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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c494b9e --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #54260 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54260) diff --git a/old/54260-0.txt b/old/54260-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index dfaa3d7..0000000 --- a/old/54260-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2416 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Spiritual Guidance of Man and of Mankind, by -Rudolf Steiner - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Spiritual Guidance of Man and of Mankind - -Author: Rudolf Steiner - -Editor: Harry Collison - -Release Date: February 28, 2017 [EBook #54260] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE OF MAN, MANKIND *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - - The Spiritual Guidance - of Man and of Mankind - - BY - - DR. RUDOLF STEINER - - EDITED BY H. COLLISON - - THE AUTHORIZED ENGLISH TRANSLATION - - - - -COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY H. COLLISON - - -The copyright, the publishing rights, and the editorial responsibility -for the translation of the works of Rudolf Steiner, Ph.D., with the -exception of those already under the editorial supervision of Max Gysi, -are now vested in Mr. Harry Collison, M.A., Oxon. - - - - -PREFACE - - -In the following pages are reproduced the contents of some lectures -delivered by me at Copenhagen in June last, in connection with the -General Meeting of the Scandinavian Theosophical Society. What is here -set forth was therefore spoken to an audience acquainted with occult -science, or theosophy. A similar acquaintance is assumed in this work. -It is throughout based on the foundations given in my books, “Theosophy” -and “An Outline of Occult Science.” To anyone taking up the present -work who is unacquainted with these premises, it must needs appear the -strange outpouring of mere fancy, but the above-named books point out the -scientific basis of everything stated in this one. - -I have completely re-written the shorthand report of the lectures; -nevertheless it has been my intention on publishing them, to preserve the -character given in oral delivery. This is specially mentioned because -it is in general my opinion that the form of work intended for reading -should be quite different from that used in speaking. I have expressed -this principle of mine in all my earlier writings, as far as they were -intended for the press. If in this instance I have worked out my -subject in closer connection with the spoken word, it is because I have -reasons for letting the work appear at this juncture, and an adaptation -completely in accordance with the above rule would take a great deal of -time. - - RUDOLF STEINER. - -_Munich, August 20, 1911._ - - - - -The Spiritual Guidance of Man and of Mankind - - - - -LECTURE I. - - -A man reflecting on his own nature soon becomes conscious that there is -within him a second and more powerful self than the one bounded by his -thoughts, his feelings and the fully-conscious impulses of his will. He -becomes aware that he is subject to that second self, as to a higher -power. It is true that at first he will feel it to be a lower entity as -compared with the one limited by his intelligent and fully-conscious -soul, with its inclinations towards the Good and True. And at first he -will strive to overcome that lower entity. - -But closer self-examination may reveal something else about the second -self. If we often, in the course of our lives, make a kind of survey of -our acts and experiences, we make a singular discovery about ourselves. -And the older we are, the more significant do we think that discovery. -If we ask ourselves what we did or said at a particular period of our -lives, it turns out that we have done very many things which are only -really understood in later years. Seven or eight, or perhaps twenty years -ago, we did certain things, and we know quite well that only now, long -afterwards, is our intelligence ripe enough to understand what we did or -said at that earlier period. - -Many people do not make such discoveries about themselves, because they -do not lay themselves out to do so. But it is extremely profitable to -hold such communion frequently with one’s own soul. For directly a man -becomes aware that he has done things in former years which he is only -now beginning to understand, that formerly his intelligence was not ripe -enough to understand them,--at a moment such as this, something like the -following feeling arises in the soul: The man feels himself protected by -a good power, which rules in the depths of his own being; he begins to -have more and more confidence in the fact that really, in the highest -sense of the word, he is not alone in the world, and that everything -which he understands, and is consciously able to do, is after all but a -small part of what he really accomplished in the world. - -If this observation is often made, it is possible to carry out in -practical life something which is very easy to see theoretically. It is -easy to see that we should not make much progress in life if we had to -accomplish everything we have to do, in full consciousness, with our -intelligence taking note of every circumstance affecting us. In order -to see this theoretically, we have only to reflect as follows: In what -section of his life does a human being perform those acts which are -really most important as regards his own existence? When does he act most -wisely for himself? He does this from about the time of his birth up to -that period to which his memory goes back when in later life he surveys -his earthly existence. If he recalls what he did three, four or five -years ago, and then goes farther and farther back, he comes at last to -a certain point in childhood, beyond which memory cannot go. What lies -beyond it may be told by parents or others, but a man’s own recollection -only extends to a certain point in the past. That point is the moment -at which the individual felt himself to be an ego. In the lives of -people whose memory is limited to the normal, there must always be such -a point, but previously to it, the human soul has worked in the wisest -possible manner on the individual, and never afterwards, when man has -gained consciousness, can he accomplish such vast and magnificent work on -himself as he carries out, from subconscious motives, during the first -years of childhood. - -For we know that at birth man takes into the physical world what he -has brought with him as the result of his former earthly lives. When -he is born, his physical brain, for instance, is but a very imperfect -instrument. The soul has to work a finer organization into that -instrument, in order to make it the agent of everything which the soul -is capable of performing. In point of fact the human soul, before it is -fully conscious, works upon the brain so as to make it an instrument for -exercising all the abilities, aptitudes, qualities, etc., which appertain -to the soul as the result of its former earthly lives. This work on a -man’s own body is directed from points of view which are wiser than -anything which he can subsequently do for himself when in possession of -full consciousness. - -Moreover, man during this period not only elaborates his brain -plastically, but has to learn three most important things for his earthly -existence. The first is the equilibrium of his own body in space. The -man of the present day entirely overlooks the meaning of this statement, -which touches upon one of the most essential differences between man and -animals. An animal is destined from the outset to develop its equilibrium -in space in a certain way; one animal is destined to be a climber, -another a swimmer, etc. An animal is so organized from the beginning as -to be able to bear itself rightly in space, and this is the case with -all animals up to and including the mammals most resembling man. If -zoologists would ponder this fact, they would lay less emphasis on the -number of similar bones and muscles in man and animals, etc., for this is -of much less account than the fact that man is not endowed at the outset -with the complete equipment for his conditions of equilibrium. He has -first to form them out of the sum total of his being. It is significant -that man should have to work upon himself, in order to make, out of a -being that cannot walk at all, one that can walk erect. It is man himself -who gives himself his vertical position, or his equilibrium in space. -He brings himself into relation with the force of gravitation. It will -obviously be easy for anyone taking a superficial view of the matter to -question this statement, with apparently good reason. It may be said -that man is just as much organized for his erect walk as, for instance, -a climbing animal for climbing. But more accurate observation will show -that it is the peculiarity of the animal’s organization that causes -its position in space. In man it is the soul which brings itself into -relation with space and controls the organization. - -The second thing which man teaches himself, and that by means of the -entity which proceeds from one incarnation to another as the same being, -is speech. Through speech he comes into relation with his fellow-men. -This relation makes him the vehicle of that spiritual life which -interpenetrates the world primarily through man. Emphasis has often been -laid, with good reason, on the fact that a human being removed, before he -could speak, to a desert island, and kept apart from his fellows, would -not learn to talk. On the other hand, what we receive by inheritance, -what is implanted in us for use in later years and is subject to the -principles of heredity, does not depend on a man’s dwelling with his -fellows. For instance, his inherited conditions oblige him to change -his teeth in his seventh year. If it were possible for him to grow up -on a desert island, he would still change them then. But he only learns -to talk, when his soul’s inner being, i.e., that which is carried on -from one life to another, is stimulated. The germ, however, for the -development of the larynx must be formed during the period at which man -has not yet acquired his ego-consciousness. Before the time to which his -memory goes back, he must plant the germ for developing his larynx, in -order that this may become the organ of speech. - -And then there is a third thing: It is not so well known that man learns -this of himself, from that part of his inner being which he carries on -from one incarnation to another. It is the life within the world of -thought itself. The elaboration of the brain is undertaken because the -brain is the instrument of thought. At the beginning of life, this organ -is still plastic, because the individual has to form it for himself as -an instrument of thought, in accordance with the intention of the entity -which is carried on from one life to another. The brain immediately -after birth is, as it was bound to be, in accordance with the forces -inherited from parents and other ancestors. But the individual has to -express in his thought what he is as an individual being, in accordance -with his former earthly lives. Therefore he must re-model the inherited -peculiarities of his brain, after birth, when he has become physically -independent of his parents and other ancestors. - -We thus see that man accomplishes momentous things during the first -years of his life. He is working on himself in the spirit of the highest -wisdom. In point of fact, if it were a question of his own cleverness, -it is possible that he might not accomplish what he does without -that cleverness during the first period of his life. Why is all this -accomplished in those depths of the soul which lie outside consciousness? -This happens because the human soul and entire being are, during the -first years of earthly life, in much closer connection with the -spiritual worlds of the higher hierarchies than is afterwards the case. -A clairvoyant who has gone through sufficient spiritual development to -be able to witness actual spiritual events, sees something exceedingly -significant at the moment when the ego acquires consciousness, _i.e._, -the earliest point to which the memory of later years goes back. Whereas -what we call the child’s aura floats round it in its earliest years -like a wonderful human and superhuman power, and, being really the -higher part of the child, is everywhere continued on into the spiritual -world,--at the moment to which memory goes back, this aura sinks more -into the inner being of the child. A human being is able to feel himself -a continuous ego as far back as that point of time, because then that -which was previously in close connection with the higher worlds, passed -into his ego. Henceforward the consciousness is at every point brought -into connection with the external world. This is not the case with a very -young child, to whom things appear only as a surrounding world of dreams. - -Man works on himself by means of a wisdom which is not within him. That -wisdom is mightier and more comprehensive than any conscious wisdom of -later years. The higher wisdom becomes obscured in the human soul, which -in exchange receives consciousness. - -The higher wisdom works from out of the spiritual world deep into the -bodily part of man, so that man is able by its means to form his brain -out of spirit. It is rightly said that even the wisest may learn from -a child, for in the child is working the wisdom which does not pass -later into consciousness. Through that wisdom man has something like -telephonic connection with the spiritual beings in whose world he lives -between death and re-birth. From that world there is something still -streaming into the aura of a child, which is, as an individual being, -immediately under the guidance of the entire spiritual world to which -it belongs. Spiritual forces from that world continue to flow into a -child. They cease so to flow at the point of time to which memory goes -back. It is these forces which enable a child to bring itself into a -definite relation to gravitation. They form the larynx, and so mould the -brain that it becomes a living instrument for the expression of thought, -feeling and will. - -What is present in childhood to a supreme degree, so that the individual -is then working out of a self which is still in direct connection with -higher worlds, continues to some extent even in later years, although -the conditions change in the manner indicated above. If at a later stage -of life we feel that we did something years before which we are only -now able to understand, it is just because we previously let ourselves -be guided by higher wisdom, and only after the lapse of years have we -attained to an understanding of the reasons of our conduct. - -From all this we can feel that, immediately after birth, we had not -escaped so very far from the world in which we were before entering -upon physical existence, and that we can never really escape from it -wholly. Our share in higher spirituality enters our physical life and -accompanies us throughout it. We often feel that what is within us is not -only a higher self which is gradually being evolved, but is something -higher which is there already, and is the motive cause of our so often -developing beyond ourselves. - -All ideals and artistic creations which man is able to produce, as well -as all the natural healing forces in his own body, by means of which he -is continually able to adjust the injuries that befall him in life,--all -these powers do not proceed from ordinary intellect, but from those -deeper forces which in our earliest years are at work on our equilibrium -in space, on the formation of our larynx and on the brain. For these -same forces are still at work in man in later years. When sickness -attacks us, it is often said that external forces cannot help us, but -that our organism must develop the healing powers latent within it: -by this is meant that there is a profoundly wise activity present in -humanity. Moreover, it is from the same source that proceed these best -forces whereby knowledge of the spiritual world is attained, _i.e._, true -clairvoyance. - -The question now suggests itself, why do the higher forces which have -been described work upon human nature only during early childhood? -One-half of the answer may be easily given as follows: If those higher -forces went on working in the same way, man would be always a child. -He would not attain the full ego-consciousness. From within his own -being must proceed the motive power which previously worked on him from -without. But there is a more important reason, which explains still more -about the mysteries of human life than what has just been said, and that -is the following: - -It is possible to learn through occult science, that the human body, as -it exists at its present stage of evolution, must be regarded as having -arrived at its present form under different circumstances. It is known to -the occultist that this evolution was effected by means of the working -of various forces on the sum-total of man’s being; certain forces worked -on the physical body, others on the etheric, others on the astral body. -Human nature has arrived at its present form through the action of those -beings whom we call the Luciferic and Ahrimanic. By their means it has, -in a certain way, become worse than it need have been if those forces -only had been active within it which proceed from the spiritual rulers -of the cosmos who desire to evolve man along straight lines. The causes -of sorrow, disease and even of death are to be sought in the fact that, -besides the beings who are evolving man in a straight line forwards, -there are also ruling the Luciferic and Ahrimanic spirits, who are -continually crossing the line of straightforward, progressive development. - -There is something in what man brings into existence at birth, which is -better than what he can make out of it in later life. This is so, because -the Luciferic and Ahrimanic forces have but little influence over man -during early childhood; they are virtually only operative in what man -makes out of himself by his conscious life. If he were to retain in full -force beyond early childhood that part of his being which is better than -the rest, he would be unable to endure its influence, because his whole -being is weakened by the opposite forces of Lucifer and Ahriman. Man’s -organism in the physical world is so constituted that it is only when -he is, so to speak, as soft and pliable as a child, that he can endure -within him those direct forces of the spiritual world which operate -within him during early childhood. He would be shattered, if during -his later life there were still directly working in him those forces -which underlie the faculty of equilibrium in space, and the formation -of the larynx and the brain. Those forces are so tremendous that, if -they were to go on working, our organism would pine away under the -influence of their holiness. Man must only have recourse to such forces -for the purpose of that kind of activity which brings him into conscious -connection with the supersensible world. - -But out of this there arises a thought which is of great significance, -if rightly understood. It is expressed in the New Testament in the words -“Except ye become as little children, ye cannot enter into the Kingdom -of Heaven.” What then becomes manifest as man’s highest ideal, if what -has just been said be rightly received? Surely this,--the drawing ever -nearer and nearer to what we may call a conscious relation to the forces -which work in man unknown to him during early childhood. Only it must be -borne in mind that man would collapse under the power of those forces, -if they were at once to operate in his conscious life. For this reason, -careful preparation is necessary for the attainment of those faculties -which induce the perception of supersensible worlds. The object of such -preparation is to qualify man to bear what he is unable to bear in -ordinary life. - - * * * * * - -Now the passing of the individual through successive incarnations is of -importance for the collective evolution of the human race. The latter has -advanced through successive lives in the past, and is still advancing, -and parallel with it the earth too is moving forwards in its evolution. -The time will come when the earth will have reached the end of its -career. Then the earthly planet will fall away as a physical entity from -the sum-total of human souls, just as the human body falls away from the -spirit at death, when, in order to continue living, the soul enters the -spiritual realm which is adapted for it between death and re-birth. When -once this is realized, it must appear as man’s highest ideal to have -progressed far enough at earthly death, to be able to reap all possible -benefits which may be obtained from earthly life. - -Now those forces which prevent man from being able to endure the forces -working upon him during early childhood come out of the substance of -the earth. When this has fallen away from a human being, the latter, -if he has attained the aim of his life, must have advanced far enough -to be able actually to give himself up, with his whole being, to the -powers which at present are only active in man during childhood. Thus -the object of evolution through successive earthly lives is gradually to -make the whole individual, including therefore the conscious part, into -an expression of the powers which are ruling in him under the influence -of the spiritual world,--though he does not know it,--during the first -years of his life. The thought which takes possession of the soul after -such reflections as these, must fill it with humility, but also with a -due consciousness of the dignity of man. The thought is this: man is -not alone; there is something living within him which is constantly -affording him proof that he can rise above himself to something which is -already growing beyond him, and which will go on growing from one life to -another. This thought can assume more and more definite form; and in that -case it affords something supremely soothing and elevating, at the same -time filling the soul with corresponding humility and modesty. What is it -that man has within him in this way? Surely a higher, divine human being, -by whom he is able to feel himself interpenetrated, saying to himself, -“He is my guide within me.” - -From such a point of view, it is not long before we arrive at the thought -that by all the means in our power we should strive to be in harmony with -that within our being which is wiser than conscious intelligence. And -we shall be referred on from the directly conscious self to an enlarged -self, in the presence of which all false pride and presumption will be -extinguished and subdued. This feeling develops into another, which -opens the way to accurate understanding of the nature of present human -imperfection; and the consciousness of this leads to the knowledge that -man may become perfect, if once the larger spirituality ruling within him -is allowed to bear the same relation to his consciousness which it bore -to the unconscious life of the soul in early childhood. - -If it often happens that memory does not go back as far as the fourth -year of a child’s life, it may nevertheless be said that the influence -of the higher spirit-sphere, in the above sense, lasts through the first -three years. At the end of that span of time a child becomes capable of -linking its impressions of the outer world to the ideas of its ego. It is -true that this coherent ego-conception can only be reckoned as existing -as far back as memory extends. Yet we must say that _virtually_ memory -extends to the beginning of the fourth year, only it is so weak at the -beginning of distinct ego-consciousness as to be imperceptible. It may -therefore be granted that those higher powers which dispose of a human -being in the early years of childhood can be operative for three years; -therefore man, during the present middle period of the earth, is so -organized that he can receive these forces for _only_ three years. - -Supposing a man now stood before us, and that some cosmic powers could -cause his ordinary ego to be removed. (For this purpose we must assume -that it would be possible to remove from the physical, etheric and astral -bodies the ordinary ego which has gone through the incarnations with the -man.) And now suppose that an ego could then be introduced into the three -bodies which is working in connection with spiritual worlds, what would -happen to a person thus treated? At the end of three years his body would -necessarily be shattered. Something would occur, through cosmic karma, -which would prevent the spirit-being which would be in connection with -higher worlds, from living more than three years in that body.[1] Only -at the end of all his earthly lives will man have that within him which -will enable him to live more than three years with that spirit-being. But -then, it is true, man will be able to say to himself, “Not I, but that -Higher One within me, Who was always there, is now working in me.” Till -that time comes, he is not able to say this. The most he can say is that -he feels that higher being, but has not yet progressed far enough with -his real, actual human ego, to be able to bring the other to full life -within him. - -Supposing then that, at some time in the middle earth-period, a human -organism were to come into the world, and later in life be freed from his -ego by the action of certain cosmic powers, receiving in exchange the ego -which usually only works in man during the first three years of life, -and which would be in connection with the spiritual worlds in which man -exists between death and re-birth: how long would such a person be able -to live in an earthly body? About three years. For at the end of that -time, something would arise through cosmic karma, which would destroy the -human organism in question. - -What is here supposed is, however, a historical fact. The human organism -which stood in the river Jordan at John’s baptism when the ego of Jesus -of Nazareth left the three bodies, contained, after the baptism, in -complete conscious development, that higher Self of humanity which -usually works with cosmic wisdom on a child without its knowledge. At the -same time, the necessity arose that this Self which was in connection -with the higher spirit-world could only live for three years in the -appropriate human organism. Events had then to take place which brought -the earthly life of that being to a close. The outer events in the life -of Christ Jesus are to be interpreted as absolutely conditioned by the -inner causes just set forth, and present themselves as the outward -expression of those causes. - -We are now able to see the deeper connection existing between that which -is man’s guide in life, which streams in upon our childhood like the dawn -and is always working below the surface of our consciousness as the best -part of us, and that which once upon a time entered the whole of human -evolution and was able to dwell for three years in a human frame. - -What then is manifested in that “higher” ego, which is in connection with -the spiritual hierarchies, and which in due time entered the body of -Jesus of Nazareth? This entrance being symbolically represented by the -sign of the Spirit descending in the form of a dove, and by the words, -“This is my well-beloved Son, to-day have I begotten him” (for so stood -the words originally). If we fix our eyes upon this picture, we are -contemplating the highest human ideal. For it means nothing else than -that the history of Jesus of Nazareth is a statement of this fact: “The -Christ can be discerned in every human being.” And even if there were no -Gospels and no tradition, to tell us that once a Christ lived on earth, -we should yet learn through knowledge of human nature that the Christ is -living in man. - -The recognition of the forces working in human nature during childhood is -the recognition of the Christ in man. The question now arises, does this -recognition lead to the further perception of the fact that this Christ -once really dwelt on earth in a human body? Without bringing forward -any documents, this question may be answered in the affirmative. For -genuine clairvoyant knowledge of self leads the man of the present day -to see that powers are to be discovered in the human soul which emanate -from the Christ. These powers are at work during the first three years -of childhood without any action being taken by the human being. In later -life they _may_ be called into action, if the Christ be sought within the -soul by inner meditation. Man was not always able, as he is now, to find -the Christ within himself. There were times when no inner meditation -could lead him to the Christ. This again we learn from clairvoyant -perception. In the interval between that past time when man could not -find the Christ in himself, and the present time when he can find him, -there took place Christ’s earthly life. And that life itself is the cause -of man’s being able to find the Christ in himself in the manner that has -been pointed out. Thus to clairvoyant perception the earthly life of -Christ is proved without any historical records. - -It is just as if the Christ had said, “I will be such an ideal for you -human beings as, raised to a spiritual level, will show you that which -is fulfilled in each human body.” In his early childhood man learns from -the spirit how to walk physically, _i.e._, he is shown by the spirit his -way through earthly life. From the spirit he learns to speak, _i.e._, -to form _truth_; or in other words, he develops the essence of truth -out of sound during the first three years of his life. And the _life_ -too, which man lives on earth as an ego-being, obtains its vital organ -through what is formed in the first three years of childhood. Thus man -learns to walk, _i.e._, to find “the way,” he learns to present “truth” -through his physical organism, and he learns to bring “life” from the -spirit into expression in his body. No more significant re-interpretation -seems possible of the words “Except ye become as little children, ye -cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.” And momentous is that saying -in which the ego-being of the Christ comes into expression thus, “I am -the Way, the Truth and the Life.” Just as, unknown to a child, the higher -spirit-forces are fashioning its organism to become the bodily expression -of the way, the truth and the life, so the spirit of man, through being -interpenetrated with the Christ, gradually becomes the _conscious_ -vehicle of the way, the truth and the life. He is thereby making himself, -in the course of his earthly development, into that force which bears -sway within him as a child, when he is not consciously its vehicle. - -This saying about the way, the truth and the life is capable of opening -the doors of eternity. It sounds to man out of the depths of his soul, if -his self-knowledge is true and real. - -Such reflections as these open up, in a double sense, the vision of the -spiritual guidance of the individual and of collective humanity. As human -beings we are able, through self-knowledge, to find the Christ within us -as the guide Whom, since His life on earth, we can always reach, because -He is always in man. And further, if we apply to the historical records -that we have apprehended without them, we discover their real nature. -They express historically something which is revealed of itself in the -depths of the soul. They are therefore to be accounted as _guiding_ -humanity in the same direction as the soul itself is proceeding. - -If we thus understand the suggestion of eternity in the words, “I am -the way, the truth and the life,” we cannot feel ourselves justified -in asking, “Why does a person who has passed through many incarnations -always re-enter life as a child?” For it becomes evident that this -apparent imperfection is an ever-recurring reminder of the Highest that -is in man. And we cannot be reminded often enough,--at any rate each time -we enter earthly life is not too often to be reminded,--of the great fact -of what man really is with reference to that Being who underlies all -earthly existence, without being touched by its imperfections. - -It is not well to make many definitions or summaries in occult science -or theosophy, or indeed in occultism generally. It is better to give -a description, and to try and call forth a feeling of what really -exists. On this account we are now attempting to induce a feeling of -what distinguishes the first three years of human life, and of the way -in which this is related to the light that streams from the cross on -Golgotha. The meaning of this feeling is that an impulse is passing -through human evolution, and that through this impulse the Pauline -saying, “Not I--but the Christ in me,” will become a fact. We have only -to know what man is in reality, in order to be able to proceed from such -knowledge to insight into the nature of the Christ. When once, however, -we have arrived at the Christ-idea through true observation of humanity, -we know that we discover the Christ in the best way if we first look for -Him in ourselves, and if we then return to the Bible records, these are -for the first time rightly valued. And no one prizes the Bible more, or -more consciously, than one who has found the Christ in this way. It is -possible to imagine a being, let us say an inhabitant of Mars, descending -to earth, without ever having heard of the Christ and His work. Much -that has taken place on earth would be incomprehensible to the Martian; -much that interests people nowadays would not interest him. But it would -interest him to discover the central impulse of earthly evolution, -_i.e._, the Christ-idea, as it is expressed in human nature itself. - -One who has grasped this, is able for the first time rightly to -understand the Bible, for he finds expressed there in a marvellous way -what he has previously observed in himself, and he says: It is not -necessary to have been brought up with any special reverence for the -Gospel; they need only be presented to me, a fully-conscious human -being, to stand revealed in all their greatness, by means of what I have -learnt through occult science. - -It is indeed not too much to say that a time will come when it will be -recognized by people who have learned through occult science rightly -to appreciate the contents of the Gospels, that these are guides of -the human race in a sense which is more just to those writings than -people have hitherto been to them. It is only through knowledge of human -nature itself that humanity will learn to see what is latent in those -profound records. It will then be said: If there is to be found in the -Gospels that which forms an integral part of human nature, it must have -come from the people who wrote these documents on earth. Therefore what -genuine reflection brings home to us about our own lives,--the more -so the older we grow--must hold especially good with regard to those -writers. We ourselves have done many things which we only understand -years afterwards, and in the writers of the Gospels may be seen people -who wrote out of the higher self which works in man during childhood, -so that the Gospels are writings emanating from the wisdom which moulds -human nature. Man through his body is a manifestation of spirit, and the -Gospels are such a manifestation in writing. - -On this assumption the idea of inspiration regains its true and loftier -meaning. Just as higher forces are at work on the brain during the first -three years of childhood, so there were higher forces from spiritual -worlds impressed on the souls of the Evangelists, under the influence -of which they wrote the Gospels. The spiritual guidance of humanity is -expressed in such a fact as this. For the human race must surely be -_guided_, if within it there are people working who write records under -the influence of the same powers that are at work on the moulding of man -in profound wisdom. And just as the individual says or does things which -he only understands at a later period of life, so collective humanity -has produced in the Evangelists means of revelation which can only be -understood by degrees. The farther humanity progresses, the greater will -be the understanding of these records. The individual can feel spiritual -guidance within himself; and collective humanity can feel it in those of -its members who work as did the writers of the Gospels. - -The idea thus gained of the guidance of humanity may be extended in many -directions. Let us suppose that a man finds disciples,--a few people -who follow him. Such an one will soon become aware, through genuine -self-knowledge, that the very fact of his finding disciples gives him -the feeling that what he has to say does not originate with himself. -The case is rather this,--that spiritual powers in higher worlds wish -to communicate with the disciples, and find in the Teacher the fitting -instrument for their manifestation. - -The thought will suggest itself to such a man: when I was a child I -worked on myself by the aid of forces proceeding from the spiritual -world, and what I am now able to give, of my best, must also proceed -from higher worlds; I may not look upon it as belonging to my ordinary -consciousness. Such a man may in fact say: something demonic, something -like a “daimon”--using the word in the sense of a _good_ spiritual -power--is working out of a spiritual world through me on my disciples. - -Socrates felt something of this kind. Plato tells us that he spoke of -his “daimon” as of the one who led and guided him. Many attempts have -been made to explain this “daimon” of Socrates, but it can only be -explained by supposing that Socrates was able to feel something like -that which results from the above reflections. Then we are able to -understand that throughout the three or four centuries during which the -Socratic principle was active in Greece, a state of feeling permeated -the Greek world through Socrates, which prepared the way for another -great event. The feeling that man, as he now is, is not the whole of -what comes through from higher worlds,--this feeling went on working. -The best of those in whom it was present were those who afterwards best -understood the words, “Not I, but the Christ in me.” For they could say -to themselves: Socrates used to speak of a being working as a “daimon” -from higher worlds; the Christ-ideal makes clear what Socrates meant. -Only Socrates could not as yet speak of Christ, because in his time no -one was able to find the Christ-nature _within himself_. - -Here again we feel something of the spiritual guidance of the race, for -nothing can be established in the world without preparation. Why was it -that Paul found his best disciples in Greece? Because the ground had been -prepared there by the teaching of Socrates and the state of feeling that -has been described. That is to say, what happens in human evolution may -be traced back to events which operated previously, and made people ripe -for what was afterwards to be brought to bear upon them. Do we not feel -here how far the guiding impulse passing through human evolution extends -and how at the right moment it places people where they will be best used -to further evolution? In such facts is manifested the guidance of the -human race in a general way. - -[1] The vitality of the human organism is maintained at the transition -from childhood to later life, because the organism is capable of change -at that period. Later in life, it is no longer susceptible of change, and -on this account cannot continue to exist with that other Self. - - - - -LECTURE II. - - -If we turn our attention to what was said by the teachers and leaders -of ancient Egypt about the direction and guidance of the spiritual -life of their country, we may trace a remarkable parallel between what -is manifested in the individual life of man, and what governs human -evolution as a whole. It is related that when a Greek once asked an -Egyptian, who had guided and led his nation from ancient times onwards, -he answered, “In far off times of yore, the gods ruled and taught us, and -only afterwards men came to be our leaders.” The Egyptians named Menes to -the Greeks, as their first leader on the physical plane to be recognized -as a _human_ leader. That is to say, the directors of the Egyptian people -alleged that in earlier times the gods themselves--as Greek records -say--guided and led the Egyptian nation. Such an assertion, coming down -to us from ancient times, must, however, be rightly understood. What did -the Egyptians mean when they said, “Our kings and great teachers were -gods”? - -The man who thus answered the question of the Greek meant that if any -one had gone back into the ancient times of the Egyptian nation, and -had asked those people who felt something within them like a higher -consciousness, or wisdom from higher worlds, “Who are really your -teachers?” they would have answered, “If I wanted to tell you about my -real teacher, I should not point to such and such a person and say, ‘That -is my teacher,’ but I should first have to put myself into a clairvoyant -state, (it is known from occult science that this was comparatively -easier in ancient times than it is now,) and then I should find my real -inspirer and teacher, who comes to me only when the eyes of my spirit -are opened.” For in ancient Egypt, beings who were not incarnated in a -physical human body came down amongst men. In those remote ages, it was -the gods who still ruled and taught the Egyptians, and by “gods” they -understood beings who had preceded man in evolution. - -According to occult science, the earth passed through an earlier -planetary condition, called the “Moon-state,” before it became “Earth.” -During this condition man was not yet human in the present sense of the -word; but there were on the old Moon other beings, not possessed of the -present human form and differently constituted, who nevertheless were -then at the evolutionary stage which man has now attained on earth. We -may therefore say, that on the ancient Moon-planet which has perished, -and out of which the earth afterwards originated, there lived beings who -were man’s predecessors. In Christian esoteric language they are called -Angel-beings (Angeloi) and the beings immediately above them--Archangels -(Archangeloi). The latter were human at a still earlier period than the -angels. What are called angels or Angeloi in Christian esotericism, and -Dhyanic beings in Eastern mysticism, were “men” during the Moon-period. -Now these beings, during the present earth-period, are a stage farther -advanced than man,--those of them, that is to say, who completed their -evolution on the Moon. Only at the end of the earth’s evolution will man -have arrived at the stage which those beings had reached at the end of -the Moon-period. - -When the earth-state of our planet began, and man appeared on earth, -these beings were not able to appear in an external human form, for the -human body of flesh and blood is essentially a product of earth, and -is only adapted to the beings who are now human. The beings, who are a -stage farther advanced than man, could not be incarnated in human bodies -when the earth was beginning its evolution. They were only able to take -a part in the government of the earth by illuminating and inspiring -people in primeval times in the condition to which these attained when -clairvoyant. Indirectly, then, through these clairvoyant people, the -angels intervened to guide the destinies of earth. - -Thus the ancient Egyptians still remembered a condition of things during -which the leading personalities of the nation were clearly conscious of -their connection with what are called gods, angels, or dhyanic beings. -Now what sort of beings were these, who were not incarnated in a human -form of flesh and blood, but influenced mankind in the way we have -described? They were man’s predecessors, who had progressed beyond the -human stage. - -There is in these days much misuse of a word which may in this connection -be applied in its true meaning, the word “Superman.” If we really wish -to speak of “Supermen,” it is these beings who may rightly be so called, -who were human during the Moon-period, the planetary stage preceding -our earth and who have now outgrown humanity. They were only able to -appear in an etheric body to clairvoyants. It was thus that they came -down to earth from spiritual worlds, and ruled there even as late as -post-Atlantean times. - -These beings had, and still have, the remarkable quality of not being -obliged to think; in fact, we might even say that they cannot think at -all as man does. How then does man think? More or less in this way. He -starts from a certain point and says, “I understand this or that,” and -from that point he then tries to understand various other things. If this -were not the method of human thought, school-life would not be such a -difficult period for many. We cannot learn mathematics in a day, because -we have to begin at a certain point, and go slowly forwards. This takes -a long time. We cannot survey a whole world of thought at a glance, for -human thought runs its course in _time_. A system of thought does not -enter the mind in a flash. We have to make an effort, and have to exert -ourselves, in order to find the sequence of thought. The beings described -above are without this human peculiarity. A far-reaching train of thought -comes into their minds with the same rapidity with which an animal makes -up its mind that it will snatch at something which its instinct tells it -is eatable. Instinct and reflective consciousness are in no wise distinct -in these beings, they are one and the same thing. Just as animals have -instinct at their stage of evolution, in their kingdom, so these dhyanic -beings or angels have direct spiritual thought and conceptions. By virtue -of this instinctive inner life of conception, they are of an essentially -different nature from human beings. - -Now we can easily form an idea of the impossibility of the use by these -beings of a brain or physical body such as we have. They have to use an -etheric body, because the human body and brain only allow of thoughts in -_time_, whereas these beings do not develop their thoughts in _time_, -but feel the wisdom that is approaching them blaze forth, as it were, -spontaneously within them. It is impossible for them to think erroneously -in the sense in which man does. The process of their thought is a direct -inspiration. Hence the personalities who were able to come into contact -with these superhuman or angelic beings, were conscious that they were in -the presence of unerring wisdom. Therefore, even as late as in ancient -Egyptian times when the man who was the human teacher or king was in -the presence of his spiritual guide, he felt thus: the command which he -is giving, the truth which he is enunciating, is _literally_ right, and -cannot be wrong. (This was also felt by those to whom the truths were -passed on.) - -The clairvoyant guides of the human race were able to speak in such a -manner that in their words people believed they were receiving exactly -what came down from the spiritual world. In short, there was a direct -current down from the higher spirit-hierarchies which were directing -humanity. Thus what works on the individual in early childhood may -be seen working on humanity at large in the form of the next world of -spirit-hierarchies which hovers over human evolution as a whole. This -is the next kingdom of the angels or superhuman beings, standing a -step higher than man, and extending directly into spiritual spheres. -They bring down to earth from those spheres what is worked into human -civilization. In the child, it is on the formation of the body that the -higher wisdom leaves its impress; in human evolution of past ages, it was -civilization that was so matured. - -Thus the Egyptians, who described themselves as being in connection -with divinity, felt that the soul of humanity was open to the action of -spirit hierarchies. Just as the soul of a child opens its aura to the -hierarchies up to the time mentioned in the preceding pages, so, through -its work, did the whole of humanity open its world to the hierarchies -with which it was connected. - -This connection was most important in those teachers whom we call the -holy teachers of India, the great teachers of the first post-Atlantean -or Indian civilization, which unfolded itself in Southern Asia. When the -Atlantean catastrophe was over, and the physiognomy of the earth had -changed, so that the new conformation of Asia, Europe and Africa had -evolved in the Eastern hemisphere, the civilization led by the ancient -great teachers of India began. This was before the time we have mentioned -as reported in ancient records. The man of to-day is apt to get quite -a wrong idea about these teachers. If, for example, one of the great -Indian teachers were to be confronted with an educated man of the present -day, the latter would gaze upon him with astonishment, and perhaps say, -“Is that a great teacher? I should never have thought it.” For using -the words “clever” or “learned” in the sense in which modern people of -culture do, the holy teachers of ancient India had nothing clever to say. -They were, in the present sense of the words, simple, homely people, -who would have answered even questions of everyday life in the simplest -fashion possible. And there were many periods during which scarcely -anything could be elicited from them but what would seem, to an educated -man of to-day, most insignificant. But on the other hand, there were -certain times when these holy teachers were revealed as something more -than simple, homely men. At these times they were obliged to be together -to the number of seven, because what each individual was able to feel -had to combine harmoniously with the other six teachers, as though in a -consonance of seven sounds. For it was then possible for each one to see -something according to his particular gift and degree of development, -so that from the harmony of the separate parts which each individual -was able to see, there arose what comes down to us from ancient times -as primeval wisdom, that is supposing we know how to decipher the real -occult records. These records are not the revelations of the Vedas, -however much we may admire them. What the Indian holy teachers taught -is of much earlier date than the composition of the Vedas, and it is -only a feeble echo of their wisdom which lies before us in these mighty -works. But when each of these men was in the presence of a superhuman -predecessor of humanity, was gazing clairvoyantly into higher worlds -and listening clairaudiently to what was being taught through that -predecessor, it was as though the sun shone out of their eyes. What -they were then able to say worked with overpowering force on their -environment, so that all who heard them knew that it was not human life -or wisdom that was speaking, but that _gods_, superhuman beings, were -influencing human civilization. - -The ancient civilizations had their rise in this sounding through to -mankind of the knowledge of the gods. Only by degrees in post-Atlantean -times was the door, so to speak, closed into the divine spiritual world -which in the Atlantean period had still been wide open for the human -soul. And in the various countries and nations it was felt that man was -thrown ever more and more on his own resources. What is revealed in the -case of a child appears in humanity at large in a different way. The -divine spiritual world is first diffused into the unconscious soul of a -child, and the soul works upon the formation of the body. Then comes the -moment at which the child learns to feel itself an “ego” and this is the -moment to which its memory goes back in later life. This is what makes -it possible to say that the wisest of men may still learn something from -the soul of a child. From this point, however, the individual is left to -himself. The ego-consciousness comes into being, and everything combines -to make it possible for him to remember his experiences. - -So, too, in the life of nations there came a time when they began to -feel themselves more shut off from the divine inspiration of their early -forefathers. Just as the child becomes gradually shut off from the -aura that floats about its head in its earliest years, so in the life -of nations did the divine ancestors withdraw themselves more and more, -and mankind was left to its own research and to its own knowledge. When -history speaks in this manner, the fact of the guidance of humanity -is realized. “Menes” was the Egyptian name of him who inaugurated the -first “human” civilization, and it is at the same time hinted that man -thereby became liable to error, for thenceforward he was left to look -for guidance to the instrument of his brain. That man was liable to fall -into error is symbolically indicated by the fixing of the date of the -construction of the labyrinth at the time when humanity was abandoned by -the gods; for the labyrinth is an image of the convolutions of the brain -as the instrument of man’s own thoughts,--windings in which the thinker -is able to lose himself. The Orientals called man as a thinking being -“Manas” and Manu stands for the first great thinker. The Greeks called -the first organizer of the human principle of thought Minos, and with him -is associated the myth of the labyrinth, because it was felt that, since -his time, mankind had gradually passed from the direct guidance of the -gods to a guidance in which the “ego” feels the influence of the higher -spirit-world in a different way. - -Besides those predecessors of man, the true supermen, who had completed -their humanity on the Moon and had become angels, there are, however, -other beings who did not perfect their evolution on the Moon. The -beings called dhyanic in Oriental mysticism and angelic in Christian -esotericism, consummated their evolution on the ancient Moon, and when -man began his earthly career were already a stage higher than he was. -But there were other beings who had not finished their evolution on the -ancient Moon, any more than the higher categories of Luciferic beings had -finished theirs. When the earth-state of our planet began, man as we have -described him was not the only being there. He felt also the inspiration -of divinely-spiritual beings; otherwise, like a child, he would have been -unable to progress. Accordingly, besides these childlike human beings, -there must have been also present on the earth, acting through them, -beings who had completed their evolution on the Moon. But between these -and man there were yet other beings who had not finished their evolution -on the Moon,--beings of a higher order than man, because, even as early -as the ancient Moon-period, they might have become angels or dhyanic -beings. At that time, however, they had not come to full maturity. They -were angels in a backward state, yet they far out-distanced man as -regards everything which man called his own. Generally speaking, they are -beings occupying the lowest grade in the ranks of Luciferic spirits. They -hold a middle position between men and angels, and with them begins the -kingdom of Luciferic spirits. - -Now it is extremely easy to get an erroneous idea about these spirits. -We might ask why did the divine spirits, the vicegerents of good, allow -them to fall short, and thereby admit the Luciferic principle into -humanity? And it might further be objected on this ground, that surely -the good gods turned everything to good. This question is obvious. And -another misunderstanding which might arise, is expressed in the idea -that these are “evil” spirits. Both ideas are merely misunderstandings: -for these spirits are by no means purely “evil,” although the origin of -evil in human nature is due to them, but they stand midway between man -and superman. In a certain way they are more perfect than men. In all -the qualities which human beings have to acquire for themselves, these -spirits have attained a high standard, and they only differ from man’s -predecessors described above in being able to incarnate in human bodies -whilst man is being evolved on earth. This is because they did not -consummate their humanity on the Moon. - -The dhyanic or angelic beings proper, who are the great inspirers -of humanity, and to whom the Egyptian referred as being still their -teachers, did not appear in human bodies, but could only manifest -themselves _through_ human beings. On the other hand, the beings in a -mid-position between men and angels were still able, in very early -times, to incarnate in human bodies. Hence amongst the human race -inhabiting the earth in the Lemurian and Atlantean periods, we find -people whose innermost soul-nature was that of an angel in a backward -state; _i.e._, in the ancient Lemurian and Atlantean periods, there -were not only ordinary people going about the earth, who through their -successive incarnations were to arrive at what corresponds to the ideal -of humanity, but beings who only outwardly appeared like the others. They -had to bear a human body, for the outward form of a human being in the -flesh is dependent on earthly conditions. Especially in the more ancient -times did it happen that beings belonging to the lowest category of -Luciferic individualities were present amongst men. And so at the same -time when the angel-beings were working on human civilization through -man, Lucifer-beings were also incarnated and founding human civilizations -in various places. And when in the old folk-legends it is related that in -some place there lived a great man who was the founder of a civilization, -we are not to understand that a Lucifer-being was incarnated who must -necessarily have been the vehicle of evil, for, on the contrary, human -civilization received countless blessings through those beings. - -Now it is known through occult science that in ancient times, -particularly in the Atlantean period, there existed a kind of primitive -human language, a manner of speech which was similar all over the -earth, because “speech” in those days came much more out of the depths -of the soul than it does now. This may be gathered from the following: -In Atlantean times, people felt all outward impressions in such a way -that if the soul wished to express anything _outward_ by a sound, it -was constrained to use a _consonant_. What therefore existed in space -pressed for imitation in a consonant. The blowing of the wind, the murmur -of the waves, the shelter given by a house were felt, and imitated by -man in consonants. On the other hand, the sorrow or joy which was felt -_inwardly_, or even what in another being might be feeling, was imitated -in a _vowel_. From this we can see that the soul became one, in speech, -with outer events or beings. The following instance is taken from the -Akashic Records: A man drew near a hut, which was arched in the ancient -fashion and gave shelter and protection to a family. He noticed this, and -expressed the protective arch by a consonant; and by a vowel he expressed -the fact, which he was able to _feel_, that within the hut the souls in -bodies were comfortable. Thence arose the thought, “Shelter.” “There is -a shelter for me,--shelter for human bodies.” The thought was then poured -forth in consonants and vowels, which could not be otherwise than they -were, because they were a direct impression of experience and had but one -meaning. This was the same all over the earth. It is no dream that there -was once a primitive human root-language. And, in a certain sense, the -initiates of all nations are still able to feel that language. Indeed -there are in all languages certain similar sounds which are nothing else -than the remains of that universal language. - -This speech was prompted in human souls by the inspiration of the -superhuman beings, man’s true predecessors, who had perfected their -evolution on the Moon. From this it may be seen that if that evolution -alone had taken place, the entire human race would practically have -remained one great unity, and there would have been uniformity of speech -and thought all over the earth. Individuality and diversity could not -have been developed, nor at the same time could human freedom. In -order that man might become individual, cleavages had to take place in -humanity, and the difference of language in different parts of the world -is due to the work of those teachers in whom a Luciferic spirit was -incarnated. According as a particular angel-being, who had fallen short -in his evolution, was incarnated in a particular race, was he able to -instruct its people in a particular language. Thus the ability to speak -a separate language is, in all races, traceable to the illuminating -presence of these great beings, who were angels in a backward state and -stood far above the people of their immediate environment. For instance, -the beings described as the original heroes of the Greeks and other -nations, and who worked in a human form, were those in whom an angel who -had fallen short was incarnated. Therefore these beings must by no means -be characterized as entirely “evil.” On the contrary, they brought to man -that which predestined him to be a free human being all over the globe, -and they differentiated what otherwise would have constituted a uniform -whole everywhere on earth. This is not only true of languages but of many -other departments of life. Individualization, differentiation,--freedom, -we may say, comes from the beings who fell short in their Moon-evolution. -It is true that we might say that it was the purpose of the wise -government of the cosmos to bring all beings in planetary evolution to -their goal, but if this had been done in a direct way, certain things -would not have been attained. Certain beings were therefore arrested in -their development because they were to have a special mission in the -progress of humanity. Since the beings who had fulfilled their mission -on the Moon would only have been able to educate a uniform human race, -beings who had fallen short on the Moon were set over against them, and -it thereby became possible for these backward ones to turn into good what -had been really a fault on their part. - -This opens up the question, why do evil, wickedness, imperfection and -disease exist in the world? This problem should be looked at from -the point of view from which we have just considered the imperfect -angel-beings. Everything which at any time exhibits imperfection or -backwardness will nevertheless be turned into good in the course of -evolution. It is of course unnecessary to mention that such a truth as -this affords no justification for bad actions on man’s part. - -Thus we already have an answer to the question, why does a wise -Providence allow certain beings to lag behind and not reach their goal? -This happens just because there will be good reason for it at the time -following upon the formation of such a purpose. For it was when nations -were not yet able to guide and govern themselves that the teachers -of particular periods and individuals arose. And all the different -race-teachers, Cadmus, Cheops, Pelops, Theseus, etc., are, in one -aspect, angel-beings in the depths of their souls. From this it appears -that in this respect also, humanity is really subject to direction and -guidance. - -Now at every stage of evolution there are beings who lag behind and do -not attain the possible goal. Let us then look once more at the ancient -Egyptian civilization, which ran its course thousands of years ago in -the Nile valley. Superhuman teachers were manifested to the Egyptians, -who said that these teachers guided mankind like gods. At the same time, -however, other beings were also at work, who had only half or partially -attained the angelic stage. Now we must fully understand that in ancient -Egypt man reached a definite stage of evolution, _i.e._, that the souls -of people of the present day had attained a definite stage in the -Egyptian period. But it is not only man who gains by letting himself be -guided; the beings also who direct and guide him attain thereby something -which furthers their evolution. For instance, an angel is something -_more_ after he has guided humanity for a while, than he was before that -guidance began. His guiding work helps him to progress, and this is true -not only of one who has completed his evolution as an angel, but also of -one who has lagged behind. All beings are able continually to advance; -everything is in a state of perpetual development; but at every stage -beings are left behind. Thus, in accordance with what has just been -said, there can be distinguished in the ancient Egyptian civilization -the divine leaders or angels, the semi-divine leaders who did not quite -attain the angelic stage, and the men. But certain beings in the ranks -of the angels again lag behind, _i.e._, they do not bring all their -powers into expression when guiding humanity, but remain behind as angels -during the ancient Egyptian stage of civilization. Similarly some of the -incomplete angels lag behind. Thus whilst men below were progressing, -certain individuals of the beings above, the dhyanic spirits or angels, -fell behind in their evolution. When the Egypto-Chaldæic civilization -came to an end, and the Graeco-Roman period began, certain guiding -spirits from the former period, who had fallen behind in their evolution, -were present. But they could not use their powers, for other angels or -half-angelic beings had replaced them, and that meant that their own -evolution was at a standstill. - -Hence there comes under our notice a category of beings who might have -used their powers during the Egyptian period, but did not at that time -use them fully. In the ensuing Graeco-Roman period they were not able -to use them, because then they were replaced by other guiding spirits, -and all the conditions of that time made their intervention impossible. -But just as the beings who had not reached the angelic stage on the old -Moon were afterwards allotted the task of once more actively interposing -in human evolution during the earth-period, so also the beings who as -guiding spirits in the Egypto-Chaldæic civilization had stopped short in -their development, afterwards received the mission, as beings who had -lagged behind, of again intervening in civilization. Thus we shall be -able to watch a later period of civilization in which beings sent to be -guides are certainly there to direct the normal progress of evolution, -but in which, at the same time, other beings are intervening who were -left behind at an earlier stage, and more particularly those who fell -behind during the ancient Egyptian period. The civilization to which we -are referring is our own. We live at a time when, side by side with the -normal directors of humanity, others are interposing who were left behind -in the ancient Egyptian and Chaldæic period. - -Now we have to look upon the evolution of events and beings in such a -way that occurrences in the physical world must be considered only as -effects or manifestations, the true causes of which are to be sought in -the spiritual world. On the one hand our civilization is in the main -marked by an upward movement towards spirituality, and this tendency -of certain people towards spirituality is the manifestation of the -spiritual directors of our contemporary humanity, who have attained -their own normal stage of development. In everything which tends to -lead man up to the great spiritual wisdom-truths transmitted to us by -theosophy, these normal guides of our evolution are manifested. But the -beings out-distanced during the Egypto-Chaldæic civilization are also -affecting the tendencies of our age. They are manifested in much that is -being thought and done at the present time, and will again be manifested -in what lies in the near future. They are revealed in everything which -gives a materialistic stamp to our civilization, and may often be seen -even in aspirations after spiritual things. In our age we are virtually -experiencing a revival of Egyptian civilization. The beings who are to -be looked upon as the invisible directors of what takes place in the -physical world, fall accordingly into two classes. The first includes -those spiritual individualities who have passed through their own normal -course of development up to the present time. Hence they were able to -interpose in the guidance of our civilization, whilst the directors of -the preceding Graeco-Roman period were gradually finishing their task -of guiding civilization during the first thousand years of Christianity. -The second class, who work simultaneously with the first class of beings, -are spiritual individualities who did not complete their evolution -during the Egypto-Chaldæic civilization. They were obliged to remain -inactive during the ensuing Graeco-Roman period, but are now able to -resume their activity because our present age has points of resemblance -to the Egypto-Chaldæic period. It thus comes about that many things -arise in contemporary humanity which look like a revival of ancient -Egyptian forces, but there is also much which is like a materialistic -resuscitation of forces which then worked spiritually. To illustrate -this, we may point to an example of the way in which ancient Egyptian -knowledge has been revived in our days. - -Let us think of Kepler. He was quite possessed by the feeling of the -harmony of the cosmos, and this idea was expressed in his important -mathematical laws of the mechanism of the heavens, the so-called laws of -Kepler. These are outwardly very dry and abstruse, but in Kepler they -were the outcome of an understanding of the harmony of the universe. We -may read in Kepler’s writings that in order to discover what he did, -he was obliged to go to the sacred Egyptian mysteries, purloin their -temple-vessels, and by this means bring knowledge into the world, the -importance of which to humanity would only be known in later times. - -This utterance of Kepler’s is by no means an empty phrase, but contains -a dim consciousness of a revival of what he had learned in the Egyptian -period, during a former incarnation. We may certainly entertain the -idea that Kepler assimilated the ancient Egyptian wisdom during one of -his previous lives, and that it reappears in his soul in a new form, -adapted to a later age. That a materialistic impulse should enter our -civilization through the Egyptian spirit is quite intelligible, for -Egyptian spirituality was wrapped in a vigorous materialism, which found -expression, for instance, in their embalming the physical bodies of the -dead. This meant that they attached value to the preservation of the -physical body. This has come down to us from the Egyptian period in a -different form, but in one corresponding to our time. The same forces -which had not then run their course, affect our age, but in a different -way. The temper of mind which embalmed dead bodies gave rise to that -which idolizes the merely material. The Egyptian embalmed dead bodies -and thereby preserved what he accounted valuable. He thought that the -development of the soul after death was connected with the preservation -of the physical, material body. The modern anatomist dissects what he -sees, and thinks that in this way he understands the laws of the human -organism. Thus in our modern science there are living the forces of -the ancient Egyptian and Chaldæic world, which then were progressive -forces, but which now represent what has lagged behind, and which must -be recognized for what they are, if a correct estimate is to be formed -of the character of the present time. These forces will injure a man of -the present day if he does not know their real significance. He will take -no harm from them, but will turn them to good account, if he knows their -effect and thereby brings himself into the right relation to them. They -have their value, for without them we should not have the present great -achievements in technique, industries, etc. They are forces belonging to -Luciferic beings of the lowest stage, and the danger lies in the fact -that if they are not recognized aright, the materialistic impulses of -the present time are thought to be the only possible ones, and the other -forces, which lead up to the spiritual world, are not seen. For this -reason any clear diagnosis is certain to discern two currents of thought -in the present age. - -Now if a wise Providence had not allowed certain beings in the -Egypto-Chaldæic period to fall short in their evolution, our contemporary -civilization would have been wanting in necessary weight. In that -case only those forces would be operative which would bring man into -the spiritual world by main force. People would be only too ready to -yield themselves up to those forces, and would become dreamers. The -only life they would wish to know about would be one which is being -spiritualized as fast as possible, and their standard of action would -be a view of life which showed a certain degree of contempt for what is -physical and material. But the present epoch of civilization can only -fulfill its mission if the forces of the material world are brought -to the fullest perfection, and if thus by degrees their sphere too is -won for spirituality. Just as the fairest things may become corrupters -and tempters of mankind if pursued in a one-sided way, so if this -one-sidedness took root, there would be great danger that all kinds of -good efforts would come into manifestation as fanaticism. True though -it is that humanity is helped forward by its noble impulses it is also -true that wild and fanatical advocacy of the noblest impulses may bring -about the worst of results as far as true evolution is concerned. Only -when people strive after the highest modestly and sensibly, not out of -wild fanaticism, can anything beneficial to the progress of humanity take -place. In order that the work done on earth at the present day may have -the necessary weight, and that material beings of the physical plane may -be understood, the wisdom which directs the government of the world left -those forces behind which would normally have completed their evolution -during the Egyptian period; and it is they who are now directing man’s -attention to physical life. - -It is obvious from the foregoing that evolution takes place under the -influence both of normally progressive beings and of those who lag -behind. Clairvoyant vision is able to trace the co-operation of both -classes of beings in the supersensible world, and hence is able to -comprehend the spiritual events of which the physical facts surrounding -humanity are the manifestations. - -We observe that, in order to understand cosmic events, it is not enough -to have spiritual eyes and ears opened to the spiritual world by some -kind of exercise. This only means that we _see_ what is there, that we -are cognizant of spiritual beings and know that they are entities of -the soul-world or spirit-sphere. But it is also necessary to recognize -what kinds of beings they are. We may meet some being of the soul or -spirit world, but we do not necessarily know whether it is progressing -in its evolution, or whether it belongs to the category of powers that -have lagged behind; whether therefore it is pushing evolution onwards, -or hindering it. Those people who acquire clairvoyant faculties and do -not at the same time gain complete understanding of the conditions of -human evolution which we have described may know absolutely nothing -of the nature of the beings whom they meet. Mere clairvoyance must be -supplemented by clear judgment of what is seen in the supersensible -world. There is urgent necessity for this especially in our own time, but -it had not always to be so much considered. If we go back to very ancient -civilizations, we find different conditions. If in the most ancient -Egyptian times a person was clairvoyant, and was confronted with a being -from the supersensible world, the latter had, as it were, written on his -forehead who he was. The clairvoyant could not mistake him. Now, however, -the possibility of misunderstanding is very great. Whereas humanity -in early times still stood very near the kingdom of the spiritual -hierarchies and could see what beings it was meeting, it is now very easy -to be mistaken, and the only protection against being severely injured is -the effort to gain ideas and conceptions like those indicated above. - -A person who is able to look into the spiritual world is called -esoterically a “clairvoyant,” but merely to be clairvoyant is not -enough, for such a man might be able to see well enough but not able to -discriminate. He who has acquired the faculty of distinguishing one from -another the beings and events of higher worlds, is called an “Initiate.” -Initiation brings with it the possibility of distinguishing between -different kinds of beings. Thus it is possible to be clairvoyant in the -higher worlds without being an Initiate. In ancient times distinguishing -between spirits was not specially important, for when the ancient occult -schools had brought a pupil so far as clairvoyance, there was no great -danger of error. Now, however, this danger exists to a high degree. -Therefore in all esoteric training, care should be taken that initiation -should be acquired in condition to clairvoyance. In proportion to the -extent of his clairvoyance must a man become capable of distinguishing -between the various kinds of supersensible beings and events. - -In modern times the powers guiding humanity are faced by the special task -of bringing about a balance between the two principles of clairvoyance -and initiation. Leaders of spiritual training had necessarily to pay -attention to this at the beginning of the modern era. Therefore the -esoteric spiritual movement which is adapted to present conditions, -always makes a point of maintaining the right proportion between -clairvoyance and initiation. This became necessary at the time when -mankind was passing through a crisis with regard to its higher knowledge. -That time was the thirteenth century. About the year 1250 was the point -of time when mankind felt itself most shut out from the spiritual world. -A clairvoyant looking back upon that period sees the following: The most -eminent minds of that time who were striving after some kind of higher -knowledge, could only say to themselves, “What our reason, our intellect, -our spiritual knowledge are able to find out is limited to the physical -world around us. With all our human endeavor and power of perception, -we cannot reach a spiritual world. We only know of it by accepting the -information concerning it which our forefathers bequeathed us.” This was -the time when direct view of the higher worlds was obscured. That this -can be said of the era in which scholasticism flourished, is not without -significance. - -About the year 1250 was the time when men were compelled to fix a -boundary between what they were able to apprehend for themselves, -and what they had to believe from the impression made upon them by -the traditions which had been handed down. What they could find out -for themselves then became limited to the physical world of sense. -Afterwards, however, came the time when there was more and more -possibility of again winning a view of the spiritual world. But the -new clairvoyance was of a different kind from the old, which virtually -became extinct just about the year 1250. In the new form of clairvoyance, -western esotericism was obliged strictly to uphold the principle that -initiation must be the guide of spiritual sight and hearing. This was -the special task assigned to an esoteric current which then entered the -stream of European civilization. As the year 1250 drew near there arose a -new kind of guidance into the supersensible worlds. - -This guidance was prepared by the spirits then standing behind outer -historical events, who centuries before had provided for the kind of -esoteric training which would be rendered necessary by the conditions -prevailing in 1250. If the term “modern esotericism” be not misused, -it may be applied to the spiritual work of those very highly evolved -personalities. External history knows nothing of them, but what they did -is apparent in every form of civilization which has developed since the -thirteenth century. - -The importance of the year 1250 for the spiritual evolution of humanity -is specially apparent if we look at the result of clairvoyant research -given in the following fact: Even those individualities who had attained -high stages of spiritual development, in previous incarnations, and who -were reincarnated about 1250, were compelled for a while to undergo a -complete clouding over of their direct view of the spiritual world. -Quite enlightened individuals were as though cut off from the spiritual -world, and their only knowledge of it was through their remembrance of -earlier incarnations. Thus we see how necessary it was that from that -time onwards a new element should be brought into the spiritual guidance -of humanity. This element was true modern esotericism. By its means it is -for the first time possible rightly to understand how that which we call -the “Christ-impulse” may intervene to guide the whole of mankind and the -individual also, in all possible eventualities. - -Between the accomplishment of the Mystery of Golgotha and the beginnings -of modern esotericism, lies the first period of the working of the -Christ-principle in human souls. During that period, people received -Christ to a certain degree unconsciously as far as their higher -spirit-forces were concerned, and this caused them afterwards, when -they were obliged to receive them consciously, to make all kinds of -mistakes, and to lose themselves in a maze instead of understanding -Christ. In primitive Christian times we may trace the adoption of the -Christ-principle by the lower soul-forces. Then came a new period, in -which mankind of to-day is still living. Indeed, in a certain respect, -people are only now beginning to understand the Christ principle with -the higher faculties of their souls. In the further course of this work -it will be shown that the decline of supersensible knowledge down to the -thirteenth century, and on the other hand its slow revival since that -time, coincide with the interposition of the Christ-impulse in human -evolution. - -We may therefore take modern esotericism to mean the raising of the -Christ-impulse to be the motive power in the guidance of souls desiring -to work their way to a knowledge of higher worlds, in accordance with the -evolutionary conditions of modern times. - - - - -LECTURE III. - - -In accordance with what has been said in the preceding chapters, the -spiritual guidance of the course of human evolution may be sought for -among those beings who went through their stage of humanity during the -previous embodiment of the Earth-planet, _i.e._, during the ancient Moon -period. This guidance stood contrasted with another which checked, and -yet in a certain sense furthered, whilst checking the first, and which -was carried out by those beings who had not completed their own evolution -during the Moon-period. Reference is made in both these cases to those -guiding beings immediately above man--to those who lead humanity forward, -and to those who provoke resistance, thereby strengthening and confirming -the forces arising through the progressive beings, by bestowing on them -balance and individuality. In Christian Esotericism, these two classes of -superhuman beings are called Angels (Angeloi). Above these beings in an -ascending order, stand those of the higher hierarchies, the Archangels, -the Archai, etc., who likewise take part in the guidance of humanity. - -Within the ranks of these different beings there are all possible -gradations in regard to perfection. In the category of the Angels there -are at the beginning of the present Earth-evolution, some standing -high and others less developed. The former have progressed far beyond -the minimum of their Moon-development. Between these and those who had -just reached this minimum when the Moon-evolution had come to an end, -and the Earth-evolution had begun, there are all possible gradations. -Conformably with this gradation of rank, the beings in question entered -during the Earth-period upon the leadership of human evolution. Thus the -evolution of the Egyptian civilization was effected under the guidance -of beings who had become more perfected on the Moon than those who were -the leaders of the Graeco-Roman period, and these again were more perfect -than those who have the leadership at the present time. In the Egyptian -as also in the Greek Period, those who later on assumed the direction, -were meanwhile developing, and making themselves ready to guide the -civilization of later periods. - -Since the time of the great Atlantean catastrophe, seven consecutive -epochs of civilization have to be differentiated; the first is the -ancient Indian epoch, and it is followed by the ancient Persian.[2] -The third is the Egypto-Chaldæic, the fourth is the Graeco-Roman, -and the fifth is our own, which, since about the twelfth century, has -been gradually developing and in which we are still living. And as the -separate periods overlap, we see already in our times those early events -preparing which will lead over into the sixth post-Atlantean epoch. And a -seventh epoch will succeed the sixth in due course. On closer observation -we find the following evidence with regard to the guidance of mankind. -It was during the third epoch of civilization, the Egypto-Chaldæic, that -the Angels (or lower dhyanic beings according to Oriental mysticism) -were to some extent independent leaders of humanity. They were not so -during the ancient Persian civilization. For then they were subject to -a higher direction in a much greater degree than in the Egyptian times, -and had to regulate everything in conformity with the impulses of the -hierarchies immediately above them. In this way everything was under the -immediate guidance of the Angels, but these themselves submitted to the -rulership of the Archangels. And in the Indian epoch when post-Atlantean -life had reached such a height in spiritual matters as has never been -attained since--a natural height under the direction of great human -teachers--then the Archangels themselves were subject in a similar sense -to the guidance of the Archai or Primal Powers. Thus if we trace the -evolution of humanity from the Indian epoch through the ancient Persian -and Egypto-Chaldæic civilization, we may say that certain beings of the -higher hierarchies withdrew as it were, ever more and more from the -direct guidance of humanity. And in the fourth post-Atlantean period of -civilization, _i.e._, the Graeco-Roman epoch, man had become in a certain -sense quite independent. The guiding superhuman beings were certainly -intervening to develop humanity, but only in such a way that the reins -were tightened as little as possible, and also that the spiritual leaders -themselves might profit as much through the deeds of men as men profited -through them. Hence arose that peculiar and quite “human” civilization in -the Graeco-Roman time in which man was made to rely entirely on himself. -For all the distinctive characteristics of Art and political life in -Greek and Roman times are traceable to the fact that man had to live out -his own life in his own way. - -So, when we look back to the most ancient times of civilization, we then -find evolution guided by beings who had accomplished their evolution -as far as the human stage, in earlier planetary conditions. But the -fourth post-Atlantean period of civilization was intended as a time -when man should be put to the test as much as possible, and consequently -was the time when the whole spiritual guidance of humanity had to be -re-organized. We are now living in the fifth post-Atlantean period of -civilization. The leading beings of this period belong to the same -hierarchy as that which ruled the ancient Egyptians and Chaldæans. In -fact those beings who then took the lead, have again begun to be active -in our times, for it has been stated that certain beings remained behind -during the Egypto-Chaldæic civilization, and that these are to be found -manifested in the materialistic feelings and perceptions of our own -period. - -Now the progress made by the beings of each class of Angels or lower -dhyanic beings--the class which leads mankind forward and the class which -obstructs--consists in their being able to be leaders among the Egyptians -and Chaldæans by means of those qualities which they had acquired in -primordial times, and which they had further developed by their work as -leaders. Thus the progressive Angels are intervening to guide the fifth -post-Atlantean civilization by means of capacities which they themselves -had won during the third or Egypto-Chaldæic civilization. Through the -progress they make they are acquiring for themselves quite special -capabilities, for they are qualifying themselves to receive the influx -of forces emanating from the most important Being in the whole evolution -of the Earth. The power of the Christ is working in them; for that power -works not only on the physical world through Jesus of Nazareth--but also -in the spiritual worlds upon the superhuman beings. The Christ exists -not only for the earth but also for these other beings. The beings who -guided the old Egypto-Chaldæic civilization were not at that time under -the direction of the Christ, but have only placed themselves under His -guidance since. And their progress consists in their following Him in the -higher worlds, so that they may guide our fifth post-Atlantean period of -civilization in accordance with His influence. And the remaining behind -of those beings of whom it has been said that they operate as obstructive -powers, is due to their not having put themselves under the leadership of -the Christ, and thus they continue to work independently of Him. Hence -the following state of things will become more and more evident in human -evolution: There will be a materialistic movement under the guidance -of the backward Egypto-Chaldæic spirits. It will have a materialistic -character, and the greater part of what in all countries, may be called -contemporary materialistic science is under this influence. There -are, for example, people to-day who say that our earth in its primary -origin consisted of atoms. Who instils this thought into men’s minds? -It is the superhuman angel beings who had remained behind during the -Egypto-Chaldæic period. But, side by side with this movement, there -is another making itself felt, the one which has as its goal that man -shall eventually find in all that he does, that which may be called the -Christ-principle. - -Now what will those beings teach who attained their goal in the old -Egypto-Chaldæic sphere of civilization, and who then learned to know -the Christ? They will be able to instill into man other thoughts than -that there are only material atoms; for they will be able to teach that, -even to the minutest particle of the world, the substance is permeated -with the Spirit of the Christ. And, strange as it may seem, there will -be in the future, chemists and physicists who will not teach chemistry -and physics as they are now taught under the influence of the backward -Egypto-Chaldæic spirits; but who will teach that “Matter is built up -in the way in which the Christ gradually ordained it.” The Christ will -be found working even in the very laws of chemistry and physics. It is -a spiritual chemistry, and spiritual physics that will come in the -future. To-day such a statement appears certainly to many people as -something fanciful or worse than that, but in many cases the sense of the -future is folly to the past. The factors which in this sense enter into -the evolution of human civilization are already there for the careful -observer; but such an one will know quite well the objections which may, -with apparent justice, be urged against such alleged folly from the -modern scientific or philosophic point of view. - -From such hypotheses we are able to understand what advantage the guiding -superhuman beings have compared with man. Humanity learned to know Christ -in the fourth civilization period of the post-Atlantean times, _i.e._, -in the Graeco-Roman epoch, for it was in the course of this civilization -that the Christ-event found its place in evolution, and it was then -that man learned to know the Christ. The guiding superhuman beings, -however, learned to know Him during the Egypto-Chaldæic times, and worked -themselves up to Him. Then during the Graeco-Roman civilization they had -to leave man to his own fate in order that, later on, they might re-enter -the sphere of human evolution. And if nowadays theosophy is cultivated, -that signifies nothing else than a recognition of the fact that the -superhuman beings who formerly guided humanity are now continuing their -task as leaders in such a way as to be under the direct guidance of the -Christ themselves. Thus it is with other beings also. - -In the ancient Persian epoch, the leadership of humanity was apportioned -to the Archangels. They put themselves under the direction of the Christ -earlier than did the beings in the rank next below them. Of Zarathustra -it can be said that pointing to the sun, he spoke to his followers and -his people in some such words as these: “In the sun there lives the -great Spirit Ahura Mazdao, who will one day come down to the earth.” For -the beings out of the region of the Archangels who guided Zarathustra, -pointed to the great sun-leader, who had not at that time come down upon -the earth, but had only begun his journey thither in order, later on, -to enter directly into the earth evolution. And the guiding beings who -directed the great teachers of the Indians, also pointed these to the -Christ of the future; for it is a mistake to think that these teachers -had no foreknowledge of the Christ. They said that He was “beyond their -sphere” and that they “could not attain” unto Him. - -As now in our fifth period of civilization, it is the Angels who bring -down the Christ into our spiritual evolution, so the sixth period of -civilization will be directed by beings who belong to the ranks of the -Archangels who guided the ancient Persian civilization. And spirits of -Personality--the Primal Powers--or Archai--who guided humanity during the -ancient Indian epoch will have to guide humanity in the seventh period -of civilization. In the Graeco-Roman period, the Christ descended from -the heights of the spirit-world and revealed Himself in the physical body -of Jesus of Nazareth. He then came down as far as the physical world. It -will be possible to find Him in the world immediately above ours when -humanity shall have become sufficiently ripe. It will not be possible -in the future to find Him in the physical world, but only in the world -immediately above, for human beings will not always remain the same; they -will become more mature, and will then find the Christ in the spiritual -world, as Paul found Him in his experience before Damascus, which event -prophetically foreshadowed the future means of finding the Christ. And -since in our times the same great teachers who have already guided -mankind through the Egyptian Civilization are working, so also in the -twentieth century it will be these same teachers who will lead men out -to behold the Christ as Paul beheld Him. They will show mankind how the -Christ not only works upon the earth, but how He spiritualizes the whole -solar system. And those who will be the reincarnated holy teachers of -India in the seventh period of civilization will proclaim the Spirit Who -was foreshadowed through the undivided Brahma, to whom however the right -content and meaning could only be given through the Christ, as the great, -the immense Spirit, of Whom they formerly said that He hovered above -their sphere. Thus will humanity be led upwards from stage to stage into -the spiritual world. - -To speak in this way about the Christ--how He is the leader of the higher -hierarchies also in the successive worlds, is to teach the science which, -under the title of modern esotericism, has endured into our civilization -since the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and which, as has been shown, -had from that time become necessary. If from this aspect we observe more -closely the Being Who lived in Palestine, and Who consummated the Mystery -of Golgotha, then we find the following: - -Up to the present time many ideas concerning the Christ have found -expression. There was for instance the idea of certain Christian Gnostics -in the first centuries, who said that the Christ Who lives in Palestine -was not present in any physical body of flesh at all; that He had only an -apparent body--an etheric body which had become physically visible; so -that His death on the Cross had been no real death but only an apparent -one, for the very reason that only an etheric body was present. Then we -find the various disputes among those who professed Christianity, as for -example, the well-known controversy between the Arians and Athenatians, -etc., and the most varied explanations concerning what the Christ really -was. And indeed right up to our own times people express and have -expressed the most varied ideas concerning the Christ. - -Now spiritual science must recognize in Christ not merely an earthly but -also a _cosmic_ Being. In a certain sense man is, taken as a whole, a -cosmic being. He lives a twofold life--one in a physical body from birth -to death, another in the spiritual worlds between death and a new birth. -When he is incarnated in a physical body, he is living in dependence on -the earth, because the physical body is restricted by the forces and -conditions of existence belonging to the earth. A man, however, does not -only take the substances and forces of the earth into himself, but is -joined to the whole of the earth’s organism. When he has passed through -the gate of death, he does not any longer belong to the forces of the -earth; but it would be incorrect to imagine that he then belongs to no -forces at all, for he is then connected with the forces of the solar -system and the more distant star-systems. In this way, between death -and a new birth, he lives in the domain of the cosmic, just as in the -period between birth and death he lived in the domain of the earthly. -From death to a new birth he belongs to the cosmos, as on the earth he -belongs to the elements--Air, Water, and Earth. Accordingly, while he -is passing through a life between death and a new birth, he comes into -the region of cosmic influences, for the planets send forth not merely -the physical forces of what astronomy teaches, such as gravitation and -others, but also spiritual forces, and with these spiritual powers of the -cosmos man is connected--each person in a special manner according to -his own individuality. If he is born in Europe, he lives in a different -relation to warmth conditions, etc., than if he had been born, let us -say, in Australia. Similarly, during his life between death and a new -birth, one person may stand more closely related to the spiritual powers -of Mars, another to those of Jupiter, others again to those of the whole -planetary system in general, and so on. It is also these forces which -bring man back again to the earth. Thus before he is born he is living in -connection with the collective whole of stellar space. - -According to the way in which a man stands individually related to the -cosmic system, so are the forces directed which lead him to this or that -set of parents and to this or that locality. The impetus, the inclination -to incarnate here or there, in this or that family, in this or that -people, at this or that time, depends on how the person was organically -connected with the cosmic before birth. In former times, in that -territory where the German tongue was spoken, a specially apt expression -was used whereby to indicate a person’s entrance into the world through -birth. When a person was born, people said that in such and such a place -he had “become young” (jung-geworden). Therein lies an unconscious -reference to the fact that man in the time between death and a new birth -continues at first to be subject to the powers which had made him old in -a previous incarnation, but that before birth there come in their place -such forces as again make him “young.” Thus Goethe in “Faust” still uses -the expression “to become young in Nebelland”--Nebelland being the old -name for mediæval Germany. - -The truth underlying the casting of a horoscope is that those who know -these things can read the forces which determine a person’s physical -existence. A certain horoscope is allotted to a person because, within -it, those forces find expression which have led him into being. If, -for example, in the horoscope, Mars stands over Aries (the Ram) that -signifies that certain of the Aries forces are not allowed to pass -through Mars--and are weakened. Thus is a man put into his place within -physical existence, and it is in accordance with his horoscope that he -guides himself before entering upon earthly existence. This subject, -which in our times seems so much a thing of chance should not be -touched upon without our attention being called to the fact that nearly -everything practiced in this connection to-day is simply dilettantism--a -pure superstition--and that for the external world the true science of -these matters has been for the most part completely lost. Consequently, -the principal things which have been said here are not to be judged -according to that which nowadays frequently leads a questionable -existence under the name of Astrology. - -Now it is the active forces of the stellar world that impel man into -physical incarnation; and when clairvoyant consciousness observes a -person, it can perceive in his organization how this has resulted from -the co-operation of cosmic forces. We may now attempt to illustrate this -hypothetically, but in a form corresponding entirely with clairvoyant -observations: If a person’s physical brain were extracted and its -construction clairvoyantly examined, so that it might be seen how certain -parts are situated in certain places, and send out appendages, it would -be found that the brain of each individual is different. No two people -have brains alike. Then let us imagine further that this brain could be -photographed in its complete structure so that one would have a kind -of half-sphere in which every detail was visible, then this would make -a different picture in the case of each person. And if one were to -photograph a person’s brain at the moment of birth and then photograph -also the heavens lying exactly over the person’s birthplace, then this -latter picture would be of exactly the same appearance as that of the -human brain. - -As certain centres were arranged in the latter, so would the stars be -in the photograph of the heavens. Man has within himself a picture of -the heavens, and every man has a different one, according to whether he -was born in this place or that, and at this or that time. This is one -indication that man is born from out of the whole cosmos. - -When we keep this clearly in view we can rise to the idea of how the -macrocosm manifests itself in each separate individual, and then, -starting from this point, we can attain a conception of how it showed -itself in the Christ. But if we were to imagine the Christ _after_ the -Baptism of John as though the macrocosm had then been living in Him in -the same way as in other people, we should be mistaken. - -Let us first consider Jesus of Nazareth: His conditions of existence -were quite exceptional. At the beginning of our era _two_ boys were born -and named Jesus. The one came through the Nathan line of the house of -David, and the other through the Solomon line of the same house. These -two children were not born quite at the same time, but nearly so. In -the Jesus descended from Solomon, Who is described in the Gospel of St. -Matthew, there was incarnated the same individuality who had formerly -lived on the earth as Zarathustra, so that in this Child Jesus there -appears the reincarnated Zarathustra or Zoroaster. The individuality -of Zarathustra grew up in this Child until, as St. Matthew says, His -twelfth year. In that year, Zarathustra left the body of this Child and -passed over into that of the other Child Jesus Whom the Gospel of St. -Luke describes. In consequence of this the latter child became suddenly -quite different. The parents were astonished when they found Him in -Jerusalem in the temple after the spirit of Zarathustra had entered into -Him. This is intimated when it is said that the Child after having been -lost and found again in the temple, so spake that his parents did not -recognize Him. They only knew Him--the Child descended from Nathan as -He had been before up to this time. But when He began to reason with -the doctors in the temple, it was possible for Him to speak as He did -because the spirit of Zarathustra had come into Him. Until the thirtieth -year did the spirit of Zarathustra live in the Jesus who was descended -from the Nathan line of the house of David. In this body He ripened to a -still higher perfection. The remark must here be added that as regards -this personality in which the spirit of Zarathustra _now_ lived, an -extraordinary feature was, that from the spiritual worlds the Buddha -rayed forth his impulses into its astral body. - -The oriental tradition is correct which says that the Buddha was born as -a “Bodhisatva,” and only during his time on earth, in his twenty-ninth -year, rose to the dignity of a Buddha. When the Gautama Buddha was a -little child, the Indian sage Asita came weeping into the royal palace -of his father, Suddhodana. He wept because, as a seer, he knew that -this King’s son would become the Buddha, and because as an old man, he -felt that he would no longer be living to see that event take place. -Now this sage was born again in the time of Jesus of Nazareth. It is he -who is brought before us in the Gospel of St. Luke as the priest of the -temple who saw the revelation of the Buddha in the Child Jesus descended -from Nathan. And seeing this he was able to say: “Lord, now lettest Thou -Thy servant depart in peace for I have seen my Master.” What he had not -been able to see previously in India, he saw through the astral body of -the Boy Jesus, Who comes before us in St. Luke’s Gospel, the Bodhisatva -become a Buddha. - -All this was necessary in order that that body might be produced which -received the baptism of St. John in the Jordan. At that moment the -individuality of Zarathustra left the threefold body, the physical, -the etheric and the astral body of that Jesus Who had grown up in so -complicated a manner, in order that the spirit of Zarathustra might be -able to dwell in Him. Through two possibilities of development which -were given in the two Jesus-Children, the reincarnated Zarathustra had -to pass, and thus there stood before the Baptist the body of Jesus -of Nazareth and in it from that time onwards there acted the cosmic -individuality of the Christ. Now, as we have shown, in the case of any -other human being, the cosmic spiritual laws work upon him only in so far -that they give him a start in earth-life. Afterwards there appear in -opposition to these laws, others which arise out of the conditions of the -earth-evolution. In the case of the Christ Jesus, after the baptism of -John the cosmic-spiritual forces alone remained effective without being -influenced in any way through the laws of the earth evolution. - -Thus in Palestine during the time that Jesus of Nazareth walked on -earth as Christ-Jesus,--during the three last years of his life, from -his thirtieth to his thirty-third year, the entire Being of the cosmic -Christ was acting uninterruptedly upon Him, and was working into Him. -The Christ stood always under the influence of the entire cosmos--He -made no step without this working of the cosmic forces into and in -Him. That which here took place in Jesus of Nazareth was a continual -realization of the horoscope, for at every moment there occurred that -which otherwise happens only at a person’s birth. This could be so only -because the whole body of Jesus descended from Nathan had remained open -to the influence of the sum total of the forces of the cosmic spiritual -hierarchies which direct our earth. If thus the whole spirit of the -cosmos worked into the Christ Jesus, who was it that went, for example, -to Capernaum or anywhere else? He who went about as a being upon the -earth appeared quite like any other man. The forces active within Him, -however, were the cosmic forces, coming from the sun and stars; and these -directed His body. And it was always in accordance with the collective -Being of the whole Universe with whom the earth is in harmony, that all -which the Christ Jesus did took place. It is because of this that in -the case of the acts of the Christ Jesus there is so often some slight -hint given in the Gospels, about the relative grouping of the stars at -the time. We read in St. John’s Gospel how the Christ finds His first -disciples. There we are told: “It was about the tenth hour,” because in -this fact the spirit of the whole cosmos found expression in conformity -with the appointed moment of time. Such intimations are less clear in -the other Gospel passages, but he who can truly read the Gospel finds -them everywhere. From this point of view also the miracles are to be -judged. Let us take one passage,--The one that runs thus: “When the sun -was set, they brought the sick unto Him, and He healed them.” What does -that mean? The evangelist is drawing attention to the fact that this -healing was connected with the whole position of the constellations, and -that at the time in question, the constellations throughout the heavens -stood in such a way as could only have happened when the sun had set. -The meaning of that, at the time, the requisite healing forces could make -themselves felt after sun-set, and the Christ Jesus is represented as the -intermediary Who brought the sick into connection with the forces of the -cosmos which, just at that time could work curatively. These forces were -the same as those which worked as Christ in Jesus. It was through the -presence of Christ that the healing took place, because in consequence -of the same, the sick person was exposed to the healing forces of the -Cosmos which could only work as they did when they were in the right -relationship to time and space. Thus these forces worked on the sick -person through their representative the Christ. But it was only just -during the time of Christ on earth that they could so work. It was only -then that such a connection existed between the cosmic constellations and -the powers of the human organism, that for certain illnesses, healing -could intervene when through the instrumentality of the Christ Jesus, the -cosmic grouping of the same forces was able to work on men. A repetition -of this relationship in the evolution of the cosmos and the earth is -as little possible as is a second incarnation of the Christ in a human -body. Regarded in this way, the life of the Christ Jesus appears as the -earthly expression of a definite connection between the cosmos and the -forces of man. The tarrying of a sick person by the side of Christ means -that through the proximity of Christ, this sick person found himself in -such a relation with the macrocosm that the latter could work upon him -curatively. - - * * * * * - -Therewith the points of view have been specified which enable us to -discern how the guidance of humanity has come under the influence of -the Christ. The other forces, however, which had remained behind in the -Egypto-Chaldæic times worked further side by side with those that are -permeated by the Christ. This is evident even in the attitude frequently -adopted to-day towards the Gospels. Literary works appear in which great -pains are taken to show that the Gospels can be understood through an -astrological interpretation. The greatest opponents of the Gospels -employ this astrological interpretation in such a manner that, the way, -for example, taken by the Archangel Gabriel from Elizabeth to Mary is -supposed to signify nothing more than the progress of the sun from the -constellation of Virgo to another. This, in a certain sense, is correct, -except that these thoughts were poured in this manner into our age by the -beings who had remained behind during the Egypto-Chaldæic Period. Under -such an influence people are induced to a make-belief that the Gospels -present only allegories in the place of definite cosmic relations. The -truth really is, that in the Christ the whole cosmos finds expression -and therefore one can express the life of the Christ by connecting its -separate events with the cosmic relations which work into Earth existence -unceasingly _through the Christ_. A right understanding of this matter -will thus lead to a full recognition of the Christ, as having lived on -earth, whereas the above mentioned error, if it were true, would mean -that the Christ life in the Gospels is expressed by cosmic constellation -and shows that it was only a matter of constellations being treated -allegorically, and that there was no real earthly Christ at all. - -If a comparison were to be used, we might think of each human being as -represented by a spherical mirror--which, if it were set up, would give -pictures of all its surroundings. Let us suppose we were to trace with a -pencil the outline of all that is shown from the surroundings. We could -then take the mirror and carry the picture about with us wherever we -went. Let this be a symbol for the fact that when a person is born, he -brings with him a copy of the cosmos in himself, and afterwards carries -about with him all through his life the effect of this one picture. The -mirror might, however, be left untouched by the pencil, so that wherever -the person carried it, it would depict the immediate surroundings. It -then would always be giving a picture of the collective environment. This -would be a symbol of the Christ from the baptism by St. John up to the -mystery of Golgotha. That which, in the case of any other person, passes -into his earthly existence at birth only flowed into the Christ-Jesus -at every moment. And when the mystery of Golgotha was consummated, -that which had been radiating from out the cosmos passed over into the -spiritual substance of the earth, and has from that time forward been -united with the spirit of the earth. - -When St. Paul became clairvoyant before Damascus, he could recognize -that That which had formerly been in the cosmos has passed over into the -spirit of the earth. Of this every one can be convinced who can bring his -soul into such a condition that he can have the same experience as had -St. Paul. It is in the twentieth century that those people will first -appear who will have St. Paul’s experience of the Christ event in a -spiritual way. - -Whereas up to our times this event would be experienced only by such -persons as had gained clairvoyant powers by means of an esoteric -training, hereafter to look upon the Christ in the spiritual sphere -surrounding the earth will be possible for the advanced powers of the -soul in the course of the natural evolution of humanity. This--as a -repeated experience of the event before Damascus--will be possible for -some people from a certain point of time in the twentieth century. The -number of such people will afterwards increase, until in the distant -future, it will be a natural faculty of the human soul. - - * * * * * - -With the entrance of Christ into the evolution of the earth an entirely -new impulse or direction was given to evolution. External facts of -history also express this. In the early times of post-Atlantean evolution -men knew very well that above them there was not merely a physical Mars, -but that what they saw as Mars, Jupiter or Saturn was the expression -for a spiritual being. In later times this perception was completely -forgotten. The heavenly bodies became, according to human ideas, mere -bodies to be estimated according to their physical condition. And in -the Middle Ages people saw in connection with the stars only what the -eyes can see--the sphere of Venus, the sphere of the Sun, the sphere -of Mars, etc., up to the sphere of the fixed stars; and then came the -eighth sphere like a solid blue wall behind. Then Copernicus appeared -and broke down the idea that only that which is perceptible to the senses -can be authoritative. The modern physical scientists may indeed say: -“It is madness to declare that the world is Maya, or illusion, and that -you must look into a spiritual world in order to see the truth, for in -spite of all you say true science is that which relies on the senses and -notifies what these senses tell.” But when did astronomers rely only on -the senses? Surely at the very time when that astronomical science was -dominant which is attacked by the science of to-day! It was at that time -when Copernicus began to think out what exists in the cosmic space beyond -the evidence of the senses, that our modern astronomy as a science began. -And so it is in every domain of science. Everywhere that science, in the -most modern sense of the word, has arisen, it has done so in opposition -to what had been apparent to the senses. When Copernicus declared “what -you see is Maya--or deception, rely on what you cannot see,” then the -science came into being which is recognized as such to-day. It might thus -be said to the representative of modern science “your science itself only -became ‘science’ when it was no longer willing to depend upon the senses -only.” - -Giordano Bruno came as philosophical interpreter of the teachings of -Copernicus. He led the gaze of man out into cosmic space, and announced -that what people had called the limitations of space, what they had -placed there as the eighth sphere limiting everything in space--was -in reality _no_ limitation; it was Maya, or illusion; for an infinite -number of worlds had been poured forth into cosmic space. That which was -formerly considered to be the boundary of space was shown to be only the -boundary of the sense-world of man, and if we direct our gaze _beyond_ -the sense-world, we shall no longer see the world only as known to the -senses, but we shall also recognize Infinity. - -From this it is apparent how the course of human evolution has been -such that man started from an originally spiritual view of the cosmos -and in the course of time lost it. In its place there came a mere -sense-perception of the world. Then there came into evolution the Christ -Impulse. Through this, mankind was led to stamp the spiritual view once -more upon the materialistic. At that moment when Giordano Bruno burst the -fetters of the sense illusion, the Christ evolution was so far advanced, -that the soul power, which had been kindled by the Christ Impulse, could -then be active within him. Therewith an indication is given of the whole -significance of how the life of Christ penetrates all human evolution, an -evolution only at the beginning of which humanity stands to-day. - -To what then does spiritual science now aspire? It completes the work -begun for external science by Giordano Bruno and others in that it says: -that which external science is able to perceive is Maya, or illusion. -Just as formerly one looked to the “eighth sphere” and thought that space -was thereby bounded, so contemporary human thought believes that man is -shut in or enclosed between birth and death. Spiritual science, however, -expands man’s vision by directing his attention out and beyond the limits -of birth and death. - -There is a continuous chain in human evolution which such ideas as -these make us recognize. And in the true sense of the words, that -which resulted in the conquest of sense illusion through Copernicus -and Giordano Bruno, already proceeded from the inspiration due to -that spiritual current which is now working in the modern spiritual -science of theosophy. What one might call the newer esotericism worked -in a mysterious manner on Copernicus, Bruno, Kepler and others. Those -therefore who now stand, base their thought on foundations laid by -Giordano Bruno and Copernicus and do not wish to accept theosophy, are -unfaithful to their own traditions in desiring to hold fast by sense -illusion. But spiritual science demonstrates that, as Giordano Bruno -forced a way through the blue firmament of heaven, even so does this -science break down the barriers of birth and death for man by showing how -he originates from out of the macrocosm, lives in a physical existence, -passes through death, and re-enters macrocosmic life. And what we see -in a limited degree in each individual meets us unrestrictedly and in a -larger sense in the representative of the spirit of the cosmos--in the -Christ-Jesus. Once and once only could that impulse be given which the -Christ gave. Once only could the whole cosmos be thus reflected, for the -conjunction of the stars which then took place can never be repeated. -In order to give an impulse to the earth, this conjunction was obliged -to work through a human body. As it is true that this same grouping -cannot occur a second time, so it is equally true that the Christ was -only once incarnated. Only if one did not know that the Christ is the -representative of the whole universe and only if it were impossible to -win one’s way to this Christ-Idea, the elements for which are given -through spiritual science--only then would it be possible to maintain -that Christ could appear more than once upon the earth. - -Thus we see how an idea of Christ arises out of the new spiritual science -or theosophy, which reveals to man in a new form his connection with the -whole macrocosm. Certainly, in order to gain a true knowledge of the -Christ, those inspiring forces are absolutely necessary which are now -being bestowed by those same superhuman beings who formerly guided the -Egypto-Chaldæic epoch and who have now put themselves under the Christ. -There is need of a new inspiration of this kind, of an inspiration which -the great esoteric teachers of the middle ages had prepared from the -thirteenth century onwards, and which from this time forth must ever come -more and more into publicity. When man, according to the meaning of this -science, prepares his soul aright for the knowledge of the spirit-world, -he can then hear clairaudiently and he can see clairvoyantly what is -revealed by the old Chaldæic and Egyptian angel beings who are now again -acting as spiritual leaders under the guidance of the Christ. That -which humanity will some time later actually gain thereby could only be -_prepared_ in the first centuries of Christianity and up to our times. - -Consequently we may say that in the future there will live in the -hearts of men an idea of the Christ incomparable in greatness with -anything which humanity has so far recognized. That which arose as a -first impulse through the Christ, and has lived as an idea of Him up to -the present time--even in the case of the best representatives of the -Christ-principle--is only a preparation for the true understanding of the -Christ. It would be strange indeed if, against those who in the West gave -expression in such a way as this to the Christ-idea, it were brought as -a reproach that they do not stand on the foundation of western Christian -tradition, but it is quite possible, for this western tradition does not -by any means suffice to help us to comprehend the Christ of the near -future. - -From the hypothesis of eastern esotericism we can see the spiritual -direction of humanity gradually flowing into what may be in a real, true -sense called the guidance, which comes from the Christ-impulse. That -which is appearing as the new esotericism will flow slowly into the -hearts of men, and the spiritual guidance of men and of humanity will -ever more and more be consciously seen in such a light. We realize to -ourselves how at first the Christ-principle flowed into the hearts of -men because the Christ had gone about Palestine in the physical body of -Jesus of Nazareth. Later men gradually surrendered themselves entirely -to a reliance on the world of sense, and could only receive the impulse -which corresponded to their perception. Afterwards that same impulse so -worked through the inspiration of the new esotericism that such spirits -as Nicholas Cusamus, Copernicus and Galileo were able to be inspired -and Copernicus, for instance, was enabled to make this assertion: “That -which is evident to the senses cannot teach the truth about the solar -system; if we want to find the truth we must investigate behind sense -appearances.” At that time men, even spirits like Giordano Bruno, were -not yet ripe enough to join _consciously_ to the new esoteric stream. The -spirit of the movement had to work in them _un_consciously. Yet powerful -and magnificent was the announcement of Giordano Bruno: “When a human -being enters into existence by means of birth, then it is something -macrocosmic that concentrates itself as a monad; and when a human being -passes through death the monad spreads itself out again; that which was -enclosed within the body spreads itself out in the cosmos in order to -draw itself together again in other stages of existence, and again to -spread itself out.” There Bruno gave expression to mighty conceptions -which, even if expressed in stammering tongue, were yet in entire accord -with the sense of the new esotericism. - -The spiritual influences which lead humanity need not work in such a way -that man is always conscious of them. For example, they put Galileo in -the cathedral of Pisa. Thousands had seen the old church lamp there, but -they have not seen it as did Galileo. He saw the church lamp swinging; -compared the time of its oscillation with the beat of his own pulse; -found that the church lamp swung in a regular rhythm resembling his -pulse-beat; and from this discovered the laws of the pendulum in the -sense of modern physics. Anyone acquainted with contemporary physics -knows that these would not be possible without Galileo’s principle. In -this way the force was then working which is now appearing as spiritual -science; Galileo was placed in the cathedral of Pisa before the -oscillating church lamp, and modern physics gained its principles. In -such a mysterious way do the guiding spiritual forces of humanity perform -their work. - -We are now approaching the time when people are to become conscious -of these guiding powers. We shall always come to a better and better -understanding of what has to happen in the future if we rightly -understand what is working inspirationally as the new esotericism, and -which shows that the same spiritual beings, indicated by the ancient -Egyptians when the Greeks asked them about their teachers, who then ruled -as gods, are now again assuming control, through having placed themselves -under the leadership of the Christ. Ever more and more will men feel how -they can cause to reappear in a brighter lustre, in a nobler style and on -a higher level, that which was pre-Christian. The consciousness necessary -for the present time, which must be an intensified consciousness, ought -to give us a feeling of our high duty and great responsibility in -reference to the recognition of the spiritual world, and this can only -penetrate into our soul when we have recognized in the sense indicated, -what is the task of spiritual science. - -[2] By “Ancient Persian” is not meant “Persian” in the usual historic -sense, but a pre-historic Asiatic (Iranian) civilization which developed -in that land over which, later on, the Persian Kingdom extended. - -THE END. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Spiritual Guidance of Man and of -Mankind, by Rudolf Steiner - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE OF MAN, MANKIND *** - -***** This file should be named 54260-0.txt or 54260-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/2/6/54260/ - -Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Spiritual Guidance of Man and of Mankind - -Author: Rudolf Steiner - -Editor: Harry Collison - -Release Date: February 28, 2017 [EBook #54260] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE OF MAN, MANKIND *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p> - -<div class="bbox"> - -<p class="center larger">The Spiritual Guidance<br /> -of Man and of Mankind</p> - -</div> - -<p class="titlepage"><span class="smaller">BY</span><br /> -DR. RUDOLF STEINER</p> - -<p class="titlepage">EDITED BY H. COLLISON<br /> -<span class="smcap">The Authorized English Translation</span></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span></p> - -<h2>COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY H. COLLISON</h2> - -<p>The copyright, the publishing rights, and the -editorial responsibility for the translation of the -works of Rudolf Steiner, Ph.D., with the exception -of those already under the editorial supervision -of Max Gysi, are now vested in Mr. Harry -Collison, M.A., Oxon.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span></p> - -<h2>PREFACE</h2> - -<p>In the following pages are reproduced the contents -of some lectures delivered by me at Copenhagen -in June last, in connection with the General -Meeting of the Scandinavian Theosophical Society. -What is here set forth was therefore spoken to an -audience acquainted with occult science, or theosophy. -A similar acquaintance is assumed in this -work. It is throughout based on the foundations -given in my books, “Theosophy” and “An Outline -of Occult Science.” To anyone taking up the -present work who is unacquainted with these -premises, it must needs appear the strange outpouring -of mere fancy, but the above-named books -point out the scientific basis of everything stated in -this one.</p> - -<p>I have completely re-written the shorthand report -of the lectures; nevertheless it has been my -intention on publishing them, to preserve the character -given in oral delivery. This is specially mentioned -because it is in general my opinion that the -form of work intended for reading should be quite -different from that used in speaking. I have expressed -this principle of mine in all my earlier -writings, as far as they were intended for the press.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span> -If in this instance I have worked out my subject in -closer connection with the spoken word, it is because -I have reasons for letting the work appear at -this juncture, and an adaptation completely in accordance -with the above rule would take a great -deal of time.</p> - -<p class="right"><span class="smcap">Rudolf Steiner.</span></p> - -<p><i>Munich, August 20, 1911.</i></p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span></p> - -<h1>The Spiritual Guidance of Man and of Mankind</h1> - -<h2>LECTURE I.</h2> - -<p>A man reflecting on his own nature soon becomes -conscious that there is within him a second -and more powerful self than the one bounded by -his thoughts, his feelings and the fully-conscious -impulses of his will. He becomes aware that he is -subject to that second self, as to a higher power. -It is true that at first he will feel it to be a lower -entity as compared with the one limited by his intelligent -and fully-conscious soul, with its inclinations -towards the Good and True. And at first he -will strive to overcome that lower entity.</p> - -<p>But closer self-examination may reveal something -else about the second self. If we often, in the -course of our lives, make a kind of survey of our -acts and experiences, we make a singular discovery -about ourselves. And the older we are, the more -significant do we think that discovery. If we ask -ourselves what we did or said at a particular period -of our lives, it turns out that we have done very -many things which are only really understood in -later years. Seven or eight, or perhaps twenty -years ago, we did certain things, and we know quite -well that only now, long afterwards, is our intelligence<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span> -ripe enough to understand what we did -or said at that earlier period.</p> - -<p>Many people do not make such discoveries about -themselves, because they do not lay themselves out -to do so. But it is extremely profitable to hold -such communion frequently with one’s own soul. -For directly a man becomes aware that he has done -things in former years which he is only now beginning -to understand, that formerly his intelligence -was not ripe enough to understand them,—at -a moment such as this, something like the following -feeling arises in the soul: The man feels -himself protected by a good power, which rules in -the depths of his own being; he begins to have -more and more confidence in the fact that really, in -the highest sense of the word, he is not alone in the -world, and that everything which he understands, -and is consciously able to do, is after all but a -small part of what he really accomplished in the -world.</p> - -<p>If this observation is often made, it is possible -to carry out in practical life something which is -very easy to see theoretically. It is easy to see -that we should not make much progress in life if -we had to accomplish everything we have to do, in -full consciousness, with our intelligence taking -note of every circumstance affecting us. In order<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span> -to see this theoretically, we have only to reflect as -follows: In what section of his life does a human -being perform those acts which are really most -important as regards his own existence? When -does he act most wisely for himself? He does this -from about the time of his birth up to that period -to which his memory goes back when in later life -he surveys his earthly existence. If he recalls what -he did three, four or five years ago, and then goes -farther and farther back, he comes at last to a -certain point in childhood, beyond which memory -cannot go. What lies beyond it may be told by -parents or others, but a man’s own recollection -only extends to a certain point in the past. That -point is the moment at which the individual felt -himself to be an ego. In the lives of people whose -memory is limited to the normal, there must always -be such a point, but previously to it, the human -soul has worked in the wisest possible manner on -the individual, and never afterwards, when man has -gained consciousness, can he accomplish such vast -and magnificent work on himself as he carries out, -from subconscious motives, during the first years -of childhood.</p> - -<p>For we know that at birth man takes into the -physical world what he has brought with him as -the result of his former earthly lives. When he is<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span> -born, his physical brain, for instance, is but a very -imperfect instrument. The soul has to work a finer -organization into that instrument, in order to make -it the agent of everything which the soul is capable -of performing. In point of fact the human soul, -before it is fully conscious, works upon the brain -so as to make it an instrument for exercising all -the abilities, aptitudes, qualities, etc., which appertain -to the soul as the result of its former earthly -lives. This work on a man’s own body is directed -from points of view which are wiser than anything -which he can subsequently do for himself when in -possession of full consciousness.</p> - -<p>Moreover, man during this period not only elaborates -his brain plastically, but has to learn three -most important things for his earthly existence. -The first is the equilibrium of his own body in -space. The man of the present day entirely overlooks -the meaning of this statement, which touches -upon one of the most essential differences between -man and animals. An animal is destined from the -outset to develop its equilibrium in space in a certain -way; one animal is destined to be a climber, -another a swimmer, etc. An animal is so organized -from the beginning as to be able to bear itself -rightly in space, and this is the case with all animals -up to and including the mammals most resembling<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span> -man. If zoologists would ponder this fact, they -would lay less emphasis on the number of similar -bones and muscles in man and animals, etc., for -this is of much less account than the fact that man -is not endowed at the outset with the complete -equipment for his conditions of equilibrium. He -has first to form them out of the sum total of his -being. It is significant that man should have to -work upon himself, in order to make, out of a being -that cannot walk at all, one that can walk erect. -It is man himself who gives himself his vertical -position, or his equilibrium in space. He brings -himself into relation with the force of gravitation. -It will obviously be easy for anyone taking a -superficial view of the matter to question this statement, -with apparently good reason. It may be said -that man is just as much organized for his erect -walk as, for instance, a climbing animal for climbing. -But more accurate observation will show that -it is the peculiarity of the animal’s organization -that causes its position in space. In man it is the -soul which brings itself into relation with space and -controls the organization.</p> - -<p>The second thing which man teaches himself, and -that by means of the entity which proceeds from -one incarnation to another as the same being, is -speech. Through speech he comes into relation<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> -with his fellow-men. This relation makes him the -vehicle of that spiritual life which interpenetrates -the world primarily through man. Emphasis has -often been laid, with good reason, on the fact that a -human being removed, before he could speak, to a -desert island, and kept apart from his fellows, -would not learn to talk. On the other hand, what -we receive by inheritance, what is implanted in us -for use in later years and is subject to the principles -of heredity, does not depend on a man’s dwelling -with his fellows. For instance, his inherited conditions -oblige him to change his teeth in his seventh -year. If it were possible for him to grow up on a -desert island, he would still change them then. But -he only learns to talk, when his soul’s inner being, -i.e., that which is carried on from one life to another, -is stimulated. The germ, however, for the -development of the larynx must be formed during -the period at which man has not yet acquired his -ego-consciousness. Before the time to which his -memory goes back, he must plant the germ for developing -his larynx, in order that this may become -the organ of speech.</p> - -<p>And then there is a third thing: It is not so well -known that man learns this of himself, from that -part of his inner being which he carries on from -one incarnation to another. It is the life within the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> -world of thought itself. The elaboration of the -brain is undertaken because the brain is the instrument -of thought. At the beginning of life, this -organ is still plastic, because the individual has to -form it for himself as an instrument of thought, in -accordance with the intention of the entity which is -carried on from one life to another. The brain immediately -after birth is, as it was bound to be, in -accordance with the forces inherited from parents -and other ancestors. But the individual has to express -in his thought what he is as an individual -being, in accordance with his former earthly lives. -Therefore he must re-model the inherited peculiarities -of his brain, after birth, when he has become -physically independent of his parents and other -ancestors.</p> - -<p>We thus see that man accomplishes momentous -things during the first years of his life. He is working -on himself in the spirit of the highest wisdom. -In point of fact, if it were a question of his own -cleverness, it is possible that he might not accomplish -what he does without that cleverness during -the first period of his life. Why is all this accomplished -in those depths of the soul which lie outside -consciousness? This happens because the human -soul and entire being are, during the first years of -earthly life, in much closer connection with the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> -spiritual worlds of the higher hierarchies than is -afterwards the case. A clairvoyant who has gone -through sufficient spiritual development to be able -to witness actual spiritual events, sees something -exceedingly significant at the moment when the -ego acquires consciousness, <i>i.e.</i>, the earliest point -to which the memory of later years goes back. -Whereas what we call the child’s aura floats round -it in its earliest years like a wonderful human and -superhuman power, and, being really the higher -part of the child, is everywhere continued on into -the spiritual world,—at the moment to which -memory goes back, this aura sinks more into the -inner being of the child. A human being is able to -feel himself a continuous ego as far back as that -point of time, because then that which was previously -in close connection with the higher worlds, -passed into his ego. Henceforward the consciousness -is at every point brought into connection with -the external world. This is not the case with a very -young child, to whom things appear only as a surrounding -world of dreams.</p> - -<p>Man works on himself by means of a wisdom -which is not within him. That wisdom is mightier -and more comprehensive than any conscious wisdom -of later years. The higher wisdom becomes -obscured in the human soul, which in exchange -receives consciousness.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span></p> - -<p>The higher wisdom works from out of the -spiritual world deep into the bodily part of man, so -that man is able by its means to form his brain out -of spirit. It is rightly said that even the wisest may -learn from a child, for in the child is working the -wisdom which does not pass later into consciousness. -Through that wisdom man has something -like telephonic connection with the spiritual beings -in whose world he lives between death and re-birth. -From that world there is something still streaming -into the aura of a child, which is, as an individual -being, immediately under the guidance of the entire -spiritual world to which it belongs. Spiritual forces -from that world continue to flow into a child. They -cease so to flow at the point of time to which -memory goes back. It is these forces which enable -a child to bring itself into a definite relation to -gravitation. They form the larynx, and so mould -the brain that it becomes a living instrument for -the expression of thought, feeling and will.</p> - -<p>What is present in childhood to a supreme degree, -so that the individual is then working out of a -self which is still in direct connection with higher -worlds, continues to some extent even in later -years, although the conditions change in the manner -indicated above. If at a later stage of life we -feel that we did something years before which we<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> -are only now able to understand, it is just because -we previously let ourselves be guided by higher -wisdom, and only after the lapse of years have we -attained to an understanding of the reasons of our -conduct.</p> - -<p>From all this we can feel that, immediately after -birth, we had not escaped so very far from the -world in which we were before entering upon physical -existence, and that we can never really escape -from it wholly. Our share in higher spirituality -enters our physical life and accompanies us -throughout it. We often feel that what is within us -is not only a higher self which is gradually being -evolved, but is something higher which is there -already, and is the motive cause of our so often -developing beyond ourselves.</p> - -<p>All ideals and artistic creations which man is able -to produce, as well as all the natural healing forces -in his own body, by means of which he is continually -able to adjust the injuries that befall him in -life,—all these powers do not proceed from ordinary -intellect, but from those deeper forces which -in our earliest years are at work on our equilibrium -in space, on the formation of our larynx and on the -brain. For these same forces are still at work in -man in later years. When sickness attacks us, it is -often said that external forces cannot help us, but<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span> -that our organism must develop the healing powers -latent within it: by this is meant that there is a -profoundly wise activity present in humanity. -Moreover, it is from the same source that proceed -these best forces whereby knowledge of the -spiritual world is attained, <i>i.e.</i>, true clairvoyance.</p> - -<p>The question now suggests itself, why do the -higher forces which have been described work -upon human nature only during early childhood? -One-half of the answer may be easily given as follows: -If those higher forces went on working in -the same way, man would be always a child. He -would not attain the full ego-consciousness. From -within his own being must proceed the motive -power which previously worked on him from without. -But there is a more important reason, which -explains still more about the mysteries of human -life than what has just been said, and that is the -following:</p> - -<p>It is possible to learn through occult science, -that the human body, as it exists at its present -stage of evolution, must be regarded as having arrived -at its present form under different circumstances. -It is known to the occultist that this evolution -was effected by means of the working of -various forces on the sum-total of man’s being; -certain forces worked on the physical body, others<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span> -on the etheric, others on the astral body. Human -nature has arrived at its present form through the -action of those beings whom we call the Luciferic -and Ahrimanic. By their means it has, in a certain -way, become worse than it need have been if those -forces only had been active within it which proceed -from the spiritual rulers of the cosmos who desire -to evolve man along straight lines. The causes of -sorrow, disease and even of death are to be sought -in the fact that, besides the beings who are evolving -man in a straight line forwards, there are also -ruling the Luciferic and Ahrimanic spirits, who are -continually crossing the line of straightforward, -progressive development.</p> - -<p>There is something in what man brings into -existence at birth, which is better than what he can -make out of it in later life. This is so, because the -Luciferic and Ahrimanic forces have but little influence -over man during early childhood; they are -virtually only operative in what man makes out of -himself by his conscious life. If he were to retain -in full force beyond early childhood that part of his -being which is better than the rest, he would be -unable to endure its influence, because his whole -being is weakened by the opposite forces of Lucifer -and Ahriman. Man’s organism in the physical -world is so constituted that it is only when he is, so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> -to speak, as soft and pliable as a child, that he can -endure within him those direct forces of the -spiritual world which operate within him during -early childhood. He would be shattered, if during -his later life there were still directly working in him -those forces which underlie the faculty of equilibrium -in space, and the formation of the larynx -and the brain. Those forces are so tremendous -that, if they were to go on working, our organism -would pine away under the influence of their holiness. -Man must only have recourse to such forces -for the purpose of that kind of activity which -brings him into conscious connection with the -supersensible world.</p> - -<p>But out of this there arises a thought which is of -great significance, if rightly understood. It is expressed -in the New Testament in the words “Except -ye become as little children, ye cannot enter -into the Kingdom of Heaven.” What then becomes -manifest as man’s highest ideal, if what has -just been said be rightly received? Surely this,—the -drawing ever nearer and nearer to what we -may call a conscious relation to the forces which -work in man unknown to him during early childhood. -Only it must be borne in mind that man -would collapse under the power of those forces, if -they were at once to operate in his conscious life.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span> -For this reason, careful preparation is necessary -for the attainment of those faculties which induce -the perception of supersensible worlds. The object -of such preparation is to qualify man to bear what -he is unable to bear in ordinary life.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Now the passing of the individual through successive -incarnations is of importance for the collective -evolution of the human race. The latter has -advanced through successive lives in the past, and -is still advancing, and parallel with it the earth too -is moving forwards in its evolution. The time will -come when the earth will have reached the end of -its career. Then the earthly planet will fall away -as a physical entity from the sum-total of human -souls, just as the human body falls away from the -spirit at death, when, in order to continue living, -the soul enters the spiritual realm which is adapted -for it between death and re-birth. When once this -is realized, it must appear as man’s highest ideal to -have progressed far enough at earthly death, to be -able to reap all possible benefits which may be -obtained from earthly life.</p> - -<p>Now those forces which prevent man from being -able to endure the forces working upon him during -early childhood come out of the substance of the -earth. When this has fallen away from a human<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> -being, the latter, if he has attained the aim of his -life, must have advanced far enough to be able -actually to give himself up, with his whole being, to -the powers which at present are only active in man -during childhood. Thus the object of evolution -through successive earthly lives is gradually to -make the whole individual, including therefore the -conscious part, into an expression of the powers -which are ruling in him under the influence of the -spiritual world,—though he does not know it,—during -the first years of his life. The thought which -takes possession of the soul after such reflections -as these, must fill it with humility, but also with a -due consciousness of the dignity of man. The -thought is this: man is not alone; there is something -living within him which is constantly affording -him proof that he can rise above himself to -something which is already growing beyond him, -and which will go on growing from one life to another. -This thought can assume more and more -definite form; and in that case it affords something -supremely soothing and elevating, at the same time -filling the soul with corresponding humility and -modesty. What is it that man has within him in -this way? Surely a higher, divine human being, by -whom he is able to feel himself interpenetrated, -saying to himself, “He is my guide within me.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span></p> - -<p>From such a point of view, it is not long before -we arrive at the thought that by all the means in -our power we should strive to be in harmony with -that within our being which is wiser than conscious -intelligence. And we shall be referred on from the -directly conscious self to an enlarged self, in the -presence of which all false pride and presumption -will be extinguished and subdued. This feeling develops -into another, which opens the way to accurate -understanding of the nature of present -human imperfection; and the consciousness of this -leads to the knowledge that man may become perfect, -if once the larger spirituality ruling within him -is allowed to bear the same relation to his consciousness -which it bore to the unconscious life of -the soul in early childhood.</p> - -<p>If it often happens that memory does not go -back as far as the fourth year of a child’s life, it -may nevertheless be said that the influence of the -higher spirit-sphere, in the above sense, lasts -through the first three years. At the end of that -span of time a child becomes capable of linking its -impressions of the outer world to the ideas of its -ego. It is true that this coherent ego-conception -can only be reckoned as existing as far back as -memory extends. Yet we must say that <em>virtually</em> -memory extends to the beginning of the fourth -year, only it is so weak at the beginning of distinct<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span> -ego-consciousness as to be imperceptible. It may -therefore be granted that those higher powers -which dispose of a human being in the early years -of childhood can be operative for three years; -therefore man, during the present middle period of -the earth, is so organized that he can receive these -forces for <em>only</em> three years.</p> - -<p>Supposing a man now stood before us, and that -some cosmic powers could cause his ordinary ego -to be removed. (For this purpose we must assume -that it would be possible to remove from the physical, -etheric and astral bodies the ordinary ego which -has gone through the incarnations with the man.) -And now suppose that an ego could then be introduced -into the three bodies which is working in -connection with spiritual worlds, what would happen -to a person thus treated? At the end of three -years his body would necessarily be shattered. -Something would occur, through cosmic karma, -which would prevent the spirit-being which would -be in connection with higher worlds, from living -more than three years in that body.<a name="FNanchor_1" id="FNanchor_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> Only at the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> -end of all his earthly lives will man have that within -him which will enable him to live more than three -years with that spirit-being. But then, it is true, -man will be able to say to himself, “Not I, but that -Higher One within me, Who was always there, is -now working in me.” Till that time comes, he is -not able to say this. The most he can say is that -he feels that higher being, but has not yet progressed -far enough with his real, actual human ego, -to be able to bring the other to full life within him.</p> - -<p>Supposing then that, at some time in the middle -earth-period, a human organism were to come into -the world, and later in life be freed from his ego by -the action of certain cosmic powers, receiving in -exchange the ego which usually only works in man -during the first three years of life, and which would -be in connection with the spiritual worlds in which -man exists between death and re-birth: how long -would such a person be able to live in an earthly -body? About three years. For at the end of that -time, something would arise through cosmic -karma, which would destroy the human organism -in question.</p> - -<p>What is here supposed is, however, a historical -fact. The human organism which stood in the river -Jordan at John’s baptism when the ego of Jesus of -Nazareth left the three bodies, contained, after the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> -baptism, in complete conscious development, that -higher Self of humanity which usually works with -cosmic wisdom on a child without its knowledge. -At the same time, the necessity arose that this Self -which was in connection with the higher spirit-world -could only live for three years in the appropriate -human organism. Events had then to -take place which brought the earthly life of that -being to a close. The outer events in the life of -Christ Jesus are to be interpreted as absolutely -conditioned by the inner causes just set forth, and -present themselves as the outward expression of -those causes.</p> - -<p>We are now able to see the deeper connection -existing between that which is man’s guide in life, -which streams in upon our childhood like the dawn -and is always working below the surface of our -consciousness as the best part of us, and that which -once upon a time entered the whole of human evolution -and was able to dwell for three years in a -human frame.</p> - -<p>What then is manifested in that “higher” ego, -which is in connection with the spiritual hierarchies, -and which in due time entered the body of Jesus of -Nazareth? This entrance being symbolically represented -by the sign of the Spirit descending in the -form of a dove, and by the words, “This is my well-beloved<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> -Son, to-day have I begotten him” (for so -stood the words originally). If we fix our eyes -upon this picture, we are contemplating the highest -human ideal. For it means nothing else than that -the history of Jesus of Nazareth is a statement of -this fact: “The Christ can be discerned in every -human being.” And even if there were no Gospels -and no tradition, to tell us that once a Christ lived -on earth, we should yet learn through knowledge -of human nature that the Christ is living in man.</p> - -<p>The recognition of the forces working in human -nature during childhood is the recognition of the -Christ in man. The question now arises, does this -recognition lead to the further perception of the -fact that this Christ once really dwelt on earth in a -human body? Without bringing forward any documents, -this question may be answered in the affirmative. -For genuine clairvoyant knowledge of -self leads the man of the present day to see that -powers are to be discovered in the human soul -which emanate from the Christ. These powers are -at work during the first three years of childhood -without any action being taken by the human being. -In later life they <em>may</em> be called into action, if -the Christ be sought within the soul by inner meditation. -Man was not always able, as he is now, to -find the Christ within himself. There were times<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> -when no inner meditation could lead him to the -Christ. This again we learn from clairvoyant perception. -In the interval between that past time -when man could not find the Christ in himself, and -the present time when he can find him, there took -place Christ’s earthly life. And that life itself is the -cause of man’s being able to find the Christ in himself -in the manner that has been pointed out. Thus -to clairvoyant perception the earthly life of Christ -is proved without any historical records.</p> - -<p>It is just as if the Christ had said, “I will be such -an ideal for you human beings as, raised to a -spiritual level, will show you that which is fulfilled -in each human body.” In his early childhood man -learns from the spirit how to walk physically, <i>i.e.</i>, -he is shown by the spirit his way through earthly -life. From the spirit he learns to speak, <i>i.e.</i>, to -form <em>truth</em>; or in other words, he develops the -essence of truth out of sound during the first three -years of his life. And the <em>life</em> too, which man lives -on earth as an ego-being, obtains its vital organ -through what is formed in the first three years of -childhood. Thus man learns to walk, <i>i.e.</i>, to find -“the way,” he learns to present “truth” through his -physical organism, and he learns to bring “life” -from the spirit into expression in his body. No -more significant re-interpretation seems possible<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> -of the words “Except ye become as little children, -ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven.” And -momentous is that saying in which the ego-being -of the Christ comes into expression thus, “I am the -Way, the Truth and the Life.” Just as, unknown -to a child, the higher spirit-forces are fashioning -its organism to become the bodily expression of -the way, the truth and the life, so the spirit of man, -through being interpenetrated with the Christ, -gradually becomes the <em>conscious</em> vehicle of the way, -the truth and the life. He is thereby making himself, -in the course of his earthly development, into -that force which bears sway within him as a child, -when he is not consciously its vehicle.</p> - -<p>This saying about the way, the truth and the -life is capable of opening the doors of eternity. It -sounds to man out of the depths of his soul, if his -self-knowledge is true and real.</p> - -<p>Such reflections as these open up, in a double -sense, the vision of the spiritual guidance of the -individual and of collective humanity. As human -beings we are able, through self-knowledge, to find -the Christ within us as the guide Whom, since His -life on earth, we can always reach, because He is -always in man. And further, if we apply to the -historical records that we have apprehended without -them, we discover their real nature. They express<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span> -historically something which is revealed of -itself in the depths of the soul. They are therefore -to be accounted as <em>guiding</em> humanity in the same -direction as the soul itself is proceeding.</p> - -<p>If we thus understand the suggestion of eternity -in the words, “I am the way, the truth and the life,” -we cannot feel ourselves justified in asking, “Why -does a person who has passed through many incarnations -always re-enter life as a child?” For it -becomes evident that this apparent imperfection is -an ever-recurring reminder of the Highest that is -in man. And we cannot be reminded often enough,—at -any rate each time we enter earthly life is not -too often to be reminded,—of the great fact of -what man really is with reference to that Being -who underlies all earthly existence, without being -touched by its imperfections.</p> - -<p>It is not well to make many definitions or summaries -in occult science or theosophy, or indeed in -occultism generally. It is better to give a description, -and to try and call forth a feeling of what -really exists. On this account we are now attempting -to induce a feeling of what distinguishes the -first three years of human life, and of the way in -which this is related to the light that streams from -the cross on Golgotha. The meaning of this feeling -is that an impulse is passing through human<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span> -evolution, and that through this impulse the -Pauline saying, “Not I—but the Christ in me,” will -become a fact. We have only to know what man is -in reality, in order to be able to proceed from such -knowledge to insight into the nature of the Christ. -When once, however, we have arrived at the Christ-idea -through true observation of humanity, we -know that we discover the Christ in the best way if -we first look for Him in ourselves, and if we then -return to the Bible records, these are for the first -time rightly valued. And no one prizes the Bible -more, or more consciously, than one who has found -the Christ in this way. It is possible to imagine a -being, let us say an inhabitant of Mars, descending -to earth, without ever having heard of the Christ -and His work. Much that has taken place on earth -would be incomprehensible to the Martian; much -that interests people nowadays would not interest -him. But it would interest him to discover the -central impulse of earthly evolution, <i>i.e.</i>, the Christ-idea, -as it is expressed in human nature itself.</p> - -<p>One who has grasped this, is able for the first -time rightly to understand the Bible, for he finds -expressed there in a marvellous way what he has -previously observed in himself, and he says: It is -not necessary to have been brought up with any -special reverence for the Gospel; they need only<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span> -be presented to me, a fully-conscious human being, -to stand revealed in all their greatness, by means -of what I have learnt through occult science.</p> - -<p>It is indeed not too much to say that a time will -come when it will be recognized by people who -have learned through occult science rightly to appreciate -the contents of the Gospels, that these are -guides of the human race in a sense which is more -just to those writings than people have hitherto -been to them. It is only through knowledge of -human nature itself that humanity will learn to see -what is latent in those profound records. It will -then be said: If there is to be found in the Gospels -that which forms an integral part of human nature, -it must have come from the people who wrote these -documents on earth. Therefore what genuine reflection -brings home to us about our own lives,—the -more so the older we grow—must hold especially -good with regard to those writers. We ourselves -have done many things which we only understand -years afterwards, and in the writers of the -Gospels may be seen people who wrote out of the -higher self which works in man during childhood, -so that the Gospels are writings emanating from -the wisdom which moulds human nature. Man -through his body is a manifestation of spirit, and -the Gospels are such a manifestation in writing.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span></p> - -<p>On this assumption the idea of inspiration regains -its true and loftier meaning. Just as higher -forces are at work on the brain during the first -three years of childhood, so there were higher -forces from spiritual worlds impressed on the souls -of the Evangelists, under the influence of which -they wrote the Gospels. The spiritual guidance of -humanity is expressed in such a fact as this. For -the human race must surely be <em>guided</em>, if within it -there are people working who write records under -the influence of the same powers that are at work -on the moulding of man in profound wisdom. And -just as the individual says or does things which he -only understands at a later period of life, so collective -humanity has produced in the Evangelists -means of revelation which can only be understood -by degrees. The farther humanity progresses, the -greater will be the understanding of these records. -The individual can feel spiritual guidance within -himself; and collective humanity can feel it in those -of its members who work as did the writers of the -Gospels.</p> - -<p>The idea thus gained of the guidance of humanity -may be extended in many directions. Let us suppose -that a man finds disciples,—a few people who -follow him. Such an one will soon become aware, -through genuine self-knowledge, that the very fact<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span> -of his finding disciples gives him the feeling that -what he has to say does not originate with himself. -The case is rather this,—that spiritual powers in -higher worlds wish to communicate with the disciples, -and find in the Teacher the fitting instrument -for their manifestation.</p> - -<p>The thought will suggest itself to such a man: -when I was a child I worked on myself by the aid -of forces proceeding from the spiritual world, and -what I am now able to give, of my best, must also -proceed from higher worlds; I may not look upon -it as belonging to my ordinary consciousness. -Such a man may in fact say: something demonic, -something like a “daimon”—using the word in the -sense of a <em>good</em> spiritual power—is working out of -a spiritual world through me on my disciples.</p> - -<p>Socrates felt something of this kind. Plato tells -us that he spoke of his “daimon” as of the one who -led and guided him. Many attempts have been -made to explain this “daimon” of Socrates, but it -can only be explained by supposing that Socrates -was able to feel something like that which results -from the above reflections. Then we are able to -understand that throughout the three or four centuries -during which the Socratic principle was -active in Greece, a state of feeling permeated the -Greek world through Socrates, which prepared the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> -way for another great event. The feeling that man, -as he now is, is not the whole of what comes -through from higher worlds,—this feeling went on -working. The best of those in whom it was present -were those who afterwards best understood the -words, “Not I, but the Christ in me.” For they -could say to themselves: Socrates used to speak of -a being working as a “daimon” from higher -worlds; the Christ-ideal makes clear what Socrates -meant. Only Socrates could not as yet speak of -Christ, because in his time no one was able to find -the Christ-nature <em>within himself</em>.</p> - -<p>Here again we feel something of the spiritual -guidance of the race, for nothing can be established -in the world without preparation. Why was it that -Paul found his best disciples in Greece? Because -the ground had been prepared there by the teaching -of Socrates and the state of feeling that has -been described. That is to say, what happens in -human evolution may be traced back to events -which operated previously, and made people ripe -for what was afterwards to be brought to bear -upon them. Do we not feel here how far the guiding -impulse passing through human evolution extends -and how at the right moment it places people -where they will be best used to further evolution? -In such facts is manifested the guidance of the -human race in a general way.</p> - -<div class="footnotes"> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_1" id="Footnote_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> The vitality of the human organism is maintained -at the transition from childhood to later life, -because the organism is capable of change at that -period. Later in life, it is no longer susceptible of -change, and on this account cannot continue to -exist with that other Self.</p> - -</div> - -</div> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span></p> - -<h2>LECTURE II.</h2> - -<p>If we turn our attention to what was said by the -teachers and leaders of ancient Egypt about the -direction and guidance of the spiritual life of their -country, we may trace a remarkable parallel between -what is manifested in the individual life of -man, and what governs human evolution as a -whole. It is related that when a Greek once asked -an Egyptian, who had guided and led his nation -from ancient times onwards, he answered, “In far -off times of yore, the gods ruled and taught us, and -only afterwards men came to be our leaders.” The -Egyptians named Menes to the Greeks, as their -first leader on the physical plane to be recognized -as a <em>human</em> leader. That is to say, the directors of -the Egyptian people alleged that in earlier times -the gods themselves—as Greek records say—guided -and led the Egyptian nation. Such an assertion, -coming down to us from ancient times, -must, however, be rightly understood. What did -the Egyptians mean when they said, “Our kings -and great teachers were gods”?</p> - -<p>The man who thus answered the question of the -Greek meant that if any one had gone back into the -ancient times of the Egyptian nation, and had -asked those people who felt something within them -like a higher consciousness, or wisdom from higher<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span> -worlds, “Who are really your teachers?” they -would have answered, “If I wanted to tell you -about my real teacher, I should not point to such -and such a person and say, ‘That is my teacher,’ -but I should first have to put myself into a clairvoyant -state, (it is known from occult science that -this was comparatively easier in ancient times than -it is now,) and then I should find my real inspirer -and teacher, who comes to me only when the eyes -of my spirit are opened.” For in ancient Egypt, -beings who were not incarnated in a physical -human body came down amongst men. In those -remote ages, it was the gods who still ruled and -taught the Egyptians, and by “gods” they understood -beings who had preceded man in evolution.</p> - -<p>According to occult science, the earth passed -through an earlier planetary condition, called the -“Moon-state,” before it became “Earth.” During -this condition man was not yet human in the -present sense of the word; but there were on the -old Moon other beings, not possessed of the -present human form and differently constituted, -who nevertheless were then at the evolutionary -stage which man has now attained on earth. We -may therefore say, that on the ancient Moon-planet -which has perished, and out of which the earth -afterwards originated, there lived beings who were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span> -man’s predecessors. In Christian esoteric language -they are called Angel-beings (Angeloi) and the beings -immediately above them—Archangels (Archangeloi). -The latter were human at a still earlier -period than the angels. What are called angels or -Angeloi in Christian esotericism, and Dhyanic beings -in Eastern mysticism, were “men” during the -Moon-period. Now these beings, during the -present earth-period, are a stage farther advanced -than man,—those of them, that is to say, who completed -their evolution on the Moon. Only at the -end of the earth’s evolution will man have arrived -at the stage which those beings had reached at the -end of the Moon-period.</p> - -<p>When the earth-state of our planet began, and -man appeared on earth, these beings were not able -to appear in an external human form, for the -human body of flesh and blood is essentially a product -of earth, and is only adapted to the beings -who are now human. The beings, who are a stage -farther advanced than man, could not be incarnated -in human bodies when the earth was beginning its -evolution. They were only able to take a part in -the government of the earth by illuminating and -inspiring people in primeval times in the condition -to which these attained when clairvoyant. Indirectly, -then, through these clairvoyant people,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> -the angels intervened to guide the destinies of -earth.</p> - -<p>Thus the ancient Egyptians still remembered a -condition of things during which the leading personalities -of the nation were clearly conscious of -their connection with what are called gods, angels, -or dhyanic beings. Now what sort of beings were -these, who were not incarnated in a human form of -flesh and blood, but influenced mankind in the way -we have described? They were man’s predecessors, -who had progressed beyond the human -stage.</p> - -<p>There is in these days much misuse of a word -which may in this connection be applied in its true -meaning, the word “Superman.” If we really wish -to speak of “Supermen,” it is these beings who may -rightly be so called, who were human during the -Moon-period, the planetary stage preceding our -earth and who have now outgrown humanity. They -were only able to appear in an etheric body to -clairvoyants. It was thus that they came down to -earth from spiritual worlds, and ruled there even -as late as post-Atlantean times.</p> - -<p>These beings had, and still have, the remarkable -quality of not being obliged to think; in fact, we -might even say that they cannot think at all as man -does. How then does man think? More or less in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> -this way. He starts from a certain point and says, -“I understand this or that,” and from that point he -then tries to understand various other things. If -this were not the method of human thought, school-life -would not be such a difficult period for many. -We cannot learn mathematics in a day, because we -have to begin at a certain point, and go slowly forwards. -This takes a long time. We cannot survey -a whole world of thought at a glance, for human -thought runs its course in <em>time</em>. A system of -thought does not enter the mind in a flash. We -have to make an effort, and have to exert ourselves, -in order to find the sequence of thought. -The beings described above are without this human -peculiarity. A far-reaching train of thought comes -into their minds with the same rapidity with which -an animal makes up its mind that it will snatch at -something which its instinct tells it is eatable. Instinct -and reflective consciousness are in no wise -distinct in these beings, they are one and the same -thing. Just as animals have instinct at their stage -of evolution, in their kingdom, so these dhyanic -beings or angels have direct spiritual thought and -conceptions. By virtue of this instinctive inner life -of conception, they are of an essentially different -nature from human beings.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span></p> - -<p>Now we can easily form an idea of the impossibility -of the use by these beings of a brain or physical -body such as we have. They have to use an -etheric body, because the human body and brain -only allow of thoughts in <em>time</em>, whereas these beings -do not develop their thoughts in <em>time</em>, but feel -the wisdom that is approaching them blaze forth, -as it were, spontaneously within them. It is impossible -for them to think erroneously in the sense -in which man does. The process of their thought -is a direct inspiration. Hence the personalities who -were able to come into contact with these superhuman -or angelic beings, were conscious that they -were in the presence of unerring wisdom. Therefore, -even as late as in ancient Egyptian times -when the man who was the human teacher or king -was in the presence of his spiritual guide, he felt -thus: the command which he is giving, the truth -which he is enunciating, is <em>literally</em> right, and cannot -be wrong. (This was also felt by those to -whom the truths were passed on.)</p> - -<p>The clairvoyant guides of the human race were -able to speak in such a manner that in their words -people believed they were receiving exactly what -came down from the spiritual world. In short, -there was a direct current down from the higher -spirit-hierarchies which were directing humanity.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> -Thus what works on the individual in early childhood -may be seen working on humanity at large in -the form of the next world of spirit-hierarchies -which hovers over human evolution as a whole. -This is the next kingdom of the angels or superhuman -beings, standing a step higher than man, -and extending directly into spiritual spheres. They -bring down to earth from those spheres what is -worked into human civilization. In the child, it is -on the formation of the body that the higher wisdom -leaves its impress; in human evolution of past -ages, it was civilization that was so matured.</p> - -<p>Thus the Egyptians, who described themselves -as being in connection with divinity, felt that the -soul of humanity was open to the action of spirit -hierarchies. Just as the soul of a child opens its -aura to the hierarchies up to the time mentioned in -the preceding pages, so, through its work, did the -whole of humanity open its world to the hierarchies -with which it was connected.</p> - -<p>This connection was most important in those -teachers whom we call the holy teachers of India, -the great teachers of the first post-Atlantean or Indian -civilization, which unfolded itself in Southern -Asia. When the Atlantean catastrophe was over, -and the physiognomy of the earth had changed, so -that the new conformation of Asia, Europe and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span> -Africa had evolved in the Eastern hemisphere, the -civilization led by the ancient great teachers of -India began. This was before the time we have -mentioned as reported in ancient records. The man -of to-day is apt to get quite a wrong idea about -these teachers. If, for example, one of the great -Indian teachers were to be confronted with an educated -man of the present day, the latter would gaze -upon him with astonishment, and perhaps say, “Is -that a great teacher? I should never have thought -it.” For using the words “clever” or “learned” in -the sense in which modern people of culture do, the -holy teachers of ancient India had nothing clever -to say. They were, in the present sense of the -words, simple, homely people, who would have -answered even questions of everyday life in the -simplest fashion possible. And there were many -periods during which scarcely anything could be -elicited from them but what would seem, to an -educated man of to-day, most insignificant. But -on the other hand, there were certain times when -these holy teachers were revealed as something -more than simple, homely men. At these times -they were obliged to be together to the number of -seven, because what each individual was able to -feel had to combine harmoniously with the other -six teachers, as though in a consonance of seven<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> -sounds. For it was then possible for each one to -see something according to his particular gift and -degree of development, so that from the harmony -of the separate parts which each individual was able -to see, there arose what comes down to us from -ancient times as primeval wisdom, that is supposing -we know how to decipher the real occult -records. These records are not the revelations of -the Vedas, however much we may admire them. -What the Indian holy teachers taught is of much -earlier date than the composition of the Vedas, and -it is only a feeble echo of their wisdom which lies -before us in these mighty works. But when each -of these men was in the presence of a superhuman -predecessor of humanity, was gazing clairvoyantly -into higher worlds and listening clairaudiently to -what was being taught through that predecessor, -it was as though the sun shone out of their eyes. -What they were then able to say worked with overpowering -force on their environment, so that all -who heard them knew that it was not human life or -wisdom that was speaking, but that <em>gods</em>, superhuman -beings, were influencing human civilization.</p> - -<p>The ancient civilizations had their rise in this -sounding through to mankind of the knowledge of -the gods. Only by degrees in post-Atlantean times -was the door, so to speak, closed into the divine<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> -spiritual world which in the Atlantean period had -still been wide open for the human soul. And in -the various countries and nations it was felt that -man was thrown ever more and more on his own -resources. What is revealed in the case of a child -appears in humanity at large in a different way. -The divine spiritual world is first diffused into the -unconscious soul of a child, and the soul works -upon the formation of the body. Then comes the -moment at which the child learns to feel itself an -“ego” and this is the moment to which its memory -goes back in later life. This is what makes it possible -to say that the wisest of men may still learn -something from the soul of a child. From this -point, however, the individual is left to himself. -The ego-consciousness comes into being, and -everything combines to make it possible for him to -remember his experiences.</p> - -<p>So, too, in the life of nations there came a time -when they began to feel themselves more shut off -from the divine inspiration of their early forefathers. -Just as the child becomes gradually shut -off from the aura that floats about its head in its -earliest years, so in the life of nations did the divine -ancestors withdraw themselves more and more, -and mankind was left to its own research and to its -own knowledge. When history speaks in this manner,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> -the fact of the guidance of humanity is realized. -“Menes” was the Egyptian name of him who inaugurated -the first “human” civilization, and it is -at the same time hinted that man thereby became -liable to error, for thenceforward he was left to -look for guidance to the instrument of his brain. -That man was liable to fall into error is symbolically -indicated by the fixing of the date of the construction -of the labyrinth at the time when -humanity was abandoned by the gods; for the labyrinth -is an image of the convolutions of the brain -as the instrument of man’s own thoughts,—windings -in which the thinker is able to lose himself. -The Orientals called man as a thinking being -“Manas” and Manu stands for the first great -thinker. The Greeks called the first organizer of -the human principle of thought Minos, and with -him is associated the myth of the labyrinth, because -it was felt that, since his time, mankind had gradually -passed from the direct guidance of the gods to -a guidance in which the “ego” feels the influence of -the higher spirit-world in a different way.</p> - -<p>Besides those predecessors of man, the true -supermen, who had completed their humanity on -the Moon and had become angels, there are, however, -other beings who did not perfect their evolution -on the Moon. The beings called dhyanic in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> -Oriental mysticism and angelic in Christian esotericism, -consummated their evolution on the ancient -Moon, and when man began his earthly career were -already a stage higher than he was. But there -were other beings who had not finished their evolution -on the ancient Moon, any more than the higher -categories of Luciferic beings had finished theirs. -When the earth-state of our planet began, man as -we have described him was not the only being -there. He felt also the inspiration of divinely-spiritual -beings; otherwise, like a child, he would -have been unable to progress. Accordingly, besides -these childlike human beings, there must have -been also present on the earth, acting through -them, beings who had completed their evolution on -the Moon. But between these and man there were -yet other beings who had not finished their evolution -on the Moon,—beings of a higher order than -man, because, even as early as the ancient Moon-period, -they might have become angels or dhyanic -beings. At that time, however, they had not come -to full maturity. They were angels in a backward -state, yet they far out-distanced man as regards -everything which man called his own. Generally -speaking, they are beings occupying the lowest -grade in the ranks of Luciferic spirits. They hold -a middle position between men and angels, and -with them begins the kingdom of Luciferic spirits.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span></p> - -<p>Now it is extremely easy to get an erroneous -idea about these spirits. We might ask why did -the divine spirits, the vicegerents of good, allow -them to fall short, and thereby admit the Luciferic -principle into humanity? And it might further be -objected on this ground, that surely the good gods -turned everything to good. This question is -obvious. And another misunderstanding which -might arise, is expressed in the idea that these are -“evil” spirits. Both ideas are merely misunderstandings: -for these spirits are by no means purely -“evil,” although the origin of evil in human nature -is due to them, but they stand midway between -man and superman. In a certain way they are -more perfect than men. In all the qualities which -human beings have to acquire for themselves, these -spirits have attained a high standard, and they only -differ from man’s predecessors described above in -being able to incarnate in human bodies whilst man -is being evolved on earth. This is because they did -not consummate their humanity on the Moon.</p> - -<p>The dhyanic or angelic beings proper, who are -the great inspirers of humanity, and to whom the -Egyptian referred as being still their teachers, did -not appear in human bodies, but could only manifest -themselves <em>through</em> human beings. On the -other hand, the beings in a mid-position between<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> -men and angels were still able, in very early times, -to incarnate in human bodies. Hence amongst the -human race inhabiting the earth in the Lemurian -and Atlantean periods, we find people whose innermost -soul-nature was that of an angel in a backward -state; <i>i.e.</i>, in the ancient Lemurian and Atlantean -periods, there were not only ordinary -people going about the earth, who through their -successive incarnations were to arrive at what corresponds -to the ideal of humanity, but beings who -only outwardly appeared like the others. They -had to bear a human body, for the outward form of -a human being in the flesh is dependent on earthly -conditions. Especially in the more ancient times -did it happen that beings belonging to the lowest -category of Luciferic individualities were present -amongst men. And so at the same time when the -angel-beings were working on human civilization -through man, Lucifer-beings were also incarnated -and founding human civilizations in various places. -And when in the old folk-legends it is related that -in some place there lived a great man who was the -founder of a civilization, we are not to understand -that a Lucifer-being was incarnated who must -necessarily have been the vehicle of evil, for, on the -contrary, human civilization received countless -blessings through those beings.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span></p> - -<p>Now it is known through occult science that in -ancient times, particularly in the Atlantean period, -there existed a kind of primitive human language, -a manner of speech which was similar all over the -earth, because “speech” in those days came much -more out of the depths of the soul than it does now. -This may be gathered from the following: In Atlantean -times, people felt all outward impressions -in such a way that if the soul wished to express -anything <em>outward</em> by a sound, it was constrained to -use a <em>consonant</em>. What therefore existed in space -pressed for imitation in a consonant. The blowing -of the wind, the murmur of the waves, the shelter -given by a house were felt, and imitated by man in -consonants. On the other hand, the sorrow or joy -which was felt <em>inwardly</em>, or even what in another -being might be feeling, was imitated in a <em>vowel</em>. -From this we can see that the soul became one, in -speech, with outer events or beings. The following -instance is taken from the Akashic Records: A -man drew near a hut, which was arched in the -ancient fashion and gave shelter and protection to -a family. He noticed this, and expressed the protective -arch by a consonant; and by a vowel he expressed -the fact, which he was able to <em>feel</em>, that -within the hut the souls in bodies were comfortable. -Thence arose the thought, “Shelter.” “There<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> -is a shelter for me,—shelter for human bodies.” -The thought was then poured forth in consonants -and vowels, which could not be otherwise than they -were, because they were a direct impression of experience -and had but one meaning. This was the -same all over the earth. It is no dream that there -was once a primitive human root-language. And, -in a certain sense, the initiates of all nations are -still able to feel that language. Indeed there are in -all languages certain similar sounds which are -nothing else than the remains of that universal -language.</p> - -<p>This speech was prompted in human souls by the -inspiration of the superhuman beings, man’s true -predecessors, who had perfected their evolution on -the Moon. From this it may be seen that if that -evolution alone had taken place, the entire human -race would practically have remained one great -unity, and there would have been uniformity of -speech and thought all over the earth. Individuality -and diversity could not have been developed, -nor at the same time could human freedom. In -order that man might become individual, cleavages -had to take place in humanity, and the difference of -language in different parts of the world is due to -the work of those teachers in whom a Luciferic -spirit was incarnated. According as a particular<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> -angel-being, who had fallen short in his evolution, -was incarnated in a particular race, was he able to -instruct its people in a particular language. Thus -the ability to speak a separate language is, in all -races, traceable to the illuminating presence of -these great beings, who were angels in a backward -state and stood far above the people of their immediate -environment. For instance, the beings described -as the original heroes of the Greeks and -other nations, and who worked in a human form, -were those in whom an angel who had fallen short -was incarnated. Therefore these beings must by -no means be characterized as entirely “evil.” On -the contrary, they brought to man that which predestined -him to be a free human being all over the -globe, and they differentiated what otherwise would -have constituted a uniform whole everywhere on -earth. This is not only true of languages but of -many other departments of life. Individualization, -differentiation,—freedom, we may say, comes from -the beings who fell short in their Moon-evolution. -It is true that we might say that it was the purpose -of the wise government of the cosmos to bring all -beings in planetary evolution to their goal, but if -this had been done in a direct way, certain things -would not have been attained. Certain beings were -therefore arrested in their development because they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span> -were to have a special mission in the progress of -humanity. Since the beings who had fulfilled their -mission on the Moon would only have been able to -educate a uniform human race, beings who had -fallen short on the Moon were set over against -them, and it thereby became possible for these -backward ones to turn into good what had been -really a fault on their part.</p> - -<p>This opens up the question, why do evil, wickedness, -imperfection and disease exist in the world? -This problem should be looked at from the point of -view from which we have just considered the imperfect -angel-beings. Everything which at any -time exhibits imperfection or backwardness will -nevertheless be turned into good in the course of -evolution. It is of course unnecessary to mention -that such a truth as this affords no justification for -bad actions on man’s part.</p> - -<p>Thus we already have an answer to the question, -why does a wise Providence allow certain beings to -lag behind and not reach their goal? This happens -just because there will be good reason for it at the -time following upon the formation of such a purpose. -For it was when nations were not yet able to -guide and govern themselves that the teachers of -particular periods and individuals arose. And all -the different race-teachers, Cadmus, Cheops,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span> -Pelops, Theseus, etc., are, in one aspect, angel-beings -in the depths of their souls. From this it -appears that in this respect also, humanity is really -subject to direction and guidance.</p> - -<p>Now at every stage of evolution there are beings -who lag behind and do not attain the possible goal. -Let us then look once more at the ancient Egyptian -civilization, which ran its course thousands of years -ago in the Nile valley. Superhuman teachers were -manifested to the Egyptians, who said that these -teachers guided mankind like gods. At the same -time, however, other beings were also at work, -who had only half or partially attained the angelic -stage. Now we must fully understand that in -ancient Egypt man reached a definite stage of evolution, -<i>i.e.</i>, that the souls of people of the present -day had attained a definite stage in the Egyptian -period. But it is not only man who gains by letting -himself be guided; the beings also who direct and -guide him attain thereby something which furthers -their evolution. For instance, an angel is something -<em>more</em> after he has guided humanity for a while, -than he was before that guidance began. His -guiding work helps him to progress, and this is -true not only of one who has completed his evolution -as an angel, but also of one who has lagged -behind. All beings are able continually to advance;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span> -everything is in a state of perpetual development; -but at every stage beings are left behind. Thus, in -accordance with what has just been said, there can -be distinguished in the ancient Egyptian civilization -the divine leaders or angels, the semi-divine -leaders who did not quite attain the angelic stage, -and the men. But certain beings in the ranks of -the angels again lag behind, <i>i.e.</i>, they do not bring -all their powers into expression when guiding -humanity, but remain behind as angels during the -ancient Egyptian stage of civilization. Similarly -some of the incomplete angels lag behind. Thus -whilst men below were progressing, certain individuals -of the beings above, the dhyanic spirits or -angels, fell behind in their evolution. When the -Egypto-Chaldæic civilization came to an end, and -the Graeco-Roman period began, certain guiding -spirits from the former period, who had fallen behind -in their evolution, were present. But they -could not use their powers, for other angels or -half-angelic beings had replaced them, and that -meant that their own evolution was at a standstill.</p> - -<p>Hence there comes under our notice a category -of beings who might have used their powers during -the Egyptian period, but did not at that time use -them fully. In the ensuing Graeco-Roman period -they were not able to use them, because then they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span> -were replaced by other guiding spirits, and all the -conditions of that time made their intervention impossible. -But just as the beings who had not -reached the angelic stage on the old Moon were -afterwards allotted the task of once more actively -interposing in human evolution during the earth-period, -so also the beings who as guiding spirits in -the Egypto-Chaldæic civilization had stopped short -in their development, afterwards received the mission, -as beings who had lagged behind, of again intervening -in civilization. Thus we shall be able to -watch a later period of civilization in which beings -sent to be guides are certainly there to direct the -normal progress of evolution, but in which, at the -same time, other beings are intervening who were -left behind at an earlier stage, and more particularly -those who fell behind during the ancient -Egyptian period. The civilization to which we are -referring is our own. We live at a time when, side -by side with the normal directors of humanity, -others are interposing who were left behind in the -ancient Egyptian and Chaldæic period.</p> - -<p>Now we have to look upon the evolution of -events and beings in such a way that occurrences -in the physical world must be considered only as -effects or manifestations, the true causes of which -are to be sought in the spiritual world. On the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> -one hand our civilization is in the main marked by -an upward movement towards spirituality, and this -tendency of certain people towards spirituality is -the manifestation of the spiritual directors of our -contemporary humanity, who have attained their -own normal stage of development. In everything -which tends to lead man up to the great spiritual -wisdom-truths transmitted to us by theosophy, -these normal guides of our evolution are manifested. -But the beings out-distanced during the -Egypto-Chaldæic civilization are also affecting the -tendencies of our age. They are manifested in -much that is being thought and done at the present -time, and will again be manifested in what lies in -the near future. They are revealed in everything -which gives a materialistic stamp to our civilization, -and may often be seen even in aspirations -after spiritual things. In our age we are virtually -experiencing a revival of Egyptian civilization. -The beings who are to be looked upon as the invisible -directors of what takes place in the physical -world, fall accordingly into two classes. The first -includes those spiritual individualities who have -passed through their own normal course of development -up to the present time. Hence they were -able to interpose in the guidance of our civilization, -whilst the directors of the preceding Graeco-Roman<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span> -period were gradually finishing their task -of guiding civilization during the first thousand -years of Christianity. The second class, who work -simultaneously with the first class of beings, are -spiritual individualities who did not complete their -evolution during the Egypto-Chaldæic civilization. -They were obliged to remain inactive during the -ensuing Graeco-Roman period, but are now able -to resume their activity because our present age -has points of resemblance to the Egypto-Chaldæic -period. It thus comes about that many things arise -in contemporary humanity which look like a revival -of ancient Egyptian forces, but there is also -much which is like a materialistic resuscitation of -forces which then worked spiritually. To illustrate -this, we may point to an example of the way in -which ancient Egyptian knowledge has been revived -in our days.</p> - -<p>Let us think of Kepler. He was quite possessed -by the feeling of the harmony of the cosmos, and -this idea was expressed in his important mathematical -laws of the mechanism of the heavens, the -so-called laws of Kepler. These are outwardly very -dry and abstruse, but in Kepler they were the outcome -of an understanding of the harmony of the -universe. We may read in Kepler’s writings that -in order to discover what he did, he was obliged to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span> -go to the sacred Egyptian mysteries, purloin their -temple-vessels, and by this means bring knowledge -into the world, the importance of which to -humanity would only be known in later times.</p> - -<p>This utterance of Kepler’s is by no means an -empty phrase, but contains a dim consciousness of -a revival of what he had learned in the Egyptian -period, during a former incarnation. We may certainly -entertain the idea that Kepler assimilated -the ancient Egyptian wisdom during one of his -previous lives, and that it reappears in his soul in a -new form, adapted to a later age. That a materialistic -impulse should enter our civilization through -the Egyptian spirit is quite intelligible, for Egyptian -spirituality was wrapped in a vigorous materialism, -which found expression, for instance, in their embalming -the physical bodies of the dead. This -meant that they attached value to the preservation -of the physical body. This has come down to us -from the Egyptian period in a different form, but in -one corresponding to our time. The same forces -which had not then run their course, affect our age, -but in a different way. The temper of mind which -embalmed dead bodies gave rise to that which -idolizes the merely material. The Egyptian embalmed -dead bodies and thereby preserved what he -accounted valuable. He thought that the development<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span> -of the soul after death was connected with the -preservation of the physical, material body. The -modern anatomist dissects what he sees, and thinks -that in this way he understands the laws of the -human organism. Thus in our modern science -there are living the forces of the ancient Egyptian -and Chaldæic world, which then were progressive -forces, but which now represent what has lagged -behind, and which must be recognized for what -they are, if a correct estimate is to be formed of the -character of the present time. These forces will -injure a man of the present day if he does not know -their real significance. He will take no harm from -them, but will turn them to good account, if he -knows their effect and thereby brings himself into -the right relation to them. They have their value, -for without them we should not have the present -great achievements in technique, industries, etc. -They are forces belonging to Luciferic beings of -the lowest stage, and the danger lies in the fact that -if they are not recognized aright, the materialistic -impulses of the present time are thought to be the -only possible ones, and the other forces, which lead -up to the spiritual world, are not seen. For this -reason any clear diagnosis is certain to discern two -currents of thought in the present age.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span></p> - -<p>Now if a wise Providence had not allowed certain -beings in the Egypto-Chaldæic period to fall -short in their evolution, our contemporary civilization -would have been wanting in necessary weight. -In that case only those forces would be operative -which would bring man into the spiritual world by -main force. People would be only too ready to -yield themselves up to those forces, and would become -dreamers. The only life they would wish to -know about would be one which is being spiritualized -as fast as possible, and their standard of action -would be a view of life which showed a certain degree -of contempt for what is physical and material. -But the present epoch of civilization can only fulfill -its mission if the forces of the material world are -brought to the fullest perfection, and if thus by degrees -their sphere too is won for spirituality. Just -as the fairest things may become corrupters and -tempters of mankind if pursued in a one-sided way, -so if this one-sidedness took root, there would be -great danger that all kinds of good efforts would -come into manifestation as fanaticism. True -though it is that humanity is helped forward by its -noble impulses it is also true that wild and fanatical -advocacy of the noblest impulses may bring about -the worst of results as far as true evolution is concerned. -Only when people strive after the highest<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span> -modestly and sensibly, not out of wild fanaticism, -can anything beneficial to the progress of humanity -take place. In order that the work done on earth -at the present day may have the necessary weight, -and that material beings of the physical plane may -be understood, the wisdom which directs the -government of the world left those forces behind -which would normally have completed their evolution -during the Egyptian period; and it is they who -are now directing man’s attention to physical life.</p> - -<p>It is obvious from the foregoing that evolution -takes place under the influence both of normally -progressive beings and of those who lag behind. -Clairvoyant vision is able to trace the co-operation -of both classes of beings in the supersensible -world, and hence is able to comprehend the -spiritual events of which the physical facts surrounding -humanity are the manifestations.</p> - -<p>We observe that, in order to understand cosmic -events, it is not enough to have spiritual eyes and -ears opened to the spiritual world by some kind of -exercise. This only means that we <em>see</em> what is -there, that we are cognizant of spiritual beings and -know that they are entities of the soul-world or -spirit-sphere. But it is also necessary to recognize -what kinds of beings they are. We may meet some -being of the soul or spirit world, but we do not<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> -necessarily know whether it is progressing in its -evolution, or whether it belongs to the category of -powers that have lagged behind; whether therefore -it is pushing evolution onwards, or hindering it. -Those people who acquire clairvoyant faculties and -do not at the same time gain complete understanding -of the conditions of human evolution which we -have described may know absolutely nothing of -the nature of the beings whom they meet. Mere -clairvoyance must be supplemented by clear judgment -of what is seen in the supersensible world. -There is urgent necessity for this especially in our -own time, but it had not always to be so much considered. -If we go back to very ancient civilizations, -we find different conditions. If in the most ancient -Egyptian times a person was clairvoyant, and was -confronted with a being from the supersensible -world, the latter had, as it were, written on his forehead -who he was. The clairvoyant could not mistake -him. Now, however, the possibility of misunderstanding -is very great. Whereas humanity in -early times still stood very near the kingdom of -the spiritual hierarchies and could see what beings -it was meeting, it is now very easy to be mistaken, -and the only protection against being severely injured -is the effort to gain ideas and conceptions -like those indicated above.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span></p> - -<p>A person who is able to look into the spiritual -world is called esoterically a “clairvoyant,” but -merely to be clairvoyant is not enough, for such a -man might be able to see well enough but not able -to discriminate. He who has acquired the faculty -of distinguishing one from another the beings and -events of higher worlds, is called an “Initiate.” Initiation -brings with it the possibility of distinguishing -between different kinds of beings. Thus it is -possible to be clairvoyant in the higher worlds -without being an Initiate. In ancient times distinguishing -between spirits was not specially important, -for when the ancient occult schools had -brought a pupil so far as clairvoyance, there was -no great danger of error. Now, however, this -danger exists to a high degree. Therefore in all -esoteric training, care should be taken that initiation -should be acquired in condition to clairvoyance. -In proportion to the extent of his clairvoyance -must a man become capable of distinguishing -between the various kinds of supersensible beings -and events.</p> - -<p>In modern times the powers guiding humanity -are faced by the special task of bringing about a -balance between the two principles of clairvoyance -and initiation. Leaders of spiritual training had -necessarily to pay attention to this at the beginning<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span> -of the modern era. Therefore the esoteric -spiritual movement which is adapted to present -conditions, always makes a point of maintaining -the right proportion between clairvoyance and initiation. -This became necessary at the time when -mankind was passing through a crisis with regard -to its higher knowledge. That time was the thirteenth -century. About the year 1250 was the point -of time when mankind felt itself most shut out from -the spiritual world. A clairvoyant looking back -upon that period sees the following: The most -eminent minds of that time who were striving after -some kind of higher knowledge, could only say to -themselves, “What our reason, our intellect, our -spiritual knowledge are able to find out is limited -to the physical world around us. With all our -human endeavor and power of perception, we cannot -reach a spiritual world. We only know of it by -accepting the information concerning it which our -forefathers bequeathed us.” This was the time -when direct view of the higher worlds was obscured. -That this can be said of the era in which -scholasticism flourished, is not without significance.</p> - -<p>About the year 1250 was the time when men were -compelled to fix a boundary between what they -were able to apprehend for themselves, and what -they had to believe from the impression made upon<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span> -them by the traditions which had been handed -down. What they could find out for themselves -then became limited to the physical world of sense. -Afterwards, however, came the time when there -was more and more possibility of again winning a -view of the spiritual world. But the new clairvoyance -was of a different kind from the old, which -virtually became extinct just about the year 1250. -In the new form of clairvoyance, western esotericism -was obliged strictly to uphold the principle -that initiation must be the guide of spiritual sight -and hearing. This was the special task assigned to -an esoteric current which then entered the stream -of European civilization. As the year 1250 drew -near there arose a new kind of guidance into the -supersensible worlds.</p> - -<p>This guidance was prepared by the spirits then -standing behind outer historical events, who centuries -before had provided for the kind of esoteric -training which would be rendered necessary by the -conditions prevailing in 1250. If the term “modern -esotericism” be not misused, it may be applied to -the spiritual work of those very highly evolved personalities. -External history knows nothing of -them, but what they did is apparent in every form -of civilization which has developed since the thirteenth -century.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span></p> - -<p>The importance of the year 1250 for the spiritual -evolution of humanity is specially apparent if we -look at the result of clairvoyant research given in -the following fact: Even those individualities who -had attained high stages of spiritual development, -in previous incarnations, and who were reincarnated -about 1250, were compelled for a while to -undergo a complete clouding over of their direct -view of the spiritual world. Quite enlightened individuals -were as though cut off from the spiritual -world, and their only knowledge of it was through -their remembrance of earlier incarnations. Thus we -see how necessary it was that from that time onwards -a new element should be brought into the -spiritual guidance of humanity. This element was -true modern esotericism. By its means it is for the -first time possible rightly to understand how that -which we call the “Christ-impulse” may intervene -to guide the whole of mankind and the individual -also, in all possible eventualities.</p> - -<p>Between the accomplishment of the Mystery of -Golgotha and the beginnings of modern esotericism, -lies the first period of the working of the -Christ-principle in human souls. During that -period, people received Christ to a certain degree -unconsciously as far as their higher spirit-forces -were concerned, and this caused them afterwards,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span> -when they were obliged to receive them consciously, -to make all kinds of mistakes, and to lose -themselves in a maze instead of understanding -Christ. In primitive Christian times we may trace -the adoption of the Christ-principle by the lower -soul-forces. Then came a new period, in which -mankind of to-day is still living. Indeed, in a certain -respect, people are only now beginning to -understand the Christ principle with the higher -faculties of their souls. In the further course of -this work it will be shown that the decline of supersensible -knowledge down to the thirteenth century, -and on the other hand its slow revival since that -time, coincide with the interposition of the Christ-impulse -in human evolution.</p> - -<p>We may therefore take modern esotericism to -mean the raising of the Christ-impulse to be the -motive power in the guidance of souls desiring to -work their way to a knowledge of higher worlds, in -accordance with the evolutionary conditions of -modern times.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span></p> - -<h2>LECTURE III.</h2> - -<p>In accordance with what has been said in the -preceding chapters, the spiritual guidance of the -course of human evolution may be sought for -among those beings who went through their stage -of humanity during the previous embodiment of -the Earth-planet, <i>i.e.</i>, during the ancient Moon -period. This guidance stood contrasted with another -which checked, and yet in a certain sense -furthered, whilst checking the first, and which was -carried out by those beings who had not completed -their own evolution during the Moon-period. -Reference is made in both these cases to those -guiding beings immediately above man—to those -who lead humanity forward, and to those who provoke -resistance, thereby strengthening and confirming -the forces arising through the progressive -beings, by bestowing on them balance and individuality. -In Christian Esotericism, these two -classes of superhuman beings are called Angels -(Angeloi). Above these beings in an ascending -order, stand those of the higher hierarchies, the -Archangels, the Archai, etc., who likewise take part -in the guidance of humanity.</p> - -<p>Within the ranks of these different beings there -are all possible gradations in regard to perfection. -In the category of the Angels there are at the beginning -of the present Earth-evolution, some<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span> -standing high and others less developed. The -former have progressed far beyond the minimum -of their Moon-development. Between these and -those who had just reached this minimum when the -Moon-evolution had come to an end, and the -Earth-evolution had begun, there are all possible -gradations. Conformably with this gradation of -rank, the beings in question entered during the -Earth-period upon the leadership of human evolution. -Thus the evolution of the Egyptian civilization -was effected under the guidance of beings who -had become more perfected on the Moon than -those who were the leaders of the Graeco-Roman -period, and these again were more perfect than -those who have the leadership at the present time. -In the Egyptian as also in the Greek Period, those -who later on assumed the direction, were meanwhile -developing, and making themselves ready to -guide the civilization of later periods.</p> - -<p>Since the time of the great Atlantean catastrophe, -seven consecutive epochs of civilization have to be -differentiated; the first is the ancient Indian epoch, -and it is followed by the ancient Persian.<a name="FNanchor_2" id="FNanchor_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span> -third is the Egypto-Chaldæic, the fourth is the -Graeco-Roman, and the fifth is our own, which, -since about the twelfth century, has been gradually -developing and in which we are still living. And as -the separate periods overlap, we see already in our -times those early events preparing which will lead -over into the sixth post-Atlantean epoch. And a -seventh epoch will succeed the sixth in due course. -On closer observation we find the following evidence -with regard to the guidance of mankind. It -was during the third epoch of civilization, the -Egypto-Chaldæic, that the Angels (or lower -dhyanic beings according to Oriental mysticism) -were to some extent independent leaders of -humanity. They were not so during the ancient -Persian civilization. For then they were subject to -a higher direction in a much greater degree than in -the Egyptian times, and had to regulate everything -in conformity with the impulses of the hierarchies -immediately above them. In this way everything -was under the immediate guidance of the Angels, -but these themselves submitted to the rulership of -the Archangels. And in the Indian epoch when -post-Atlantean life had reached such a height in -spiritual matters as has never been attained since—a -natural height under the direction of great human -teachers—then the Archangels themselves were<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span> -subject in a similar sense to the guidance of the -Archai or Primal Powers. Thus if we trace the -evolution of humanity from the Indian epoch -through the ancient Persian and Egypto-Chaldæic -civilization, we may say that certain beings of the -higher hierarchies withdrew as it were, ever more -and more from the direct guidance of humanity. -And in the fourth post-Atlantean period of civilization, -<i>i.e.</i>, the Graeco-Roman epoch, man had become -in a certain sense quite independent. The -guiding superhuman beings were certainly intervening -to develop humanity, but only in such a way -that the reins were tightened as little as possible, -and also that the spiritual leaders themselves might -profit as much through the deeds of men as men -profited through them. Hence arose that peculiar -and quite “human” civilization in the Graeco-Roman -time in which man was made to rely entirely -on himself. For all the distinctive characteristics -of Art and political life in Greek and Roman -times are traceable to the fact that man had to live -out his own life in his own way.</p> - -<p>So, when we look back to the most ancient times -of civilization, we then find evolution guided by beings -who had accomplished their evolution as far -as the human stage, in earlier planetary conditions. -But the fourth post-Atlantean period of civilization<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span> -was intended as a time when man should be put to -the test as much as possible, and consequently was -the time when the whole spiritual guidance of -humanity had to be re-organized. We are now -living in the fifth post-Atlantean period of civilization. -The leading beings of this period belong to -the same hierarchy as that which ruled the ancient -Egyptians and Chaldæans. In fact those beings -who then took the lead, have again begun to be -active in our times, for it has been stated that certain -beings remained behind during the Egypto-Chaldæic -civilization, and that these are to be found -manifested in the materialistic feelings and perceptions -of our own period.</p> - -<p>Now the progress made by the beings of each -class of Angels or lower dhyanic beings—the class -which leads mankind forward and the class which -obstructs—consists in their being able to be leaders -among the Egyptians and Chaldæans by means of -those qualities which they had acquired in primordial -times, and which they had further developed -by their work as leaders. Thus the progressive -Angels are intervening to guide the fifth -post-Atlantean civilization by means of capacities -which they themselves had won during the third -or Egypto-Chaldæic civilization. Through the -progress they make they are acquiring for themselves<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span> -quite special capabilities, for they are -qualifying themselves to receive the influx of forces -emanating from the most important Being in the -whole evolution of the Earth. The power of the -Christ is working in them; for that power works -not only on the physical world through Jesus of -Nazareth—but also in the spiritual worlds upon the -superhuman beings. The Christ exists not only -for the earth but also for these other beings. The -beings who guided the old Egypto-Chaldæic civilization -were not at that time under the direction of -the Christ, but have only placed themselves under -His guidance since. And their progress consists in -their following Him in the higher worlds, so that -they may guide our fifth post-Atlantean period of -civilization in accordance with His influence. And -the remaining behind of those beings of whom it -has been said that they operate as obstructive -powers, is due to their not having put themselves -under the leadership of the Christ, and thus they -continue to work independently of Him. Hence -the following state of things will become more and -more evident in human evolution: There will be a -materialistic movement under the guidance of the -backward Egypto-Chaldæic spirits. It will have a -materialistic character, and the greater part of -what in all countries, may be called contemporary<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span> -materialistic science is under this influence. There -are, for example, people to-day who say that our -earth in its primary origin consisted of atoms. -Who instils this thought into men’s minds? It is -the superhuman angel beings who had remained -behind during the Egypto-Chaldæic period. But, -side by side with this movement, there is another -making itself felt, the one which has as its goal that -man shall eventually find in all that he does, that -which may be called the Christ-principle.</p> - -<p>Now what will those beings teach who attained -their goal in the old Egypto-Chaldæic sphere of -civilization, and who then learned to know the -Christ? They will be able to instill into man other -thoughts than that there are only material atoms; -for they will be able to teach that, even to the -minutest particle of the world, the substance is -permeated with the Spirit of the Christ. And, -strange as it may seem, there will be in the future, -chemists and physicists who will not teach chemistry -and physics as they are now taught under the -influence of the backward Egypto-Chaldæic spirits; -but who will teach that “Matter is built up in the -way in which the Christ gradually ordained it.” -The Christ will be found working even in the very -laws of chemistry and physics. It is a spiritual -chemistry, and spiritual physics that will come in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span> -the future. To-day such a statement appears certainly -to many people as something fanciful or -worse than that, but in many cases the sense of the -future is folly to the past. The factors which in -this sense enter into the evolution of human civilization -are already there for the careful observer; but -such an one will know quite well the objections -which may, with apparent justice, be urged against -such alleged folly from the modern scientific or -philosophic point of view.</p> - -<p>From such hypotheses we are able to understand -what advantage the guiding superhuman beings -have compared with man. Humanity learned to -know Christ in the fourth civilization period of the -post-Atlantean times, <i>i.e.</i>, in the Graeco-Roman -epoch, for it was in the course of this civilization -that the Christ-event found its place in evolution, -and it was then that man learned to know the -Christ. The guiding superhuman beings, however, -learned to know Him during the Egypto-Chaldæic -times, and worked themselves up to Him. Then -during the Graeco-Roman civilization they had to -leave man to his own fate in order that, later on, -they might re-enter the sphere of human evolution. -And if nowadays theosophy is cultivated, that signifies -nothing else than a recognition of the fact that -the superhuman beings who formerly guided<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span> -humanity are now continuing their task as leaders -in such a way as to be under the direct guidance of -the Christ themselves. Thus it is with other beings -also.</p> - -<p>In the ancient Persian epoch, the leadership of -humanity was apportioned to the Archangels. -They put themselves under the direction of the -Christ earlier than did the beings in the rank next -below them. Of Zarathustra it can be said that -pointing to the sun, he spoke to his followers and -his people in some such words as these: “In the -sun there lives the great Spirit Ahura Mazdao, who -will one day come down to the earth.” For the beings -out of the region of the Archangels who -guided Zarathustra, pointed to the great sun-leader, -who had not at that time come down upon -the earth, but had only begun his journey thither in -order, later on, to enter directly into the earth evolution. -And the guiding beings who directed the -great teachers of the Indians, also pointed these to -the Christ of the future; for it is a mistake to think -that these teachers had no foreknowledge of the -Christ. They said that He was “beyond their -sphere” and that they “could not attain” unto Him.</p> - -<p>As now in our fifth period of civilization, it is the -Angels who bring down the Christ into our -spiritual evolution, so the sixth period of civilization<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span> -will be directed by beings who belong to the -ranks of the Archangels who guided the ancient -Persian civilization. And spirits of Personality—the -Primal Powers—or Archai—who guided -humanity during the ancient Indian epoch will have -to guide humanity in the seventh period of civilization. -In the Graeco-Roman period, the Christ descended -from the heights of the spirit-world and -revealed Himself in the physical body of Jesus of -Nazareth. He then came down as far as the physical -world. It will be possible to find Him in the -world immediately above ours when humanity shall -have become sufficiently ripe. It will not be possible -in the future to find Him in the physical world, -but only in the world immediately above, for -human beings will not always remain the same; -they will become more mature, and will then find -the Christ in the spiritual world, as Paul found -Him in his experience before Damascus, which -event prophetically foreshadowed the future means -of finding the Christ. And since in our times the -same great teachers who have already guided mankind -through the Egyptian Civilization are working, -so also in the twentieth century it will be these -same teachers who will lead men out to behold the -Christ as Paul beheld Him. They will show mankind -how the Christ not only works upon the earth,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span> -but how He spiritualizes the whole solar system. -And those who will be the reincarnated holy -teachers of India in the seventh period of civilization -will proclaim the Spirit Who was foreshadowed -through the undivided Brahma, to whom however -the right content and meaning could only be given -through the Christ, as the great, the immense -Spirit, of Whom they formerly said that He -hovered above their sphere. Thus will humanity -be led upwards from stage to stage into the -spiritual world.</p> - -<p>To speak in this way about the Christ—how He -is the leader of the higher hierarchies also in the -successive worlds, is to teach the science which, -under the title of modern esotericism, has endured -into our civilization since the twelfth and thirteenth -centuries, and which, as has been shown, had from -that time become necessary. If from this aspect -we observe more closely the Being Who lived in -Palestine, and Who consummated the Mystery of -Golgotha, then we find the following:</p> - -<p>Up to the present time many ideas concerning -the Christ have found expression. There was for -instance the idea of certain Christian Gnostics in -the first centuries, who said that the Christ Who -lives in Palestine was not present in any physical -body of flesh at all; that He had only an apparent<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span> -body—an etheric body which had become physically -visible; so that His death on the Cross had -been no real death but only an apparent one, for -the very reason that only an etheric body was -present. Then we find the various disputes among -those who professed Christianity, as for example, -the well-known controversy between the Arians -and Athenatians, etc., and the most varied explanations -concerning what the Christ really was. And -indeed right up to our own times people express -and have expressed the most varied ideas concerning -the Christ.</p> - -<p>Now spiritual science must recognize in Christ -not merely an earthly but also a <em>cosmic</em> Being. In a -certain sense man is, taken as a whole, a cosmic -being. He lives a twofold life—one in a physical -body from birth to death, another in the spiritual -worlds between death and a new birth. When he is -incarnated in a physical body, he is living in dependence -on the earth, because the physical body is -restricted by the forces and conditions of existence -belonging to the earth. A man, however, does not -only take the substances and forces of the earth -into himself, but is joined to the whole of the -earth’s organism. When he has passed through -the gate of death, he does not any longer belong to -the forces of the earth; but it would be incorrect to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span> -imagine that he then belongs to no forces at all, -for he is then connected with the forces of the solar -system and the more distant star-systems. In this -way, between death and a new birth, he lives in the -domain of the cosmic, just as in the period between -birth and death he lived in the domain of the -earthly. From death to a new birth he belongs to -the cosmos, as on the earth he belongs to the elements—Air, -Water, and Earth. Accordingly, -while he is passing through a life between death -and a new birth, he comes into the region of cosmic -influences, for the planets send forth not merely the -physical forces of what astronomy teaches, such as -gravitation and others, but also spiritual forces, -and with these spiritual powers of the cosmos man -is connected—each person in a special manner according -to his own individuality. If he is born in -Europe, he lives in a different relation to warmth -conditions, etc., than if he had been born, let us -say, in Australia. Similarly, during his life between -death and a new birth, one person may stand -more closely related to the spiritual powers of -Mars, another to those of Jupiter, others again to -those of the whole planetary system in general, and -so on. It is also these forces which bring man back -again to the earth. Thus before he is born he is -living in connection with the collective whole of -stellar space.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span></p> - -<p>According to the way in which a man stands individually -related to the cosmic system, so are the -forces directed which lead him to this or that set of -parents and to this or that locality. The impetus, -the inclination to incarnate here or there, in this -or that family, in this or that people, at this or that -time, depends on how the person was organically -connected with the cosmic before birth. In former -times, in that territory where the German tongue -was spoken, a specially apt expression was used -whereby to indicate a person’s entrance into the -world through birth. When a person was born, -people said that in such and such a place he had -“become young” (jung-geworden). Therein lies -an unconscious reference to the fact that man in -the time between death and a new birth continues -at first to be subject to the powers which had made -him old in a previous incarnation, but that before -birth there come in their place such forces as again -make him “young.” Thus Goethe in “Faust” still -uses the expression “to become young in Nebelland”—Nebelland -being the old name for mediæval -Germany.</p> - -<p>The truth underlying the casting of a horoscope -is that those who know these things can read the -forces which determine a person’s physical existence. -A certain horoscope is allotted to a person<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span> -because, within it, those forces find expression -which have led him into being. If, for example, in -the horoscope, Mars stands over Aries (the Ram) -that signifies that certain of the Aries forces are -not allowed to pass through Mars—and are -weakened. Thus is a man put into his place within -physical existence, and it is in accordance with his -horoscope that he guides himself before entering -upon earthly existence. This subject, which in our -times seems so much a thing of chance should not -be touched upon without our attention being called -to the fact that nearly everything practiced in this -connection to-day is simply dilettantism—a pure -superstition—and that for the external world the -true science of these matters has been for the most -part completely lost. Consequently, the principal -things which have been said here are not to be -judged according to that which nowadays frequently -leads a questionable existence under the -name of Astrology.</p> - -<p>Now it is the active forces of the stellar world -that impel man into physical incarnation; and when -clairvoyant consciousness observes a person, it can -perceive in his organization how this has resulted -from the co-operation of cosmic forces. We may -now attempt to illustrate this hypothetically, but in -a form corresponding entirely with clairvoyant observations:<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span> -If a person’s physical brain were extracted -and its construction clairvoyantly examined, -so that it might be seen how certain parts -are situated in certain places, and send out appendages, -it would be found that the brain of each -individual is different. No two people have brains -alike. Then let us imagine further that this brain -could be photographed in its complete structure so -that one would have a kind of half-sphere in which -every detail was visible, then this would make a -different picture in the case of each person. And if -one were to photograph a person’s brain at the -moment of birth and then photograph also the -heavens lying exactly over the person’s birthplace, -then this latter picture would be of exactly the -same appearance as that of the human brain.</p> - -<p>As certain centres were arranged in the latter, so -would the stars be in the photograph of the -heavens. Man has within himself a picture of the -heavens, and every man has a different one, according -to whether he was born in this place or that, -and at this or that time. This is one indication that -man is born from out of the whole cosmos.</p> - -<p>When we keep this clearly in view we can rise to -the idea of how the macrocosm manifests itself in -each separate individual, and then, starting from -this point, we can attain a conception of how it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> -showed itself in the Christ. But if we were to imagine -the Christ <em>after</em> the Baptism of John as -though the macrocosm had then been living in -Him in the same way as in other people, we should -be mistaken.</p> - -<p>Let us first consider Jesus of Nazareth: His -conditions of existence were quite exceptional. At -the beginning of our era <em>two</em> boys were born and -named Jesus. The one came through the Nathan -line of the house of David, and the other through -the Solomon line of the same house. These two -children were not born quite at the same time, but -nearly so. In the Jesus descended from Solomon, -Who is described in the Gospel of St. Matthew, -there was incarnated the same individuality who -had formerly lived on the earth as Zarathustra, so -that in this Child Jesus there appears the reincarnated -Zarathustra or Zoroaster. The individuality -of Zarathustra grew up in this Child until, -as St. Matthew says, His twelfth year. In that -year, Zarathustra left the body of this Child and -passed over into that of the other Child Jesus -Whom the Gospel of St. Luke describes. In consequence -of this the latter child became suddenly -quite different. The parents were astonished when -they found Him in Jerusalem in the temple after -the spirit of Zarathustra had entered into Him.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span> -This is intimated when it is said that the Child after -having been lost and found again in the temple, so -spake that his parents did not recognize Him. -They only knew Him—the Child descended from -Nathan as He had been before up to this time. But -when He began to reason with the doctors in the -temple, it was possible for Him to speak as He did -because the spirit of Zarathustra had come into -Him. Until the thirtieth year did the spirit of -Zarathustra live in the Jesus who was descended -from the Nathan line of the house of David. In -this body He ripened to a still higher perfection. -The remark must here be added that as regards -this personality in which the spirit of Zarathustra -<em>now</em> lived, an extraordinary feature was, that from -the spiritual worlds the Buddha rayed forth his -impulses into its astral body.</p> - -<p>The oriental tradition is correct which says that -the Buddha was born as a “Bodhisatva,” and only -during his time on earth, in his twenty-ninth year, -rose to the dignity of a Buddha. When the -Gautama Buddha was a little child, the Indian sage -Asita came weeping into the royal palace of his -father, Suddhodana. He wept because, as a seer, -he knew that this King’s son would become the -Buddha, and because as an old man, he felt that he -would no longer be living to see that event take<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span> -place. Now this sage was born again in the time of -Jesus of Nazareth. It is he who is brought before -us in the Gospel of St. Luke as the priest of the -temple who saw the revelation of the Buddha in the -Child Jesus descended from Nathan. And seeing -this he was able to say: “Lord, now lettest Thou -Thy servant depart in peace for I have seen my -Master.” What he had not been able to see previously -in India, he saw through the astral body of -the Boy Jesus, Who comes before us in St. Luke’s -Gospel, the Bodhisatva become a Buddha.</p> - -<p>All this was necessary in order that that body -might be produced which received the baptism of -St. John in the Jordan. At that moment the individuality -of Zarathustra left the threefold body, the -physical, the etheric and the astral body of that -Jesus Who had grown up in so complicated a manner, -in order that the spirit of Zarathustra might be -able to dwell in Him. Through two possibilities of -development which were given in the two Jesus-Children, -the reincarnated Zarathustra had to pass, -and thus there stood before the Baptist the body of -Jesus of Nazareth and in it from that time onwards -there acted the cosmic individuality of the Christ. -Now, as we have shown, in the case of any other -human being, the cosmic spiritual laws work upon -him only in so far that they give him a start in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span> -earth-life. Afterwards there appear in opposition -to these laws, others which arise out of the conditions -of the earth-evolution. In the case of the -Christ Jesus, after the baptism of John the cosmic-spiritual -forces alone remained effective without -being influenced in any way through the laws of the -earth evolution.</p> - -<p>Thus in Palestine during the time that Jesus of -Nazareth walked on earth as Christ-Jesus,—during -the three last years of his life, from his thirtieth to -his thirty-third year, the entire Being of the cosmic -Christ was acting uninterruptedly upon Him, and -was working into Him. The Christ stood always -under the influence of the entire cosmos—He made -no step without this working of the cosmic forces -into and in Him. That which here took place in -Jesus of Nazareth was a continual realization of -the horoscope, for at every moment there occurred -that which otherwise happens only at a person’s -birth. This could be so only because the whole -body of Jesus descended from Nathan had remained -open to the influence of the sum total of the -forces of the cosmic spiritual hierarchies which -direct our earth. If thus the whole spirit of the -cosmos worked into the Christ Jesus, who was it -that went, for example, to Capernaum or anywhere -else? He who went about as a being upon the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> -earth appeared quite like any other man. The -forces active within Him, however, were the cosmic -forces, coming from the sun and stars; and these -directed His body. And it was always in accordance -with the collective Being of the whole Universe -with whom the earth is in harmony, that all -which the Christ Jesus did took place. It is because -of this that in the case of the acts of the -Christ Jesus there is so often some slight hint -given in the Gospels, about the relative grouping -of the stars at the time. We read in St. John’s -Gospel how the Christ finds His first disciples. -There we are told: “It was about the tenth hour,” -because in this fact the spirit of the whole cosmos -found expression in conformity with the appointed -moment of time. Such intimations are less clear -in the other Gospel passages, but he who can truly -read the Gospel finds them everywhere. From this -point of view also the miracles are to be judged. -Let us take one passage,—The one that runs thus: -“When the sun was set, they brought the sick unto -Him, and He healed them.” What does that mean? -The evangelist is drawing attention to the fact that -this healing was connected with the whole position -of the constellations, and that at the time in question, -the constellations throughout the heavens -stood in such a way as could only have happened<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span> -when the sun had set. The meaning of that, at the -time, the requisite healing forces could make themselves -felt after sun-set, and the Christ Jesus is -represented as the intermediary Who brought the -sick into connection with the forces of the cosmos -which, just at that time could work curatively. -These forces were the same as those which worked -as Christ in Jesus. It was through the presence of -Christ that the healing took place, because in -consequence of the same, the sick person was exposed -to the healing forces of the Cosmos which -could only work as they did when they were in the -right relationship to time and space. Thus these -forces worked on the sick person through their -representative the Christ. But it was only just during -the time of Christ on earth that they could so -work. It was only then that such a connection -existed between the cosmic constellations and the -powers of the human organism, that for certain -illnesses, healing could intervene when through the -instrumentality of the Christ Jesus, the cosmic -grouping of the same forces was able to work on -men. A repetition of this relationship in the evolution -of the cosmos and the earth is as little possible -as is a second incarnation of the Christ in a human -body. Regarded in this way, the life of the Christ -Jesus appears as the earthly expression of a definite<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span> -connection between the cosmos and the forces of -man. The tarrying of a sick person by the side of -Christ means that through the proximity of Christ, -this sick person found himself in such a relation -with the macrocosm that the latter could work -upon him curatively.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Therewith the points of view have been specified -which enable us to discern how the guidance of -humanity has come under the influence of the -Christ. The other forces, however, which had remained -behind in the Egypto-Chaldæic times -worked further side by side with those that are -permeated by the Christ. This is evident even in -the attitude frequently adopted to-day towards the -Gospels. Literary works appear in which great -pains are taken to show that the Gospels can be -understood through an astrological interpretation. -The greatest opponents of the Gospels employ this -astrological interpretation in such a manner that, -the way, for example, taken by the Archangel -Gabriel from Elizabeth to Mary is supposed to -signify nothing more than the progress of the sun -from the constellation of Virgo to another. This, -in a certain sense, is correct, except that these -thoughts were poured in this manner into our age -by the beings who had remained behind during the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span> -Egypto-Chaldæic Period. Under such an influence -people are induced to a make-belief that the Gospels -present only allegories in the place of definite -cosmic relations. The truth really is, that in the -Christ the whole cosmos finds expression and -therefore one can express the life of the Christ by -connecting its separate events with the cosmic relations -which work into Earth existence unceasingly -<em>through the Christ</em>. A right understanding of -this matter will thus lead to a full recognition of -the Christ, as having lived on earth, whereas the -above mentioned error, if it were true, would mean -that the Christ life in the Gospels is expressed by -cosmic constellation and shows that it was only a -matter of constellations being treated allegorically, -and that there was no real earthly Christ at all.</p> - -<p>If a comparison were to be used, we might think -of each human being as represented by a spherical -mirror—which, if it were set up, would give pictures -of all its surroundings. Let us suppose we -were to trace with a pencil the outline of all that is -shown from the surroundings. We could then take -the mirror and carry the picture about with us -wherever we went. Let this be a symbol for the -fact that when a person is born, he brings with him -a copy of the cosmos in himself, and afterwards -carries about with him all through his life the effect<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> -of this one picture. The mirror might, however, -be left untouched by the pencil, so that wherever -the person carried it, it would depict the immediate -surroundings. It then would always be giving a -picture of the collective environment. This would -be a symbol of the Christ from the baptism by St. -John up to the mystery of Golgotha. That which, -in the case of any other person, passes into his -earthly existence at birth only flowed into the -Christ-Jesus at every moment. And when the -mystery of Golgotha was consummated, that which -had been radiating from out the cosmos passed -over into the spiritual substance of the earth, and -has from that time forward been united with the -spirit of the earth.</p> - -<p>When St. Paul became clairvoyant before -Damascus, he could recognize that That which had -formerly been in the cosmos has passed over into -the spirit of the earth. Of this every one can be -convinced who can bring his soul into such a condition -that he can have the same experience as had -St. Paul. It is in the twentieth century that those -people will first appear who will have St. Paul’s -experience of the Christ event in a spiritual way.</p> - -<p>Whereas up to our times this event would be experienced -only by such persons as had gained clairvoyant -powers by means of an esoteric training,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span> -hereafter to look upon the Christ in the spiritual -sphere surrounding the earth will be possible for -the advanced powers of the soul in the course of -the natural evolution of humanity. This—as a repeated -experience of the event before Damascus—will -be possible for some people from a certain point -of time in the twentieth century. The number of -such people will afterwards increase, until in the -distant future, it will be a natural faculty of the -human soul.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>With the entrance of Christ into the evolution of -the earth an entirely new impulse or direction was -given to evolution. External facts of history also -express this. In the early times of post-Atlantean -evolution men knew very well that above them -there was not merely a physical Mars, but that -what they saw as Mars, Jupiter or Saturn was the -expression for a spiritual being. In later times this -perception was completely forgotten. The heavenly -bodies became, according to human ideas, mere -bodies to be estimated according to their physical -condition. And in the Middle Ages people saw in -connection with the stars only what the eyes can -see—the sphere of Venus, the sphere of the Sun, -the sphere of Mars, etc., up to the sphere of the -fixed stars; and then came the eighth sphere like a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span> -solid blue wall behind. Then Copernicus appeared -and broke down the idea that only that which is -perceptible to the senses can be authoritative. The -modern physical scientists may indeed say: “It is -madness to declare that the world is Maya, or illusion, -and that you must look into a spiritual -world in order to see the truth, for in spite of all -you say true science is that which relies on the -senses and notifies what these senses tell.” But -when did astronomers rely only on the senses? -Surely at the very time when that astronomical -science was dominant which is attacked by the -science of to-day! It was at that time when -Copernicus began to think out what exists in the -cosmic space beyond the evidence of the senses, -that our modern astronomy as a science began. -And so it is in every domain of science. Everywhere -that science, in the most modern sense of -the word, has arisen, it has done so in opposition -to what had been apparent to the senses. When -Copernicus declared “what you see is Maya—or -deception, rely on what you cannot see,” then the -science came into being which is recognized as -such to-day. It might thus be said to the representative -of modern science “your science itself -only became ‘science’ when it was no longer willing -to depend upon the senses only.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span></p> - -<p>Giordano Bruno came as philosophical interpreter -of the teachings of Copernicus. He led -the gaze of man out into cosmic space, and announced -that what people had called the limitations -of space, what they had placed there as the eighth -sphere limiting everything in space—was in reality -<em>no</em> limitation; it was Maya, or illusion; for an infinite -number of worlds had been poured forth into -cosmic space. That which was formerly considered -to be the boundary of space was shown to be only -the boundary of the sense-world of man, and if we -direct our gaze <em>beyond</em> the sense-world, we shall no -longer see the world only as known to the senses, -but we shall also recognize Infinity.</p> - -<p>From this it is apparent how the course of -human evolution has been such that man started -from an originally spiritual view of the cosmos and -in the course of time lost it. In its place there -came a mere sense-perception of the world. Then -there came into evolution the Christ Impulse. -Through this, mankind was led to stamp the -spiritual view once more upon the materialistic. At -that moment when Giordano Bruno burst the fetters -of the sense illusion, the Christ evolution was -so far advanced, that the soul power, which had -been kindled by the Christ Impulse, could then be -active within him. Therewith an indication is given<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> -of the whole significance of how the life of Christ -penetrates all human evolution, an evolution only -at the beginning of which humanity stands to-day.</p> - -<p>To what then does spiritual science now aspire? -It completes the work begun for external science -by Giordano Bruno and others in that it says: that -which external science is able to perceive is Maya, -or illusion. Just as formerly one looked to the -“eighth sphere” and thought that space was thereby -bounded, so contemporary human thought believes -that man is shut in or enclosed between birth -and death. Spiritual science, however, expands -man’s vision by directing his attention out and beyond -the limits of birth and death.</p> - -<p>There is a continuous chain in human evolution -which such ideas as these make us recognize. And -in the true sense of the words, that which resulted -in the conquest of sense illusion through Copernicus -and Giordano Bruno, already proceeded from the -inspiration due to that spiritual current which is -now working in the modern spiritual science of -theosophy. What one might call the newer esotericism -worked in a mysterious manner on Copernicus, -Bruno, Kepler and others. Those therefore -who now stand, base their thought on foundations -laid by Giordano Bruno and Copernicus and -do not wish to accept theosophy, are unfaithful to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> -their own traditions in desiring to hold fast by -sense illusion. But spiritual science demonstrates -that, as Giordano Bruno forced a way through the -blue firmament of heaven, even so does this science -break down the barriers of birth and death for man -by showing how he originates from out of the -macrocosm, lives in a physical existence, passes -through death, and re-enters macrocosmic life. -And what we see in a limited degree in each individual -meets us unrestrictedly and in a larger sense -in the representative of the spirit of the cosmos—in -the Christ-Jesus. Once and once only could that -impulse be given which the Christ gave. Once only -could the whole cosmos be thus reflected, for the -conjunction of the stars which then took place can -never be repeated. In order to give an impulse to -the earth, this conjunction was obliged to work -through a human body. As it is true that this same -grouping cannot occur a second time, so it is -equally true that the Christ was only once incarnated. -Only if one did not know that the Christ -is the representative of the whole universe and only -if it were impossible to win one’s way to this Christ-Idea, -the elements for which are given through -spiritual science—only then would it be possible to -maintain that Christ could appear more than once -upon the earth.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span></p> - -<p>Thus we see how an idea of Christ arises out of -the new spiritual science or theosophy, which reveals -to man in a new form his connection with the -whole macrocosm. Certainly, in order to gain a -true knowledge of the Christ, those inspiring forces -are absolutely necessary which are now being bestowed -by those same superhuman beings who -formerly guided the Egypto-Chaldæic epoch and -who have now put themselves under the Christ. -There is need of a new inspiration of this kind, of -an inspiration which the great esoteric teachers of -the middle ages had prepared from the thirteenth -century onwards, and which from this time forth -must ever come more and more into publicity. -When man, according to the meaning of this -science, prepares his soul aright for the knowledge -of the spirit-world, he can then hear clairaudiently -and he can see clairvoyantly what is revealed by -the old Chaldæic and Egyptian angel beings who -are now again acting as spiritual leaders under the -guidance of the Christ. That which humanity will -some time later actually gain thereby could only be -<em>prepared</em> in the first centuries of Christianity and up -to our times.</p> - -<p>Consequently we may say that in the future there -will live in the hearts of men an idea of the Christ -incomparable in greatness with anything which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span> -humanity has so far recognized. That which arose -as a first impulse through the Christ, and has lived -as an idea of Him up to the present time—even in -the case of the best representatives of the Christ-principle—is -only a preparation for the true understanding -of the Christ. It would be strange indeed -if, against those who in the West gave expression -in such a way as this to the Christ-idea, it were -brought as a reproach that they do not stand on -the foundation of western Christian tradition, but -it is quite possible, for this western tradition does -not by any means suffice to help us to comprehend -the Christ of the near future.</p> - -<p>From the hypothesis of eastern esotericism we -can see the spiritual direction of humanity gradually -flowing into what may be in a real, true sense -called the guidance, which comes from the Christ-impulse. -That which is appearing as the new -esotericism will flow slowly into the hearts of men, -and the spiritual guidance of men and of humanity -will ever more and more be consciously seen in -such a light. We realize to ourselves how at first -the Christ-principle flowed into the hearts of men -because the Christ had gone about Palestine in the -physical body of Jesus of Nazareth. Later men -gradually surrendered themselves entirely to a reliance -on the world of sense, and could only receive<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> -the impulse which corresponded to their perception. -Afterwards that same impulse so worked -through the inspiration of the new esotericism that -such spirits as Nicholas Cusamus, Copernicus and -Galileo were able to be inspired and Copernicus, -for instance, was enabled to make this assertion: -“That which is evident to the senses cannot teach -the truth about the solar system; if we want to find -the truth we must investigate behind sense appearances.” -At that time men, even spirits like Giordano -Bruno, were not yet ripe enough to join <em>consciously</em> -to the new esoteric stream. The spirit of -the movement had to work in them <em>un</em>consciously. -Yet powerful and magnificent was the announcement -of Giordano Bruno: “When a human being -enters into existence by means of birth, then it is -something macrocosmic that concentrates itself as -a monad; and when a human being passes through -death the monad spreads itself out again; that -which was enclosed within the body spreads itself -out in the cosmos in order to draw itself together -again in other stages of existence, and again to -spread itself out.” There Bruno gave expression -to mighty conceptions which, even if expressed in -stammering tongue, were yet in entire accord with -the sense of the new esotericism.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span></p> - -<p>The spiritual influences which lead humanity -need not work in such a way that man is always -conscious of them. For example, they put Galileo -in the cathedral of Pisa. Thousands had seen the -old church lamp there, but they have not seen it as -did Galileo. He saw the church lamp swinging; -compared the time of its oscillation with the beat -of his own pulse; found that the church lamp -swung in a regular rhythm resembling his pulse-beat; -and from this discovered the laws of the -pendulum in the sense of modern physics. Anyone -acquainted with contemporary physics knows that -these would not be possible without Galileo’s -principle. In this way the force was then working -which is now appearing as spiritual science; Galileo -was placed in the cathedral of Pisa before the oscillating -church lamp, and modern physics gained its -principles. In such a mysterious way do the guiding -spiritual forces of humanity perform their -work.</p> - -<p>We are now approaching the time when people -are to become conscious of these guiding powers. -We shall always come to a better and better understanding -of what has to happen in the future if we -rightly understand what is working inspirationally -as the new esotericism, and which shows that the -same spiritual beings, indicated by the ancient<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> -Egyptians when the Greeks asked them about their -teachers, who then ruled as gods, are now again -assuming control, through having placed themselves -under the leadership of the Christ. Ever -more and more will men feel how they can cause -to reappear in a brighter lustre, in a nobler style -and on a higher level, that which was pre-Christian. -The consciousness necessary for the present time, -which must be an intensified consciousness, ought -to give us a feeling of our high duty and great responsibility -in reference to the recognition of the -spiritual world, and this can only penetrate into -our soul when we have recognized in the sense -indicated, what is the task of spiritual science.</p> - -<div class="footnotes"> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a name="Footnote_2" id="Footnote_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> By “Ancient Persian” is not meant “Persian” in -the usual historic sense, but a pre-historic Asiatic -(Iranian) civilization which developed in that land -over which, later on, the Persian Kingdom extended.</p> - -</div> - -</div> - -<p class="titlepage">THE END.</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Spiritual Guidance of Man and of -Mankind, by Rudolf Steiner - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE OF MAN, MANKIND *** - -***** This file should be named 54260-h.htm or 54260-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/2/6/54260/ - -Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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