The Rudolf Steiner Archive

Notes by the translator of M. Collins' novel “Flita”, in: Lucifer-Gnosis, No. 21

Translated from English by members of the Theosophical Society. Sueviaverlag. Jugenheim an der Bergstraße.

Before I say anything about this novel myself, I would like to share the following, which one of the translators gave me. After that, I will give my own review.

To the esteemed members of the Berlin branch of the Theosophical Society and the German Theosophical Society.

Recently, the views of individual members of the above branch have come to light, and they do not agree with the way the leadership has conducted business so far. This has led me to resign from my position as chair. The second chair, Ms. von Sivers, and the treasurer, Mr. Kiem, are also resigning from their posts at the same time as me.

Another solution to this situation was impossible for the reason that I myself must be of the opinion that the previous management and type of leadership is the correct one, and that any other type and view on this matter must necessarily lead away from the true tasks of the Theosophical life. I will defend this view where it is at stake, but I will never impose it on anyone. Those who wish to hold it may do so in complete freedom. However, to carry this view through, a subtle kind of trust is needed, and this does not go well with a purely business-like approach to things. Therefore, I ask those esteemed members who wish to have a purely business-like leadership to take it upon themselves. The Berlin Branch will continue to function under the leadership of Mr. Paul Krojanker, Berlin WfIilmersdorf, Bülowstraße 56. However, those members who are in agreement with my leadership have decided to resign from the Berlin Branch and form a special branch. My and my colleagues' activities will continue in the future in this branch.

It goes without saying that this purely business-related measure will in no way affect the theosophical relationship between me and my co-workers and other members of the Theosophical Society. Every member is invited, as before, to my lectures at Berlin Wfilmersdorf, Motzstr. 17, as well as to all the others. In terms of administration, however, I will in future have only the same relationship to the Berlin branch as to all the other branches of the German Section, as Secretary General.

The members associated in the new branch so far are: Miss Förstemann, Miss Heinrich, Mrs. Johannesson, Mrs. Blieffert, Mr. Blieffert, Miss Knispel, Mr. Kiem, Miss Mücke, Mrs. Artur, Mr. Flamme, Mr. Schlosshauer, Miss Voigt, Miss Fröhlich, Countess Moltke Huitfeld, Mr. Tessmar, Mr. Magnetiseur Werner, Mr. Magnetiseur Tönjes, Dr. Wegeler, Dr. Braun, Mrs. Wandrey, Mr. Willmann, Baroness Lichtenberg, Baroness Lichtenberg, Mr. Gnuschke, Mrs. Kreiselmeyer, Mr. J. Kreiselmeyer, Mrs. Schmidt, Miss v. Sivers, Dr. Rudolf Steiner.

Those members who still wish to join this new branch are requested to contact the undersigned.

With theosophical greetings,
Dr. Rudolf Steiner

Today, the name H. P. Blavatsky unites the thoughts of all theosophists around the world. However, only a few people today know what the spiritual progress owes to the founder of our movement. And even these few know it only partially. For the profound wisdoms contained in The Secret Doctrine reveal themselves to man only slowly and gradually. Whenever one has advanced a little further on the path that loses itself at dizzying heights for every human eye, one discovers new secrets in this book, for which one could not have had the right understanding before. And so HPB is one of those individuals for whom the degree of veneration becomes higher and higher with one's own development. One must have experience in such an increase of esteem for her if one wants to gain the right point of view towards HPB. One must learn to honor her in the right way.

In the beginning, one may still ask about the outward details of her life in order to gain a relationship with her. But there comes a point when all outward appearances fade away in the face of the realization of the immeasurably significant spiritual mission of HPB and her great task within the present spiritual movement. Those who then really perceive something of this spiritual mission will, from the knowledge gained, understand how they should relate to our great pioneer. He also learns to understand that a person who has such a mission must necessarily first accept misunderstanding and even defamation. These are among the sacrifices he must make in life. HPB's work took place at a time when materialistic thinking and attitudes were expanding tremendously. Science, life, everything seemed to supply the building blocks for materialism to erect a gigantic structure. The personality who in such a time brought humanity a renewed awareness of the truth of a spiritual world had to be complex. One has to consider that it depends not only on the truth as it should be handed down to people, but also on the people themselves. It was infinitely difficult to convey the truth to a materialistic way of thinking and attitude in such a way that it could be understood. How HPB had to act was dictated by the measure of understanding that the time could bring her. When a hammer strikes an object, what happens depends not only on the hammer. Glass shatters and lead is beaten into a thin plate. When the great spirit gives great gifts, it must pour its gifts into the vessels that are held out to it by the recipients. – In HPB's case, people will gradually learn to distinguish only between the outer form and the inner value of her great gifts. – It was precisely the spirit of the time in which she had to fulfill her mission that made it so infinitely difficult. The fact that she took on this mission at all testifies to the insight of the size of the personality; but it also testifies to how great the willingness of this personality was to make the sacrifices associated with the mission.

Much has been objected to, namely by the learned or those who want to be learned, regarding the authenticity, etc., of HPB's achievements. It has been doubted that she really did receive her revelations from the source she indicated. But does it depend on that? Isn't it more important to understand the work and recognize its inner value? How many would have to say, with proper study, that they can learn things from the source of HPB's writings that could not be revealed to them from anywhere else. In any case, she is the mediator. Is it wise to receive truths from the hand of a person that deal with the highest things, and then to find fault with the credibility of the same person in much lesser things? Nothing could make HPB more of a miracle than if the objections raised against her were in any way justified. Just imagine the conclusion that would have to be drawn under such circumstances. Suppose someone doubts the “authenticity” of the Dzyan verses. This has been done, and many still do it. So that ancient source HPB refers to does not even exist. All right; let's assume that this is the case, just for the sake of argument. One can argue about the authenticity; but to argue about the truth is absurd. Because everyone can convince themselves of the truth if they take the right paths. Those who do so will recognize more and more of the deepest truths in these verses. Indeed, the matter stands in such a way that with each advance in one's own knowledge one is actually more convinced of the abysmal depth of it, and it becomes ever clearer what one must still leave to one's own guesswork even with advanced understanding. What does the accusation mean in comparison: HPB invented the Dzyan stanzas? The strangest thing would have to happen: this woman finds the deepest truths and invents a foolish fairy tale about their origin. Now the conclusion is so impossible that it can only be a testament to the illogicality of HPB's opponents, but it cannot be taken seriously by someone who truly understands.

The accusers of this personality must gradually see their entire edifice collapse if they have acquired an understanding, even to a moderate degree, of her spiritual power and the nature of her mission. And gradually the image of the woman will emerge from the ruins of accusations, misunderstandings, etc., a woman who placed her abilities at a significant turning point in the service of a movement whose value will not be recognized except by those who have not yet acquired an understanding of it.

But we Theosophists will always celebrate Lotus Day, as the day of remembrance of the moment when HPB left the physical plane, as a day of celebration, and as a day of love and gratitude to the foundress of our movement. Among those of us who understand, HPB is not an authority in the popular sense, because she does not need such authority. But the right and true authority that is due to her will be provided by the recognition of her work. A sense of authority is only to be demanded where it is not voluntarily given. We appreciate and love HPB because we would be untrue to the truth we have recognized if we behaved differently. And we sense that this appreciation of ours will itself be an unfolding lotus flower. For the more we ourselves ascend in knowledge, the larger and more widespread will be the petals of the flower. But for this ascent HPB's work is again the ladder that holds us. Therefore gratitude must be the echo that flows from our hearts when the Lotus Day is a living symbol of our growing knowledge.

Dear members of the board of the D.S. of the T.G.

We kindly request that you send us your formal approval as soon as possible, so that (in addition to the Secretary General, who, according to the statutes, is ex officio the representative of the section at the congress of the Federation of European Sections) Miss Marie von Sivers and Mr. Adolf Arenson can serve as members of the committee that will conduct the business of the congress as it pertains to the German section.

After the most careful consideration of all circumstances, the Secretary General places particular emphasis on your immediate notification of your approval of the election of the above two members. Any delay would cause important obstacles for Secretary Marie v. Sivers at the moment.

Secretary General
Dr. R. Steiner

Confidential

First Rules of the Esoteric School of T.S. on behalf of the Head of the School.

The Esoteric School of Theosophy.

While the “three goals” of the Theosophical Society are well known, it has yet another goal that is not discussed publicly, namely, to help develop the inner life of its more serious and dedicated members, to show them the way to the “narrow, old path” that leads them to the higher realms of existence.

It is by this aim that the Esoteric School is the heart of the Theosophical Society.

The School is divided into degrees. The first degree consists in the Order of Initiation; the next is the First Degree, the next the Second, etc.

The neophyte enters the Order of Initiation. He has not yet taken a vow, but only promised to return his papers if asked to do so, and to regard them as a matter to be spoken of only among members of the School.

For those entering the School, a description of the further organization of the School will be given over the next three weeks.

But first we will speak of the immediate tasks by which the one on the path of examination reaches his goals. These instructions apply initially to the first two months. After that, further instructions will be given. One has to remain on the path of examination for at least 12 months. Then the first degree can be attained.

One initially achieves the goals of the examination path by observing a “daily rule”. It consists of the following:

I. The follower of the school should get up at a certain hour and, before having a meal, engage in meditation. The hour for this is not determined by the school. Each person should set it for themselves, but then strictly adhere to it. Only by organizing his life in a regular (rhythmic) way can man integrate himself into the rhythmic universe and in this way emulate the divine laws of this universe himself. In this emulation of the great laws of the universe lies the possibility of attaining a higher existence.

1. The morning meditation should begin with the one on the path of testing seeking complete concentration within himself, so that during the time set aside for this concentration he hears, sees, etc. nothing outside, and remembers nothing of the ordinary life. At first, in this inner silence, he should turn his thoughts to the Divine in the universe. And then he should realize that his own self is one with this universe. To this end, he should say the words to himself in perfect concentration. These words should not just speak to the mind, but to the whole person; they should be a complete inner experience:

"Brighter than the sun
Purer than the snow,
Finer than the ether
Is the Self
The spirit in my heart
That Self am I
I am that Self.

2. After you have finished this, concentrate on one of the sentences in “Light on the Path”, namely:

the first 14 days on: “Before the eye can see, it must wean itself from tears.”
the following 14 days on: “Before the ear is able to hear, its sensitivity must fade.”
another 14 days on: “Before the voice can speak before the masters, it must unlearn its wound.”

The point is not to speculate about these sentences, but to live with them inwardly for a few minutes, to immerse oneself lovingly in them.

3. After this has also been completed, everyone should turn their thoughts to what the divine is for them. They should surrender to this divine in full devotion. This third part should be a kind of emotional surrender to what one recognizes as their God.

The entire meditation should take about 15 minutes. It is important to see that you are completely awake during the meditation, not falling into a state of half-consciousness.

4. In the evening, before falling asleep, review the experiences of the day for 3-4 minutes. You ask yourself what you have experienced and whether you have gained enough from it; and regarding what you have done, you ask yourself whether you could not have done better. In this way, you become your own objective judge. You should not develop remorse. This is worthless for your own personality and for the world. But we should learn from our past every day for our future, and thus make life a lesson. That is what all evolution consists of. The review should be done in such a way that one begins with the last experiences in the evening and progresses towards the morning (retrograde).

5. One should keep a notebook in which one enters a few words every day about how the morning and evening meditation went and from which one informs the head of the school about one's progress when requested.

6. The consumption of alcoholic beverages is incompatible with the tasks of meditation.

7. Abstinence from meat dishes is not required, but is recommended because it promotes the achievement of the goals of the esoteric school.

More in the next three weeks.

I hereby request that you kindly attend a board meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 21 in Berlin Wilmersdorf, Motzstraße 17.

Agenda: preliminary discussion and preparation for the General Assembly.

Berlin Wilmersdorf, Motzstraße 17.
I. A.
Dr. Rudolf Steiner.
General Secretary of the German Section.

The Theosophical Society (Madras Headquarters) German Section.

Dear Friends,

I hereby invite you to accept the invitation to the

Ordinary General Assembly

of the German Section of the Theosophical Society. It will take place on Sunday, October 22, 1905, in Berlin, at 17 Motzstraße, Wilmersdorf.

Agenda.

I. General meeting of a business nature: Sunday, October 22, 10 a.m.

a) Report of the Secretary General, the Treasurer, the Secretary and the other officials.
b) Report of the auditors.
c) Election of all members of the board.
d) Possible proposals from the Executive Council.
e) A proposal from Mr. Bresch.
f) Other proposals.
g) Miscellaneous.

II. General meeting of a substantive nature: Sunday, October 22, 4 p.m. Presentations and discussions, with a program to be announced later.

Hoping to be able to greet as many of our dear members as possible on the day mentioned above in Berlin,

With theosophical greetings
I.
Dr. Rudolf Steiner
General Secretary of the German Section.

Lucifer-Gnosis, No. 31

It is understandable that this essay could give rise to a wide range of objections, doubts, etc. To prevent some misunderstandings, the editor will make a few comments in the next issue. Since these will, by their nature, have to be somewhat detailed, they will not be dismissed in a note, but No. 32 will be published in a separate small essay.

Lucifer-Gnosis, No. 31 and 32

Dear Readers! With the publication of this issue, I would like to address a few words to the readers about an internal change in the magazine “Lucifer-Gnosis”. In order to provide suggestions on as many pages as possible, the issues will alternate in character in the future. Those essays dealing with the higher parts of occultism and theosophy will only appear in every second issue. The numbers in between, on the other hand, will always deal with the more elementary parts of the occult and theosophical fields in essays that are as generally understandable as possible. Therefore, the reader will only find the continuation of the articles “From the Akasha Chronicle”, “How to Attain Knowledge of the Higher Worlds”, etc. again in No. 32, then in 34, and so on. From No. 33 onwards, the magazine will begin with generally understandable theosophical-occult discussions and with reports on the spiritual-theosophical movement. The chapter “Questions and Answers” will also be expanded. Also, “continuations” of longer articles will from now on only be included in every second issue; the other issues should offer a self-contained whole, if possible without “continuations”. By varying the content in this way, I hope to accommodate those esteemed readers for whom “Lucifer - Gnosis” in its present form was not yet entirely appropriate.

In terms of appearance, the only change will be that the issues will appear in free intervals, i.e. they will not be tied to a monthly date. Therefore, only the number will be listed on the issue, but not a month. The subscription price is for 12 (or 6 or 3) issues, not for a specific time. You can subscribe at any time, for a certain number of issues.

If the time between two issues is to be a “free” time in the future, care will be taken to ensure that the interval does not exceed one month in general.

Dr. Rudolf Steiner,
Berlin W., Motzstraße 17.

Confidential
Berlin, October 17, 1906

To all those who have approached me seeking their esoteric training, I convey my best regards “in spirit and in truth” with the following information.

This message contains things that everyone who strives for esoteric development should make it their duty to observe. They do not belong to the actual meditation, but should be cultivated outside of it. The matter is to be understood in such a way that the esoteric training is only justified if these demands are made of the student at the same time. Only in this case can a good result be achieved.

At the same time it should be pointed out here that patience is necessary for esoteric training. No one should believe that his success will be greater if he impatiently longs for or demands new instructions. Everyone should energetically stick to the instructions given to him; repeat them over and over again until he receives new ones. No one who really needs something will be left unheeded in due time. Whether or not this patience is exercised depends on it.

The disciple should report to me immediately anything he notices or believes he notices in his mental and physical state as a result of the exercises. Likewise, he should seek advice or psychological support in any other way.

Further necessary transmissions will follow in due course. If everything is observed correctly, the masters of truth will guide the student's path.

In this sense
Dr. Rudolf Steiner
Berlin, Motzstraße 17