113. EL, Oslo, 6-7-'12
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 force 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.
Esoteric is a source of
life and of forces that flow through the world and that should also
stream through us. And so every Sunday morn at 9 o'clock you should
meditate on: In the Spirit of Mankind I feel united with all
esoterics. 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 if 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 a long with the
present state of evolution by shortening the path as much as
possible.
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