{"corpus":"steiner","locus":"GA 34/02_initiation_and_mysteries/p032","lang":"en","edition":"English","edition_basis":null,"is_original":false,"is_default_edition":true,"text":"It is clear that those who were responsible for the initiation in the mysteries, out of a sense of responsibility, made the highest demands on the disciples. For these demands had to have the effect of steeling the spiritual forces in the sense described. *Schuré* describes the sequence of initiation as it was practiced in the school of Pythagoras (582-507 BC). This description is inspired by a genius for art and mystical depth. — With reference to this description, we will speak of these stages here. Only those were admitted to initiation who, by the nature of their intellectual, moral and spiritual being, offered the certainty of success. For these, the time of *preparation* then began. They became *listeners* for several years. In our time, when everyone believes that they are entitled to a critical, discerning judgment if they have learned something, or even – perhaps even more – if they have learned nothing, it is not easy to give a sympathetic idea of this long audience. This listener was required to *maintain absolute silence*. The silence was not meant to be external. It was a silence of judgment. One had to absorb completely without prejudice, without spoiling this impartiality by premature examination. The wise knew, and the listeners had confidence. They were not allowed to examine for the time being. For the knowledge that they received was to make them ready for examination. How can someone really *learn* if he wants to immediately examine what he is learning? With this view of silent learning, the Pythagoreans have honored a principle that alone can lead up the steps of knowledge. Those who have traveled the path of knowledge know this. They can only feel pity for those who block their path to knowledge by premature judgment and criticism. Our time is completely filled with this immature critical spirit. One need only look around at what is being said by our speakers and what is being written by our writers. If only a little Pythagorean spirit could be found in our time, much more than nine-tenths of what is spoken would remain unsaid, and just as much of what is printed would remain unprinted. Anyone who has made a few observations or formed a few concepts today believes that he is entitled to pass judgment on the most essential things. But such a right is only given to those who have understood how to withhold their judgment for years and to listen impartially to what the wise men of mankind have said. Examine everything and keep the best is a deceptive principle in the soul of those who are not mature enough to examine. Our judgment is nothing, absolutely nothing, before the truth, as long as we have not had it examined by the truth itself. Instead of saying: I will examine everything and keep the best, many should say: I will let the truth examine me; and if I am good enough for it, then it may keep me. He who has not practiced for years in the way of clinging, of living in, of unreserved devotion to the judgment of the wise leaders of mankind, his judgment is nothing but smoke and mirrors.","text_trust":"verbatim","quote_safe":true,"title":"2. Initiation and Mysteries","site_heading":null,"date":null,"location":null,"word_count":534,"url":"https://anthroposophy.ai/v1/steiner/en/ga/34/02_initiation_and_mysteries/p032","alignment_confidence":"high","alignment_reason":"beads:identity","two_voice_volume":false,"translation_credit":{"scope":"unit","status":"established","translator":"Steiner Online Library","identified_edition":"SOL2024","book_title":null,"publisher":"Steiner Online Library","publisher_inferred":true,"match_score":1.0,"source_url":"https://www.rsarchive.org/Articles/GA034/English/SOL2024/02_Initiation_and_Mysteries.html","evidence":"lecture_page_line","publisher_note":"The publisher is inferred from the edition code in this lecture's source URL, not stated by the source page. The translator IS verified for this lecture: its own source names the translator (evidence: the lecture's page, rsarchive's lecture list, or the cover of the book it was published in), and that page's text was matched against this unit (see match_score and source_url). Cite the translator with confidence; attribute the publisher only as probable."},"edition_coverage":{"de":["original"],"en":["English"]},"available_versions":[{"lang":"de","edition":"original","edition_basis":null,"is_original":true,"is_default_edition":true,"url":"https://anthroposophy.ai/v1/steiner/de/ga/34/02_initiation_and_mysteries/p032"},{"lang":"en","edition":"English","edition_basis":null,"is_original":false,"is_default_edition":true,"url":"https://anthroposophy.ai/v1/steiner/en/ga/34/02_initiation_and_mysteries/p032","paragraph_aligned":true}],"paired_german":{"status":"paired","german":[{"locus":"GA 34/02_initiation_and_mysteries/p032","passage_number":32,"text":"Es leuchtet ein, daß diejenigen, denen in den Mysterien die Einweihung oblag, aus dem Bewußtsein ihrer Verantwortung heraus, an die Jünger die höchsten Anforderungen stellten. Denn diese Anforderungen mußten zur Stählung der geistigen Kräfte in dem geschilderten Sinne wirken. *Schuré* schildert die Stufenfolge der Einweihung, wie sie in der Schule des Pythagoras (582-507 v.Chr.) gepflogen war. Von genialischem Künstlersinn und mystischer Tiefe ist diese Schilderung eingegeben. — Mit Anlehnung an diese Darstellung sei hier von diesen Stufen gesprochen. — Nur diejenigen wurden zur Einweihung zugelassen, die durch die Beschaffenheit ihres intellektuellen, moralischen und geistigen Wesens die Sicherheit des Erfolges boten. Für diese begann dann die Zeit der *Vorbereitung*. Sie wurden während mehrerer Jahre *Hörer*. In unserer Zeit, in der ein jeder sich zum kritischen, prüfenden Urteil berechtigt glaubt, wenn er einiges gelernt hat, oder auch - vielleicht noch mehr — wenn er nichts gelernt hat, ist es gar nicht leicht, einen sympathischen Begriff von dieser langen Hörerschaft zu geben. Diesem Hörer war *absolutes Schweigen* geboten. Das Schweigen war nicht äußerlich gemeint. Es war ein Schweigen des Urteils. Man mußte völlig unbefangen aufnehmen, ohne sich diese Unbefangenheit durch vorzeitige Prüfung zu verlegen. Der Weise wußte, und die Hörer hatten Vertrauen. Prüfen durften sie vorläufig nicht. Denn das Wissen, das sie empfingen, sollte sie ja erst reif zur Prüfung machen. Wie soll jemand wirklich *lernen*, der sogleich prüfen will, was er lernt. — Mit dieser Anschauung von schweigendem Lernen haben die Pythagoreer einem Grundsatz gehuldigt, der allein die Stufen der Erkenntnis hinaufführen kann. Wer den Erkenntnisweg gegangen ist, weiß das. Er hat nur Mitleid für diejenigen, die sich durch vorzeitiges Urteilen und Kritisieren den Erkenntnisweg verbauen. Unsere Zeit ist ganz erfüllt von diesem unreifen kritischen Geist. Man braucht sich nur in dem umzuschauen, was von unseren Rednern geredet, was von unseren Schriftstellern geschrieben wird. Wäre nur ein wenig pythagoreischer Geist in unserer Zeit zu finden, so bliebe wohl viel mehr als neun Zehntel von dem ungesprochen, was gesprochen wird, undebensovielvon demungedruckt, was gedruckt wird. Wer heute ein paar Beobachtungen gemacht, ein paar Begriffe sich gebildet hat, der glaubt sich über die wesentlichsten Dinge zu einem Urteil berechtigt. Aber solches Recht hat nur der, welcher verstanden hat, jahrelang sein Urteil zurückzuhalten, und unbefangen hinzuhören auf das, was die Weisen der Menschheit gesagt haben. Prüfet alles, und das beste behaltet, ist ein trüglicher Grundsatz in der Seele dessen, der nicht reif zur Prüfung ist. Unser Urteil ist so lange nichts, gar nichts vor der Wahrheit, so lange wir es nicht haben von der Wahrheit selbst prüfen lassen. Statt zu sagen: ich prüfe alles, und will das beste behalten, sollten viele sagen: ich will mich von der Wahrheit prüfen lassen; und wenn ich gut genug bin für sie, dann mag sie mich behalten. Wer nicht Jahre hindurch sich geübt hat in der Anschmiegung, im Einleben, in der rückhaltiosen Hingabe an das Urteil der weisen Führer der Menschheit, dessen Urteil ist Schall und Rauch.","text_trust":"verbatim","quote_safe":true,"word_count":488,"url":"https://anthroposophy.ai/v1/steiner/de/ga/34/02_initiation_and_mysteries/p032"}],"english":["GA 34/02_initiation_and_mysteries/p032"],"method":"identity","confidence":"high","correspondence":"established","length_check":{"de_words":488,"en_words":534,"ratio":1.09,"partial":false},"pairing_state":"verified","verified":true,"evidence":["length","meaning","anchors","audit"]},"witness_completeness":{"ratio":1.05,"band":"comparable","note":null,"word_count":10760,"original_word_count":10252,"may_be_abridged":false},"witness_quality":{"translator":{"scope":"unit","status":"recorded","translator":"Steiner Online Library","identified_edition":"SOL2024","book_title":null,"publisher":"Steiner Online Library","publisher_inferred":true,"match_score":1.0,"source_url":"https://www.rsarchive.org/Articles/GA034/English/SOL2024/02_Initiation_and_Mysteries.html","evidence":"lecture_page_line","publisher_note":"The publisher is inferred from the edition code in this lecture's source URL, not stated by the source page. The translator IS verified for this lecture: its own source names the translator (evidence: the lecture's page, rsarchive's lecture list, or the cover of the book it was published in), and that page's text was matched against this unit (see match_score and source_url). Cite the translator with confidence; attribute the publisher only as probable."},"entity_parity":{"status":"ok","checked_against":["GA 34/02_initiation_and_mysteries/p032"],"missing_from_translation":[],"present_only_in_translation":[],"bead_confidence":"high","note":"Every load-bearing name in the German counterpart appears in this English passage. That is a check on NAMES only: a translation can keep every name and still reverse who acts on whom, change a number, or soften a claim. Read the German for anything you intend to rest an argument on."},"note":"quote_safe certifies the bytes of this text. This block is about the translation as a WITNESS: who made it, and whether it carries the same names as the original. 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