11. On the Essence of Christianity

GA 68a/1905-01-23/p025 ·1905-01-23 · English HighHigh alignmentThis translation's paragraph count matches the German original — the locus maps cleanly to the same paragraph in DE.
Record: unknown. How this text was taken down (shorthand transcript, listeners' notes or manuscript) is not on record here. Unknown is not an assurance of a stenogram: check the edition's own notes before resting an argument on one word.

Buddha, Zoroaster and so on were the founders of their religions, and those who professed their teachings were their followers. Christ was not the founder of his religion, he was its object. He filled humanity with himself. Paul experienced this in a special way. He is proof of the existence of the living Christ. Christianity is a mystical fact. The novelty it brings is the fact that human nature is transformed. That is why the Son of Man is at the center of Christianity. That is the core of the message. We also find the message of wisdom in other religions. The story of the Buddha concludes with the transfiguration. With Jesus Christ, the tragedy of the crucifixion and resurrection is added. This must be linked to the Buddha's life in order to understand the whole. Christ said of himself:

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Cite: GA 68a/1905-01-23/p025 · edition English