Truth, Humility, and the Esoteric Path: Conditions for Inner Development

GA 266II — 9 June 1912, Oslo

Esoteric Lesson

Record A

Last time, we discussed the inner reasons for being in school. Today we will talk more about the external conditions.

The very first quality one needs is truthfulness, the will to be true. That the Theosophical Society is an outflow of the teachings of the Masters of Wisdom and the harmony of feelings needs no further explanation; that is certain. Time does not permit us to discuss the “why”; human development demanded it. But belief in the Master should never be prescribed. Those who conscientiously follow the path will certainly be led to them, at least to the concept, the belief, the knowledge that they exist. But if that were a prerequisite from the outset, it would be a lie: the existence of the Masters must be recognized from inner reason; the truth can already be found in what is communicated exoterically, and thus the path from the exoteric to the esoteric can be found. An esotericism that would prescribe belief in the Masters is not esotericism.

However, the student should not merely be given teachings. He should discover within himself the powers that are there, and he should learn to use them; he only does not know that he has them.

What is the purpose of the school? Advice is given to help students progress more quickly and easily, because humanity needs this. However, it is also inevitable that this appeals to people's egoism. The supplementary exercises are there to combat what is added to one's egoism. If these are neglected, ambition and vanity will inevitably arise in the student. One should look for these in oneself.

Everyone should always pay attention to themselves in our togetherness, but attribute conscientiousness and truthfulness to others. One should not attribute ambition and pride to those who have something to represent, but begin with oneself. But those who sprinkle incense on others harm themselves and others. One should always remain sober and let pure reason speak. From what is given exoterically, one should let the truth speak within oneself and learn from it.

When a person devotes himself to meditation with all his strength, his powers of thought, memory, and recollection will diminish. This is as it should be. But in ordinary everyday life, they should work all the better.

As a result of incorrectly performed exercises, megalomania may arise, or a surrender to the megalomania of others. Or even a decline in memory and reason in general. To counteract this, one should strive for dutiful truthfulness. Observe yourself, study theosophy, strive not only to be true yourself, but examine the truth in everything that comes your way.

There is an old Jewish tradition: Four rabbis wanted to enter the “Garden of Maturity.” The first went mad, that is, he lost his reason; the second became crazy, that is, he no longer acted with moderation; the third died, succumbing to illness—which can never happen through our exercises—; only the fourth entered the garden. He attains “love of nature” as a positive result of his endeavors. This is not meant in the grand sense, as with people who can only delight in mighty lakes or high mountains—that springs only from a thirst for sensation—but rather, one experiences this love in small, inconspicuous things. This too is the work of the gods. They rejoiced in their surroundings and carried them down into the physical world to delight human beings. Such feelings continue to have an effect on human beings. Everything that is in human beings will one day emerge and become apparent, even if only in a later incarnation.

Nothing was ever known about the previous incarnations of leading personalities within a hundred years after their death; if it happened here and there, it was only confidentially, as a communication within a close circle, but never publicly as A. Besant speaks now. Personally, I (Dr. Steiner) would prefer to say: Everything is good and true within the Theosophical Society, but that would not be true to the truth. When one comes into contact with occult sects, occult progress is always possible there too; but the question is: How does one enter the spiritual world? On the right path, one becomes increasingly humble and modest.

All that has been said here should be allowed to sink in. One should not practice as if performing a task, one should not search busily for the truth, but rather wait calmly.

Record B

There are basic conditions for esoteric life, there are means to an end, and one such means is truth, not only to be true, but also to seek the truth. When the Theosophical Society was founded, it was originally under very favorable stars. The time had come—it would take too long to discuss the inner reasons for this here—when it was necessary to make available to all of humanity the knowledge that had previously been shared only with small circles and that is drawn from sources inaccessible to ordinary human powers. This placed those who took this task upon themselves in an extremely difficult position, for they had to convey the impulses flowing from such sources to the demands of the present age, which only want to accept what is generally human. In other words, they had to make knowledge that had not previously been accessible to humanity as a whole accessible, while at the same time taking into account the conditions of what is universally human. These impulses were conveyed through the three well-known principles. Let us consider them. The principles should be such that no one in the whole world should be excluded from this movement. Does the first principle fulfill this requirement: to form the core [of a universal brotherhood of humanity] that recognizes the universal human nature in everyone, regardless of nationality, race, color, or gender? Today, everyone can sign up to that. And how can we learn to understand our fellow human beings if we do not delve deeply into their way of thinking and their beliefs? Hence the second principle. But, one might say, the third principle excludes a certain type of person, namely materialists. But is this really the case? You see, the principle that runs like a leitmotif through our entire movement is that no creed, no belief is above the truth. We must strive for truth; we must seek it out. Now, no one who has honestly investigated the occult world has ever rejected it; that has never happened. Even the materialist, if he investigates it, will not do so. But if he refuses to engage in this investigation, then he is not seeking truth, but opinion, confession, belief. So does this principle exclude anyone? No, because everyone will agree that truth should be sought above all else. Faith was not made a condition in any of these principles, not even faith in the sources from which this movement flowed and still flows. As firmly as any knowledge can take root in a soul, so firmly is rooted the knowledge that is referred to as the Masters of Wisdom and the Harmony of the Senses. But each of you is free to agree with it or reject it. If you go through the esoteric school, you will find the way to them, but I would bar your way, put the greatest obstacles in your path, if I demanded of you, as a condition for admission to this school, unconditional belief in such masters. It is the most unmistakeable sign that every esoteric school rooted in them bears on its forehead that it does not demand any belief of any kind, including belief in a master. Outside the esoteric schools, only one master is accessible to all of humanity: Christ. And no belief is demanded in him, for that is a matter for the intimate private life of each individual and is based on ...

And if you ever encounter a pseudo-esoteric school, then inquire whether any belief is required from the outset; and if that is the case, then know that it has nothing in common with the truth. I will put it even more precisely so that you understand me correctly. Where you encounter such a school, know that it is not rooted in those we know: the masters of wisdom and harmony of feelings.

I have sought to find within myself the words that could touch something in you. I would like to keep away from this school all those who approach it only for the sake of personal authority. We discussed the inner reason for becoming an esotericist the day before yesterday. What should be the outer reason that makes you an esotericist? Not relying on authority, but testing it against reason. As you are, you are a part of humanity. You owe your ability to think and reason clearly and orderly to human development and culture. Those who have studied the occult truths in exoteric books, examined them with their intellect, and recognized them as true and reasonable, come here trusting that further truth will be revealed to them, that they will find further truth. And no one should enter here under any other conditions. But when someone enters, they tear themselves away from their connection to humanity. They detach themselves from the entire course of humanity in order to significantly accelerate [their development]. And let us be perfectly clear that this is a selfish act, which must be compensated for. But does the person who says, “I do not want to commit this selfish act, I only want to help, only to serve,” act any less selfishly? Do they know how best to help people, how best to help the world? To speak like this is arrogance.

Here we are to learn how best to serve. You must only have confidence in yourselves that you already have the powers within you that you are to bring forth. You do not come here to receive something, so that something may be given to you, but to bring forth something that is already there. This can be seen in the supplementary exercises: serenity, positivity, etc. Only your confidence must not be false. You do have the strength, but you must say to yourself: I have not used it so far, I have not observed it sufficiently, I now want to use it better and better. You will achieve your goal if you use the means sufficiently, and you should not cross the threshold of this temple with arrogance and pride. It would not be the right attitude to come here because you expect to receive something that others do not have, and only to elevate yourself above others. No, we should come in a spirit of humility, saying to ourselves: “My weakness drives me here; because my powers need support, which I find here, I therefore cross this threshold.” That would be the right attitude. For never, from the earliest times, has anything been taught in an esoteric school that was not also taught in the exoteric.

It is entirely true when I say that everything that is said here in the evenings, for example,¹ occult forces that can lead people into the occult world if they are processed with all their soul forces. If people devote all their energy not only to listening to these things as a theory, but to putting them into practice, they are esotericists. But because one feels that one is too weak to do this, one seeks support for one's powers, advice, and help in this esoteric school. There one is helped to shorten the path. “How far,” one might ask, "should one go in this egoism? Where should one stop?" The gods take care of that; they show you when you have gone too far; first they show you this in your soul. That is why self-observation is necessary, constant attention to oneself. If, for example, someone starts their exercises in a state of rage, they will find that they lose their memory even for the ordinary things of life. That this happens is quite right; it must be so if something higher is to come about, but man should not let himself go and have less memory and be less true than his fellow men. He should have much, much more memory and be much, much more true than his fellow men. It is not enough for man to remain as true as he was before, but he must become ever truer. They should fight for their memory. They should not say something later that they can only say because what came before has been covered up or because they do not want to remember. And that is why the supplementary exercises are given; they are intended to have a balancing effect. And now one more piece of advice: Beware of vanity and ambition in yourselves and also in others. We are not strong enough to do everything alone; we must help one another. Give no cause for vanity or ambition. Nurture joy and courage by giving full credit to the good in others, but do not give them unjustified blind trust. Do not believe in any authority, but test everything with your reason. Many who have held positions of leadership have failed because their vanity was appealed to, and if they have even a modicum of it, it is a danger.