142. To Johanna von Keyserlinck: “Gralburg”

The will that works in the innermost part of the human soul is a treasure in which one must trust; one must cherish it and care for it and not allow it to become unfree. All treasures that come to man in a supersensible way are to be received by him in grace; but they must not make the will a prisoner and carry it away with them, so that it loses power over itself.

Christ approaches man, but He respects free will. He does not place Himself in front of the soul and say: you must do this or that, but He shows the beauty and goodness of an act and then allows man to be uplifted by this beauty and goodness and man can “follow”.

From the right position towards free will follows the right power of love.

In the story: The knight should not be stopped on his way by the others he met, but they saw that his will was not free, and they wanted to give him nothing but free will.

A knight stormed a path there. He met a glowing figure. He found himself trying to ask her what she wanted from him. She said, “I will not tell you what I want; but since you see me, you will do what I want.” And he did what she wanted at first. He followed her wherever she led him. He came to a mountain, the shape grew larger and larger and finally filled the whole room with golden light. But the knight could not grasp anything. In the all-encompassing light, a dark shape stood out, not of light gold; it was of heavy iron. She willingly spoke when the knight asked, “What do you want from me?” She did not refuse to answer like the other. But she said: “Look, I will give you piece by piece of what I have collected in the depths of the earth. Grasp one piece at a time and connect it to what you are yourself. It will take you a long time.” And the knight did so. It took him a long time. But at last he felt that he had become quite strong. And as if of his own accord he was led back to the mountain, where the first figure had placed him. But now he could grasp what he had not been able to grasp before: the golden light united with his heavy iron and became love in him.