol7 soul had a wonderful #remonition of such things5 Hence) it #uts so much 'alue on the feeling of theheartbeat) not because one a##reciates the #h$sical heartbeat so much) but because we loo7 at something that last muchlonger when we consider the heartbeat of a human being5 If we ha'e the 'irtue of courage) we can onl$ use one #art ofcertain forces for this courageli7e5 (e must use the other #art for the organs that ser'e as tools for the courageli7e5 (emust still use a #iece of the forces for these organs5 If we do not ha'e the courageli7e) we do not de'elo# the 'irtue offortitude) we lose our selfcontrol) we withdraw cowardl$ from life) we lea'e oursel'es to the gra'it$ of our being) andthen we cannot in'igorate those forces) which must hel# to realise the 'irtue of fortitude) the courageli7e5

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(hile we stand there cowardl$ in life) the forces also remain inacti'e which should flash across our heart5 The$ are asowing for Lucifer5 He ta7es hold of them) and we do not ha'e them in the ne/t life5 &owardice in life means to deli'er auantit$ of forces to Lucifer that are missing for us when we want to build u# our hearts in our ne/t incarnation that are)actuall$) the organs) the tools of the courageli7e5 (e come into the world with defecti'e) unualified organs5

The third 'irtue that counts to the most incom#lete organs) which ta7e on forms onl$ in future) to which the$ nowcontain the germ onl$) is that which one can call calmness or tem#erance5 Jou ma$ call it also) in certain shading) themoderate life5 Then we ha'e three 'irtues@ wisdom 6#rudence;) courage 6fortitude;) tem#erance5 Jou could calltem#erance also moderation 5

0ne can be im#ulsi'e now in the most different wa$5 0ne can be im#ulsi'e because one eats or drin7s too much5 Thisis the lowest 7ind of im#ulsi'eness5 There the astral com#letel$ sin7s into the bodil$ desire) and we com#letel$ enCo$ lifein our bod$5 If) howe'er) we control our desire) if we almost order the bod$ what he has to do or not) then we aretem#erate) one can also sa$ moderate5 Then we 7ee# b$ such moderation those forces in the correct order which shouldhel# that we do not deli'er the concerning organs to Lucifer in the ne/t incarnation5 "ince we deli'er the forces toLucifer) which we s#end to a #assionate life5 Most badl$ when the #assions trans#ort us into a state of drun7enness) whenwe feel well with do


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accom#lished the da$) we ha'e the need of slee#5 That which raises us in childhood if we are tired remains uite tiredduring the whole life and goes into flabbiness5 In our later life) we do no longer e/ercise such a thing li7e standing u# inchildhood5

Moreo'er) how are we directed into life when we learn s#ea7ing %'en if we learn s#ea7ing) directing forces hel# us5Howe'er) the same forces that we a##l$ in the earliest infanc$ do not get lost to us during our later life5 The$ remain tous) onl$ the$ are connected with a 'irtue) with the 'irtue that is connected with the right or correct) with the 'irtue of theallembracing Custice) the fourth 'irtue5 The same force that we use as a child if we stand u# from a cree#ing being li'esin us if we ha'e the 'irtue of Custice) the fourth of Plato,s 'irtues5

(ho reall$ #ractices the 'irtue of Custice) #uts e'er$ thing) e'er$ being to the right #lace) comes out of his shell andgoes into the others5 That is li'ing in the allembracing Custice5 Li'ing in wisdom means to rea# the best fruits from theforces that we ha'e stored in former incarnations5 Moreo'er) when we had to #oint there alread$ to that which wasallotted to us in former incarnations) where still di'ine forces #ermeated us) we must #oint out it in the case of Custicee'en more@ we come from the uni'erse5 (e #ractice Custice if we unfold the forces b$ which we are connected with thewhole uni'erse) but in s#iritual relation5 Kustice is the measure how a human being is connected with the di'ine5 InCusticeis) 'irtuall$) li7e the atheist) li7e somebod$ who has lost his di'ine origin5 (e slander God) the God (hom we stem fromif we do wrong to an$ #erson5

Thus) we ha'e two 'irtues) Custice and wisdom) which #oint us bac7 to that which we were in former times) in otherincarnations) in the times when we oursel'es were still in God,s womb5 In addition) we ha'e two other 'irtues) thecourageousli7e life and the tem#erate life) which #oint us to later incarnations5 The more forces we de'ote to them) theless we gi'e Lucifer5 (e ha'e seen how fortitude and tem#erance go into the organs and how thereb$ the organs are

#re#ared for the ne/t incarnation5 In addition) moral life s#reads o'er the future life if we are filled with s#iritualit$5 Two'irtues shine o'er the former incarnations@ wisdom and Custice5 Howe'er) fortitude and tem#erance shine o'er the futureincarnations5

The time will come when the human being realises that he throws himself into !hriman,s Caws if he ignores Custiceand wisdom5 He would throw to Lucifer what he #ossessed in former incarnations) what belonged to the di'ine world) b$that which he accom#lishes in im#ulsi'eness or cowardice of life5 (e are missing the forces Lucifer has withdrawn fromus for the construction of our bod$ in the ne/t life5

(e cannot #ractice wisdom and Custice without becoming unselfish) as alread$ suggested5 That human being can onl$be unCust who is egoistic5 0nl$ he who wants to remain unwise is egoistic5 (isdom and Custice lead us be$ond our egosand ma7e us members of the whole humanit$5 Fortitude or the courageli7e and tem#erance ma7e us members of thewhole organism of humanit$ in certain wa$5 0nl$ because we e/#erience courage and tem#erance) that we s#end our lifewith them we ta7e care that we li'e with a stronger organisation in the future human7ind5 Then that we do not lose whichwe throw) otherwise) to Lucifer5 %goism changes automaticall$ into selflessness if it is e/tended o'er the whole hori


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had also to e/#erience that its hori


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which s#rout u# without our hel#5 Then we can 7now@ those to whom it is granted to be in the world of s#irit) those withwhom we feel lin7ed) with whom we become one) #lace these #lants5

! human brotherhood also with those who do no longer carr$ #h$sical bodies will be the t$#ical sign of thismo'ement and of those who feel as members of this mo'ement and belong to it in future5 0ther societies) onl$ built onthe earthl$) will clear awa$ some barriers between human beings5 The barriers between the li'ing and the dead will becleared awa$ b$ the mo'ement more and more) which will unite human beings who want to be united in the sign ofs#iritual science5 (e all want to ha'e this in our souls and Cust ta7e u# the t$#ical as a remaining feeling that connects uswith this mo'ement that has become dear to us5

During the -ar" udolf Steiner spoke the follo-ing commemorati)e -ords /efore each lecture he held -ithin the0nthroposophical Society in the countries affected /y the -ar@

The first thoughts we culti'ate now with our being together in our branches should be turned to the s#irits who#rotect those who are on the fields where the$ ha'e now to ser'e the great duties of time with blood and soul5 (e want toturn our #etitions to the #rotecting s#irits of these souls) that what we summon u# in im#loring lo'e ma$ radiate and unitewith the #ower of the s#irits who guard these souls on the fields of the e'ents5

"#irits of $our souls) acti'e guardians)Ma$ $our wings bring0ur souls, im#loring lo'eTo the human beings entrusted to $our care)"o that) united with $our might)0ur entreaties might ra$ forth to hel#The souls the$ lo'ingl$ see75

In addition) for those who had alread$ gone through the gate of death@

"#irits of $our souls) acti'e guardians)Ma$ $our wings bring

0ur souls, im#loring lo'eTo the human beings in the s#heres) entrusted to $our care)"o that) united with $our might)0ur entreaties ma$ ra$ forth to hel#The souls the$ lo'ingl$ see75

The "#irit we ha'e searched for all the $ears of our stri'ing ma$ radiate the #ower) which He has carried throughthe M$ster$ of Golgotha to $ou that $ou ma$ ha'e strength for accom#lishing what the big duties of humanit$ demandfrom $ou5 The "#irit (ho has gone through the M$ster$ of Golgotha. the "#irit of &hrist ma$ be with $ou

The Path of the Human Being through the

Gate of Death E ! Transformation of Life

,ano)er" $&th Fe/ruary $&$'

It is a time) in which in uic7 succession as a result of man$ deaths the connection of the human being with thes#iritual world a##roaches us5 It is the world the human being enters when he goes through the gate of death5 -nder uites#ecial circumstances these uic7 successi'e) almost simultaneous deaths face us5 These s#ecial circumstances are gi'en

because numerous earthl$ #eo#le go through the gate of death that could ha'e li'ed still for decades on earth under the

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circumstances that one ma$ assume for earthl$ #eo#le5 !nd whene'er the human being goes through the gate of death#rematurel$ as it were) e/traordinar$ conditions come also into being5

(e 7now that the human being going through the gate of death lea'es behind) hands o'er as it were what falls off ashis #h$sical bod$ from him to the earth element5 (e 7now that then the socalled etheric bod$ is considered as the secondthat) howe'er) also se#arates from the indi'idualit$5 Then the indi'idualit$) consisting of astral bod$ and ego) #asses thes#iritual regions between death and new birth5 The etheric bod$) howe'er) 7ee#s on wor7ing) detached from the ego andastral bod$5 This etheric bod$) which now enters the s#iritual world ne/t to us) the etheric world) is different with eachhuman being5 Jou ma$ imagine that an etheric bod$ of somebod$ who #asses the gate of death #rematurel$ loo7s

differentl$ as that of somebod$ who has li'ed his life till old age5 For the etheric bod$ which has to go with an earl$deceased human being through the gate of death would ha'e the #ower to su##l$ the #h$sical bod$ with life under normalconditions still for man$ $ears) decades5 +ow a force does not get lost in the s#iritual world Cust as little as in the #h$sicalworld5 This force which su##lies) otherwise) the #h$sical bod$ with life continues to e/ist5 "o that we can sa$@ if nowthousands go through the gate of death) ne'ertheless) almost e'er$ da$) etheric bodies enter into the elemental worldwhich are still ca#able of sur'i'ing) which ha'e other forces in themsel'es than older etheric bodies ha'e5 (hat ha##ensnow with these etheric bodies still ca#able of sur'i'ing

Jesterda$) I s#o7e of the real fol7soul in the #ublic lecture5 This fol7soul is a real being5 It needs uite #articularforces Cust in our time5 It needs such forces also at other times) of course) but #articularl$ in our time5 This fol7soul ta7esu# these etheric bodies still ca#able of sur'i'ing5 The human being himself goes other wa$s with his ego and astral bod$

E those wa$s which #re#are him then for his ne/t life on earth5 But these etheric bodies se#arate from the human

indi'idualities) the$ go o'er into the being) the substance of the fol7souls5 !fter such a destin$burdened time as we nowe/#erience we go towards a time when the fol7soul contains the etheric bodies in itself E li7e forces li'ing in it Ewhich ha'e been handed o'er b$ those who ha'e gone in the battles through the gate of death5 ! time comes near whenthe s#iritual scientist can 7now that that is not lost which was sacrificed on the altar of the big e'ents5 ! time comes nearwhen effecti'e strength emits from the fol7soul into the indi'idual souls) that simultaneousl$ goes out from that which inthe first) second) third decades of $outh numerous #eo#le ha'e ta7en u# here on earth) which the$ could still ha'e 7e#t forman$ decades) which the$ ha'e handed o'er) howe'er) to the fol7soul5 This is in the forces in future the fol7soul dri#sinto the indi'idual souls. that is not lost5

Let us ta7e that reall$ to heart5 Imagine how our consciousness of the connection with the s#iritual ma$ be enli'enedin our feeling life if we 7ee# in mind that we can s#ea7 of the fol7soul in future that the fruits of the sacrificial deaths are

in it as effecti'e forces5 That is #articularl$ im#ortant in the ne/t time5 In other times this would be different) for the ne/ttime. howe'er) it will be significant because of a uite s#ecial reason5

(e li'ed in a bad time of materialism5 The souls) who could not a##roach s#iritual science) were immersed in astrong aura of materialism5 To fight against this aura is the tas7 of the fol7soul in the ne/t time5 Forces will flow towardsthis fol7soul for the fight of materialism b$ the fact that the etheric bodies of the earl$ dead linger on in this fol7soul)

Cust linger on as forces5 These etheric bodies E sacrificed on the altar of human e'olution E will be the strongest fightersagainst materialism5

"o we ha'e to ma7e a distinction between that which mo'es as a single human being through the regions of thes#iritual world and remains united with the human indi'idualit$) from that which the etheric bod$ deli'ers on its detour tothe general communit$. which 7ee#s on wor7ing in the s#iritual general communit$ in the sense cited here) in the

substance of the fol7souls5

That ma$ stam# itself es#eciall$ dee#l$ in our souls if we #ut two human t$#es concerning this s#iritual differencebefore our souls@ the warrior 7illed on the battlefield who goes) com#letel$ de'oted to the tas7 of his #eo#le) through thegate of death E who as it were at the moment when he enters the battlefield when he onl$ resol'es to enter the battlefieldmust also resol'e to face death5 &om#are this human t$#e with the ascetic5 Kust if $ou consider what the forces of theetheric bod$ signif$ in human life) $ou get an idea of the difference of the warrior 7illed on the battlefield and the ascetic5The ascetic wor7s on himself5 He tries to wor7 on himself in such a wa$ that he o'ercomes the #h$sical in himselfcom#letel$) that he becomes still free from this #h$sical during his lifetime5 "ince the ascetic wor7s that wa$) asignificant transformation also ta7es #lace in his etheric bod$5 He uses u#) so to s#ea7) the forces of this etheric bod$ thestrongest to incor#orate them in his ego and astral bod$5 (hat ma7es the ascetic free from the #h$sical) this is of benefitcom#letel$ for his indi'idualit$) and this ser'es the transformation of his indi'idualit$5 "o that such a human being who

becomes an ascetic can ser'e human7ind onl$ on the detour of that which he ma7es out of himself5 He) howe'er) whofrees himself from the #h$sical bod$ in earl$ $outh) because he has to surrender to the reuests of war) hands o'er the

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forces of his etheric bod$ to the general communit$. he incor#orates them to the general wor75 Jou ha'e to feel thisdifference) it is a significant difference5 It #oints us again a little bit to that which #re'ails as a realit$ in the human life5 Itis also significant to loo7 Cust at the #ath through the gate of death concerning the etheric bod$5

!t the moment when the human being goes through the gate of death) he is still united with his etheric bod$5 (e ha'eoften described what ha##ens to this5 This connection with the etheric bod$ gi'es the human being the #ossibilit$ to li'ein all ideas that the last life aroused in him to merge com#letel$ li7e in a might$ tableau in e'er$thing that the last life hasgi'en him5 But this is a 7ind of 'ision that lasts for a relati'el$ short time. it fades awa$ with the liberation of the etheric

bod$ from the ego and astral bod$5 Jes) $ou can sa$) it immediatel$ begins to fade awa$ after the moment of death5 The

im#ressions become wea7er and wea7er which are still due to the #ossession of the etheric bod$5 Then that ma7es itselffelt which is authoritati'e after the #h$sical death5 (hat is authoritati'e there is #ro#erl$ imagined onl$ to a lower degree

b$ the #eo#le who want to get ideas about the life after death5 It is e'en difficult to coin words for those uite differentconditions) com#ared with the conditions we e/#erience in our #h$sical bodies5 0ne thin7s sim#l$ that the human beingafter he has gone through the gate of death has onl$ again to get a consciousness for himself5 It is not reall$ that wa$5 Thehuman being e/#eriences no lac7 of consciousness when he #asses the gate of death5 0n the contrar$) his soule/#eriences a su#erabundance of consciousness5 He li'es and wea'es com#letel$ in consciousness) and as well as thestrong sunlight da


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0ur life on earth is im#lanted to us as it were as an e$e) as a senseorgan5 Jou will understand graduall$ onl$ afterlonger meditation what significant) actuall$) is #ronounced that our life on earth becomes a senseorgan for our life

between death and a new birth5 That resembles to the #rocess when the human being falls aslee# and lea'es the #h$sicaland etheric bodies with his ego and astral bod$5 (hen initiation comes into being and the human being starts beholding inthe s#iritual world outside his #h$sical and etheric bodies) then he 7nows@ in the s#iritual world $ou #ercei'e li7e b$means of a sense with the s#iritual #art of $our #h$sical bod$) and $ou thin7 in the s#iritual world with $our etheric bod$5Jour etheric bod$ is real li7e $our brain in the s#iritual world and $our former #h$sical bod$ is a senseorgan5 Howe'er)$ou $ourself are #oured out with all $our 'ital forces o'er the s#iritual worlds5 Jou ha'e s#read) $ou do not feel crowdedtogether to one #lace because of $our s7in) and $ou feel #oured out) e/tended o'er the s#iritual world5

This is a uite different e/istence5 (ith it is connected that somebod$ who himself enters the s#iritual world) eitherb$ death) or b$ initiation) li'es united with the other beings of the s#iritual world) with beings of higher hierarchies orwith human souls) which li'e between death and a new birth5 Howe'er) he li'es united with them in such a wa$ that hedoes not e/#erience them as $ou meet earthl$ men outside where $ou are se#arated s#atiall$ from them5 But hee/#eriences them as being contained in a common s#iritual s#ace) #enetrating each other5 (hat another soul e/#eriencesone does not e/#erience b$ the fact that it sa$s something) li7e with earthl$ #eo#le) but that one settles in the other souland witnesses its thoughts5 Hence) it is also that $ou can onl$ be certain to e/#erience that in $ourself reall$ what) fore/am#le) a dead e/#eriences if $ou 7now@ $ou are as it were in the dead) $ou do not onl$ re#ort something that $ou hearafter the model of something which $ou e/#erience on earth) but $ou hear@ the dead himself s#ea7s through $our being5

I would also li7e to e/#lain that to $ou b$ an e/am#le Lina Grosheint


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!s#iring for wor7 in Co$filled #eace)"ensing cosmic being in m$ own being)to fulfil m$ human dut$.

Ma$ I li'e then in antici#ation)0riented toward m$ soul,s star(hich gi'es me m$ #lace in s#irit realms5

I would li7e to #ut this before $our souls as a clear e/am#le of the m$sterious course which the human soul ta7es Cust

through the #oint in time which se#arates the life between birth and death from the life between death and a new birth)where e'er$thing that was still e/ternal e/#erience to us in the life on earth becomes internal wealth of the soul and li'esin us that wa$5 Here one ta7es on s#iritual science still as something e/ternal5 Immediatel$ after death) howe'er) ita##ears how it li'es in the soul) $es) we sa$) as well as muscular strength now li'es in our #h$sical bodies5 Jou ha'e tofeel that once if $ou want to gras# the internal sense) the internal meaning of that which s#iritual science can be for thehuman soul5 Then bit b$ bit $ou get a conce#tion E $ou must ha'e #atience E of the uite different relations in thes#iritual world5 If we form words and conce#ts of the relations in the sensor$ world) we can gi'e s$mbols at most of thatwhat is in the s#iritual world5 Jou must wor7 in #atience towards conce#ts and sensations and feelings which e/#ress thatfairl$ correctl$ and trul$ what the relations of the s#iritual world are5

The logic of the life on earth E $es) there is onl$ one logic of the life on earth E is alread$ sometimes rather fragilefor the life on earth5 I ha'e alread$ stated how one can #ass the real facts using the logic of the life on earth5 I ha'e oftenstated the e/am#le@ assuming a #erson is wal7ing along a broo75 (e see him falling into the broo75 (e rush o'er and findout that he is alread$ dead5 (e see a stone where the #erson has fallen into the broo7) and can now form a uite logical)

but su#erficial Cudgment5 (e can sa$@ the #erson has tri##ed o'er the stone) has fallen into the broo7 and drowned5 Hehas died the death of drowning5 E But this can be uite wrong5 If one e/amines the matter #urel$ anatomicall$) it can

become a##arent that the #erson had e/#erienced a heart failure. thereb$ he fell in the water5 The heart failure is the causeof his death5 (ith the e'er$da$ correct logic we conclude wrongl$5 "uch conclusions E this would be noted) onl$ b$ thewa$ E are made #er#etuall$ in human life and in #articular in science5 "cience is full of such conclusions where causeand effect are mista7en5

But the matter becomes im#ortant when uestions of human destin$ are considered5 (e ha'e e/#erienced such astro7e of fate in Dornach in autumn) which is instructi'e in the most im#ortant sense5 0ne e'ening the little) se'en$ear

old son of our member) Theo Faiss) who was an e/ce#tionall$ dear) bright child) was re#orted missing5 It was Cust duringan e'ening lecture5 The mother searched for the child) it was not to be found5 (hen the lecture was o'er) one heard)actuall$) onl$ that the mother misses her bo$) and one could imagine nothing else that the death of the bo$ were inconnection with a remo'al 'an) which had to##led o'er5 ! member of our societ$ had let send his #ieces of furniture in aremo'al 'an) and this remo'al 'an had to##led o'er in the e'ening where the bo$ stood5 It was ten a uarter cloc7 in thee'ening and we a##lied e'er$thing to lift the carriage5 The mobilised militar$ met us to hel#) to lift this remo'al 'an5 Theremo'al 'an was lifted) and one found the bo$ crushed under the carriage5 +ow thin7) in this area a remo'al 'an didne'er go generall$ before. nor thereafter5 The bo$ was here) one could state this later b$ all #ossible things one callsincidents and chances) Cust in the time E it has concerned onl$ minutes) around a moment E where the remo'al 'anto##led o'er5 Howe'er) it was strange that first of all those who were here where the carriage had to##led o'er were onl$concerned to bring the horses to safet$5 0ne had no idea that the remo'al 'an had fallen on the little bo$5

The child was dead5 The materialist 'iew ma$ sa$@ well) the remo'al 'an to##led o'er b$ chance there at this hour.the child got under it and was crushed5 The materialist 'iew will sa$ that) of course5 Before the s#iritual 'iew this iscom#letel$ nonsense5 For that what is there is the 7arma of the child) and this 7arma of the child steered all singlecircumstances5 It has also steered the remo'al 'an there Cust at the hour when the child needed the death because the7arma of the child wanted it5 The 7arma of the child had e/#ired5 (e deal here with the necessit$ to re'erse cause andeffect5

B$ such relations and the 'iew of them one is able to ascend bit b$ bit to the real 'iew of life which #ersuades us tore'erse that what the e/ternal a##earance #resents to the senses5 (e must often turn around this5 But the matter becomesuite significant when one e/#eriences after that what comes into being b$ such a fact5 The soul of a human being goesthrough the gate of death5 This soul was embodied for se'en $ears in a #h$sical bod$5 (h$ could the little Theo not ha'e

become also se'ent$) eight$) ninet$ $ears) e/ternall$ considered if the 7arma had not made it im#ossible !n ethericbod$ is there which could ha'e su##lied life still for decades. an etheric bod$ which was reall$ filled b$ forces of theeternal) of the good5 It was an e/cellent bo$5

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Jou 7now that then the real indi'idualit$) the ego and astral bod$) go on their wa$5 But the etheric bod$ frees itself)this etheric bod$) in which all tender) nice forces are wo'en which ha'e de'elo#ed in the childhood) in which) howe'er)all forces also li'e which come from the former incarnations5 +ow imagine what $ou ha'e before $ou facing such anetheric bod$5 The indi'idualit$ comes from the former incarnations5 It embodies itself anew in this incarnation. it im#lieswhat comes from #re'ious incarnations5 The life of this incarnation is as it were the fruit) realising that what was cause ina life in #re'ious incarnations5 Through the whole life these fruits could ha'e enCo$ed life to the full5 Then e'er$thingwould ha'e gone into this etheric bod$ what comes from the fruits of the former incarnations5 This has not ha##ened5 Inreturn e'er$thing is in this etheric bod$ what still has causes in the former incarnations5 !nd now the strangest thing is@somebod$ who tries to e/#lore the aura of our Dornach construction finds this etheric bod$ of the little Theo in the aura

of the Dornach construction5 There he is) there he ho'ers o'er) li'es around the Dornach construction5 He who has to dealwith the Dornach construction or will still deal after that late autumn afternoon in which the little Theo went through thegate of death 7nows what has been changed in the s#iritual aura of the Dornach construction b$ the fact that that etheric

bod$ was incor#orated into this aura5 This etheric bod$ contains the forces which would else ha'e been used for decadesfor the su##l$ of a #h$sical human bod$) and this etheric bod$ is Cust #oured out in this aura of the construction5

"o m$sterious are the wa$s that wisdom flooding through the world has to e/#erience with its creatures5 There areonl$ correct ideas of the 7ind how the whole human life runs E to which in the most remar7able sense the life betweendeath and a new birth belongs E if one goes into details of these matters5 Because our anthro#oso#hical mo'ementshould reall$ be not an$thing abstract) but something in which we are with our whole being) in which also those are who

Cust belong to us) we are also allowed to s#ea7 of such matters5 (e unite not onl$ li7e other societies with a certain#rogram) but we want to be with our whole souls in our s#iritualscientific mo'ement5 (e want to concei'e this s#iritual

scientific mo'ement as a concrete stream to which e'er$bod$ belongs who reall$ bears witness to it in a feeling wa$5 (ecan sa$@ there we s#ea7 as somebod$ Cust s#ea7s in an enlarged famil$ about the relati'es there or there5 For that whattouches us) so to s#ea7) in an informall$ familiar wa$ gi'es us the highest) the most significant) the most im#ortante/#lanations of the s#iritual world at the same time5

From such an attitude I would li7e to mention the death of one of our friends who are Cust often affected b$ deaths inthe last time5 0ur infinitel$ dear friend Frit< Mitscher has recentl$ gone through the gate of death5 The necessit$ arose tome to subsume in words what the own soul felt) while it leant to the soul) which has Cust gone through the gate of death5

+otice the difference between the #receding words which I ha'e read out to $ou) and the words which I want to read outto $ou now5 The words that I ha'e read out Cust here are out of the soul of the dead5 The words which I will read out to$ou now are stimulated in m$ own soul at the sight of the dead Frit< Mitscher) who was still combined with his etheric

bod$5 It is the im#ression which the dead made that is re#orted now in these words5 Perha#s) $ou 7now that Frit< Mitscherwas alread$ as a $oung teacher at the most different #lace) es#eciall$ in Berlin) acti'e for our !nthro#oso#hical "ociet$5!nd man$ of us also 7now that he was Cust inclined in such a nice wa$ to combine e'er$thing that he could acuire ofearthl$ science and learning with the noblest) nicest anthro#oso#hical consciousness5 This also e/#resses itself after hisdeath when in his whole being was combined what he was) and what shines now again after his death from the soulrelie'ed of the bod$ which still had its etheric bod$5 !nd it seems to me that this had to be e/#ressed what Frit< Mitscherwas after death with the words) which I had to send on to him at the cremation5

! ho#e) filling us with ha##iness@Jou entered the field(here) through the #ower of soul being)%arth,s s#irit blossoms

Re'eal themsel'es to in'estigation5

Jour longing was bound from the beginningTo #ure truthlo'ing being.To create out of s#iritlight(as the earnest life goalFor which $ou stro'e without rest5

Jou nurtured $our beautiful giftsTo tread with stead$ ste#sBright #aths of s#irit7nowledge!s truth,s true ser'ant-n#erturbed b$ worldl$ contradiction

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won5 !lso %ngland would not be that what she has become if she had not been defeated5 Howe'er) the subconsciousforces which came u# in dream #ictures caused the 'ictor$5 The abilities of the Maid of 0rleans were ins#ired b$ them5"o that $ou can sa$@ what the Maid of 0rleans did was influenced through a more or less unaware initiation5 It is ofcourse an unaware) $ou ma$ also sa$) an ata'istic initiation5 ! clean #s$chic 'essel had to be sei


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can become s#iritual assistants who become s#iritual assistants after the$ ha'e laid down their #h$sical bodies5 0ne doesnot need to sa$) of course) that the #assage through the gate of death is ne'er allowed to be a #ersonal decision) but that itmust be caused onl$ b$ 7arma5 These s#iritual assistants are those who gi'e us consolation and ho#e if we see howdifficult it is) Cust in the #resent) to #ro'ide for our s#iritualscientific mo'ement because of the manifold inhibitions5Howe'er) we 7now how higher s#iritual forces ha'e an effect on earth) so that the current of the s#iritual worlds flowsinto the #ur#oses of the #h$sical earth5 Thus the unused forces of the human souls come u# to the s#iritual worlds to wor7there Cust with their forces) combined with other forces5 Hence) I said the words to our Frit< Mitscher in m$ obituar$reall$ from the bottom of m$ heart@

Hear our souls, entreaties"ent to $ou in confidence and trust@For our earthl$ wor7 here we need"trong forces from s#iritlands)For which we than7 dead friends5

(hen we tr$ to ad'ance our s#iritual mo'ement to its #ur#ose honestl$) then we are aware that in the forces whichwe a##l$ here on earth also those forces are wor7ing which our friends alread$ brought through the gate of death into thes#iritual world5

(e summarise now all that also for the understanding of the general situation of the world5 0n one side) the humansouls who go now due to the destin$burdened e'ents through the gate of death carr$ their etheric bodies to the fol7souls50n the other side) the$ carr$ e'er$thing that the$ ha'e summoned u# in sacrificial de'otion) while the$ ha'e gone Cust b$these e'ents through the gate of death with their indi'idualities5 !nd all that will be #oured out as effecti'eness into thecoming age5 It is the matter of the human beings who then e/#erience #eace to #roduce the connection with that what will

be there in the s#iritual world5 Those who toda$ e/#erience as mothers and fathers) as brothers and sisters or otherrelati'es the death on the battlefield of a human being dear to them can ta7e u# the fact in their consciousness that withthe etheric bod$ something e/tremel$ significant #asses o'er into the general effecti'eness of the earthl$ human7ind forthe future5 +ot onl$ that the$ can 7now that the indi'idualities go in'igorated b$ death to a later stronger life on earth) butthe$ can also 7now@ that what the warrior after death has handed o'er to the fol7soul wea'es and li'es reall$5 Fathers andmothers) sisters and brothers ha'e those who ha'e gone $oung through the gate of death twice) one must sa$) now in thefol7soul and also as indi'idualit$5 This idea will onl$ be of great 'alue when it has com#letel$ become feeling) so thatone does not onl$ s#ea7 of immortalit$) but that one 7nows in the feeling@ the dead are there) are among us5 If this bond is

such a strong one that also for our feeling death will be) actuall$) an untruth5 "ince the dead can a##ear e'en more realthan often in the #h$sical embodiment if he can ta7e together e'er$thing of his being and if he does no longer ha'e his#h$sical bod$ as an obstacle5 Immense currents of consolation) currents of internal strength of selfconsolation go outfrom that what s#iritual science can gi'e to the souls in li'el$ consciousness and li'el$ sensations5 (hen this is felt thatwa$) then in #articular those who bear witness to s#iritual science can loo7 full of consolation into the future5 The$ canfeel something li7e twilight in the turn of an era during these #resent) destin$burdened e'ents after which a time of sunn$

#eace will also follow5 But im#ortant will be in the s#iritual effecti'eness of this time of sunn$ #eace that what is wonthrough the sacrificial deaths of so man$ #eo#le5

That can be made fruitful here on earth #articularl$ creating a bridge) a connection between the li'ing human beingswho are incarnated in #h$sical bodies here on earth and the souls who are abo'e and want to radiate down that which the$ha'e ta7en with them5 Here it is where the real understanding of s#iritual science 7noc7s on our hearts and as7s us to do

that what we can do from the consciousness we ha'e gained b$ s#iritual science what we can do feeling) so that the great)destin$e/citing) #ainful e'ents of the #resent time) as far as we are concerned) contribute to the fertilit$ and welfare ofhuman7ind5 Those who 7now something about s#iritual science can 7now feeling and feel 7nowing b$ which means the

bridge is built u# into the s#iritual world@ because the souls) who remained on earth) send the thoughts and sensationswhich can be en7indled b$ s#iritual science5 The hori


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From the courage of the fighters)From the blood of the battles)From the grief of the berea'ed)From the nation,s sacrifices(ill grow u# the fruits of s#iritIf souls aware of s#irit turnTheir senses to the s#irit land5

"#iritual "cience and the M$ster$ of Death

Dee#er Relations of %uro#ean Histor$

Bremen" 6$st Fe/ruary $&$'

(hat s#iritual science calls the m$ster$ of death faces us in our times so significantl$5 %'er$thing is in close or moredistant interrelation with them5 !bo'e all) through s#iritual science we recei'e not onl$ the basic con'iction) but the basic7nowledge of the world in the #h$sical bod$ and of the world) into which we enter through the gate of death5 Howe'er)this world is alwa$s ali'e also in the sensor$ life and surrounds us5 It is onl$ not recogni


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!bout these relations one has rather doubtful 'iews5 In the west of %uro#e man$ #eo#le s#ea7 that the French area##ointed to resurrect the old &eltic element in a 7ind of Renaissance5 0ne has the idea that in &entral %uro#e are mainl$Teutons and that in the west the &eltic element #redominates5 Howe'er) it is 'ice 'ersa) in the French #o#ulation is muchmore Teutonic blood) in &entral %uro#e is more &eltic blood) this is true5 Thus ma$a stands against truth5 0nl$ theinhabitants of the west are com#letel$ o'er#owered b$ the Romance element5 In the east the +orman and with them theTeutonic elements are o'er#owered b$ the foreign race element5 "till toda$ there a religion #re'ails that is foreign to theRussian fol7soul inFrom Symptom to eality) third of nine lectures 6Berlin) 232=;) 'olume 2=4 of "teiner,s &ollected (or7s 6Rudolf "teinerPress) 23?9;N5 Thus the #eo#le in &entral %uro#e are encircled as it were5 The Romance element reaches to &onstantino#le)and on the other side the "la'ic +ormans reach to &onstantino#le as well5 There we ha'e the sna7e) the ring5

If we consider that what was crowded together there s#irituall$) we get the 'iew that it has an es#eciall$ im#ortanttas75 Jesterda$) I ha'e onl$ indicated it) but) ne'ertheless) I ha'e s#o7en of the fact that here a certain familiar contact ofthe fol7soul with the indi'idual soul should ta7e #lace and Cust thereb$ the nicest blossoms are #roduced with the bestrelati'es5 The ego should immediatel$ be sei


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0nl$ this is the right fruit of s#iritual science5 (e see it if we consider e'ents that are close to us and can teach us50ne of them Cust ha##ened in the #lace of our construction5 In this case it was a child whose etheric bod$ was unused5The forces are there. somebod$ who beholds them who 7nows how to behold them sees that the$ ha'e gone o'er into theaura of our Dornach construction and li'e in it5 This is an e/am#le I am res#onsible for5 The etheric bod$ which belongswith its forces more to the communit$ is reall$ wor7ing on5 "ince that time it tries to do something b$ means ofins#irations nearb$ the construction5 These are su##orting forces5

"uch matters are ob'ious to us) we can be taught through them how m$sterious the connections are in the s#iritualworld5 Kust in the last time we e/#erienced in the 7arma of our societ$ that dear friends ha'e died off5 (hat I said in the

Vienna c$cle nner 2ature of Man and 7ife Bet-een Death and e/irth)eight lectures 6Vienna) 232;) "teiner,s &ollected (or7s 'olume 24ONabout the life between death and new birth became com#letel$ clear Cust in some of these souls5 0ne of these souls hasfound so surel$ the wa$ into our mo'ement when the #h$sical bod$ was alread$ wornout5 "ince it was in our mo'ement)it was a being whose soul faced me li7e through a bod$ that had become bright and trans#arent as glass5 !fter death the

#icture of this soul) as it was alread$ before) grew together with that which it #resented after5 I was not able to hel# m$selfto gi'e the obituar$ which shows that I was so surel$ together with this soul5 The following words made themsel'esaudible for about three da$s) after death had occurred@

Jou came to us5The gentleness of $our being"#o7e out of the calm strength of $our e$es E&almness of $our soul

Flowed in the wa'es(ith which $our glances&arried $our internal wea'ingTo things and human beings. E!nd the soul #enetrated $our 'oice(hich re'ealed E more through the 7ind of wordIn its elouent manner E(hat was wor7ing as a secretIn $our lo'el$ soulThan it was contained in the word.Howe'er) without sa$ing a wordIt re'ealed itselfTo the com#assionate lo'e of human beings EThis being that told of noble) calm beaut$0f the worldsoul,s creationTo rece#ti'e feeling5

The consciousness is dam#ened after death) Cust because a flooding consciousness is there5 This ha##ens b$ there'iew $ou ha'e on death first E not in the case of suicide) E as it were a solar #oint5 That belongs to the most beautiful)highest e/#eriences5 Jou resume it there) $ou sa$ to $ourself@ there $ou ha'e li'ed) E and $ou orientate $ourself thatwa$ in the s#iritual world5

0ur friend was out of the stage of the etheric re'iew) so that I s#o7e to the #resent) but not $et conscious being5 Then

a moment of consciousness occurred as a result of the heat) and she saw the cremation5 Time there becomes s#ace5

The e'ents in the #h$sical and s#iritual worlds corres#ond to each other5 In such a case) calling does not return li7e anecho from the s#iritual world) but con'erts itself to an answer) gi'ing the gist) from the not $et conscious soul5 B$ suche/am#les we recognise feeling and feel recognising the s#iritual world5 The result must be to e/#erience the realit$ of thes#iritual world5 It is es#eciall$ im#ortant to get this definite feeling in our time) so that the #h$sical welfare and themental welfare arise for the whole human7ind out of the seriousness of the #resent5 For alwa$s the big) significant worlde'ents were) also for a su#erficial 7nowledge) the clear e/#ression for the fact that there are not onl$ sensor$ beings) butthat the s#iritual beings are wor7ing into the sensor$ world5

It is difficult to brea7 through the 'eil which se#arates the #h$sical and s#iritual worlds5 This ma7es self7nowledgedifficult to the greatest #ossible e/tent. one imagines that as something too eas$5 It is sometimes difficult alread$ in thee/ternal #h$sical sense5 The significant #hiloso#her %rnst Mach %rnst Mach 62=O=2329;) !ustrian #h$sicist and #hiloso#herN Enot Ferdinand Maac7) otherwise) I would not ha'e s#o7en of a significant #hiloso#her E ga'e a grotesue e/am#le of it5

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Mach describes in one of his wor7s that when he was a $oung man a disagreeable countenance struc7 him once in amirror of a sho#window) which he had immediatel$ to recognise as his own to his disma$5 He e/#erienced somethingsimilar later again5 (hile getting into a bus he saw a man with an ugl$ face who met him from the other side) andrecognised onl$ afterwards that he had seen himself in the mirror5 The human being is still e'en more uncertain about the

being or form of the soul5 Peo#le do not dream of that what one has to do to get self7nowledge5 In the subsoil of the soul)ma$a has often large dimensions5 ! human being has the im#ulse of cruelt$. he li'es together with #eo#le whom hetorments e'er$ now and then et cetera5 He loo7s for an e/ternal cause for it. he often uses an ingenious gift of in'ention to'eil the structure of his soul5 I m$self 7new somebod$ who s#o7e re#eatedl$ how man$ great sacrifices his acti'it$demanded5 But I had to sa$ that it was onl$ a lust of his soul) which he satisfied5 (hen he s#o7e of sacrifices that wa$)

onl$ egoism stood behind that5 Real self7nowledge is onl$ accessible if one ad'ances in s#iritual science graduall$) in sofar as he e/#eriences b$ himself what is in the world5

There are chatting #eo#le in the world who organise chat hours5 !##arentl$) that is e'en the case when men go totheir sundowners5 If the$ are as7ed) wh$ the$ chat) #eo#le ha'e all 7inds of im#ortant reasons for that5 But if we glidewith our hand o'er 'el'et or sil7) we ha'e a feeling of #leasure5 (hile somebod$ is chatting) his etheric bod$ 7noc7s

#er#etuall$ against the air set in motion) and in doing so it is stro7ed5 This is nothing bad5 Jou understand what goesforward with chatting) onl$ if $ou 7now that the human being has an etheric bod$5

Human7ind goes towards a time when it must face such matters more and more5 "#iritual science must arouse theconsciousness for it more and more5 Then #eo#le who state toda$ in their materialistic mind that e'er$thing s#iritual isda$dreaming will loo7 as if an$bod$ wanted to sa$ where the air is) is nothing at all5 Li7e one disco'ers that the air is

real) human7ind will find out that the s#irit is something real5 If $ou consider the biggest m$ster$) &hrist,s Death andResurrection) $ou ma$ belie'e that &hrist) after he has gone through the M$ster$ of Golgotha) would ha'e wor7ed onhuman7ind #articularl$ b$ means of teaching5 Howe'er) what #eo#le 7new about &hrist was the least5

The theologians ha'e uarrelled) but 'er$ few understood something right5 0nl$ a #art of historical e'ents ha##ens inthe consciousness5 !n e/am#le of that is the battle between Ma/entius and &onstantine at the Mil'ian Bridge on the A=th0ctober O2A !5 D5) which was decided not b$ some e/ternal circumstances) but b$ effects of non#h$sical 7ind5 (ith anarm$ which was far stronger than that of his ad'ersar$ &onstantine Ma/entius had to defend Rome5 Suestioning the"ib$lline Boo7s he got the ad'ice to lead his troo#s out of Rome and then he would destro$ the enemies of Rome thatwa$5 He was still encouraged in that b$ a dream5 !lso &onstantine had a dream that his soldiers should bear banners withthe monogram of &hrist instead of the old field signs5 Thus it ha##ened) and the arm$ of Ma/entius) which had been led

out of Rome contrar$ to reason) was defeated b$ the wea7er armed forces of &onstantine) and Ma/entius himself foundhis death on the run5 The &hrist Im#ulse had here wor7ed in the subconsciousness of the #eo#le5

The im#ulse li'es in the subconsciousness) as if shi#s go on the sea) but the im#ortant matters would ta7e #lace insubmarines5 !n im#ortant #oint in time is again in the 24th centur$5 !t that time) the Maid of 0rleans inter'ened in thecourse of histor$ in such a wa$ that e'er$thing that ha##ened later was determined through it5 The whole ma# of %uro#ewould be different) also the s#iritual life if the %nglish had won5 The Maid was a ser'ant of "t5 Michael5 "chiller wasdee#l$ touched b$ the figure of the Maid of 0rleans@ the world li7es to blac7en the beaming5 (hereas Voltaire 'entedhis rage against her) e'en "ha7es#eare could not understand her) !natole France #ressed her down into the materialistic'iew) all (estern #eo#le of intellect did not understand her) and "chiller embodied this sublime figure in his drama5

It was necessar$ that the Maid of 0rleans went through a 7ind of unaware initiation to fulfil her historical mission5 It

concerned an initiation as it is described to us in the legend of 0laf Qsteson5 "uch initiations) for which certain 7armicconditions were necessar$) could ta7e #lace in the time of the thirteen nights between the A4th December and 9th Kanuar$5If the e/ternal light has the slightest strength) an inner enlightenment is #ossible5 Thus 0laf Qsteson had real s#irituale/#eriences in the slee#ing state during thirteen nights) which he then re#orts before the #ortal of a church) as it is shownin theDream Song5 !lso the Maid of 0rleans s#ent thirteen nights as it were in the slee#ing state) namel$ in the bod$ ofher mother5 In the last time before birth the human being is es#eciall$ accessible to unaware influences from the s#iritualworld5 0n the 9th Kanuar$ the Maid of 0rleans was born5 During this da$ all the inhabitants of her birth#lace gathered

because something uite unusual was to be felt in the aura of the 'illage5 It was the birth of the Maid of 0rleans) to whomthe &hrist Im#ulse was im#lanted Cust before she saw the #h$sical sunlight5

The #ro#er #ur#ose of all our attem#ts and that what de#ends on us is to gain a li'ing connection between the#h$sical and s#iritual worlds5 Peo#le will recognise that the time of twilight of this war means a turn of an era5 Humanbeings should 7now that the souls of those who ha'e sacrificed themsel'es are wor7ing on and that this war has the tas7to close the materialistic age5

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It is necessar$ that souls are there who send thoughts into the s#iritual world li7e e/tending arms and bring down theconsciousness from the s#iritual world) souls conscious of s#irit5 The more such souls conscious of s#irit send theirthoughts u#wards E a lot de#ends on the fact that our s#iritual atmos#here is #enetrated b$ such thoughts) E the morethe fruits which come from the sacrificial deaths can mature5 Thus we summarise our consideration in the words@

From the courage of the fighters)From the blood of the battles)From the grief of the berea'ed)From the nation,s sacrifices

(ill grow u# the fruits of s#iritIf souls aware of s#irit turnTheir senses to the s#irit land5

The Intimate %lement of the &entral %uro#ean &ulture

and the &entral %uro#ean "tri'ing

7eip8ig" 9th March $&$'

(e li'e in grie'ous) destin$burdened da$s5 0nl$ few souls wait with full confidence what these destin$burdenedda$s will bring to us earth #eo#le5 !bo'e all) the significance of that what e/#resses itself b$ the e'ents of these da$s)does not s#ea7 with full strength in the souls5 "ome human souls attem#t to e/#erience the im#ulses more and more thats#iritual science demands to be im#lanted into the cultural de'elo#ment5 The$ should 7now being connected with theirdee#est feeling with that which) on one side) ta7es #lace around us so tremendousl$ and) on the other side) so #ainfull$5

"omething ta7es #lace that is matchless not onl$ according to the wa$ but also according to the degree within theconscious histor$ of human de'elo#ment) that is dee#l$ inter'ening and drastic in the whole life of the earth,sde'elo#ment5 0ne needs to imagine onl$ what it means E and this is the case toda$ with e'er$ human being of the%uro#ean and also of man$ #arts of the other earth #o#ulation E to be in the centre of the course of such significante'ents5 (e ha'e to feel that this is Cust a time which is not onl$ suitable but also demands that the soul frees itself from

merel$ li'ing within the own self) and should attem#t to e/#erience the common fate of human7ind5 The human beingcan learn a lot in our #resent if he 7nows how to combine in the right wa$ with the stream of the e'ents5 He frees himselffrom a lot of #ettiness and egoism if he is able to do this5 "uch great e'ents ta7e #lace that almost an$bod$ caring forhimself ignores the destinies of the other human beings5

In #articular the #o#ulation of &entral %uro#e E which immense uestions has it to #ut to itself about matters that itcan learn basicall$ onl$ now The human being of &entral %uro#e can #ercei'e how he is misunderstood) actuall$) howhe is hated5 !nd these misunderstandings) this hatred did not onl$ eru#t since the outbrea7 of the war) the$ ha'e become

#erce#tible since the outbrea7 of the war5 Hence) the outbrea7 of the war and the course of the war can be e'en as it werethat what draws attention of the &entral %uro#ean souls to that how the$ must feel isolated in a certain wa$ more or lesscom#ared with the feeling of those #eo#le who stand on all sides around this &entral %uro#ean #o#ulation reall$ not withunderstanding emotions5 If an$bod$ could arouse dee#er interests in the big e'ents of life in the souls dedicatingthemsel'es to s#iritual science E this would be so desirable) es#eciall$ now E e'ents that lead the soul from the 7en ofits ego to the large hori


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originate than that what has ha##ened5 0ne does not want to go further bac7 as some $ears) at most decades and ma7econce#tions how this has come what is now so destin$burdened and #ainful around us5

But the matters lie still much dee#er5 If one s#ea7s of encirclement) one must sa$@ what has ta7en #lace in theencirclement of the &entral %uro#ean #owers in the last time) that is the last stage) the last ste# of an encirclement of&entral %uro#e) which began long) long ago) in the $ear =9: !5 D5 !t that time) when those human beings dro'e from thenorth of %uro#e who stood as +ormans before Paris) a #art of the strength) which should wor7 in %uro#e) dro'e in thewest of %uro#e into the Romance current which had flooded the west of %uro#e from the south5 (e ha'e a current ofhuman forces which #ours forth from Rome 'ia Ital$ and "icil$ o'er "#ain and through #resentda$ France5 The +orman

#o#ulation) which dri'es down from the north and stands before Paris in =9:) was flooded and wra##ed u# b$ that whichhad come as a Romance current of olden times5 That what is #owerful in this current is due to the fact that the +orman

#o#ulation was wra##ed u# in it5 (hat has originated) howe'er) as something strange to the &entral %uro#ean culture inthe (est) is due to the Romance current5 This Romance current did not sto# in #resentda$ France) but it #ro'ed to be

#owerful enough because of its dogmaticall$ rationalistic 7ind) its tendenc$ to the materialistic wa$ of thin7ing to floodnot onl$ France but also the !nglo"a/on countries5 This ha##ened when the +ormans conuered Britain and broughtwith them that what the$ had ta7en u# from the Romance current5 !lso the Romance element is in the British elementwhich thereb$ faces the &entral %uro#ean being) actuall$) without understanding5 The +orman element #enetrated b$ theRomance element continued its train 'ia the Gree7 coasts down to &onstantino#le5 "o that we see a current of +ormanRomance culture dri'ing down from the %uro#ean north to the west) encircling &entral %uro#e li7e in a sna7eform)stretching its tentacles as it were to &onstantino#le5

(e see the other train going down from the north to the east and #enetrating the "la'ic element5 The first +ormantrains were called Ros b$ the Finnish #o#ulation which was widel$ #ro#agated at that time in #resentda$ Russia5Ros is the origin of this name5 (e see these northern #eo#le getting in the "la'ic element) getting to 1ie' and&onstantino#le at the same time5 The circle is closed 0n one side) the +orman forces dri'e down from the north to thewest) becoming Romance) on the other side) to the east) becoming "la'ic) and the$ meet from the east and from the westin &onstantino#le5 In &entral %uro#e that is enclosed li7e in a cultural basin what remained of the original Teutonicelement) fertilised b$ the old &eltic element) which is wor7ing then in the most different nuances in the #o#ulation) asGerman) as Dutch) as "candina'ian #o#ulations5 Thus we recognise how old this encirclement is5

+ow in this &entral %uro#e an intimate culture #re#ares itself) a culture which was ne'er able to run li7e the culturehad to run in the (est or the culture in the %ast) but which had to run uite differentl$5 If we com#are the cultural

de'elo#ment in &entral %uro#e with that of the (est) so we must sa$) in the (est a culture de'elo#ed E and this can beseen from the smallest and from the biggest feature of this culture E whose basic character is to be #ursued from theBritish islands o'er France) "#ain) to "icil$) to Ital$ and to &onstantino#le5 There certain dogmatism de'elo#ed as acharacteristic of the culture) rationalism) a longing for dressing e'er$thing one gets in 7nowledge in #lain rationalisticformulae5 There de'elo#ed a desire to see things as reason and sensuousness must see them5 There de'elo#ed the desire tosim#lif$ e'er$thing5 Let us ta7e a case which is ob'ious to us as su##orters of s#iritual science namel$ the arrangement ofour human soul in three members@ sentient soul) intellectual soul or mindsoul) and consciousnesssoul5 The human soulcan be understood in realit$ onl$ if one 7nows that it consists of these three members5 Kust as little as the light can beunderstood without recognising the colour nuances in their origin from the light) and without 7nowing that it is made u#of the different colour nuances which we see in the rainbow) on one side the red $ellow ra$s) on the other side the blue)green) 'iolet ones) and if one cannot stud$ the light as a #h$sicist5 Kust as little somebod$ can stud$ the human soul whatis infinitel$ more im#ortant5 For e'er$bod$ should be a human being and e'er$bod$ should 7now the soul5 He) who does

not feel in his soul that this soul li'es in three members@ sentient soul) intellectual soul or mindsoul) consciousnesssoul)throws e'er$thing in the soul in a mess5 (e see the modern uni'ersit$ #s$chologists getting e'er$thing of the soul in amess) as well as somebod$ gets the colour nuances of the light sim#l$ in a mess5 !nd the$ imagine themsel'es

#articularl$ learnt in their immense arrogance) in their scientific arrogance throwing e'er$thing together in the soullife)while one can onl$ reall$ recognise the soul if one is able to 7now this threefolding of the soul actuall$5

The sentient soul also is at first that what realises) as it were) the desires) the more feeling im#ulses) more that in thecurrent earth e/istence what we can call the more sensuous as#ect of the human being5 +e'ertheless) this sentient soulcontains the eternal dri'ing forces of the human nature in its dee#er #arts at the same time5 These forces go through birthand death5 The intellectual soul or mindsoul contains half the tem#oral and half the eternal5 The consciousnesssoul) as itis now) directs the human being #referabl$ to the tem#oral5 Hence) it is clear that the nation) who de'elo#s its fol7soul b$means of the consciousnesssoul) the British #eo#le) after a 'er$ nice remar7 of Goethe) has nothing of that what is

meditati'e reflection) but it is directed to the #ractical) to the e/ternal com#etition5 Perha#s) it is not bad at all toremember such matters) because those who ha'e ta7en #art in the German cultural life were not blind for them) but the$

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e/#ressed themsel'es alwa$s 'er$ clearl$ about that5 Thus Goethe said to %c7ermann con'ersation with %c7ermann) 2st"e#tember 2=A3N E it is long ago) but $ou can see that great Germans ha'e seen the matters alwa$s in the true light E whenonce the con'ersation turned to the #hiloso#hers Hegel) Fichte) 1ant and some others@ $es) $es) while the Germansstruggle to sol'e the dee#est #hiloso#hical #roblems) the %nglish are directed mainl$ to the #ractical as#ects and onl$ tothem5 The$ lac7 an$ sense of reflection5 !nd e'en if the$ E so said Goethe E ma7e declamations about moralit$ mainl$consisting of the liberation of sla'es) one has to as7@ which is the real obCect E !t another occasion) Goethe wroteletter to elter) A:th Februar$ 2=A=N that a remar7 of (alter "cott e/#resses more than man$ boo7s5 For e'en (alter "cottadmitted once that it was more im#ortant than the liberation of nations) e'en if the %nglish had ta7en #art in the battlesagainst +a#oleon) to see a British obCect before themsel'es5 ! German #hilologist succeeded E and what does the

diligence of German #hilologists not manage E in finding the #assage in nine thic7 'olumes of +a#oleon,s biogra#h$ b$(alter "cott to which Goethe has alluded at that time5 Indeed) there $ou find) admitted b$ (alter "cott) that the Britonstoo7 #art in the battles against +a#oleon) howe'er) the$ desired to attain a British ad'antage5 He himself e/#resses it tosecure the British obCect5 E It is a remar7 of the %nglishman himself) one onl$ had to search for it5 These matters areinteresting to e/tend $our 7en somewhat toda$5

Jou ha'e to 7now) I said) that the human soul consists of these three members) #ro#erl$ s#ea7ing that the human selfwor7s b$ these three soul nuances li7e the light b$ the different colour nuances) mainl$ in the mineral) #lant) and animal7ingdoms5 Then one will find out that the human being) while he has these three soul nuances) can and must assign eachof these soul nuances to a great ideal in the course of human #rogress5 %ach of these ideals corres#onds to a soul nuancenot to the whole soul5 0nl$ if #eo#le can be induced b$ s#iritual science to assign the corres#onding ideals to the singlesoul members) will the real ideal of human welfare and of the harmonious li'ing together of human beings on earth come

into being5

Because the human being has to aim at another ideal for his sentient soul) for that which he realises as it were in the#h$sical #lane) at another soul ideal for that what he realises in the intellectual soul or mindsoul) and again another idealin his consciousnesssoul5 He im#ro'es a soul member through one of these ideals. the other soul members are im#ro'edthrough the others5 If one de'elo#s the soul member in #articular through brotherliness of the human beings on earth) onehas to de'elo# the other one through freedom) the third through eualit$5 %ach of these three ideals refers to a soulmember5 In the west of %uro#e e'er$thing got muddled) and it was sim#lified b$ the rationalists) b$ that rationalism)which wants to ha'e e'er$thing in #lain formulae) in #lain dogmas) which wants to ha'e e'er$thing clearl$ to mind5 Thewhole human soul was ta7en b$ this dogmatism sim#l$ as one) and one s#o7e of libert$) fraternit$) eualit$5 (e see thatthere is a fundamental attitude of rationalising ci'ilisation in the (est5 (e could 'erif$ that in details5 For e/am#le) Custhighl$ educated French can moc7 that I used fi'efooted iambi in m$ m$ster$ dramas cf5 the lecture On the Mystery DramasThe :ortal of nitiation and The Soul(s :ro/ation 23th December 2322) "teiner,s &ollected (or7s 'olume 2A?N but no rh$mes5 TheFrench mind cannot understand that the internal dri'ing force of the language does not need the rh$me at this le'el5 TheFrench mind stri'es for s$stematisation) for that what forms an e/ternal framewor7) and it sa$s@ one cannot ma7e 'erseswithout rh$me5

Howe'er) this also a##lies to the e/terior life) to e'er$thing5 In the (est) one wants to arrange) to s$stematise) and tonicel$ tin e'er$thing5 Thin7 onl$ what a dreadful matter it was) when in the beginning of our s#iritualscientific stri'ingman$ of our friends were still influenced b$ the %nglish theoso#hical direction5 In e'er$ branch $ou could find all

#ossible s$stems written down on ma#s) boards et cetera) on to#) nicel$ arranged@ atma) buddhi) manas) then all #ossiblematters in detail which one s$stematises and tins that wa$5 Imagine how one has bent under the $o7e of this dogmatismand how difficult it was to set the methods of internal de'elo#ment to their #lace) which we must ha'e in &entral %uro#e)

that one thing ensues from the other) that conce#ts ad'ance in the internal e/#erience5 0ne does not need s$stematising)these mnemonic aids which wra# u# e'er$thing in certain formulae5 (hich hard wor7 was it to show that one mattermerges into another) that $ou ha'e to arrange matters seuentiall$ and li'el$5 I could e/#and this account to all branchesof life. howe'er) we would ha'e to sta$ together for da$s5

(e find that in the (est as one #art of the current which encircled &entral %uro#e5 If we go to the %ast) then we mustsa$@ there we deal with a longing which Cust #resents the o##osite) with the longing to let disa##ear e'er$thing still in afog of lac7s of clarit$ in a #rimiti'e) elementar$ m$sticism) in something that does not stand to e/#ress itself directl$ inclear ideas and clear words5 (e reall$ ha'e two sna7es E the s$mbol is absolutel$ a##ro#riate) E one of them e/tendsfrom the north to southeast) the other from the north to southwest) and both meet in &onstantino#le5 In the centre that isenclosed what we can call the intimate &entral %uro#ean s#iritual current) where the head can ne'er be se#arated from theheart) thin7ing from feeling) if it a##ears in its original ualit$5

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I gi'e $ou an e/am#le5 (hen the human being tries to further himself b$ means of meditation and concentration) b$the intimate wor7 on the de'elo#ment of his soul) then all soul forces ta7e on another form than the$ ha'e in the e'er$da$life5 Then the soul forces become as it were something different5 If the human being wor7s reall$ busil$ on hisde'elo#ment) b$ concentration of thought and other e/ercises as I described them in the boo7 ,o- Does One 0ttain1no-ledge of the ,igher Worlds) the human being begins to understand 'i'idl$) I would li7e to sa$ to gras# 'i'idl$ thathe does no longer thin7 at the moment) when he a##roaches the real s#iritual world) as he has to thin7 in the e'er$da$life5 In the e'er$da$ life) $ou thin7 that the thoughts start li'ing in $ou5 If $ou face the sensor$ world) $ou 7now@ that isme) and I ha'e the thoughts5 Jou connect one thought with the other and $ou thereb$ ma7e a Cudgment) $ou combine thethoughts and let them se#arate5 In m$ writing which is entitled The Threshold of the Spiritual World)I ha'e com#ared

somebod$ de'elo#ing thoughts to one #utting his head into a world of li'ing beings5

The thoughts start internall$ #ric7ling and cree#ing) the$ become) if I ma$ sa$ so) li'ing beings) and we are no longerthose who connect one thought to the other5 0ne thought goes to the other) and frees itself from the other) the life ofthoughts starts coming to life5 0nl$ when the thoughts start as it were becoming shells and containers which contract in asmall room and e/tend then again largel$) bagli7e) then the beings of the higher hierarchies are able to sli# into ourthoughts) then onl$ "o our own wa$ of life) the whole thin7ing changes when we settle in the s#iritual world5 Then $oustart #ercei'ing that on the other #lanets other beings li'e not human beings li7e on the earth5 These other beings of theother #lanets) the$ #enetrate as it were our li'ing thin7ing) and we do no longer thin7 about the beings of the other worldsand world s#heres) but the$ li'e in us) the$ li'e combined with our sel'es5 Thin7ing has become a different soulforce. ithas de'elo#ed from the #oint on which it stood to another soulforce) to that force which sur#asses us and becomesidentical with that world) the s#iritual world5

Here we ha'e an e/am#le of that what human7ind has to concei'e if it should de'elo# the condition in which it nowli'es to a higher one for the earth future5 This must reall$ become common 7nowledge that such thin7ing is #ossible) andthat onl$ b$ such a thin7ing the human being can get to 7now the s#iritual world5 +ot e'er$ human being has to become as#iritual researcher) Cust as little as e'er$bod$ needs to become a chemist who wants to understand the achie'ements ofchemistr$5 Howe'er) e'en if there can be few s#iritual researchers) e'er$bod$ can see the truth of that using unbiasedthin7ing and understand what the s#iritual researcher sa$s5 But it must become clear that there are unnoticed soul forcesin the human being during life which when the human being goes through the gate of death become the same forces as aninitiate has5 (hen the human being goes through the gate of death) thin7ing becomes another soulforce@ it inter'enes inthe being5 It is as if antennas were #er#etuall$ #ut out) and the human being e/#eriences the higher worlds which are inthese antennas5

There was a witt$ man setting the tone in the 23th centur$) who contributed to the foundation of the materialisticworld 'iew@ Ludwig Feuerbach Ludwig Feuerbach 62=:2=?A;@ the censorshi# confiscated his writing Thoughts on Death and mmortality6+uremberg) 2=O:;N5 He wrote a boo7 Thoughts on Death and mmortality) and it is interesting to read the following in a

#assage of this boo75 Feuerbach sa$s there for instance@ the summit human being is able to reach is his thoughts5 Hecannot de'elo# higher soul forces than thin7ing5 If he could de'elo# higher soul forces than thin7ing) some effects andactions of the inhabitants of the star worlds would be able to #enetrate his head instead of thoughts5 E This seems soabsurd to Ludwig Feuerbach that he regards e'er$bod$ as mentall$ ill who s#ea7s of such a thing at all5 Imagine howinteresting this is that a #erson E who Cust becomes a materialist because he reCects higher soul forces E gets on that thesoulforce is that which re#resents the higher de'elo#ment of thin7ing5 He e'en describes it) but he has such a dreadfulfear of this de'elo#ment that Cust because it would ha'e to be that wa$) as he sus#ects) he declares this soulforce a matterof im#ossibilit$) a fantas$5

The s#iritual de'elo#ment in the 23th centur$ comes so near to that what must be aimed at) but it is so far awa$ at thesame time because it is #ushed) as it were) from the inside to that what should be aimed at) but cannot #enetrate thede#ths) because it must regard it as absurd) because it is afraid of it reall$) fears it uite terrificall$5 !s soon as it onl$touches what should come there) it is afraid5 The &entral %uro#ean cultural life has to come bac7 to itself) then we willattain that this &entral %uro#ean cultural life Cust de'elo#s and o'ercomes this fear5 That has become too strong whatwants to su##ress this &entral %uro#ean s#iritual light5

"ome e/am#les ma$ also be mentioned5 Hegel) the German #hiloso#her) raised his 'oice in 'ain against theo'erestimation of +ewton5 If $ou toda$ hear an$ #h$sicist s#ea7ing E $ou can read u# that what I sa$ in man$ #o#ularwor7s) E then $ou will hear@ +ewton set the tone in the doctrine of gra'itation) a doctrine through which the uni'erse hasonl$ become e/#licable5 E Hegel said@ what has +ewton done then) actuall$ E He dressed that in mathematicalformulae what 1e#ler) the German astronomer) had e/#ressed5 Because nothing is included in +ewton,s wor7s what1e#ler did not alread$ sa$5 1e#ler wor7ed out of that 'iew with which the whole soul wor7s not onl$ the head5 Howe'er)

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+ewton brought the whole in a s$stem and thereb$ all 7inds of mista7es came into being) for e/am#le) the doctrine of aremote effect of the sun which is not useful for the Cudgment of #lanetar$ motion5 (ith +ewton it is real that wa$) as ifthe sun had #h$sical arms) and stretches these arms and attracts the #lanets5 E Howe'er) the German #hiloso#her warnedin 'ain that the &entral %uro#ean culture would be flooded b$ the British culture in this field5

!nother e/am#le@ Goethe founded a theor$ of colours which originated com#letel$ from the &entral %uro#eanthin7ing and which $ou onl$ understand if $ou recognise the connections of the #h$sical with the s#iritual a little bit5 Theworld did not acce#t the Goethean theor$ of colours) but the +ewtonian theor$ of colours5 E Goethe founded a teachingof e'olution5 The world did not understand it) but it onl$ acce#ted what Darwinism ga'e as a theor$ of e'olution) as a

theor$ of de'elo#ment in a #o#ularmaterialistic wa$5 Jou ma$ sa$@ the &entral %uro#ean human being who is encircledb$ the Midgard "na7e has to call in mind his forces5 It concerns not to bend under that what rationalism and em#iricismbrought in5

Jou see the gigantic tas7. $ou see the significance of the ideal5 0ne does not notice that at all because it still #asses) Iwould li7e to sa$) in the current of #henomena if one asserts the &entral %uro#ean being5 I do not 7now how man$ #eo#lenoticed the following5 (hen for reasons which were also mentioned $esterda$ in the #ublic lecture The Bearing Force of theGerman Spirit5 Lecture of the same title in Berlin) A4th Februar$ 2324) in "teiner,s &ollected (or7s 'olume 2=4N our s#iritualscientificmo'ement had to free itself from the s#ecificall$ British direction of the Theoso#hical "ociet$ and when long ago as itwere that ha##ened beforehand in the s#iritual realm what ta7es #lace now during the war E and #receded for goodreasons) E I ha'e discussed and e/#lained the whole matter in those da$s on s$m#toms5 There are brainless #eo#le whowant to Cudge about what our s#iritualscientific mo'ement is and ha'e often said@ well) also this &entral %uro#ean

s#iritualscientific mo'ement has gone out from that which it has got from the British theoso#hical mo'ement5

I sa$ the following not because of #ersonal reasons) but because it characterises the situation) the whole ner'e of thematter in a s$m#tom) I would li7e to remind $ou of the fact that I held tal7s in Berlin which were #rinted then in m$writingMysticism at the Da-n of the Modern Spiritual 7ife)before I had an$ e/ternal interrelation with the Britishtheoso#hical mo'ement5 In this writing nobod$ will find an$thing of western influence) but there e'er$thing is de'elo#ed

#urel$ out of the &entral %uro#ean cultural life) from the s#iritual) m$stic mo'ement of Master %c7hart u# to !ngelus"ilesius5 (hen I came to London the first time) I met one of the #undits of the theoso#hical societ$ in those da$s) Mr5Mead George M5 "5 Mead@ last #ri'ate secretar$ of H5 P5 Bla'ats7$5 He left the Theoso#hical "ociet$ later5N5 He had read the boo7 whichwas immediatel$ translated in man$ cha#ters into the %nglish) and said that the whole theoso#h$ would be contained inthis boo75 E "o far as #eo#le admitted that the$ could go along with us) so far we could unite with the whole obCect) of

course. but nothing else was done5

(hat matters is that we reflect on our tas7s of the &entral %uro#ean s#iritual culture and that we ne'er de'iate fromthem5 The one or the other sent the medals) certificates and the li7e bac7 to the %nglish5 That is) ne'ertheless) lessim#ortant5 The im#ortant thing will be first to send bac7 +ewtonianism) the %nglish coloured Darwinism) that means torelease the &entral %uro#ean cultural life from it5 "omething is to be learnt from the wa$ how E free of other influence

E the &entral %uro#ean cultural life has made itself noticeable Cust as s#iritual science5 But $ou ha'e to call to mind theessential #art once and to stand firml$ on this ground5 It is 'er$ #eculiar how m$steriousl$ matters wor75

Imagine the following case@ %rnst Haec7el has ta7en care basicall$ through his whole life to direct the German world'iew to the British thin7ing5 The British thin7ing) the British em#iricism flows into %rnst Haec7el,s writings com#letel$5He now rails against %ngland the most5 These are #rocesses which ta7e #lace in the subconscious of the soul of the

&entral %uro#ean. these are also matters which are tightl$ connected in such a soul with 7arma5 &onsider #lease what itmeans that Haec7el #laces himself before the world and sa$s) he himself has accom#lished the first great action of thegreat researcher Hu/le$) while he stam#ed the sentence of the similarit$ of the human bone and the animal bone. that he)Haec7el) then has #ointed to the big change in the 'iew of the origin of the human being) and that he acce#ted nothing inthe e'olution theor$ but what came from the (est5 E Then one sees that he is urged now to rail against that what hasconstituted his whole intellectual life5 It is the most tragic e'ent of the #resent for such a soul which can be onl$ thought5It is s#iritual d$namite) because it bursts) actuall$) all su##orting #illars on which such a soul stands5

Thus $ou can) actuall$) loo7 into the de#ths of the #r

Documents

The Mystery of Death