The Mission of Christian Rosenkreutz
On-line since: 8th December, 2003
In connection with the Congress held by the Federation of
European Sections of the Theosophical Society in Budapest in the
year 1909, Dr. Steiner gave a Lecture-Course entitled: Theosophy
and Occultism of the Rosicrucians. The Mystery of Golgotha is
there indicated as the great turning-point between the old, now
already fading Mystery-wisdom and the wisdom in its new form of
revelation wherein account is taken of the faculty of thought
possessed by a maturer humanity and of the advance of culture and
civilisation. Theosophia, the Divine Wisdom, could not, as in earlier
times, flow as inner illumination into the hardened constitution of
man. Intellect, the more recent faculty of the soul, was directed to
the world of sense and its phenomena. Theosophy was rejected by the
scholars with a shrug of the shoulders and the very word brought a
supercilious smile from the monists. Dr. Steiner, however, was trying
to restore to this word its whole weight and spiritual significance
and to show how the roots of all later knowledge lie in Theosophy, how
it unites East and West, how in it all the creeds are integral parts
of one great harmony.
This had also been the fundamental conception of the Founder of the
Theosophical Society but she understood nothing of the essence of
Christianity and disputed its unique significance. Her tendency to
place too much reliance upon spiritualistic communications drew her
into the net of an oriental stream only too ready to use this
instrument for its own ends to begin with under the cloak of
Neo-Buddhism then represented in the person of Charles Leadbeater, a
former priest of the Anglican Church. Annie Besant, a pupil of Charles
Bradlaugh, a free-thinker and the most brilliant orator of the day in
the field of political and social reform, had also been so deeply
influenced by spiritualistic communications that on the advice of
William Stead she went to Madame Blavatsky towards the end of the
latter's life and became her ardent follower. Stead's spiritualistic
circle was influential and the Theosophical Society, with its much
purer spiritual foundations, had here a dangerous rival.
Dr. Steiner brought light to bear upon all these developments, upon
their aims and aberrations, and raised Theosophy to heights far
transcending the narrow sphere of the Theosophical Society. Alarmed by
this, the Indian inspirers behind the Adyar Society, with their
nationalistic aims, took their own measures. The imminence of a
return of Christ was announced and the assertion made that he would
incarnate in an Indian boy. A newly founded Order, the Star in
the East, using the widespread organisation of the Theosophical
Society, was expected to achieve the aim that had met with failure in
Palestine.
Not very long after the Budapest Congress, these developments began to
be felt in the sphere of Dr. Steiner's lecturing activities.
Disquieted by the beginnings of the propaganda for the Star in the
East, Groups begged Dr. Steiner to speak about these matters. This
caused alarm to the organisers of the Genoa Congress, who thought that
the scientific as well as the esoteric discussions with Dr. Steiner
would be too dangerous a ground, and for extremely threadbare reasons
the Congress was cancelled at the last moment. Many of those taking
part were already on their way we too. A number of Groups in
Switzerland took advantage of this opportunity to ask Dr. Steiner for
lectures. They wanted to understand the meaning and significance of
the Michael Impulse which denotes the turning-point in the historic
evolution of the Mystery-wisdom. The Intelligence ruled over in the
spiritual world by the hierarchy of Michael had now come down to
humanity. It was for men to receive this Intelligence consciously into
their impulses of will and thenceforward to play their part in shaping
a future wherein the human I will achieve union with the
Divine I. For this goal of the future men must be
prepared, a transformation wrought in their souls; they must
change their hearts and minds. To bring this about was the
task of Rudolf Steiner. The moment had arrived for treading the path
which liberates the Spirit from the grip of the material powers. The
first healthy step to be taken along this path by the pupil of
spiritual knowledge, is study.
As the theme chosen for Genoa had been From Buddha to
Christ, it was natural that the lectures now given in
Switzerland should shed the light of Spiritual Science not only upon
the earlier connections between the Buddha and Christ Jesus but also
upon the lasting connections indicated by the Essene wisdom contained
in the Gospels. This is the theme which gives these studies their
special character which could only be brought out by outlining
the historical development of the Mystery-wisdom. The ancient
revelations of the Mysteries had shed light into many forms of
culture, but were now spent; symptoms of decay and increasing
sterility of thought were everywhere in evidence. Then, from heights
of Spirit, the Michael Impulse came down to the Earth in order
gradually to stir and flame through the hearts of men. The intellect
was pervaded by spiritual fire, the lower human I lifted
nearer to the ideal of times to come: union with the Divine
I. To awaken understanding of these goals, to establish
them firmly on the ground of their spiritual origins and to place them
in living pictures before the souls of men such was the task of
Rudolf Steiner.
This brought the inevitable counterblow from the opposing powers; into
this they knew they must drive their wedge. The development of the
human being in freedom, this gift bestowed by Michael, must be checked
and the hearts and minds of men incited to resistance. In his Four
Mystery Plays, Rudolf Steiner has given us living pictures of
this: the human being between Lucifer and Ahriman now
succumbing to their promptings, now overcoming them, but nevertheless
bearing them in the soul like a poison that may at any time begin to
work. We too shall continue to bear this picture and its substance in
our souls.
The full content of the lectures, however, has not been preserved, for
we possess no good transcriptions. The fact that no really reliable
and expert stenographist was available at the time seems like a
counterblow from the opposing powers. Besides the abbreviated reports
of the Cassel lectures, we have in some cases only fragments, in
others, scattered notes strung together. But the essential threads
have been preserved and an attempt at compilation has been made. The
attempt does not always succeed from the point of view of convincing
style, but the impetus for effort in thought and study will be all the
stronger.
The activities of the Star in the East led, finally, to the exclusion
of the German section from the Theosophical Society; this, however,
had been preceded by the forming of a Union which included people in
other countries who opposed this piece of Adyar sectarianism and led
to the foundation of the Anthroposophical Society. For a time, care
was necessary to prevent confusion as between the two Societies and so
for the Movement associated with him, Rudolf Steiner chose the name
Anthroposophy the Divine Wisdom finding its fulfilment in man.
Theosophy and Anthroposophy are one, provided the soul has cast away
its dress. And Rudolf Steiner showed us how this can be done.
The new Indian Messiah soon cast off the shackles of the renown that
had been forced upon him and retired to private life in California.
Annie Besant was obliged to renounce her cherished dream and died at a
very great age. It is rumoured that the question of the dissolution of
the Adyar Society was considered but that this proved impossible owing
to the extensive material possessions. Jinarajadasa, my good friend
from the days of the founding of the Italian Section, succeeded Annie
Besant as President. The branch of the Theosophical Society which had
seceded at the time of the Judge conflict and to which Madame
Blavatsky's niece belonged, had found in Mrs. Catharine Tingley a
leader of energy and initiative, but she too had died.
The old conditions have now faded away. Those grotesque edifices of
phantasy can no longer be associated with the Anthroposophical,
formerly Theosophical, Movement, for they have crumbled to pieces. We
can allow the word Theosophy again to come to its own, as did Rudolf
Steiner when he was trying to restore to this word its primary and
true significance.
Besides laying emphasis on the essential character of Spiritual
Science in the post-Christian era, the aim of the lectures given in
1911 and 1912 was to explain karma as the flow of destiny and to point
to its intimate workings. The lines of development running through the
lectures have survived only as pictures of memory; the transcriptions
often failed to catch the threads of the logical sequence and the
notes or headings jotted down and collected here and there are really
no more than indications. But the direction of the spiritual impulses
given by Dr. Steiner has been preserved, and justifies, maybe, the
attempt at compilation. Through meditative study these impulses will
be able to work in us and deepen our souls.
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Last Modified: 02-Nov-2024
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