10. The Essence of the Human Being

GA 68d/1907-07-02/p060 ·1907-07-02 · English High

Record: mixed sources. This volume draws on more than one kind of record (transcripts, notes, documents). Check the volume's own front matter before weighing a single passage. Evidence: «Vorträge aus den Jahren 1905 bis 1909 in Form von ausführlichen Mitschriften, Zuhörernotizen und Zeitungsreferaten» (Lectures from the years 1905 to 1909 in the form of detailed transcripts, listeners' notes and newspaper reports). The publisher's description of the volume, as mirrored on AnthroWiki (GA 68d). The translation is the maintainer's, not a published one.

When the teaching about the nature and essence of man gradually penetrates humanity, when it is imbued and spiritualized by it, then new life and new development will flow through it. For humanity needs these teachings now. The souls of men would dry up under the conditions that were indicated at the beginning. Theosophy had to come, it was a necessity for the life of humanity. Even if it is still treated with hostility, what harm is done? Everything that is new and incomprehensible is treated with hostility at first and only later becomes taken for granted. Think of the postage stamp – no postal administrator came up with this simple idea, and when it first came up it was called 'brain-damaged'. That was only 70 years ago! And it was the same with the first railways. It was said that anyone who traveled on them would inevitably suffer severe nervous shocks.

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Cite: GA 68d/1907-07-02/p060 · edition English