The Rudolf Steiner Archive

34. Yoga

[ 1 ] All the insights presented to humanity in Theosophical literature naturally stem from a single source. To the question, “How does one attain this?” the answer must be: Yoga is the path to higher knowledge, and indeed to participation in the higher worlds in general. “Yoga” means: connection with the divine source of existence, with the spiritual sources of the world. One who practices yoga is called a yogi—a person who seeks to develop within themselves the abilities and powers to penetrate the spiritual worlds.

[ 2 ] There is a great difference between the one who has grasped the concept of yoga and the one who seeks to acquire knowledge today. The latter seeks to bring as much of the external world as possible into his own mind. The yogi, on the other hand, seeks out all sources of knowledge that originate from spiritual life itself. He proceeds from the fact he knows to be true: that there is a process of development; that human development, as it is now, is but one stage; that powers and abilities lie dormant within him that have yet to emerge; and that, if we bring them forth, we can truly enter higher worlds. Anyone who wishes to become a yogi must cultivate an unconditional belief in the higher evolution of humankind—not a blind faith, but an active conviction that one can rise to higher levels, that one can develop powers that have not yet been expressed. But this cannot happen overnight. Yoga is a path that often involves renunciation, one that must be pursued with patience and perseverance. People in our modern cultural life find it very difficult to attain yoga. That is why the Theosophical Movement was necessary. When asked how long it would take to attain initiation, Subba Rao said: “It may take seventy incarnations, sometimes as few as seven; for some it takes seventy years, for others seven years, and there may be people who attain it in seven days, others even in seven hours.”

[ 3 ] Of course, it depends on a person’s level of maturity. A person may be further along than he or she realizes. Internally, a person may already be capable today of exercising his or her powers of will and spirit in the spiritual world. It may be that someone was much further along in a previous incarnation than they are today. Perhaps, in that incarnation, the conditions of the physical body prevented what was already within them from coming to the fore; now, the powers acquired earlier must be brought to the surface through the forces of the present life. For example, someone might have been a wise priest with magical abilities. This would now have to be brought forth in a later incarnation through the powers of that particular incarnation. Perhaps the development of the brain in the later incarnation is not advanced enough to make this possible. There may also be other powers that are lacking—perhaps love and kindness—in which case one cannot reclaim the earlier powers. That is why it takes some people less time and others more time to reach initiation. The goal is to explore, through the most intimate cultivation of inner life possible, what is already within us.

[ 4 ] One must increasingly strip the concept of yoga of all external and tumultuous elements, and realize that yoga takes place in the seclusion of one’s innermost life. Above all, it is important to bear in mind that such higher spiritual qualities should never be developed without simultaneously strengthening one’s character. Imagine mixing a yellow liquid with a blue one; the result would be a green liquid. Just as the yellow and blue liquids, when mixed, produce a green one, so too are the spiritual and physical forces of the human being united. If one extracts the spiritual nature, the physical nature remains, so to speak, as a residue. Much depends on these two natures being [properly] blended. It is precisely because the higher nature is connected to the lower nature that a person is who they are. In yoga training, the higher nature is drawn out, and all the negative qualities within a person then come to the fore if absolute character development does not occur simultaneously. If you aspire to practice yoga, you must be prepared for the strangest things to occur in your life. These are the temptations of Saint Anthony. When you seriously begin yoga exercises, you must be prepared for all sorts of things to emerge from the lower nature. Some people who were previously truthful begin to lie, to deceive, and to become unreliable in character. This happens when yoga training does not strictly require students to constantly strengthen their character. Opportunities for misconduct then appear as if by magic. That is why all genuine yoga schools focus first and foremost on the development of morality. Annie Besant repeatedly tells Westerners: Spiritual training without moral elevation of character can only lead astray.

[ 5 ] Yoga consists of bringing certain things—which a person would otherwise do unconsciously—into conscious awareness. People usually carry out the breathing process unconsciously; the yoga student brings this process up from the subconscious into consciousness. That form of yoga training which places the greatest emphasis on the breathing process from the outset—Hatha Yoga—leads only up to a certain point in development; there it comes to a halt. It does not go beyond the recognition of the astral realm. From the very beginning, one should not follow the path of Hatha Yoga, but rather the path of Raja Yoga. Raja Yoga regards a process such as breathing as part of a greater whole. This involves much more than simply bringing into conscious awareness the things we previously performed unconsciously. We pay no attention to a large part of our thought processes. We must learn to follow the inner process of thinking with attention. We can do this by bringing about complete stillness within ourselves in relation to the outside world. Then we must bring thoughts into this stillness ourselves and direct our attention to the specific

[ 6 ] Directing thoughts. It is best to immerse ourselves in thoughts that contain power. This conscious immersion in a thought is what is called meditation. What matters is living in intimate communion with a thought. You can meditate on a specific, meaningful thought. One must rest completely in it, in utter stillness. One could also do this with an everyday thought—for example, the thought “table”—and clarify for oneself what it is. Most people do not even realize what a table is—namely, that a mass of weight is distributed across several legs. One can seek to clarify the concept of a table through contemplation.

[ 7 ] Consider certain paintings by great artists [...]. With some, one is satisfied to see figures that seem to float; with others, however, one is not satisfied at all. In some paintings, one senses that the artist literally lived within the figures; in others, that he saw the figures only from the outside.

[ 8 ] It is very difficult for the cultured European to immerse himself in such a concept for any length of time. But the true yogi must immerse himself more and more in the concept. As we live in this way within ourselves, powers develop in our soul that were not there before. When we rest with our soul on a concept, these powers emerge. One must hold the reins and observe one’s inner life in such a way that one always holds the reins. A good means of preparation for this is this quiet resting within oneself in thought. The thoughts of life stir the inner soul to a wide variety of emotions. One must learn not to be led by the forces of the soul, but to lead them. One must learn that one has the opportunity to strengthen one’s inner self more and more, so that one can restrain an outburst of anger and hold back hatred. We must bring all emotions and passions under our control so that nothing gets the better of us. We must achieve complete mastery and restraint of our inner self. This is achieved through quiet devotion to thought.

[ 9 ] To meditate, one must: first, fix a thought within oneself; second, identify with that thought; and third, remain within it for a time. One must immerse oneself in a thought—for example, in the concept of a table—and identify one’s will with it. Then samadhi sets in; this is absorption in the object.

[ 10 ] Regulating the breathing process is integral to this kind of mental training. When this is undertaken on its own, from the very beginning, it is Hatha Yoga. When it forms part of other training, it is Raja Yoga. The yogi must observe certain breathing patterns; then he enters into a rhythmic way of life. The seven degrees of Persian initiation are based on this: Ravens, Occultists, Warriors, Lions, Persians, Sun-Walkers, and Fathers. Those who had progressed far enough to make their lives entirely rhythmic were called Sun-Walkers. Through this, the human being aligns himself with the entire rhythm of nature. The sun returns to the same point every year. Everything about it happens rhythmically. Everything in life is based on rhythms. If a person wants to achieve something, they must bring rhythm into their life. Plants and animals are connected to the seasons in very specific ways. In human beings, however, everything is initially subject to the whims of the astral body, and this makes their life unrhythmic. This brings disorder into their life. They must now restore rhythm to it.

[ 11 ] If I meditate every day at a specific time—for example, at seven in the morning—I bring rhythm into my life. But if, instead of at seven, I meditate at ten or at some other time, the rhythm is disrupted. Even if a person resolves to say a prayer every day at seven in the morning, as well as at noon and before going to bed, these are three fixed points that bring rhythm into our lives. Part of bringing rhythm to life also involves bringing rhythm to the breathing process. This is connected to very profound things that exist between human beings and the universe. Plants and human beings belong together in a certain way. Human beings inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide; plants do the opposite. Throughout evolution, there is a connection between plant nature and human nature. The plant grows rhythmically according to the laws of nature. It is still entirely chaste, because it does not yet possess astral life within itself. On the one hand, they stand higher than humans; on the other hand, they stand lower. As an ideal, they stand before humanity. Humans must become like them by introducing rhythm into the breathing process. When one inhales and holds one’s breath longer, carbon dioxide builds up within; in this way, one draws closer to the nature of plants.

[ 12 ] When the yogi gradually and consciously immerses himself in what he previously did unconsciously, new worlds open up all around him. He then experiences new worlds. When we sleep, we would not hear even the most beautiful music. Thus, human beings are initially like sleepers in relation to the spiritual worlds. And just as we awaken to melodies, so too is there an awakening in the spiritual world through the process of breathing. If one consciously immerses oneself in the process of breathing, then imaginative perception begins. Ordinary seeing is material perception. Imaginative perception consists in our ability to evoke images that are not mere visions, but are rooted in the very foundation of existence. Even when one looks at the ordinary world, one essentially has only images. Everything in the external world is an image. The images of the external world correspond to material perception. The images that arise through the process of yoga are stimulated within, stimulated in the proper way.

[ 13 ] What matters in this entire world, which then merges within us, is that it is true on an inner level. That is the difficulty in yoga training. As long as a person has personal desires, it is not easy for them to distinguish truth from falsehood in this world. That is why it is necessary to become selfless. In the Pythagorean schools, it was made clear to people: You can only learn anything about life after death once you have become completely indifferent to whether you will still be alive after death or not. — All personal aspiration is eliminated with regard to this one question. When personal desire is eliminated—where imagination comes into play—then the truth expresses itself through the imagination.

[ 14 ] The third stage is the stage of rational will. Here one also learns how truth is created—the will through which something is willed. The fourth stage is the stage of intuition. Yoga training involves reining in everything within us: desire, instinct, craving, and passion. As long as we do not master these, they make the truth seem illusory. Absolute inner calm, patience, perseverance, and steadfastness are of primary importance in yoga training.

[ 15 ] Certain character traits are indispensable in this regard. We must never lose harmony with our surroundings; otherwise, our progress will come to an end. If the wisest person were to fall asleep and then wake up on Mars, he would be unable to make use of his abilities there. People there would consider him insane. All madness is a lack of harmony with one’s surroundings; once that happens, one cannot make any further progress. As Plato says, one should not become a drunken person, but rather a sober one, and one must not neglect one’s daily duties in any way. This is absolutely essential in yoga training.

[ 16 ] It is also important to cultivate humility. Only under the influence of the utmost humility can one speak correctly about experiences in the higher worlds. An immensely high degree of humility must go hand in hand with yoga training. The Eastern student can easily earn the teacher’s respect and esteem. This is of great importance in this case. Deep, innermost trust in the teacher is necessary in yoga training because one must have a firm anchor. After all, the yoga student, in a sense, leaves the rest of the world behind. His relationship to the world changes. All things then take on a new meaning.

[ 17 ] He becomes estranged from his surroundings. He must transform everything. A certain kind of spiritual alchemy takes place within him. He must now do everything out of an inner sense of duty. He approaches everything from a new perspective. The way he relates to things changes completely. In a certain sense, a person becomes estranged from his surroundings. If he does not develop full strength of character, he can easily lose touch with his surroundings.

[ 18 ] The anchor for the yoga student has always been the teacher, who serves as a point of stability for him; he calls him his guru and regards him as the embodiment of the deity in human form. In reality, there are truly divine beings present within the natures of higher human beings. To Easterners, it seems self-evident that a higher being dwells within the guru. This is not the case in the West. If someone seeks yoga training in the West, they will also find the opportunity to achieve their goal there.

[ 19 ] The greatest obstacle in yoga training would be impatience. But one can overcome it by recognizing reincarnation and karma as realities. We must carry within us the conviction that this present life, between birth and death, is in fact just one among many.

[ 20 ] The following table is appended to a transcript by Anna Rebmann:

Perception of Materials	Object (Sensation)	Image	Concept	I	1st Level
Imaginative Cognition	Illumination	Image	Concept	I	2nd Level
Volitional Recognition	Inspiration		Concept	I	3rd Level
Intuition				I	4th Level Swan