The History of the Esoteric School 1904–1914, Volume Two

GA 265 — Hildesheim

The Triangle with the Eye

Instruction Lesson, Berlin, October 2, 1910

Ahriman prevents us from seeing anything other than how we see it today. For example, we see only the exterior of plants, the leaves, the cells and so on, but not the life force within. What is given in the lodge is intended to help overcome this veil of Ahriman.

There is no point in space where there are no forces at work in man. Now something grotesque must be said, which can only be said in a community like this one, where everything is considered sacred: There is nothing that varies so much from person to person as the brain. It is said that there are no two leaves on a tree that are the same. The brains of human beings are even more diverse. Seen clairvoyantly, the etheric brain contains many, many luminous spots, and these are different in all people. If one could photograph these luminous spots, which of course is not possible because they are in the etheric, one would recognize in the picture thus obtained the starry sky - without the planets. The brain is shaped like a hemisphere. If you could get close enough, you would find each of these constellations of glowing dots in the starry sky in different people.

The human brain is its most distinguished part. It is connected by spiritual forces with the uppermost part, so to speak, of the universe. Further down we come to the signs of the zodiac. These are connected with the twelve nerve cords of the sense organs. The higher the origin of the forces, the more varied is their effect; the nearer to the earth their starting-point, the more uniform is their effect. With the sun, it does not matter to us whether it is stationary or moving; for us human beings it matters that it sends us its forces from the east, then from the south, and then from the west. And we saw yesterday, when we discussed the altars, how it affects us. From the east: wisdom, which created us; from the south: beauty, in which everything reveals itself; from the west: the power, the strength with which we are now to continue to work in life.

All parts of our physical body are formed out of the higher forces. One of the most wonderful parts is the human eye (the eye is drawn on the board). Atma, Budhi and Manas have worked on it. We must know that their forces lie hidden in the eye. (These three forces are represented in the triangle.) What can we do with the eye? We can move it to the right, to the left, up, down. We can do this with our I. It works from the outside on the eye. This is indicated in these rays that go out from the triangle. But what does it fall on? On the veil that Ahriman has spread over everything. This is represented in the cloud lines. We have incorporated the astral body on the moon, behind which Ahriman is at work. So these cloud lines signify the astral body. In the etheric body, work has already been done on the sun so that the eye could one day become such a tool. The further away from the spiritual, the denser the body. The dense clouds indicate the etheric body. And in the physical body, too, work has already been done on Saturn to make it into an eye. The physical body is the densest, darkest part of the human being; here in the drawing, the dark black of the board.

If we often bring this picture before our soul, it will awaken soul forces. The human eye actually looks like this drawing (eye with the triangle). It has only become somewhat different through the skeleton. The form has grown somewhat.

We should allow everything we receive in the lodge in terms of symbols and teachings to take effect on our soul. But we cannot do this if we do not feel that we have become a different person through our initiation into the Temple. We must face life differently. This picture, the triangle with the eye, has an effect on us at night, but so does everything we see in the colorful chaos around us, for example, all the objects in a department store, the hideous posters on the advertising pillars, and so on. And if we let all this have the same effect on us as before, the effect of the symbols is simply lost.

When we absorb all these symbols and teachings with enthusiasm, it is the best in us that speaks. When we return to our external life and let the chaos of impressions rush in on us as before, then a discord arises in us. It will then seem to us as if it had been blind faith in authority that we had submitted to in the temple, while it was the best in us that felt that way – we just don't know that then. And so the conflicts arise to which many are subject.

The lady of the world should not remain a lady of the world in the same sense. If she has to live the life of a lady because of her social position or for other reasons, then she must do it. But she should not do it in the same way, with the same feelings. If she has to take part in coffee klatches, then she should do it out of conviction that she has an obligation to do so, of course. Theosophy should not turn us away from life, but should make us suitable for it – but she should do it with different feelings.

This is not the place for a moralizing lecture, but what I want to get at is this: everyone must make it their duty not to talk about Theosophy at such gatherings and so on and so on. Not at meals, not on ordinary occasions - and eating is an ordinary occupation - talk about Theosophy. In a word: do not gossip about Theosophy everywhere you meet, because then it becomes gossip. If you want to talk about it, then only when you come together specially for that purpose. Theosophy should be a sacred thing to us, and that is how it should be treated, and not in passing.

The ceremonies that have been performed so far, with the exception of the two columns, can be understood by those of the first degree. What follows now, the conclusion, can only be understood after a long time.