Cosmic and Human Metamorphosis Edition 2 Revised
(CW 175)
- Publisher
SteinerBooks - Published
2nd March 2012 - ISBN 9781621480006
- Language English
- Pages 142 pp.
- Size 5.5" x 8.5"
7 lectures in Berlin, February 6, 1917 – March 20, 1917 (CW 175)
“Now you see that as microcosms we are actually part of and subject to the same laws as are cosmic beings, just as the breath we draw is subject to our own human nature.... If our hearts are sensitive to the secrets of cosmic existence and not merely blocks of wood, the words we have placed into the universe will no longer be an abstract statement. We will be fully alive to this fact. Knowledge and a feeling will spring up within us, the fruits of which will be born in our will impulses, and our whole being will live in unison with the great life, divine cosmic existence.” —Rudolf Steiner
In this important series of lectures, Rudolf Steiner lays out for Society members right and wrong ways of establishing connections with those who have died. Rather than following the materialistic desire to draw those who have died back into the physical realm, Steiner presents a means toward true spiritual union by strengthening one’s forces of consciousness. He also shows how help is provided from the sphere of Christ’s activity as a balance for our time. Steiner states:
“Those who comprehend the deeper purpose of our spiritual science realize that it not only gives theoretical knowledge about the various problems of humanity, the principles of human nature, reincarnation and karma, but also that it contains a quite special language, that it has a particular way of expressing itself about spiritual matters. The fact that through spiritual science we learn to inwardly converse with the spiritual world in thought is much more important than the merely acquiring theoretical thoughts. Christ is with us always, even to the end of the earthly epochs, and we must learn his language.”
This book is a translation of 7 of 17 lectures from Bausteine zu einer Erkenntnis des Mysteriums von Golgatha. Kosmische und menschliche Metamorphose (GA 175).
C O N T E N T S:
1. Materialism and Spirituality—Life and Death
2. Metamorphoses of the Soul Forces
3. The Human Soul and the Universe, Part 1
4. Morality as a Germinating Force
5. The Human Soul and the Universe, Part 2
6. Humankind and the Supraearthly
7. Errors and the Truth
References and Related Reading
Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Steiner (b. Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner, 1861–1925) was born in the small village of Kraljevec, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now in Croatia), where he grew up. As a young man, he lived in Weimar and Berlin, where he became a well-published scientific, literary, and philosophical scholar, known especially for his work with Goethe’s scientific writings. Steiner termed his spiritual philosophy anthroposophy, meaning “wisdom of the human being.” As an exceptionally developed seer, he based his work on direct knowledge and perception of spiritual dimensions. He initiated a modern, universal “spiritual science” that is accessible to anyone willing to exercise clear and unbiased thinking. From his spiritual investigations, Steiner provided suggestions for the renewal of numerous activities, including education (general and for special needs), agriculture, medicine, economics, architecture, science, philosophy, Christianity, and the arts. There are currently thousands of schools, clinics, farms, and initiatives in other fields that involve practical work based on the principles Steiner developed. His many published works feature his research into the spiritual nature of human beings, the evolution of the world and humanity, and methods for personal development. He wrote some thirty books and delivered more than six thousand lectures throughout much of Europe. In 1924, Steiner founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches around the world.