Enlightenment: From The Way of Initiation by Dr. Rudolf Steiner (vegetarian), Part 1 of 2

Born in 1861, Dr. Rudolf Steiner was a great Austrian polymath, philosopher and scientist who made influential contributions in the fields of education, science, spirituality and medicine. He is perhaps best known for pioneering the holistic educational methods for the Waldorf schools. An eloquent public speaker and gifted writer, he gave over 6,000 lectures in his lifetime and gained recognition as a literary critic. His writings cover a wide range of subjects, and he published more than 25 books, including “Mysticism at the Dawn of the Modern Age,” “The Way of Initiation,” and “Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path: The Philosophy of Freedom.” He developed and taught an esoteric spiritual philosophy called anthroposophy, based on “the science of the spirit.” Today, we will quench our spiritual thirst with a reading from Dr. Rudolf Steiner’s chapter “Enlightenment,” from his book “The Way of Initiation.” “Enlightenment is the result of very simple processes. Here, too, it is a matter of developing certain feelings and thoughts which are dormant within all men, but must be awakened. Only he who carries out these simple processes with complete patience, continuously and strenuously, can be led by them to the reception of inner illumination.” “If a man has once acquired the faculty of seeing with spiritual eyes, he sooner or later, meets with the beings here mentioned, some of them higher, some lower than man himself; beings who never entered into physical existence.” “When he has advanced thus far, the way to a great deal lies open before him; but it is inadvisable to proceed further without an experienced guide. Indeed, for all that has here been described, such experienced guidance is desirable, and he who has the endurance to fulfil the elementary conditions of enlightenment, will assuredly seek and discover his guide. Under all circumstances, it is important to give warning, and he who will not heed it had better leave untrodden all the steps of occult science.” “In our time, the path to occult science is sought after by many. It is sought in various ways, and many dangerous and even objectionable modes are practiced. Therefore, it is that those who know of the truth and dangers concerning these things, have allowed a greater portion of the occult training and the necessary warning to be published.”