Masters, Divine Revelation, and Esoteric Perception

GA 266I — 23 November 1907, Basel

Esoteric Lesson

Who are the masters? People who have simply traveled the path of human development faster than other people; people who have anticipated the experiences [of spiritual development] and are therefore able to serve as guides. One such personality was “the great unknown from the Oberland,” who had a manifold influence. He was called “from the Oberland” because he had come from the higher world. It was Jesus of Nazareth who worked and lived there under the name “the great unknown from the Oberland” in the 13th and 14th centuries. Johannes Tauler was taught by him.

The esotericist must come into a real relationship with the masters.

About the threefold revelation of the Father, Son,
and Spirit in the physical world

The aroma of the world that pervades the universe is the revelation of the Father, the primordial substance. Today we call it smell. We are still only vaguely aware of smell, but taste has revealed itself to us a little more.

The light of the world is the Son, the power of life.

The tone of the world, the sound that vibrates and interweaves the world, is the revelation of the Spirit, the form.

The mystery of vocalization

In i we have the center toward which the etheric body strives,
a - is complete reverence and devotion,
ä - shy reverence,
o — like embracing, like enclosing,
u — is resting, being enveloped.

The path of the Indian goes straight up into the astral world. In the beginning, the student is very helpless, so strict instruction by the guru is necessary because it is impossible for the student to correct his own mistakes, even when faced with starkly contradictory perceptions of reality in the astral world. In the astral world, there is only inner orientation. For example, the colors of objects flare out from the objects or beings, flowing, flooding, and sounding through space after they have detached themselves from things. These colors, scents, and sounds now enliven others.

One must learn to experience the detachment of color from the flower; one must imagine the color floating freely in space. This experience leads to the astral world. The detachment of sound so that it sounds freely floating leads to the devachanic world.

Experiencing smell as the aroma of the world leads to the Father. Imagination is the detachment of color from the object. Imagination is therefore so incredibly important for the esotericist.