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| Ex Deo Nascimur In Christo Morimur Per Spiritum Sanctum Reviviscimus |
From an Esoteric Lesson given by Rudolf Steiner in Christiania, Norway, June 7, 1912:
Why is it that you're here? From
where does your urge for esoteric development come? About 4000 years ago, and so
before the Event of Golgotha, the etheric body enlivened the physical body in
such a way that not all of the etheric body's forces were used to permeate the
physical body, and it was to these forces that an esoteric turned — with these he
turned to spiritual worlds. Then about 3000 years ago, all etheric bodies had
sunk into the physical bodies, especially in Greece, and those who developed the
greatest things in the physical realm felt that the spiritual world was a realm
of shades.
But now the physical body no longer absorbs all of the etheric body's
forces, it rejects them, it is withering, for we are past the middle of Earth
evolution, and it's only through these forces, that the physical body can no
longer take in, that we can live in the spiritual world. And you who felt this
urge for esoteric development, who were not satisfied with mere physical life
and knowledge, you sensed these unused forces in you; they drove you to seek an
esoteric life.
What's the difference between
esoteric and exoteric? In exoteric life we get communications that are taken
from esoteric life as food for our souls. In esoteric life we try to look into
the worlds from which esoteric communications are taken ourselves.
What's given here is not just
communications — it's advice that flows from spiritual inspiration. It's not
just words, concepts, ideals — it's words, concepts, and ideals that are
permeated with life, life germs that are sunk into our etheric forces and that
should blossom there — they're realities. They've been tested repeatedly by
those whom we call the Masters of Wisdom and of the Harmony of Feelings.
Esotericism is a source of life and of
forces that flow through the world and that should also stream through us. And
so every Sunday morning at 9 o'clock you should meditate on: "In the Spirit of
Mankind I feel united with all esotericists."
When we begin our exercises it's of
great importance that we first create inner quiet. It can be attained through
patience. The only thing we have to combat is the thought: I won't attain it. We
should reject this as a temptation. And even if it takes ever so long, the time
will come when our thought horizon will become clear, if we just push away the
sense impressions and thought that distract us with all the willpower that we
muster. We should let the formulas and symbols live in us vigorously and
energizingly, shouldn't form thoughts about them but should experience them and
feel them to be like an inner light. They must take hold of us strongly, for
they are drawn from the unspeakable word that has creative power. This is the
Indians' mahavach; it's inspirations from words that sound through
spiritual worlds; it's supposed to radiate in us like an inner sun.
Then we must create an inner void
by erasing and suppressing everything that arises from memory, including
theosophical contents, and just wait for what can rise in our soul — either
something entirely new that we've never heard or had a inkling of, or a lively
vision of occult facts that we received in exoteric life. Much more strength is
needed for independent discoveries than for an intelligent understanding of the
Pythagorean theorem or some other already found fact. What's communicated to us
now we can also find ourselves, but probably only after 25 incarnations. We have
the duty to work along with the present state of evolution by shortening the
path as much as possible.
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