One ceases to find oneself as important and interesting as before

The anthroposophical or spiritual scientific truths are so enormous, so powerful and meaningful, so all-pervading, that we find our own individual personality less and less interesting. One learns to understand just how uninteresting the single personality in reality is. Acquiring this knowledge, triggered by the fuel of the Spiritual scientific truths, is what truly liberates people from selfishness in the end.

Source (German): Rudolf Steiner – GA 56 – Die Erkenntnis der Seele und des Geistes – Berlin, December 12, 1907 (page 148-149)

Translated by Nesta Carsten-Krüger

Rudolf Steiner in 1907 with the family Specht (it is not sure this is right, because Steiner was home teacher with the family Specht about 1882-1886).

Previously posted on August 17, 2015

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Afraid to be convinced. Spiritual truths can terrify people.

There is one symptom peculiar to our own time which is most remarkable. It is curious how people who are normally so brave and courageous today, are terrified when they hear that the claims of spiritual knowledge are to be recognized. They are bewildered. I have often told you that I noticed that many who had attended one or two lectures were not seen again for some time. Meeting them in the street I asked why they had never turned up again. “I dare not”, came the reply. “I am afraid you might convince me.” They find such a possibility dangerous and disturbing and are not prepared to expose themselves to the risk. I could cite many other examples of a similar kind from my own experience, but I prefer to give examples from the wider field of public life.

Source: Rudolf Steiner – GA 175 – Building Stones for an Understanding of the Mystery of Golgotha: Lecture 9 – Berlin, 1st May, 1917

Translated by A. H. Parker 

Previously posted on September 9, 2017

Merely listening

If spiritual truths are rightly understood, and if people are in all seriousness following the lines of thought used to develop concepts which may make the world of the spirit accessible to our understanding, their humanity will be enhanced and they will learn the things which have to be known at the present time for the salvation and further development of humanity. 

People who take these truths into themselves in the right way will also find their drives and instincts ennobled and raised to a higher level. By merely listening to spiritual truths they go through a development that is for the good.

Source: Rudolf Steiner – GA 177 – Fall of the Spirits of Darkness – Lecture 3 – The Search for a Perfect World – Dornach, 1st October 1917

Previously posted on December 24, 2016

Ability to Receive Anthroposophy Limited

If one presents a public lecture about spiritual science or anthroposophy, then one is forced to take into account the inability to take in what is offered, by the contemporary world, one must be very much aware of this limited ability. One has to be clearly conscious of the fact that in our time, although there is an influx of insights streaming in from the spiritual world, insights which are necessary for humankind today, it is very difficult nowadays to be uninhibited in taking these truths in. Most people who are not well prepared to receive it will experience the deeper spiritual-scientific truths as a shock, as something which appears as fantastic or as a dream.

Source (German): Rudolf Steiner – GA 127 – Die Mission der neuen Geistesoffenbarung – München, February 25, 1911 (page 86)

Translated by Nesta Carsten-Krüger

Previously posted on August 14, 2017

Although Anthroposophy is still scorned to-day, it will not always be so.

People will gradually long more and more for great spiritual truths. Although Anthroposophy is still scorned to-day, it will not always be so. It will spread, and overcome all its external opponents, and everything else still opposing it, and anthroposophists will not be satisfied by merely preaching universal love. It will be understood that one cannot acquire Anthroposophy in one day, any more than a person can take sufficient nourishment in one day to last the whole of his life. Anthroposophy has to be acquired to an ever increasing extent.

Source: Rudolf Steiner – GA 155 – The Spiritual Foundation of Morality: III – Norrkoping, 30th May, 1912

Translated by M. Cotterell