6. Intuitive Insight in the Happy and Serious Hours of Life

GA 64/1915-01-15/p021 ·1915-01-15 · English MediumMedium alignmentSome paragraph re-numbering between this translation and the German original — the locus may slip by a paragraph or two.
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And it is similar with pain, suffering and failure. Again, we can start from the knowledge of the spirit, which gives us the answer to the question: what would present itself to a person if he were to suddenly awaken in the moment of greatest pain and suffering, if he were to see what is there as a spiritual world? He would then see the effect of shrinking back from the world, of convulsive contraction; he would see the darkness of what is around him. Man would perceive spiritual darkness if he were to wake up suddenly without spiritual knowledge. This darkness is transformed again for him who carries a soul strengthened by spiritual science into pain; waking up is different for him, it is light around such a soul. And thus living through the pain in spiritual awareness, the soul becomes victor over pain, over all failures, and the fruit of pain, of failure, emerges for the soul from such an experience. This fruit is an increase of knowledge, a permeation of knowledge with the consciousness of spiritual life.

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Cite: GA 64/1915-01-15/p021 · edition English