Concerning the Astral World and Devachan: (Cw 88) Volume 88

by Rudolf Steiner, James H Hindes (Introduction), James H Hindes (Translator)

Overview

In Berlin, just past the turn of the twentieth century, Rudolf Steiner, then a relatively unknown writer, educator, and editor, first began his spiritual teaching activity under the auspices of the Theosophical Society. The gatherings at this time were small, often being held in private homes, and therefore, in terms of size and location, intimate. Immediately after taking over the leadership of the German Section of the Theosophical Society, Rudolf Steiner began a comprehensive program of teaching, at first within the Berlin Branch of the Theosophical Society. Notes from nineteen of these early lectures and four private lessons form the content of this volume. Moving back and forth between Eastern theosophical terminology and the Western esoteric tradition, searching for words and pictures, Steiner was presenting, for the first time, the results of his spiritual-scientific research to small groups of people longing for deeper truths.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781621481010
Publisher:	Steiner Books
Publication date:	09/01/2018
Series:	Collected Works of Rudolf Steiner , #88
Pages:	268
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

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.

Rev. James H. Hindes has worked as a Christian Community priest since 1975 in congregations in Europe and America. He has served as pastor of congregations in England and Germany, as well as in New York City, western Massachusetts, Los Angeles, and, most recently the Denver congregation as its resident pastor for 20 years before retiring. Rev. Hindes has written and translated a number of books on Christianity and Anthroposophy.

Rev. James H. Hindes has worked as a Christian Community priest since 1975 in congregations in Europe and America. He has served as pastor of congregations in England and Germany, as well as in New York City, western Massachusetts, Los Angeles, and, most recently the Denver congregation as its resident pastor for 20 years before retiring. Rev. Hindes has written and translated a number of books on Christianity and Anthroposophy.

Table of Contents

Introduction James Hindes xiii

About this Volume of The Collected Works of Rudolf Steiner xvii

Invitation to the Lectures "Concerning the Astral World" xxiv

Part I Concerning the Astral World

1 The Mystery of Birth and Death: Berlin, October 28, 1903 1

What is the astral world? The astral element in the human being. Perceiving, thinking, presuming or suspecting. The human astral body before birth.

2 The Higher Worlds and Our Participation in Them: Berlin, November 4, 1903 15

Psychic and spiritual vision. The twofold origin of the human being. The four temperaments in the astral world. Dimensions of astral space: past, present, future. Twofold history of creation. Elements of human becoming

3 The Origin and Nature of the Human Being: Berlin, November 11, 1903 26

The threefold origin of the human being: the three breaths of the divine primal spirit. The human being as a member of the species and as a person ality. The three Logoi. The human individuality.

4 The Being and Nature of the Astral World: Berlin, November 18, 1903 36

The astral essence of the human being, as seen with the sight of a clairvoyant. Master and disciple in astral space. Destructive beings in the astral world and higher beings that become helpers of humanity. "I am the way, the truth, and the life."

5 The Character of Astral Processes: Berlin, November 25, 1903 45

Beings that do not physically incarnate. Elemental beings whose behavior shows dislike for physical human beings. Devas in astral space and in the world of devachan.

Notebook Entries (Archive No. NB-393) 53

6 Kamaloca: Berlin, December 2, 1903 54

The tasks of a human being in earthly existence: The development of specific abilities and virtues. The seven virtues: justice, withholding judgment, courage, prudence and wisdom, faith, hope, love, in their relationship to the astral world. The earth as a cosmos of love.

Part II The World of Spirit or Devachan

1 Berlin, January 28, 1904 65

The lower regions of devachan: solid land, ocean, atmosphere. The higher regions-the rupa kingdom. The work of hierarchical beings in the various regions of devachan. The stepwise passage of the human soul through death and a new birth through the devachanic regions.

2 Berlin, February 4, 1904 76

Fichte's statement concerning the attainment of new sense organs. Steps for acquiring knowledge of the higher worlds. The human aura and its various forms of appearance. The experiences of an incarnated human soul in the region of devachan. The leading spirits in the higher regions of devachan. The effects of thoughts.

3 Berlin, February 11, 1904 87

The path of the soul after death. The tasks of a human being during an earthly incarnation. The journey of a human soul through the world of archetypes. Seven regions of spirit-land.

4 Berlin, February 25, 1904 99

Corrections of errors concerning the spiritual world. The significance of the year 1875. Concerning initiation. The original confession of faith. What does "the land of blissfulness" signify? Those who recognize reality are not permitted to keep it to themselves.

Part III Four Private Lessons

1 The Sun-Logos and the Ten Avatars: Berlin-Schlachtensee, Summer 1903 113

The metamorphosis of the Sun-logos in the sacred books of the Vedas and in the chronicles of the Rosicrucians.

Notebook Entries (Archive No. NB-427) 119

2 The Bhagavad Gita: Berlin-Schlachtensee, Summer 1903 123

Conversation between Arjuna and Krishna. What is dharma? Caste system of ancient India.

3 The First, Second, and Third Logoi: Berlin-Schlachtensee, Summer 1903 129

4 The Higher Development of the Human Being: Berlin-Schlachtensee, Summer 1903 135

Total unity and separation. Conscious exercises: concentration and meditation. Four character traits that a chela must develop within. Auxiliary exercises.

Part IV Nine Individual Lectures: An authors report, an additional report, and fragmentary listeners' notes

1 Questions about Reincarnation: Berlin, August 24, 1903 145

The incarnation of important individuals. Nicolaus Cusanus, Nicolaus Copernicus, Philo of Alexandria.

2 Secrets and Secrecy: Berlin, September 1, 1903 147

Is the publication of occult knowledge justified or dangerous? The seven root-races (chief epochs) and the seven great secrets.

3 Occult Research of History: On the occasion of the first general meeting of the German section of the Theosophical Society. Berlin, October 18, 1903 150

The Secret Doctrine by H. P. Blavatsky. The future development of occult historical research. The threeness of body, soul, spirit in the development of humanity. The principle of reincarnation and karma. The need for the theosophical movement.

I Rudolf Steiner's report in Luzifer, November 1903

II A report (presumably by Richard Bresch) in Der vahan, November 1903 A letter from Rudolf Steiner to Günther Wagner concerning the seven great truths

4 Physical Illnesses and Cosmological Laws: Berlin, October 27, 1903 156

Why does there exist in karmic connections that which is imperfect, evil, pain and illness? Highly developed individuals and their individual tasks for the various planetary conditions of the earth. The occult backgrounds of physical illness.

5 Early Images of God: Berlin, November 2, 1903 161

Ideas about the gods in the third, fourth, and fifth epochs of human evolution. The development of the ability to form mental pictures and thoughts. Henotheism. The development of memory: ancestor worship, plurality of gods, the development of thinking: worship of divine wisdom. Theosophy: the revelation of the connections in the world.

6 The Fall into Sin: Berlin, November 24, 1903 167

Pictorial presentation of spiritual truths. The transition in the evolution of humanity from the non-sexual stage to the stage of two sexes. The biblical account of the fall into sin (Genesis 3:1-3:24) explained by spiritual science.

7 Cosmology according to Genesis: Berlin, December 8, 1903 175

The creation of the world and the human being in Moses's Genesis (Genesis 1:1-2:24) and in Greek mythology. The spiritual significance of the biblical account of creation.

8 Laws of the Universe and Human Destiny: A Christmas Lecture: Berlin, December 21, 1903 182

A description of an Egyptian temple ceremony. Eternal laws and the Harmony of the Macrocosm. Changeability of human character and destiny. The emergence of the universe from chaos and the path of human beings through various incarnations. The goal: Harmony between human destiny and the laws of the universe.

9 The Evolutionary Stages of Humanity: Berlin, December 29, 1903 191

The threefold aura of the human being, its stages of development and changes. The physical and astral organism: the nervous system and sense impressions. Conscious and unconscious release of the astral body from the physical body. The fire of kundalini. Future evolution of the physical, astral, and. mental bodies. Species, personality, and individuality.

Editorial and Reference Notes 199

Glossary of Sanskrit Theosophical Terms 206

Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works 209

Significant Events in the Life of Rudolf Steiner 225

Name Index 239