Our life in the higher worlds

As here we live rhythmically between waking and sleeping, so in the other world life alternates between withdrawal into ourselves and sociable intercourse with other souls. As I have described above, our life in the higher worlds depends on how we have prepared ourselves here on earth.

Source: Rudolf Steiner – GA 140 – Life Between Death and Rebirth – XV: Intercourse With the Dead – Düsseldorf, April 27, 1913

Translated by Rene Querido

 Previously posted on October 17, 2017

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Inhibiting forces

For certain reasons, there are opposing, inhibiting forces interwoven in the world plan that want to prevent development. Because we try to develop ourselves through meditation for the advancement of humanity, it is exactly during meditative work that these opposing powers try to interfere in a harmful way: with beginners by pushing to the fore memories of everyday happenings; with advanced seers, by bringing animals or tempting figures in their field of view. These images look like beings one can encounter on the physical plane – one sees mice or rats – but they all stem from a sub-physical region.

Source (German): Rudolf Steiner – GA 266a – Aus den Inhalten der esoterischen Stunden – Munich, March 8, 1909 (page 458)

Translated by Nesta Carsten-Krüger

 Previously posted on October 16, 2017

Karma – Much that in ordinary life seems to be quite insignificant is of very great importance when we begin to consider destiny

We shall not easily find our way into the innermost nature of karmic connections if we do not pay attention — with the eye of the soul, of course — to the particular mannerisms of an individual. Believe me, for the study of karma it is just as important to be interested in a gesture of the hand as in some great spiritual talent. It is just as important to be able to observe — from the spiritual side (astral body and ego) — how a man sits down on a chair as to observe, let us say, how he discharges his moral obligations. If a man is given to frowning, to knitting his brow, this may be just as important as whether he is virtuous or the reverse.

Much that in ordinary life seems to be quite insignificant is of very great importance when we begin to consider destiny and observe how it weaves its web from life to life; while many a thing in this or the other human being that appears to us particularly important becomes of negligible significance,

Generally speaking, it is not, as you know, very easy to pay real attention to bodily peculiarities. They are there and we must learn to observe them naturally without wounding our fellow-men — as we certainly shall do if we observe merely for observation’s sake. That must never be. Everything must arise entirely of itself. When, however, we have trained our powers of attention and perception, individual peculiarities do show themselves in every human being, peculiarities which may be accounted trifling but are of paramount importance in connection with the study of karma. A really penetrating observation of human beings in respect of their karmic connections is possible only when we can discern these significant peculiarities.

Source: Rudolf Steiner – GA 235 – Karmic Relationships, Volume I: Lecture IX – Dornach, 15th March 1924

Translated by G. Adams, M. Cotterell, C. Davy, & D. S. Osmond

Previously posted on October 15, 2017

Noise in the cities

These days there are books written on how to reduce the noise in the cities and even associations formed to assist with this reduction of noise. However, it is not about reducing the noise but about developing the inner strength through meditation and equanimity of soul to shut it out. It is not the excessive noise in the cities that is harmful but the demons that move through them; these demons are actually kept in check somewhat by the racket. One needs to learn to live with the noise without becoming annoyed by it.

Source (German): Rudolf Steiner – GA 266a – Aus den Inhalten der esoterischen Stunden – Munich, November 8, 1908 (page 429)

Translated by Nesta Carsten-Krüger

Previously posted on October 14, 2017

Not as impractical and unworldly as it may seem

Because man was entirely focused on the physical world, it monopolised his whole interest. That was a necessary stage in human development. Today, people often think: If I make an effort to live well, I will, when I die, experience what is to be experienced after death. That may seem quite logical at first, but is nonetheless entirely false, for the spiritual world will weave a veil of blindness around those who die with indifference to it, causing them to see nothing. Thinking about the transcendental world is therefore not as impractical and unworldly as it may seem.

Source (German): Rudolf Steiner – GA 266a – Aus den Inhalten der esoterischen Stunden – Stuttgart, August 16, 1908 (page 420)

Anonymous translator

Previously posted on October 13, 2017