Continuation
of the Foundation Meeting
26 December, 10 a.m.
Dr. Steiner:
My dear friends!
We are in the
middle of the reports by the General Secretaries and the
representatives of the groups working in all kinds of places
outside Dornach. In a moment we shall continue with these
reports. But first I would like to speak a few words in the
midst of these reports, words to which I am moved by what has
been said in such a satisfactory way by these speakers. From
what we have been told we may gather how very devoted is the
work being carried on out there. We may add what we were told
yesterday to the names I allowed myself to mention the day
before. There, too, despite the ruins on which we stand, we
may see what can encourage us during this Conference not to
be pessimistic in any way but rather to strive actively for a
genuine optimism.
During this
Conference we must everywhere, in every realm, consider the
activity of building-up rather than the activity of
dismantling. So today, early on in the Conference, I want to
suggest that we give it a certain definite direction. During
the meetings of members over the next few days there will of
course be opportunities for discussing various matters. But
today, early on, I want to say the following: As we saw in
the necessary content of the Statutes, we have to connect
total openness with the Anthroposophical Society. Anything
less, dear friends, is not permitted by the signs of the
times. The present age can no longer tolerate any tendency
towards secrecy. This presents us with a fundamental problem
which we shall have to solve.
By this I do
not mean that we shall have to discuss it a great deal during
the Conference, for it is in our hearts that this fundamental
problem will have to be solved. We must be absolutely clear
about the fact that our Society, before all others, will be
given the task of combining the greatest conceivable openness
with true and genuine esotericism.
At first
under the obstacles and hindrances of those terrible years of
the war, but then also through all kinds of inner
difficulties, we have indeed experienced the establishment of
this problem in every direction. Indeed lately no meeting
within the Anthroposophical Society has taken place which
lacked, as it were, the backdrop — though unnoticed by
many — of this problem: How can we combine full
openness with the profoundest, most serious and inward
esotericism? To achieve this it will be necessary to banish
from our gatherings in the future anything which smacks in
any way of the atmosphere of a clique. Anthroposophy does not
need the atmosphere of a clique. When hearts truly understand
Anthroposophy they will beat in unison without the need for
heads to knock together. If we solve this purely human
problem of letting our hearts sound in harmony with one
another without the need for our heads to knock together,
then from the human side we shall have done everything
necessary, also in the leadership of the Anthroposophical
Society, to prepare for the achievement of the things that
have been depicted.
We must
achieve these things; we must reach the point at which we can
feel in all our deeds that we are connected with the
spiritual world. This is the very aspect which must be
different in the Anthroposophical Society from any other
possible association in the present time. The difference must
be that out of the strength of Anthroposophy itself it is
possible to combine the greatest conceivable openness with
the most genuine and inward esotericism. And in future this
esotericism must not be lacking even in the most external of
our deeds. There is in this field still a lot to learn from
the past ten years.
What I am
saying is also related to our responsibilities. Consider the
following, my dear friends: We stand in the world as a small
Society, and this Society has a peculiar destiny at present.
Even if it wanted to, it could not reject this characteristic
of openness which I have been emphasizing so strongly. It
would be unable to reject it. For if out of some leaning of
sympathy we were to decide today to work only inwardly with
our groups, which would of course be very nice, if we were
not to concern ourselves with the public at large, we would
discover that there would soon be an increasingly inimical
concern for us on the part of the public. The more we fail to
concern ourselves with the signs of the times, the more will
be the inimical concern for us on the part of everything that
can possibly be against us. Only if we find the path, only if
with courage we find the straight path to what we should do
shall we succeed in navigating the ship of the
Anthroposophical Society through the exceedingly stormy waves
which surge and break around it. What we should do is the
following: As a small Society we face the world, a world
— you know the one I mean — which actually does
not love us. It does not love us. This is a fact we cannot
alter. But on the other hand there is no need to do anything
on purpose to make ourselves unpopular. I do not mean this in
a superficial sense but in a deeper sense of which I speak
from the foundations of occult life. If we ask ourselves over
and over again what we must do to make ourselves better liked
by this circle or by that circle in the world, by any circle
which does not like us today; if we keep asking ourselves how
we should behave in this field or in that field so as to be
taken seriously here or there; if we do this, we shall most
certainly not be taken seriously. We shall only be taken
seriously if at every moment in whatever we do we feel
responsible towards the spiritual world. We must know that
the spiritual world wants to achieve a certain thing with
mankind at this particular moment in historical evolution; it
wants to achieve this in the most varied realms of life, and
it is up to us clearly and truly to follow the impulses that
come from the spiritual world. Though this might give offence
initially, in the long run it is the only beneficial way.
Therefore we shall also only come to terms among ourselves if
at every opportunity we steep ourselves in whatever impulses
can come out of the spiritual world.
So now,
having given these indications, which I shall bring to
completion over the next few days, I once more want to repeat
before you at least a part of those words which were spoken
to you yesterday in accordance with the will of the spiritual
world. May they stand as an introduction in our souls again
today as we enter into our discussions.
Soul of Man!
Thou livest in the limbs
Which bear thee through the world of space
In the spirit's ocean-being.
Practise spirit-recalling in depths of soul,
Where in the wielding will
Of world-creating
Thine own I
Comes to being
Within God's I.
And thou wilt truly live
In the World-Being of Man.
Soul of Man!
Thou livest in the beat of heart and lung
Which leads thee through the rhythm of time
Into the realm of thine own soul's feeling.
Practise spirit-awareness
In balance of the soul,
Where the surging deeds
Of the world's becoming
Thine own I
Unite
With the World-I.
And thou wilt truly feel
In the Soul-Weaving of Man.
Soul of Man!
Thou livest in the resting head
Which from the grounds of eternity
Opens to thee the world-thoughts.
Practise spirit-beholding
In stillness of thought,
Where the eternal aims of Gods
World-Being's Light
On thine own I
Bestow
For thy free willing.
And thou wilt truly think
In the Spirit-Foundations of Man.
We can work
rightly with words such as these, which are heard coming from
the Cosmic Word, if we arrange them in our own soul in such a
way that they cannot depart from us again. And it will be
possible for them to be so arranged if, amongst all that has
resounded, you first highlight that part which can give you
the rhythm. Dear friends, let me write down here first of all
the part that can indicate the rhythm:
In the first verse:
[ Rudolf Steiner
writes on the blackboard as he speaks. See
Facsimile 4, Page XIV top. ]
Spirit-recalling,
in the second verse:
Spirit-awareness,
in the third verse:
Spirit-beholding.
Contemplate this in its rhythmical connection with
what is brought about in the human soul which is called upon, the
human soul which is called upon by itself, through the
words:
Thine own I
Comes to being
Within God's I —,
consider the rhythm linked with
‘spirit-awareness’ when you hear:
Thine own I
Unite
With the World-I —,
and the rhythm linked with ‘spirit-beholding’
when you hear:
On thine own I
Bestow
For thy free willing —.
[As shown on the blackboard]
Spirit-recalling
Thine own I
Within God's I —
|
Spirit-awareness
Thine own I
With the World-I —
|
Spirit-beholding
On thine own I
For thy free willing —
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Take in this
way each phrase so that it can only stand as I have written
it here. Take what comes rhythmically out of the Cosmic
Rhythm: ‘own I within God's I’, ‘own I in
the World-I’, ‘own I in free willing’. And
take what rises up from ‘comes to being’ to
‘unite’ to ‘bestow’, where there is
the transition to moral feeling. Feel the connection with
‘spirit-recalling’,
‘spirit-awareness’ and
‘spirit-beholding’. Then you will have in the
inner rhythm what it is during these few days that the
spiritual world is bringing to us to raise our hearts, to
illumine our thinking, to give wings and enthusiasm to our
willing.
I now have a
telegram to read to you: ‘Christmas greetings, best
wishes, Ethel Morgenstierne.’ And now may I ask the
representative of Honolulu, Madame Ferreri, to speak.
Madame
Ferreri reports.
Dr. Steiner: May I now ask the
representative of Italy, Baroness de Renzis, to speak.
Baroness de
Renzis reports.
Dr. Steiner: May I perhaps suggest that
certain questions raised here, such as that of accepting
applications for membership on the basis of correspondence
only, and similar matters, shall be discussed later when we
consider the Statutes.
Dr. Steiner: The Duke of Cesaro will also
give a report concerning Italy on behalf of the Novalis Group
in Rome.
The Duke of Cesaro reports.
Dr. Steiner: Now may I ask Fräulein
Schwarz to speak on behalf of the other Italian group.
Fräulein
Schwarz reports on behalf of the group in Milan.
Dr. Steiner: Now would the representative
of the work in Yugoslavia, Herr Hahl, please speak.
Herr Hahl
reports.
Dr. Steiner: May I ask the representative
of the Norwegian Society, Herr Ingerö, to speak.
Herr
Ingerö speaks.
Dr. Steiner: Now may I ask the
representative of the Council of the Austrian Society, Count
Polzer, to speak.
Count Polzer
speaks.
Dr. Steiner: Now may I ask the
representative of the group in Porto Alegre in Brazil, Dr
Unger, to speak.
Dr. Unger:
Allow me in a few words to carry out a commission which I was
most delighted to accept. For quite some time we have been
corresponding with friends over there, mostly from Germany,
who had emigrated and had begun to work there
anthroposophically. Herr Brandtner in particular has been
writing lately. He has made great efforts to get something
going in Porto Alegre. And connected with this, work is also
going on in other South American towns which will gradually
be co-ordinated so that independent centres from which to
work may be set up there too. For this purpose Herr Mayen
from Breslau was asked by the friends over there to go out,
first of all to Rio. He will gradually take on work in a
number of towns. I have been particularly asked to give voice
to the sympathetic interest of the friends over there.
Everything that comes to us from over there expresses the
most intimate interest in all that has to do with Dornach and
whatever continues to come from Dornach. As often as possible
someone comes to Europe and we hope most fervently that
anthroposophical life may soon start to blossom there in the
most intensive way. Just as I bring greetings from our
friends over there, so I hope that when I report back to
Porto Alegre I may also be permitted to send them from here
our good wishes for the prospering of the work in Porto
Alegre.
Dr. Steiner: May I now ask the
representative of the Swedish Anthroposophical Society,
Fräulein Henström, to speak.
Fräulein
Henström reports.
Dr. Steiner: May I now ask the
representative of the Swiss Anthroposophical Society, Herr
Aeppli, to speak.
Herr Aeppli
reports.
Dr. Steiner: May I now ask the
representative of the Council in Czechoslovakia, Dr Krkavec,
to speak.
Dr. Krkavec
reports.
Dr. Steiner: May I now ask the other
representative of the Council in Czechoslovakia, Dr Eiselt,
to speak.
Dr Eiselt
reports.
Dr. Steiner: This brings the reports to a
close. I believe I may be allowed to say that you are all,
with me, exceedingly grateful to those who have given them.
For they enable us to see that we have a foundation on which
to base our new work, since now we know how much truly great,
devoted and varied work is being done and has already been
done in the Anthroposophical Society.
Now I should
like to move on to the third point on our agenda,
consideration of the Statutes. First the Statutes must be
read out. Though you all have a copy, I would nevertheless
like to ask that they be read out once more, so that we can
then commence the discussion of each point. Would Dr
Wachsmuth now please read the Statutes in accordance with
point three of our agenda.
Dr. Wachsmuth
reads out the Statutes of the Anthroposophical Society.
Dr. Steiner: As you will have gathered
from various remarks I have made, it would be really good if
on the one hand our meeting could be allowed to run as freely
as possible amongst its individual members. However, on the
other hand, if a proper discussion is to take place, it is
necessary for us to be quite strict in conducting the debate.
So please take this not as pedantry but as a necessity
applicable to any gathering. Today we have run out of time,
so I would ask you that we continue this meeting tomorrow
after Dr Wachsmuth's lecture. Tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock
Dr Wachsmuth will give his lecture. Then we shall break for a
quarter of an hour before continuing the meeting. At this
meeting I should like to conduct the proceedings as follows.
Not in order to be pedantic but so that we can be as
efficient as possible there will first be a kind of general
debate on the Statutes, a debate in which first of all the
whole attitude, meaning and spirit of the Statutes in general
is discussed.
Then I shall
ask you to agree to the Statutes in general, after which we
shall open a detailed debate in which we take one Paragraph
at a time, when contributors will be asked to speak only to
the Paragraph under consideration. There will then be a
concluding debate leading to the final adoption of the
Statutes. This is how I would ask you to proceed tomorrow
when we discuss the Statutes.
Now I have to
announce that our Conference continues this afternoon with a
eurythmy performance at 4.30 and my lecture at 8 o'clock this
evening. Tomorrow at 10 o'clock we shall hear Dr Guenther
Wachsmuth's lecture in the field of natural science about the
face of the earth and the destiny of man. Then after a
quarter of an hour's break we shall continue with this
meeting.
I also have
several more announcements to make. As I had to stress
earlier, before we began our meeting, it is quite difficult,
because there are so many of us — and it is of course
wonderful that there are so many dear friends here — to
hold this gathering together. You cannot tell, just by coming
to the meetings, how difficult it is. Of course we are deeply
sorry that the primitive quarters here are causing such
discomfort and so many problems for our dear friends.
Nevertheless, I have to ask that in future not more than
three seats are held by any one person. I have to say this
because it has happened that whole rows of seats have been
held by a single person, and this has led to innumerable
discussions with those who have come in later.
Then I should
like to remind you of the wish we expressed earlier that the
two front rows be reserved for those dear friends who are
either disabled or deaf or need special consideration for any
other reason. If there are any seats left in these two rows,
which is sure to be the case, then please leave them free for
the General Secretaries of the different countries and for
the secretaries who might be accompanying them. It will
become necessary in the next few days to have the General
Secretaries together here where they can be seen rather than
scattered all over the hall.
Thirdly I
would perhaps like once more to ask our Dornach friends
— truly I have nothing personal against them — to
take their seats next door in the ‘summer villa’.
[ Note 44 ]
I know it is most
inhospitable in this rainy and snowy weather, but all we can
do is ask our Dornach friends to put up with the rain so that
the friends from further afield can sit here in the hall away
from the rain.
Also I would
like to mention that from today the upper canteen will be
open in the evening for those friends who are quartered in
the dormitories or other inhospitable places, so that they
may have somewhere to go that is heated. Food and drink will
not be served then, but I hope that the conversations that
can take place there will be all the more stimulating and
encouraging. So although it will not be possible to quench
hunger and thirst, it will be possible to keep as warm as may
be in the evenings after my lecture until 11 o'clock at
night.
Furthermore I
want to draw your attention to the following: Mr Pyle in the
most admirable way has modelled a very fine money-box
[ Note 45 ]
which he has had
produced. You will find these money-boxes outside the doors.
If you look at them carefully you will find that the
beautiful forms tempt you to want to own such a money-box
yourselves. They are for sale, so you can buy one and take it
home and put something in it every day. When it is full you
can use what you have collected to put towards the
re-building of the Goetheanum, or for any other purposes
related to the Goetheanum. Let me point out that even if you
only put in 10 Rappen every day — think what you might
spend this on each day — by the end of the year you
will have saved quite a tidy sum. I can see my respected
friends here are already working out how much! You will find
that it will be a worthwhile amount. But I don't want to
encourage you to put in only 10 Rappen. I would rather you
put in whatever amount you consider proper, or whatever you
feel obliged to put in even if you don't think it proper.
Those who
find it difficult for one reason or another to take a
money-box home with them will see that similar money-boxes
have been set out here into which they may put something.
Naturally if you do not have your own money-box to take home,
it would be a good thing if you could delve deeply into your
purse while you are here, so that these money-boxes may be
filled. We shall have no trouble in seeing to it that they
are rapidly emptied.
Finally I
would please ask that spectators at the Christmas Plays
refrain from booking their seats for the evening
lectures.
You see,
without all these many wishes — let us not call them
prohibitions — we shall be unable to keep the
Conference going in an orderly manner.
Now, my dear
friends, I adjourn this meeting until the appointed hour
tomorrow.
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