The Rudolf Steiner Archive

7. Theosophy, Buddhism, Spiritualism

I. Article in “Deutschland”, Second Edition, February 28, 1904

[ 1 ] On Friday, the 26th of this month, Dr. Rudolf Steiner delivered the fifth of his theosophical lectures on “Theosophy, Buddhism, Spiritualism” in the large auditorium. The speaker pointed out how theosophy faces a twofold prejudice in our time. The sciences view it as something akin to Spiritism; and since they turn away from Spiritism as an outgrowth of “the blindest superstition,” they also want nothing to do with Theosophy. The devout followers of Western religious systems view the Theosophical movement as Buddhist propaganda; they do not want their religion taken away from them or challenged by another. Both of these views of the theosophical spiritual movement are based on misunderstandings. There have always been theosophists within European intellectual life; for theosophy seeks knowledge of the higher, spiritual world. It seeks the divine forces behind the transitory phenomena observed by the senses. It is therefore the deeper foundation of every religion, philosophy, morality, and all scientific endeavor. In the nineteenth century, it was merely pushed into the background by a materialistic worldview that relies on nothing other than what the senses can perceive. This worldview is linked to the great advances in natural science and technology. The tremendous successes in this field could only be achieved by cultivating sensory observation and the examination of purely external facts. But even the great and admirable things have their downsides. And so the scientific movement, as a sort of backlash, also gave rise to a materialistic conception of human mental and spiritual life. Mental processes were to be regarded solely as an outgrowth of physical processes, just as the movement of a clock’s hands is the effect of its mechanical mechanism. The catchphrase emerged: “A doctrine of the soul without a soul.” Those who believe in an eternal destiny for humankind could not be satisfied with such a doctrine of the soul. And so spiritualism arose. Its adherents seek, through abnormal states of the soul—the so-called trance states—to prove that in our world there exists not only a sensory reality but also a psychological and a spiritual reality. When the waking consciousness that governs our everyday life is extinguished, a subconsciousness emerges that has an intimate connection with the forces of nature hidden from ordinary perception. Those individuals in whom such trance states can be induced particularly easily are called mediums. They were by and large noble souls who, through such means, sought to restore humanity’s faith in the spirit. H. P. Blavatsky and Olcott, the founders of the Theosophical Society, also initially sought to achieve their goal within the framework of spiritualism. Thus, in a sense, the modern Theosophical movement developed out of the spiritualist movement. But the path of Theosophy into the spiritual world differs significantly from that of the spiritualist movement. The theosophist does not seek to shut out bright, clear consciousness in order to perceive spiritual reality, but rather develops this consciousness to a higher level; he develops it so that, with full clarity and brightness, it perceives the spiritual all around him. There are more highly developed individuals who can see purely spiritually, independent of the senses and the body. Indeed, every human being can reach such a higher stage of development if they follow the path of knowledge laid out by Theosophy. For now, however, the few more highly developed individuals among present-day humanity must serve as teachers to the rest. Like the Theosophist, the Spiritualist seeks spiritual life; but the path he takes is dangerous; and because the mediums and their followers do not enter the spiritual realm with full consciousness, clarity, and a sense of direction, they easily stumble there. Anyone familiar with the spiritual world knows that there are immense dangers there for the unprepared. Theosophists therefore adhere to those who move through the spiritual world with full consciousness. They alone can interpret its phenomena correctly and bring back insights from that world; whereas a person in a trance is like a child in that world. It is therefore entirely a matter of chance whether one extracts error or truth, evil or good, from it.

[ 2 ] Through a series of circumstances, H. P. Blavatsky first received theosophical wisdom from the advanced, great teachers within the Eastern Buddhist schools. And it is only for this reason that the modern Theosophical Movement, founded by Mrs. Blavatsky, has a Buddhist character. But one can just as easily arrive at Theosophy by truly grasping the profound core of wisdom within Christianity. It is simply that life in the East has made it possible for more of this very core of wisdom to flow into popular, mass religion than has flowed from the sublime theosophical teachings of Christianity into popular folk religions. The speaker then presented a picture of the religious movement founded by Buddha. He showed how this sublime religion and philosophy has none of the characteristics that Europeans have sought to ascribe to it.

II. Article in the “Weimarische Zeitung”, February 28, 1904

[ 3 ] Theosophical Lecture. Theosophy—Buddhism—Spiritualism was the topic on which Dr. Rudolf Steiner spoke to a large audience yesterday evening. Theosophy, the speaker explained, is a cultural movement that has developed from a millennia-old treasure trove of wisdom and seeks to become an integral part of our culture. It is necessary to resolve misunderstandings on two fronts. First, Theosophy must counter the accusation of being unscientific—namely, that it seeks to explain spiritual phenomena through supernatural means, which leads to superstition and spiritualism. Second, it must address the fears of those who believe that Theosophy engages in Buddhist propaganda at the expense of Christianity. Theosophy does not seek to take away anyone’s Christianity, but rather to deepen it. Theosophy only entered the public sphere in the nineteenth century; it had existed in Europe for some time, but as a secret science, to preserve it from the drudgery of everyday life. The fact that the nation’s greatest minds belonged to it is proven by the writings of Lessing, Jean Paul, Herder, Schelling, and even the Goethes; as evidence, the speaker cited the fairy tale of the green snake. Views that emerged in the nineteenth century are incompatible with theosophy. The great discoveries of natural science are based on sensory perceptions; for them, only proof matters. And since the spiritual and soul aspects of human beings could not be empirically ascertained, belief in them was lost; rather, natural science explains the spiritual and soul nature of human beings as manifestations of the physical organism. “The doctrine of the soul without a soul” became a catchphrase. In the face of these materialistic views, people sought divine wisdom—insight into the nature of the soul and the purpose of human life. Many found it in religion. Then, as a reaction to nineteenth-century natural science, the spiritualist movement emerged from America. It sought to provide the public with insight into the phenomena of spiritual life and psychic forces, for hypnosis and suggestion proved that these existed. Just as materialism had gained widespread acceptance, so too did spiritualism; but while the former carried the danger of hardening the heart, the latter—experimental spiritualism—led to confusion and an even greater danger. Mediums provide “proof” of a spiritual world in a dream-like state—that is, in a thoroughly abnormal state—and lead to false and dangerous conclusions.

[ 4 ] Theosophy therefore rejects spiritualism as an end in itself. Although some Theosophists were themselves spiritualists, they were able to find higher paths to the knowledge of spiritual beings through their advanced spiritual development; anyone who accepts the theory of evolution must acknowledge this in a spiritual context as well. Among theosophists, the seer looks into a spiritual world while in a state of waking consciousness, whereas for the spiritualist medium, this occurs in a state of subconsciousness. Devotion to mediumistic purposes leads to moral decline, whereas the theosophical seer believes he can develop spiritual powers [independent of] the physical body. The seer looks back upon past existences and sees into the Kamaloka of Theosophy. According to the speaker’s explanation, contemporary Theosophy is a body of knowledge derived from the theosophical foundations of Indian religious traditions, hence its Buddhist character. Ancient Theosophy underlies Buddhism just as it does the deepest core of Christianity; Gnosis is Budhi. The European concept of Gnosis is synonymous with Budhi, the innermost essence of spiritual vision in the Indian religion. Buddha taught that the spiritual nature of human beings is more powerful than the sensory one. By clinging to the sensory, human beings forget their higher nature. Consciousness of the soul is activity; a life in and for matter is passivity. According to the speaker, this latter concept corresponds to the Buddha’s “suffering” as it relates to his teaching. Suffering is thus a descent into matter. The innermost power of the soul, developed for the voluntary suppression of the lower nature, is the goal of Buddhist teaching. Nirvana is conscious liberation from the constraints of matter. Divine wisdom, the highest ideal of humankind—this, the speaker maintained, is the meaning of theosophy; it brings nothing foreign, but seeks to awaken and deepen the divine consciousness that lives within all people. In our view, Dr. Steiner succeeded in bringing the Buddhist worldview closer to his audience without, however, refuting too sharply the accusation leveled against the Theosophical Movement of engaging in Buddhist propaganda.