Part Two: The Procedings of
the Conference
Continuation
of the Foundation Meeting
30 December, 10 a.m.
DR STEINER:
My dear friends!
The first
point on the agenda today is the pleasure of a lecture by Dr
Schubert on Christ and the spiritual world:
‘Anthroposophy, a Leader to Christ.’
Dr Schubert
gives his lecture. After an interval of fifteen minutes, Dr
Steiner speaks:
My dear
friends! Let us begin again today with the words of the
self-knowledge of man coming from the spirit of our time:
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.
Today, my
dear friends, let us bring together what can speak in man in
three ways:
[ Rudolf Steiner
writes on the blackboard as he speaks. See
Facsimile 4, Page XVI top. ]
[Practise]
spirit-recalling
|
Practise
spirit-awareness
|
Practise
spirit-beholding
|
This will properly be brought together in
the heart of man only by that which actually made its
appearance at the turning of the time and in whose spirit we
now work here and intend to work on in the future.
At the turning of the time
The Spirit-Light of the world
Entered the stream of earthly being.
Darkness of night
Had held its sway,
Day-radiant light
Streamed into souls of men.
Light that gives warmth
To simple shepherds' hearts,
Light that enlightens
The wise heads of kings.
Light Divine
Christ-Sun
Warm thou our hearts,
Enlighten thou our heads,
That good may become
What we from our hearts would found
What we from our heads would direct
In conscious
Willing.
[Rudolf Steiner writes on the blackboard as he speaks]
That good may become
What we from our hearts would found,
What we from our heads would direct
In conscious
Willing.
[As shown on the blackboard]
[Practise]
spirit-recalling
|
Practise
spirit-awareness
|
Practise
spirit-beholding
|
That good may become
What we from our hearts would
found,
What we from our heads would
>direct
In conscious
Willing.
|
DR STEINER: My dear friends! Yesterday's
speaker, Herr Hans Ludwig Pusch, does not wish to continue.
Instead, Dr Lehrs will say a few words on the theme. Please
may I now ask him to speak.
Dr Lehrs
completes what Herr Pusch had wanted to say the day before on
the question of the Youth Movement.
DR STEINER: May I now ask Mrs Merry to
speak.
Mrs Merry
speaks about the work in England and brings the apologies of
Mr Dunlop who has been unable to attend.
DR STEINER: My dear friends! I have spoken
often and in different places about the extraordinarily
satisfactory summer school in Penmaenmawr.
[ Note 63 ]
Perhaps I may be permitted
to add to what I have said so often. I truly believe that an
exceedingly significant step forward will have come about for
the Anthroposophical Movement if everything Mrs Merry has
just sketched can come into being over the next few years as
fruits of the seeds of Penmaenmawr. We may believe that the
very best forces are at work promoting the endeavours of the
Anthroposophical Movement in this direction, for Mr Dunlop
took this summer school at Penmaenmawr in hand in an
extremely active manner, an inward, sensitive and indeed
esoteric manner. In Penmaenmawr conditions were fulfilled
from the start which we have never found to be fulfilled
anywhere else, conditions that were necessary for the success
of Penmaenmawr.
You see, my
dear friends, we expected Mr Dunlop in Stratford, in Oxford,
and even once in London, and now here in Dornach. So my
picture of Mr Dunlop is that of the man about whom it is
always said that he is coming and then he doesn't come. But
he did come to Penmaenmawr! And it went so exceptionally
well, so well that I only wish he were here today so that we
might once more thank him most heartily. I really did believe
that Mr Dunlop would be here. In London he said to me that he
would do it differently next time; he would not say he was
coming but instead he would simply come. So in London he did
not say he was coming. And yet he still has not come! So
after all I shall have to ask Mrs Merry most warmly to take
our thanks back to him, the cordial thanks of this whole
gathering for that extremely significant inauguration of a
movement within the Anthroposophical Movement which has such
good prospects because of the summer school at Penmaenmawr.
Out of the spirit of the descriptions I have given of
Penmaenmawr I am sure that you will agree to my asking Mrs
Merry in your name to take to Mr Dunlop out hearty thanks for
the inauguration of the summer school at Penmaenmawr, and
also to my requesting him to continue to take such work
firmly in hand, for in his hands it will succeed well.
May I now ask
Herr van Bemmelen, the representative of the Dutch school, to
speak.
Herr van
Bemmelen reports on the work of the school in The Hague.
DR STEINER: Now may I ask Dr Unger to
speak. He wishes to refer to the problems of the Society.
Dr Unger
gives his lecture about the problems of the Society and
concludes with the following:
Dear friends.
The way in which responsibility devolves for instance on the
individual Societies and the larger groups, as a result of
the new Statutes, means that it will be necessary to pass
this trust and this responsibility on further. Ways and means
will have to come about which must not be allowed to remain
fixed in the old structure that has come to be adopted.
Instead situations must be livingly transformed so that
people can be found who are capable through their very nature
of carrying the central impulses further. Thus a matter that
appears to be merely organizational immediately leads to a
further question: How shall we be able to bring this impulse
into the public eye? Once again we shall have to let
experience play its part. The other day I ventured to make
some suggestions about working in public. What Herr van
Bemmelen has just said shows us that Holland is no exception
to the way in which everywhere people are waiting to hear
about Anthroposophy in a suitable form and in the right way.
People are asking about the soul of man and about cultivating
the soul in its true nature. Beyond this it will fall to us
to find people among the general public who want to work
further in this realm. Everywhere it must be made possible to
open our doors and welcome people to the Society. Necessary
for this above all is an understanding of the human being
which can arise out of the warmth of love for our fellows
combined with serious work in the anthroposophical sense. So
the question of the next generation coming to the Society
will be a far-reaching one. It has always been difficult to
find people who want to continue with the work because for
this it is necessary to create a situation within the Society
which enables younger people to make a connection in the
first place.
Today,
especially, if I may say so, in Germany, many of the supports
and conditions of the past, and of life as it has been for so
long, are in general breaking down. In this situation younger
people in particular — perhaps students who are
finishing their university courses or maybe people who would
like to work out of the artistic impulses of Anthroposophy
— are forced instead to creep into some corner of
ordinary economic life, collapsing as it is, in order merely
to make a living. It ought to be a task of the Society, and
especially the individual groups, to find ways of creating a
foundation within Anthroposophy on which young people can
live out what they have learnt in their studies. And out of
this arises the most important question of all: How can that
which is coming towards us by way of young, striving,
life-filled strength be taken up into the School of Spiritual
Science? What form will make it possible, whether here in
Dornach or elsewhere, to make studies possible that can lead
to the future collaboration of these people? It is a problem
which is already coming to the fore here and there but
especially in Germany where there is a strong need for new
colleagues but where those who ought to be working in the
Society are often in such dire straits. We must find these
people amongst the general public through our public
work.
So the
establishment of the School on the generous scale described
to us so far can give us the hope that we need so badly. In
the School as well as in the Society and in the groups there
is a platform for tackling the problems which are
arising.
The same
applies to the scientific work in the institutions. Herr van
Bemmelen has touched on the field of education, but similar
questions could be asked with regard to scientific work. The
influence of this Conference will lead to a flaring up of the
will to work and to find ways. Other friends are sure to have
questions about this too. Let us hope, when we return home
and are asked about everything, that out of the experience of
these discussions we shall be capable of giving genuinely
concrete answers. So that we can come to this, problems that
have arisen really must be brought forward, just as I have
presumed to suggest certain things now. If other friends from
the various countries bring forward these problems from
different angles, let us hope that the new impulse in the
General Society will be able to penetrate to every furthest
corner, to all the groups and to all the individuals who are
and who want to be members of this Society.
DR STEINER: May I now ask Herr van Leer to
speak.
Herr van Leer
speaks about the intention of sending in reports to Herr
Steffen. He makes suggestions about how to divide up what is
sent into different categories.
DR STEINER: I rather think that the
purpose of this correspondence will best be served by taking
the following into account. Without having discussed this
with Herr Steffen I believe I can say more or less what he
thinks, though perhaps he will have to correct me afterwards.
The best reports will be those that come out of the
individuality of the different correspondents. I think that
all those friends I mentioned the other day, and also a
number of others, are interested in what I meant by the life
of the Society and cultural life in general. And I believe
that most of these friends think about what comes to their
attention with regard to either one or the other at least
once a week, or even every day. Things go through one's mind;
so one day they sit down and simply write down what has gone
through their mind. As a result fifteen, or perhaps twenty,
four-page letters will arrive here. It will be quite a task
to read them all. Well, if twenty letters arrive, Herr
Steffen will be kind enough to keep ten of them and give me
the other ten. We shall manage. But we shall manage best of
all if you spare us any categories. We need to hear how each
individual feels in his heart of hearts, for we want to deal
with human beings and not with schedules. Let everything
remain a motley mixture; this will bring us the individuality
of the writer in question and that is what interests us. We
hope in this way to obtain the material we need, human
material with which to fill our Supplements so that they in
turn give a human impression with their all too human
weaknesses.
Just write
down on four pages, or sometimes even eight pages, what is in
your heart of hearts. For us here the most interesting thing
will always be the people themselves. We want to cultivate a
human relationship with human beings and out of these human
relationships we want to create something that will shine out
even after it has gone through the process of being dipped in
dreadful printer's ink. This is what I am talking about. It
will be best of all if everyone can present himself in a
human way to other human beings. Now, Herr Steffen, please
correct me.
HERR STEFFEN: Certainly not. You have
expressed exactly what is in my soul too. I only want to say
that there is no question of this becoming too much work for
me; it is part and parcel of my gifts as a writer that I
enjoy reading reports of this kind. I always have to strive
to see what is going on inside people's souls, so truly no
letter can be too long. I don't believe it will be too much
for me. I anyway enjoy reading several newspapers every day,
but if interesting things come from our friends, then I
greatly prefer to read them. As regards categories, an editor
or a writer has only one, or rather two: the first is what he
can use and the second is what he cannot use. That is all I
wanted to say.
DR STEINER: Just imagine, after these
discussions, what it would mean if these reports were to
inspire Herr Steffen to write a novel or even a play! That
would be the most wonderful thing I could think of.
MR COLLISON: I would like to know whether
we might ‘sometimes’ receive a reply.
DR STEINER: I hope that the reply will be
there every week in the Supplement. But if a special reply
were to be necessary, then I would hope that one would be
sent.
Now may I ask
Herr Stibbe to speak.
Herr Stibbe
reports on the opposition experienced in Holland,
[ Note 64 ]
referring particularly to Professor de Jong.
DR STEINER (referring to Herr Stibbe's
report with regard to Professor de Jong): Yes indeed. He has
tried to form a methodical concept of mystery wisdom by
bringing it down to all kinds of spiritualist phenomena, as
he describes in his book.
Now, dear
friends. It will still be possible in the next day or two to
speak further on the questions that have arisen out of this
discussion. So far as I can see, the questions that have
arisen are: reporting, and then the opposition. These are the
tangible questions that have arisen so far. I cannot see any
others taking shape yet.
Tomorrow we
shall start our meeting at 10 o'clock and I shall begin by
asking those friends to speak who have reports to give about
the results of their research. Frau Dr Kolisko and Dr Maier,
Stuttgart. Now may I ask Dr Schwebsch to speak. When he has
finished I shall ask for a report on eurythmy in America to
be read out.
Dr Schwebsch
expresses the gratitude of the Waldorf School for the
manifold assistance it has received.
DR STEINER: Following on from this, please
allow me to touch on a few things. The first is that once the
grave financial position of the Waldorf School had become
known, interest in it was awakened really everywhere. We have
seen particularly in Switzerland how the efforts of the
members of the school associations led to the creation of
numerous sponsorships. Mrs Mackenzie has endeavoured to form
a committee in England to carry out collections in aid of the
Waldorf School. The first donation has already been sent to
me and I shall ask the leaders of the Waldorf School to
accept this small beginning.
Now I have
something else to say: So many thanks are owed to the world
on behalf of the Waldorf School — Dr Schwebsch has
already mentioned a number of things — that it is
impossible to encompass everything in a moment. We ought to
make a long list of all those to whom we owe thanks in one
way or another on behalf of the Waldorf School. The interest
in it is indeed great. Yet we shall ever and again have to
continue to ask for an even greater interest. The support
given so far has in the main been for the school itself. Less
thought has hitherto been given to the pupils or those who
might become pupils of the Waldorf School. There is one case,
or rather two, which really touch us deeply. At a time when
those living in Switzerland were in a position to purchase a
great deal in Germany with very few Swiss Francs, two workers
here at the Goetheanum felt they could put into practice a
very praiseworthy idea, namely to send their sons to the
Waldorf School. Considerable sacrifices were made by our
friend, Pastor Geyer, when he undertook to care for these two
schoolboys. We at the Goetheanum take the view that we should
finance the actual school fees and whatever is needed for the
school in the same way as other firms such as
Der Kommende Tag
and
Waldorf Astoria
pay for the children of their workers. But now that life for
the children has suddenly become so expensive in Germany, more
expensive than it would be here in Switzerland, it is no
longer possible for the families of the boys to pay for their
keep. Now both families and boys are faced with the sad
prospect of their being unable to return to the Waldorf
School after the Christmas holidays. So I should like to ask
whether it would be possible to make a collection here in
order, at least for the near future, to pay for the keep of
the two boys in Stuttgart so that they can continue to go to
the Waldorf School. What we need is 140 Francs a month for
both boys together. We shall try to set up a money box for
this. Perhaps Mr Pyle will be prepared to lend us one for
donations specifically for this purpose. Maybe this is how we
can do it.
Now would Dr
Wachsmuth please read the resume of the report on eurythmy in
America.
Dr Wachsmuth
reads a report from Frau Neuscheller on the progress made by
eurythmy in North America.
DR STEINER: Dear friends, first I would
like to ask those from further afield who wish to attend
tomorrow's performance of the Three Kings Play to get their
tickets today so that what remains can be available for
Dornach friends tomorrow.
Secondly
would you please note that my three last evening lectures
will lead in various ways to a discussion of medical matters
for the general audience. Then after the lectures there will
be discussions about medical matters with the doctors who are
here. Would therefore any practising doctors please come to
the Glass House tomorrow morning at 8.30 for an initial
meeting.
[ Note 65 ]
I am referring only to practising doctors. After 1 January
there will be opportunity for others interested in medical
questions to participate in other sessions.
Tomorrow
morning at 10 o'clock we shall start with the continuation of
today's meeting. I would ask you to let us begin with the two
reports already mentioned. Then, both tomorrow and the next
day, I shall take the liberty of speaking briefly on the idea
of the future building in Dornach and I shall ask you to let
me bring up for discussion some points on how this idea of
the building in Dornach might be carried into reality. It
would not be right to recommend that this meeting should be
allowed to pass without any reference at all to the financial
side of the idea of the building in Dornach. I shall leave it
to you to say something after what I shall be obliged to
bring forward very briefly tomorrow and the next day about
the artistic aspect of the idea of the building in
Dornach.
Then I would
ask for time to be set aside in the afternoon at 2.30 for a
meeting of Swiss members or their delegates. Herr Aeppli has
asked for this meeting and has requested that I attend, or
indeed take the chair. So I would ask the Swiss members to
hold this meeting tomorrow afternoon at 2.30. This refers
only to Swiss members since the matters to be discussed apply
solely to the Swiss Anthroposophical Society.
This
afternoon at 4.30 we shall see a performance of eurythmy, and
my lecture will take place this evening at 8.30.
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