“More radiant than the sun ...” and sentences from “Light on the Path ...”
In accordance with the principle of continuity in esoteric work, Rudolf Steiner joined the Esoteric School of Theosophy in London in 1904. That is why he initially used their meditation verse: “More radiant than the sun / Purer than snow / Subtler than the ether / Is the Self / The Spirit of my heart / I am this Self / This Self am I” in a translation most likely written by him: “Strahlender als die Sonne ...” (“More radiant than the sun ...”), and individual sentences from “Light on the Path” by Mabel Collins: “Before the eye can see...” and “Seek the way...” For more on these beginnings, see “On the History and Contents of the First Section of the Esoteric School 1904-1914,” GA 264.
Meditation.
Morning:
1.) Aum
2.) Elevation to the higher self through the formula:
More radiant than the sun
Purer than snow
Finer than ether
Is the Self
The spirit in my heart
This Self is I. I am this Self.
3.) Contemplative meditation in “Light on the Path”
a.) 14 days: “Before the eye ...”
b.) 14 days: “Before the ear ...”
c.) 14 days: “Before the masters ...”
d) 14 days: “Before standing before them ...”
4.) Devotional surrender to the absolutely venerable ideal.
In the evening:
Review of the day. Begin with the last experiences and actions of the evening and continue in ascending order until the morning.
Beginning of meditation: Tuesday [Thursday], December 8!1 Until then, preliminary exercises on a trial basis.
For the first few weeks, please observe the following:
I. A morning meditation consisting of the following.
- Raise your feelings to your higher self. It is less important to educate yourself theoretically about the higher self than to feel in a very vivid way that you have a higher nature within you. Imagine that your ordinary self surrounds this higher nature like a shell, so that the latter is present in the lower self as its core. Once you have put yourself in this state of mind, say the following words to your “higher self” in a prayer-like manner (not aloud, but in your mind):
More radiant than the sun
Purer than snow
Finer than ether
Is the self
The spirit in my heart
This self is “I”; “I” am this self.
While keeping this in mind, no other mental image should interfere. You should only feel your soul's gaze directed toward the higher self. Gradually, you will feel a wonderful strengthening emanating from the words of the above sentences. You will feel as if you have been lifted out of yourself. Gradually, a state will arise as if your soul were growing wings. This is the beginning, upon which you will then build further. This should take 2-3 minutes.
- Immerse yourself completely in the first sentence of “Light on the Path”:
“Before the eye can see,
it must wean itself from tears.”
Do not allow any other thoughts to enter your soul. Immerse yourself completely in this thought. The meaning must then dawn on each person like a flash of lightning. This will certainly happen one day, if you have patience. Complete silence must now reign in the soul for a few minutes. It must be blind and deaf to all external sensory impressions and to all images in the memory. Again, 2-3 minutes.
- This is followed by devotional surrender to that which one reveres as the highest divine. The mood is important here. Look up fervently and long for union with this divine being.
II. In the evening before going to sleep, one should briefly review what one has experienced during the day. It is not important to be complete, but rather to face oneself as if one were another person. One should learn from oneself. Life should become more and more a lesson. One begins with the evening and progresses until morning.
Gradually, one notices that one's dream life takes on a more regular character. The spiritual world first flows into this. Meditation is the occult key to this. One should keep a little book and write down characteristic dreams very briefly in the morning, in a few words. This gives one practice in retaining what flows to one from the higher worlds. This is the first elementary method by which one later comes to experience spiritual experiences, i.e., they break into the bright consciousness of the day. Dreams that are only reminiscences of daily life or are based on physical conditions (headache, palpitations, etc.) etc.), have value when they take on a symbolic form. For example, when the beating heart appears as a boiling furnace, or the aching brain as a vault in which animals crawl, etc., etc. Only the symbolism has value here, not the content of the dream. For the form of symbolism is first used by the spiritual world to introduce us to the forces of the higher worlds. It is therefore necessary to pay attention to the subtleties of this symbolism. In your case, given your disposition, it would also be good to compare the dreams that you become aware of with the experiences of the following day. For it is likely that your dreams will take on a significant meaning in the not too distant future. When this point is reached, we will discuss further how this can be made fruitful for your spiritual life.
Please try this with these instructions and let me know in about 8 days how everything is going.
In addition to the previous exercise,2 which I ask you to continue until further notice, the following should now be added, immediately after the point where “He wills” flows over the entire surface of the body:
Form streams (rays) from the surface of the body and draw them toward the heart as the center. The whole process should be done slowly and with the consciousness quietly resting on the process.
During this process, meditate on the thought (from “Light on the Path”):
Seek the path
Then I ask you to rest quietly with all your feelings in your heart and meditate on the following:
Seek the path in inner contemplation
Then direct the flow back toward the surface of your body and meditate on the following:
Seek the path by boldly stepping out of yourself.
A time will soon come when you will perceive the rays indicated as actual flows of warmth.
These exercises prepare the union of one's own personality (microcosm) with the greater world and its mysteries (macrocosm), just as the exercises already described are intended to prepare the awakening of one's own individuality.
In the future, human beings will be in a much more intimate relationship with the laws of the world than they are at present. And the student of occultism anticipates this intimacy in his development. The head with the brain is only a transitional organ of knowledge. The organ that will actually provide deep and powerful insights into the world has its basis in the present heart. But mark well: the predisposition for this organ is in the present heart. In order to become an organ of knowledge, the heart must still undergo the most manifold transformations. But this heart is the source and fountain of the future stage of humanity. When the heart becomes its organ, knowledge will be warm and heartfelt, as only the feelings of love and compassion are today. But these feelings will struggle out of the dullness and darkness in which they now only grope, and attain the brightness and clarity which today only the finest, most logical concepts of the head possess.
The true student prepares himself for such things. And the preparation is only right if he does this with the attitude indicated in his soul. This attitude is the mother of the perspective he needs. I ask you to remember that we can only achieve what we are meant to achieve through our meditation and concentration exercises if we perform them imbued with the great, sublime goals in bright, complete clarity.
In this sense, I ask you to always view and perform the exercises. In doing so, you will become part of the community of spirits who, out of their present incarnations, are destined to become the seers and helpers of the future. We can do nothing better for the further development of the world than to develop ourselves. But we must do this. And we do not doubt for a moment that we must do so as soon as we have recognized the truth about our own being and the connection of this being with the world. However, this recognition can only be gained gradually. It is a child
of the will and of patience.
Please try to relate the various discussions this winter to the first four sentences in “Light on the Path” and write down your thoughts on them in a relaxed manner.
You will find that these four sentences
- “Before the eye ...”
- “Before the ear ...”
- “Before the masters ...”
- “And before them ...”
contain an infinite amount, and that the most important theosophical teachings about the world and self-knowledge will gradually become intuitively clear to your soul if you live completely in these sentences. These sentences are not just sentences, but forces that awaken truth, power, and life when you surrender yourself to them.
Write to me regularly, about every four weeks, and if something special happens in your spiritual life, as often as you like—about your progress, ideas you have gained, send me any elaborations. I will then forward my replies to you. Peace.
I. Morning meditation.
fully awake
a.) Elevation to the higher self:
More radiant than the sun
Purer than snow
Finer than ether
Is the self
The spirit in my heart
This self is me
I am this self.
b.) Meditation.
- Fourteen days: Before the eye can see, it must wean itself from tears.
- Fourteen days: Before the ear can hear, its sensitivity must fade.
- Fourteen days: Before the voice can speak before the masters, it must unlearn its wounds.
- Fourteen days: Before the soul can stand before them, the blood of its heart must wet its feet.
c.) Devotion. Devotion to one's highest ideal.
II. In the evening
May you fall asleep! Review.
Did I benefit sufficiently from the experience?
Did I act in such a way that I cannot imagine acting better?
It depends on the attitude (not completeness)
- from evening to morning. - Without regret.
Keep to the appointed time as far as possible.
No alcohol at all.
A vegetarian diet is not absolutely necessary, but recommended if possible.
Morning meditation
1.) More radiant than the sun
Purer than snow
Finer than ether
is the self
The spirit in my heart
This self is me
I am this self. (5 minutes.)
2.) Inhalation: Seek the path (deep, calm) (1 time)
Hold your breath: Seek the path in contemplation (3 times)
Exhale (not in bursts): Seek the path by boldly stepping out of yourself. (2 times)
(3 times.)
14 days: Before the eye sees ....
14 days: Before the ear...
14 days: Before the...
14 days: Before them... (5 minutes.)
3.) Devotional surrender to one's own divine ideal. (5 minutes.)
Conclusion:
1st month: Self-confidence
2nd month: Self-control
3rd month: Presence of mind
4th month: Energy
Evening:
Review of the day:
For an experience: Did I learn enough from it?
For an action: Could I have done it better?
Without regret. Merely with the intention of learning from life.
From backward to forward. From evening to morning.
Without any alcohol.
Set a time for yourself, then stick to it.—
Morning meditation.
fully awake
1.) Elevate yourself to your higher self with the formula:
More radiant than the sun
Purer than snow
Finer than ether
Is the self
The spirit in my heart
This self is me
I am this self.
2.) Concentration:
- 14 days: Before the eye ...
- 14 days: Before the ear ...
- 14 days: Before the masters ...
- 14 days: Before them ...
3.) Devotional surrender to one's divine ideal
In the evening:
Review of the day:
In everything I experienced: Did I learn enough from it?
In everything I did: Would I behave the same way if I were in the same situation again?
Without regret. Reverse this from evening to morning.
In the morning
I.) More radiant than the sun
Purer than snow
Finer than ether Complete
Is the self, being awake.
The spirit in my heart
This self is me
I am this self.
II.) Think of your left hand and your heart and imagine the following:
Seek the path
Now hold your hand to your heart and think:
Seek the path of inner contemplation
Now think of the right hand and fold it over the left, imagining:
Seek the path by boldly stepping out of yourself.
III.) Devotionally surrender to what you consider to be your divine ideal.
In the evening
Look back on the day.
Without regret.
From evening to morning. Backwards.
You can fall asleep while doing this!!!
[Morning] 🕈
More radiant than the sun
Purer than snow
Finer than ether
Is the self
The spirit in my heart
This self is me
I am this self.
[Evening]
I am the Self
The Self is me
The spirit in my heart
Is the Self
It is finer than ether
Purer than snow
More radiant than the sun