Daily Contemplations
Wisdom and Love: An Almanac for the Soul
- Publisher
Rudolf Steiner Press - Published
10th August 2021 - ISBN 9781855845909
- Language English
- Pages 418 pp.
- Size 5.5" x 8.5"
“When the human being warm in love
gives himself as soul to the world,
when our being in bright and clear reflection
takes to itself the spirit from the world,
then in spirit-illumined soul,
in spirit that is soul-sustained,
our spiritual being will truly be revealed
within our bodily being.”
—Rudolf Steiner, Berlin, Dec. 10, 1915
Rudolf Steiner’s inspiring words provide rich and nourishing thoughts and ideas for self-development and spiritual enlightenment. Daily Contemplations offers a special passage from Steiner’s lectures—a special gift for reflection—to accompany each day of the year. Carefully selected by Jean-Claude Lin, these quotations are taken from Steiner’s lectures and addresses given on each specific day of the year. Thus, the order of the texts is not arbitrary but arises from the historical fact of the lectures themselves.
This unique volume offers the reader a new way of working on a daily basis with Rudolf Steiner’s spiritual research. The aphoristic passages encourage us to ponder and delve further into Steiner’s work and to make our own creative discoveries.
“Wisdom is the premise, the foundation of love; love is the fruit of wisdom reborn in the ‘I.’” These words from Steiner are the founding motifs of his immense lecturing activity—to which this book gives manifold entry points. As Jean-Claude Lin notes in his introduction, “Wisdom and love are the alpha and omega of the human being who strives for truth and freedom.”
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.