Nutrition, Alcohol, and Six Esoteric Exercises

GA 266I — 13 August 1908, Stuttgart

Esoteric Lesson

How should esotericists approach the question of nutrition? First, it must be clear that even with a particularly good diet, spiritual development can never be achieved to the extent that one can say: “Radically speaking, it does not matter what one eats.” But in practical terms, the wrong diet can hinder spiritual development and even make it impossible.

Alcohol did not exist on Earth in the Atlantic period; it came later to help humans achieve individualization. It cuts people off from their higher abilities and makes them closed off. Hence the use of alcohol in the Dionysian mysteries. Today, however, everyone in civilized countries has already reached this stage, and alcohol is now only an evil. Through its use, one loses the ability to adapt to others and to understand them. Alcohol is particularly harmful to the esotericist, as it transforms all developed higher powers into powers of the personal ego, which repeatedly closes itself off and, through the two opposing currents—the higher and lower ego forces—tears the astral body apart. With the coming of Christ to earth, the principle was brought in whereby everyone can consciously achieve their individualization. That is why Christ Jesus says: I am the true vine.

By using alcohol, one prepares a breeding ground for numerous hordes of spiritual beings, just as a poorly cleaned room becomes full of flies.

The meat we eat is permeated by the astral body of the animal. This means that our own astral body has to work to digest it. As a result, it is overtaxed and cannot devote itself to its actual task: creating images. In addition, it cannot leave the etheric body properly at night, but is held back by force. This also prevents it from performing its nightly task: restoring the life forces.

Vegetarian food, which consists only of physical and etheric components, supports the creation of large, comprehensive images and therefore gives greater insight, allowing things to be seen more clearly without too much deliberation and weighing up. It also helps us process the pure substance of the sun within us. The greater effort required to digest plant-based food does not exhaust our energies, but rather invigorates our mental faculties, as is always the case: the more you work for a good cause, the more energy you gain.

A vegetarian diet is excellent for doctors and lawyers, who will be much better able to see through their patients or their clients' business affairs, but it is not suitable for bankers, industrialists, technicians, merchants, in short, for anyone whose work involves calculation. It causes you to lose your physical ability to think clearly. That is why vegetarianism should never be promoted as widely as it often is in the world. It is also possible that you have inherited a body that cannot tolerate vegetarianism at all. In that case, you should not strive for higher exercises.

The excessive gymnastics, exercise, and bathing that are so highly recommended are also wrong for the esotericist; they pull him down into the center of the physical, whereas he should above all strive to remain calm, not run too much, and move his limbs as little as possible. (Certain parts of the physical body—hair, nails—are also permeated by the astral body, but it has no effect on them, so that they can be cut off without feeling pain. Similarly, the milk that cows give is not permeated by astral substance and therefore does not have the harmful influence of meat.)

When a person begins to become esoteric, they do not need any special “belief,” only trust in their teacher, as is necessary for any kind of teaching; and they need their common sense. He will then come to the conclusion that there must be masters of wisdom, since it would be illogical to assume that evolution stops with us; but what or how these masters are, he cannot yet know. It is simply a matter of his teacher knowing it. He approaches fundamental truths such as karma and reincarnation by arranging his life on a trial basis as if these teachings were true. He can then try out for himself whether they are true. In this way, whatever happens to him will immediately suggest to his soul that he himself must have caused it, and he will behave accordingly.

Jesus says that one should turn the other cheek when one is struck on one cheek; for if we are then struck on the other cheek, we know that we ourselves have offered it for that purpose, and we can understand that we have basically done the same with the first cheek.

Every esoteric school knows the means which, through thousands of years of experience, bring the student to knowledge in the best way. Therefore, certain general rules are given for meditation, and also special rules for each student. But there are also certain supplementary exercises that can be added to one's usual exercises. Each of these exercises can be continued for six to eight weeks, or as long as necessary, and then started again from the beginning. There are six such exercises.

1. Concentration. Take an object, preferably an insignificant one that does not captivate us in itself, but to which we must captivate ourselves through our attention. Think about this object for at least five minutes without letting your mind wander to other things, always keeping the same thought in mind. You can prepare for this by familiarizing yourself with the object beforehand. After a few days, you can choose another object.

This exercise awakens a feeling of stability in the student by activating the chakra between the eyebrows. This feeling should be sent from there through the brain into the spine.

1. Exercise of will. Resolve to do something every day at a certain moment, again an insignificant action. This exercise also gives you strength.

2. Develop equanimity, which means not alternating between being “on top of the world” and “down in the dumps.” A joke is no less appreciated if you don't laugh heartily at it, and pain is borne less selfishly if you don't cling to it too strongly.

This gives a feeling of calm that flows from the heart through the arms and hands.

1. Seeing the beauty and truth in all things. Think of the Persian legend of Jesus Christ, who admired the beautiful teeth of a dead dog, while his disciples saw only ugliness. In every thing there is at least a small kernel of truth and beauty to be discovered.

Continued practice of this exercise gives a feeling of great joy.

1. Be constantly open to learning new things. Never say: I've never heard that before, I don't believe it; or: That can't be! Whatever you are told, at least keep open the possibility of learning something from it. In this way, you can learn from children, animals, and all things. This gives you the feeling that you are able to perceive something outside your body.

2. This exercise is a combination of the previous ones, which can be taken two by two as you wish.

Through this application, you will get a feeling as if you have become taller, beyond your skin.