The Rudolf Steiner Archive

32. On the Way of Life of a Spiritual Seeker

[ 1 ] In leading a proper spiritual life, it is important to keep two aspects in mind: one’s own self-improvement and our work in the service of humanity. It might seem as though self-improvement promotes selfishness. To a certain extent, it does. But the Theosophist must constantly strive to help his fellow human beings. It is not for nothing that it is said: “When the rose adorns itself, it also adorns the garden.”—Self-perfection should not be pursued in an egoistic sense. Our motto must be: “Take nothing without the will to give in return.” The more you are willing to give to the world, the more you will receive from it. — People who wish to advance in their development will find that the best way to move forward is to live in accordance with these principles. It is commonly believed that progress comes only through study. But one makes progress through even the smallest act of compassion. If people can bring themselves to do a good deed, they will receive what they had previously sought in vain through study. One must make life a lesson.

[ 2 ] People form their principles based on judgments. However, one must break the habit of holding views that have arisen from liking or disliking. One must form one’s judgment on the basis of experience. A somewhat advanced occultist systematically breaks the habit of his sympathies and antipathies. With every new person, he allows what he sees in that person to speak to him. The theosophist will express as little opinion as possible, but will let the facts speak—facts he has experienced on the physical plane or other planes. He will increasingly wean himself from holding opinions and accustom himself to gaining experiences. When we advance in knowledge in this way, our entire being is transformed. The seeker of the spirit tries to train his thinking so that life speaks to him through it. He does not say to himself, “This is a criminal, that is a saint,” or, “This is a good deed, that is a bad one.” Rather, when faced with a criminal, he considers how the criminal might have come to commit the act and whether he himself might bear some of the blame. The criminal might have been connected to him in a previous life; for example, he might have been a student whom he failed to educate properly.

[ 3 ] The undeveloped person uses his powers of thought to criticize, while the developed person seeks perspectives from which to view things. He seeks the connections between cause and effect.

[ 4 ] “Pay close attention to the symbol of the serpent!” is drummed into the minds of occult students. One must view the entire world from the perspective of karma and reincarnation. This is the serpent that coils around itself and bites its own tail. When we view the world through the lens of karma and reincarnation, this symbol becomes a reality for us. When a person establishes such a center within themselves, they become just toward the whole world. They allow every thing to exist in its rightful place. We make progress in our way of life when we do not judge people ourselves, but rather let them be and understand them. In doing so, we remove a veil from ourselves. Judgment forms a veil before our eyes. It is the wound spoken of in *Light on the Path*:

Before the masters, the voice can speak; the wounded must unlearn it.

[ 5 ] In this way, we not only create the possibility of behaving completely objectively, but we also establish a firm foundation for ourselves. A person I find unpleasant causes me to lose sight of myself. If I suppress my feeling of antipathy, I allow him to maintain his point of view while I maintain my own. This provides an absolutely firm foundation. If one gives in to one’s likes and dislikes, one becomes unloving precisely because of that; but not through an objective attitude—then self-observation can begin to bear fruit. Then we can learn an immense amount from the world if we let things remain in their proper place.

[ 6 ] Even the wisest person can learn a great deal from a child, if things are left as they are. Usually, those who wish to become more perfect say about certain things: “I cannot do that, because one must do what is perfect.” - It is not always right to make one’s own perfection the primary principle—for example, not when doing so causes great harm to others. The pursuit of perfection also involves resignation; for instance, any act of killing hinders occult development. But given our current culture, one must often forgo a certain degree of perfection. By isolating oneself, one can become more perfect, but in doing so, one may cause suffering to others. It is quite dangerous to view one’s own perfection solely in an abstract sense. We should work within the cultural milieu in which we find ourselves and not detach ourselves from our culture. We gain inner freedom only by moving through the world with serenity and becoming objective. We should strive in the right way for spiritual progress, coupled with resignation. One gains a great deal of mental fortitude simply by, for example, refraining from asking about something one would like to know. One must then firmly resolve not to inquire about it. Likewise, one can suppress the urge to share or break a habit. Pay attention to the tiniest details of life; in observing these small things lies the true means of development. We must never trouble the world for our own sake alone, but only for the sake of others. The more one listens to others, the freer one becomes. Linked to this is the ability to form a very first judgment. One need not automatically allow past experiences to dictate future ones. This is the “faith” in theosophical writings that clears the way for objective action in the external world. One must, so to speak, perfect oneself between the lines of life. That which others notice the least is what most promotes human development.