WHAT COULD BE THE REASON OF STEINERS OTHER COURSE?

After his Berlin period, Steiner increasingly turned to the public via the arts. Also due to his many
lectures, it became a broad translation into directions for work areas. Only in the last years of his life
did he come to write class hours as a teaching material for mantra meditation. This was a translation
of the knowledge of esoteric teachings into language, text, explanation in words. The personal
spiritual transfer in teaching does not seem to have been his way. It may be that the time for this was
lacking in Steiner's life, or that Steiner had a different appreciation of the talents of his students and
found a gradual way better, through work with his directions for various professions. Had he changed
his course because Germany entered the First World War? Then the analogy with the bewilderment
after the Second World War and leaving the church and faith would apply: Because of a war no more
esoteric teaching as was usual in the lodge. It can be assumed that a spiritual teacher does not just
give up. Was he disappointed in his students? Could this be the reason why this road was closed off
and that door to this precursor of anthroposophy remained closed for members and later
generations? (no more rituals and initiations, no mention of the freemasons origins). One only hears
about leaving the theosophical society, while leaving the position as grand master of the lodge is
never mentioned. Away from Berlin because of the war, but why away from a method? One outer
reason was the new domicile in Switzerland and the wish to build the Goetheanum. One did not
want to raise any suspicion by secret society gatherings. The only answer in Dornach was invariably:
"Eastern things are bad for Western people, Steiner said", without explaining how that was meant.
Perhaps this statement, if Steiner ever made it, was based on his experience during his time in the
lodge? The practice looks like it must have been a combination of many religious and esoteric
traditions. Specifically eastern was perhaps the "Hindu tantra" part, as tantra is a broad assembly
name of many practices, from yoga, to rituals, to mantra, performing art and more. One could even
say alchemy is a practice of tantra. In general one follows a method or ritual to bring about a
"weaving together" of body and spirit, the human form and the cosmos. It is a creative acting. To the
Viennese occultists with their special form of yoga and language sound meditation for the highest
grades and the inner circle, today's eurythmy (and possibly also speech formation) would come very
close to their practice. Meaning the actual doing of eurythmy itself. (To perform it on a stage would
be another matter, just as watching a performance of eurythmie as a stage art is another variant, as
something of the transforming power within the individual will be lost).

Spiritual teaching is the heritage of all of humanity, essentially there is no difference between Eastern
and Western people. We are all in the same development here on earth.

All paths are valuable: study and philosophical debate, active dynamic path of experience through
the arts and finally meditative absorption practice. Each individual student is gifted differently in their
own way and can best benefit from one of these methods. The teacher must in principle meet the
entire spectrum, so that he can offer all pupils something that fits best. Once a teacher has decided
in which way he wants to teach an individual, that is certain. One can recognize a good teacher by
this: there is no single same method for everyone. Steiner has undoubtedly taken an individual
approach to people in life. In general, this is the case in art education, although it is becoming less
individual there: people must learn the trade. The study group will be the least individually targeted
as a learning experience. This entails a risk that people will see the doctrine as absolute and above
the person. Philosophy and theory also exist only by the individual, one must also be able to separate
from a theory. For instance the theoretical explication of the levels in meditation (as described in
stage 3 of the ecstasies) can become a hindrance to the actual experience, whereas they may be
helpful afterward. Analogous to dealing with emotion, there is also a dealing with thoughts, by
observing them, letting them come into the mind and go again. Everything takes place in the space of
the mind. The other end of the learning spectrum is the personal experience from which the student
tries to become wise against the background of a teaching. All processes involving decades of
processing and working on. Fast results and insights? Yes, sometimes, but then the integration,
internalization, transmutation starts, not wanting to come to conclusions too quickly.

With the old initiation stages, a shot is fired at the start as a radical experience, and afterwards a lot
of time is needed to grow.

The route through study, applying instructions is also a very long one, before one would come to this
kind of meditative experiences (which Steiner called Geistesschau). After all, these experiences are
initially at odds with normal consciousness. It can be difficult for an individual to "break" (interrupt)
his own normal consciousness so that the other vision can come in. The Zen Buddhists have the
method of the unexpected blow with a stick. Other disciplines have different methods to get
someone out of their habitual pattern. Teachers with a powerful mind know how to achieve it by
focusing their mind on the student, so that they suddenly take their chances.

May everyone embark on the adventurous journey exploring consciousness! In doing so, making full
use of everything given as energies in our constitution. Ahriman and Lucifer, as well, although they
may not be attractive names.

In other systems the duality is sometimes expressed in a more neutral way: such as "space cycle" and
"mind-cycle" in the dzogchen tradition. Teachings grouped in space teachings and mind teachings.
The one way and the other lead to results.

"Father-tantra" and "mother-tantra" classifications, where tantra mainly uses ethereal physiology,
chakra's and energy pathways and therefore certainly is not exclusively related to the actual union of
a man and a woman to produce new life . (An exceptional way of meditation, which most people are
not ready for).

The left hand and the right perform rituals and mudra's, like a dance of hands and fingers, in which
the feminine and masculine are connected, also called wisdom and method. One cannot do without
the other: wisdom cannot arise without the right method, they are inextricably connected. In certain
Buddha images, one sometimes sees two plant-like vegetative stems, to the left and right of the
image. They seem like an ornament, but are the "stems" (energy pathways) that carry sun and moon
at the height of the head, as the ultimate fruit of "transmutation" on the spiritual path. In alchemy
this transmutation is described as the union of Luna and Sol, the feminine and masculine principle
within us: What radiates out as the sun and is formed within as new life by the forces of growth
(under the influence of the Moon) All inspiring images for inner processes, or as Steiner put it
poetically:

"Ich fühle wie entzaubert Das Geisteskind im Seelenschoss; Es hat in Herzenshelligkeit Gezeugt das
heil'ge Weltenwort ..." part of his weekly verse for Christmas. ( Steiner, 1912).

(In English translation: I feel like disenchanted, The spirit child in the lap of my soul; It is in hearts
brightness, conceived by the holy worlds word..)