# The History of the Esoteric School 1904–1914, Volume One

## GA 264 — Berlin

### To Alfred Meebold in Heidenheim on the Brenz

1906, undated

Dear Mr. Meebold!

I would like to quickly answer the questions you raised and summarily address the points you touched on.

I only touched on the question of the master implicitly by pointing out that “I” does not mean “I” when I say “I”. I knew that you would understand me correctly because I have the highest regard for the experiences you have had in life and therefore spoke to you with complete trust.

I know that you are familiar with the ancillary exercises. But it is necessary to practice them systematically once. What you describe as an “inner experience” you owe to the practice so far. And you will also have the rest in my description given to you in the future as your experience, and in fact a special feeling will really arise from each special exercise. Please do not think, I beg you, of “suggestion” here. With such concepts, one only throws stones in one's way.

The meaning of “breathing retention” will become clear to you if you direct your thoughts in the following direction: the process of earthly embodiment is conditioned by “lung breathing”; the upward movement to spirituality must therefore undo this process through practice, etc., etc. This, of course, is only a hint, which I ask you to develop further.[^1]

Please do not regard the “secrecy” as an obligation of principle, but only as a temporary one, due to the confused present circumstances in E.S. and T.S. I do not keep secrets from intimate friends if these friends enjoy your absolute trust. For the time being, however, please regard this “silence” as if one friend were confiding in another and telling him: Please do not talk to anyone about this. The time will surely come when we will be able to communicate with each other about it, so that the duty of silence will no longer be necessary towards such friends. So for the time being, please treat this confidential message as confidential. I myself would be glad if this did not need to be the case. I am particularly pleased with those of my students who are learning to understand my relationship to occultism no differently than a mathematician's to mathematics. This also completely resolves the vexed question of authority.

I would be very pleased to see you at the congress.[^2] It gives me great satisfaction that you are starting the exercises so soon. I will always be at your service for important matters, even in writing.

Warmest regards,

Dr. Rudolf Steiner

---

[^1]: Cf. on this “From the Content of the Esoteric Lessons”, CW 266.

[^2]: Since the letter does not state an exact date, it may have been either the Paris Congress in May 1906 or the Munich Congress in May 1907.