The Rudolf Steiner Archive

18. The Three Paths of Initiation

Speech on the Founding of the Paracelsus Branch

[ 1 ] When giving a lecture on a Christian topic before a public audience, one cannot speak about the Theosophical World Movement as intimately as in the present case, in a smaller, more private setting. The following lecture will provide a brief outline of the three paths of initiation.

[ 2 ] Many of you have likely explored theosophy in a wide variety of ways and are also familiar with various views disseminated by the theosophical world movement. Through literature, lectures, and personal reflection, many have developed a keen interest in gaining a more precise understanding of supernatural, eternal matters that transcend the temporal and transitory.

[ 3 ] Thus, the humanities in particular have made it their mission to provide insights into the deeper nature of human beings and their place in the universe as a whole; furthermore, to investigate what is eternal and enduring in human beings, what the causes of illness, evil, and suffering are—both in the world and in individual human beings—where the goals and purposes of the world and of human beings ultimately lead, and finally, how the world came into being.

[ 4 ] Today, however, the focus will essentially be on discussing the paths one must take if one wishes to gain insight into those higher problems.

[ 5 ] Humanity’s morality is the highest goal a person can set for themselves. Universal brotherhood among humankind is the ideal that all great and noble people throughout history have envisioned. This is also the goal of the Theosophical Society. However, it never, under any circumstances, aims to establish a new sect based on Buddhism, nor does it seek to abolish or replace Christianity. Nor does it seek to introduce anything unscientific. It is also important to distinguish between the teachings of Theosophy, its worldview, and its goals—namely, universal brotherhood.

[ 6 ] Both the theoretical and the practical aspects of Theosophy are important. Its principles of knowledge are intended to serve as a means of familiarizing us with the Higher and the Highest. For through such theoretical thinking, we perform a certain kind of work on our souls. To a certain extent, we prepare it for practical love of humanity and brotherhood. The theoretical goals are to reach a point where we understand our fellow human beings in their very essence, so that we may truly treat one another with understanding and judge and treat one another accordingly. For the various opinions, occupations, environments, and so on drive people apart in life. The means to foster peace and love among people despite their widely differing opinions is to be a deeper insight and understanding, namely, the theosophical worldview. It originates from those who have striven, through the deepening and development of their dormant inner abilities, to perceive more of the world than is possible through the ordinary senses or common sense. Such people are called initiates. A distinction is made between various levels of initiation. The great founders of religions were great initiates—for example, Hermes, the teacher of the ancient Egyptian priests; Zarathustra; Moses; Plato; and Jesus Christ. They all possessed a highly developed soul. They were able to glimpse into the spiritual world, which surrounds us just as the physical world does.

[ 7 ] As long as one does not strive to walk the path of initiation oneself, there is only one means of glimpsing those spiritual worlds, namely human reason. The world becomes bright and clear when penetrated by reason.

[ 8 ] The humanistic worldview provides a clearer and deeper understanding of the world than other philosophies do. Reason is the arbiter in accepting or rejecting such teachings about humanity. According to these teachings, human beings have a genuine need for them, which is why they are presented to them.

[ 9 ] How one can develop one’s own soul so that it is capable of recognizing that which is lofty and supersensory will be explained in more detail below. Of course, there is no “should” or even an “must” regarding such development. Not everyone needs to follow such a path. Those who are suited to it will receive the necessary inspiration and take the appropriate steps accordingly.

[ 10 ] Methods for acquiring these higher abilities have existed throughout history. However, until just a few decades ago, they were known only to a select few secret teachers and students. Someone who is called to this path may eventually find the appropriate path of development on their own. All it takes is a sincere decision made of their own free will.

[ 11 ] Thus, this lecture, too, is not intended to be propagandistic or to pressure people onto such a path. Its sole purpose is to reveal the paths that one might take. The goal of this process of development is initiation—that is, the attainment of the abilities necessary for supersensible knowledge.

[ 12 ] Unfortunately, the mistaken belief is still widespread that Theosophy is something brought over from the East, that it actually originates in India as a kind of “New Buddhism,” and that it is now being imposed on us Westerners, so to speak, as a new religion. This, of course, does a great disservice to Theosophy, for it has been present in Europe from the very beginning and has taken deep root in many places, especially in recent centuries. Admittedly, it has always been met with greater understanding in the East.

[ 13 ] The East and the West also have very different forms of initiation, reflecting the deeper character of their peoples. Naturally, the European path is more important to us here than the Eastern one, as it is more appropriate for us to follow. However, all these paths lead to one and the same goal, for the truth is the same here and there, today and yesterday, and for all eternity. First, the three most important paths of initiation will be briefly described: first, the Indian yogic initiation; second, the Christian-Gnostic path, which can still very well be followed by people today; and third, the Rosicrucian path, which is certainly the most appropriate for modern people, who cannot ultimately find satisfaction in mere faith but are becoming acquainted with the achievements of culture and technology. This, too, is at its very core a Christian path, as is evident from the fact that it is precisely the Rosicrucian initiate who comes to understand the wisdom teachings of Christianity best and most deeply.

[ 14 ] First: The Eastern Path of Yoga. It is possible for the human soul to develop to such an extent that it becomes like an eye that directly perceives the spiritual, the eternal, and the timeless. The path that the Eastern person takes toward this development differs from that of the European because of the complete dissimilarity of his natural disposition and constitution. The Hindu differs from the European not merely in outward appearance; no, even the brain and soul of the two are structured differently. Thus, it becomes clear that in order to truly attain that set goal, the Hindu must take a different path than the European. Indeed, the matter goes so far that a European might even ruin himself morally and physically if he were to follow the Eastern path of development. The solitude and seclusion of the soul required by the path of yoga are nearly impossible in our European culture. One would have to step completely out of ordinary life—indeed, out of our entire culture—in order to devote oneself solely to one’s own inner development.

[ 15 ] Those who continue on this spiritual path require a spiritual guide or guru to lead them safely through the many perplexities. Without such a guru, it is impossible to walk this path. Furthermore, this requires a complete transformation of the human being—a transformation prescribed by the guru. In general, such a guru then possesses absolute authority over his disciple. It no longer matters what the person does in the rest of his life. It is no longer enough to be a decent, good person of the ordinary sort—simply a person whom society would describe as either ordinary or exemplary.

[ 16 ] It must now be possible to distinguish and separate the soul and the body as completely as possible; they must no longer interpenetrate one another as they did in the past. Passions and animal instincts should henceforth have nothing to do with the soul, for as long as this is the case, the soul is hindered and prevented from penetrating the mists of the physical world and gazing into the higher spiritual world. With a precise separation of soul and body, however, the latter can very well give free rein to its passions and desires, while at the same time the soul resides in the higher life. Thus, the soul can develop toward higher spiritual vision, while the body succumbs to all manner of bad qualities and may even degenerate, because its passions and drives are no longer guided toward the better by the discerning soul—as was once possible when soul and body were still intertwined. This highlights the enormous importance of proper guidance on this dangerous path. One must then strictly obey the guru in every instance, even in cases where one is reluctant to do so. The guru is permitted to intervene in the most intimate matters of the heart and to give his disciple appropriate rules of conduct. Certain relationships may be forbidden because they hinder one’s chosen path of development. The prerequisites for this path of development are: first, the ability to effectively prevent the degeneration of one’s lower natural instincts; second, the constant practice of certain behaviors and the strengthening of specific qualities; and third, the cultivation of other abilities that are currently dormant or not yet present.

[ 17 ] Such preparations for the Path are: First: breaking the habit of wandering, erratic thinking. This seems like an easy requirement, but in reality it is difficult. We are chased and driven by external impressions. For at least five minutes each day, a person should be completely in control of their train of thought. As an exercise, one can, for example, try to place a single idea at the center of one’s consciousness. Then absolutely nothing else may be associated with this idea—no matter how many thoughts may involuntarily follow—except what I myself associate with it through my own free will. Such exercises should be performed with a wide variety of subjects. After some time, a more controlled way of thinking will develop, which is already outwardly expressed in more precise language.

[ 18 ] Second: Initiative in action. This is almost entirely lacking in some people, for from an early age they are usually pushed into a profession that then absorbs the greater part of their activity. Most of our actions are determined by external factors. Therefore, those who seek initiation should make it a point to perform a specific action regularly at a set time of day, one that arises from their own inner impulses, even if it is, in essence, something insignificant.

[ 19 ] Third, the student should move beyond the extremes of “ecstatic joy and deep sorrow”; that is, a person should not surrender themselves passively to every pain and every pleasure, but should maintain their inner balance even in the face of the most bitter pains and the greatest pleasures. This certainly does not require dullness or insensitivity; on the contrary, it gives rise to an even more refined and intense sensibility.

[ 20 ] Fourth: A Persian legend about Jesus Christ should come alive in the student, namely: Jesus was traveling through the countryside with his disciples. By the side of the road lay a half-decayed dog, a gruesome sight. The disciples turned away in horror, but Jesus Christ, on the other hand, looked at the carcass with loving eyes and remarked: “Just look at the beautiful teeth of this dead animal!” — The moral of this story is to discover the hidden beauty even in ugliness and, above all, to always seek out the positive—that which one can say “yes” to. Even in the life of the worst villain, there are moments of light that one should meet with understanding.

[ 21 ] Fifth, one should strive for complete freedom from prejudice. The past should never determine one’s judgment of the present. One should not simply reject something new simply because one has never encountered it before. One should approach new insights with an open mind if one wishes to become an initiate.

[ 22 ] Sixth: Development toward harmony of the soul. This will actually arise of its own accord from all the others.

[ 23 ] The qualities listed are essential prerequisites for anyone on the path of yoga who is to be initiated.

[ 24 ] The actual path of yoga also consists of individual sections, which must be clearly distinguished from one another.

[ 25 ] First: The student of yoga should not kill, lie, steal, live a life of debauchery, or covet. The more one stops living at the expense of others, the closer one comes to what is meant by the precept “do not steal.” Of course, this does not refer to theft that is punishable as a criminal offense, but to more subtle forms of it. Everyone surely knows intuitively what the other precepts mean.

[ 26 ] Second, it is highly desirable to recognize certain symbolic acts as one’s own. One should develop a sense for them and learn to understand that a ritual act is actually merely a symbolic expression of a deeper meaning.

[ 27 ] Third: Adopting a specific physical posture and position, for it is by no means irrelevant what position one places the body in during the exercises for higher wisdom. One should, in fact, orient the body as much as possible toward the spiritual currents in the world.

[ 28 ] Fourth: Pranayama, or yogic breathing, is also of great importance; it is connected to the precept against killing, for through one’s breath, a person exerts a lethal effect on many things in their environment. Yogic breathing aims to gradually remove that lethal influence of human breath on other living beings. Above all, it seeks to reduce the amount of lethal carbon dioxide emitted. That this is possible is evident from the fact that deeply initiated individuals can spend decades in damp caves without suffering physical harm.

[ 29 ] The fifth stage involves suppressing the flow of certain sensory perceptions. Here, we must no longer allow every sensory perception to influence us, but rather single out individual ones in order to then focus all our attention on them. Furthermore, the other thoughts should each be given a specific and regulated course of progression.

[ 30 ] Sixth: In the next step, the student should concentrate on, for example, an impression of light—or, more precisely, on the image of such an impression that remains imprinted in the soul. The latter represents an even higher level. Even more valuable is meditation that arises from an idea that no longer belongs to the sensory world. It is absolutely essential for a person’s training to devote themselves to such ideas in contemplation.

[ 31 ] The following seventh stage is very difficult, for it consists in the person now banishing every single thought from his consciousness while remaining fully awake. In this way, he approaches the state of intuitive perception. Only now is the ground prepared for the contents of a world hitherto unknown to us to flow into our consciousness.

[ 32 ] In all this preparation and training, the guru is indispensable, for it is only through him—and exclusively through him—that these inner processes are guided in the proper manner and for the benefit of the disciple.

[ 33 ] The explanation of this path of yoga presented here is, of course, only an incomplete outline and by no means a guide for anyone to embark on this path. To reiterate, from time to time, one requires the indispensable guidance of the guru, which can only be conveyed from person to person.

[ 34 ] Second: The Christian-Gnostic Path. The main difference between this path and the previous one is that here, not every individual student needs a specific guru of their own. They are relieved of this requirement by the existence of a great, exalted personality—namely, Jesus Christ—who is to serve as the student’s goal and guide. The student finds a more detailed explanation of the path to follow in Holy Scripture, the Bible, and specifically in the Gospel of John, which, at its deepest level, is in fact a direct guide to mystical training.

[ 35 ] In this path, the guide is more of an advisor than an authoritative guru in the strict sense. The guidance for initiation is found here in the highest authority itself: Jesus Christ. The Gospel of John provides this guidance for mystical development. It is therefore not a textbook, but in the truest sense a guide to life. Even the very first few sentences of this Gospel possess a certain mystical power and are of the utmost importance for embarking on the path of initiation. Thus, a Christian student of the mysteries must approach these few sentences meditatively; that is to say, for example, every morning at a specific time, he must make these sentences—and nothing else—the focus of his soul. After some time, the deep meaning of these sentences will become intuitively clear to him, and only then will the moment have come when one can truly begin a fruitful study of the Gospel of John.

[ 36 ] In the course of this study, the images from the Gospel will gradually and quietly find their way into our dreams, so that we ourselves inwardly experience the events described therein. This inner experience then extends across all stages of development, which I do not intend to describe in detail here.

[ 37 ] Once one has progressed to the washing of the feet—which is the symbolic act representing the humble acknowledgment of dependence and of emerging from that which stands below and is lower—certain outward symptoms also begin to manifest: a peculiar sensation of water trickling over the feet. This is counterbalanced by the inner symptom of the imaginative image of the foot-washing. In Christian mystical development, the foot-washing signifies the first stage.

[ 38 ] The second station is the Flagellation, which we also experience emotionally. It signifies that, despite the great and numerous pains and sorrows we must endure in life, we always stand tall and do not lose heart. Here, too, we experience both an external and an internal symptom: a strange physical stinging sensation and the mental image of our own scourging.

[ 39 ] The third station: the Crowning with Thorns. This station teaches that even when we encounter suffering, even when our most sacred feelings and convictions are met with scorn and mockery, we must not lose our inner strength or our composure. Symptoms: Headaches, a vision of oneself wearing a crown of thorns.

[ 40 ] Fourth, the bearing of the cross [crucifixion]: Here, the student is to come to realize that the body is, in fact, an insignificant object compared to the soul and its importance. If we are truly aware of this, then we will also be able to use the body merely as an instrument for higher purposes; then we will truly master it. Symptoms: The appearance of Christ’s stigmata as reddened areas on the hands and feet. This “blood test,” of course, occurs only for a few moments during meditation. An inner vision of oneself being crucified.

[ 41 ] Fifth, the mystical death. Here, the student has the strange experience of feeling as if the entire world around him were covered by a veil, and behind that veil he senses the essential reality. While he feels himself in this darkness, the veil suddenly tears, and he gazes through it into a completely new, wondrous world. He now learns to judge, on an entirely different level, what lies at the core of the human soul. This mystical death is, as it were, a descent into hell.

[ 42 ] Now he is an Awakened One and can proceed to the sixth stage, the burial. Here, the person perceives his entire external environment as his body. His personality expands to encompass the entire Earth. The body feels at one with the Earth, and personal consciousness expands into Earth consciousness.

[ 43 ] The seventh stage cannot be described in greater detail, for it lies beyond all sensory imagination. At most, it can be grasped intellectually by those who, through unceasing practice, have finally been liberated from this world. This stage encompasses the entry into perfect divinity and glory, which our words are no longer sufficient to describe.

[ 44 ] This Christian path is indeed a difficult one, for it is intrinsically linked to great humility and self-denial. But whoever has walked this path has attained what is the goal and dignity of humanity; in that person, true Christianity has truly come to life.

[ 45 ] Third: The Rosicrucian Path. This path is actually just a modification of the other two. It emerged in the 14th century because the adepts of that time already foresaw that cultural conditions would be quite different in the coming centuries.

[ 46 ] For modern man, this path is the most suitable. It is also the most appropriate for Europeans. Of course, this does not mean that one of the other paths could not likewise lead to the goal. The Rosicrucian system, however, is compatible with our entire culture and civilization. This path has not, however, been recorded in books or manuscripts to date, but has been passed down from one generation to the next through oral tradition. A more detailed exposition of it can be found in Luzifer-Gnosis under the title “How to Attain Knowledge of the Higher Worlds.”

[ 47 ] Here we see a completely different view of the guru. He is no longer an unconditional authority figure to the student, but rather an advisor and friend. Authority here is merely the individual's free will.

[ 48 ] Development takes place in seven stages, namely: first, study; second, imagination; third, understanding of the occult scriptures; fourth, bringing rhythm to life; fifth, seeking out corresponding relationships between the macrocosm and the microcosm; sixth, contemplation; seventh, experiencing the divine.

[ 49 ] Thus, a course of study is first required—though not an academic course of study in the scholarly sense, but rather an engagement with thoughts about the world and human life, about the origin of the stars and so on, or other forms of training the mind. For thinking has the ability to provide new experiences and insights—that is, only purposeful, logical thinking. It serves as a reliable guide through all worlds, for in each one, one must think consistently in the same way.

[ 50 ] Second, the development of imagination. This involves not merely establishing a theoretical and intellectual relationship with one’s surroundings, but a moral one. Here, one should learn to discover in every thing that which corresponds to a moral context. To cultivate this imagination, one can, for example, bring to mind the image of a plant with complete clarity and distinctness. Or one can place a seed in front of oneself and imagine the gradual sprouting of a stalk and, finally, a fully grown plant bearing fruit. After some practice, one can then actually see how a plant emerges from such a seed and grows upward. Of course, this requires strong occult powers. But with more modest means, one can perceive the plant’s astral body as a small flame emerging from the seed.

[ 51 ] Third, the study of occult script. This involves the mastery of symbols related to the workings of the world.

[ 52 ] Fourth, the rhythmic structuring of life. This involves regulating the breathing process in such a way that the ratio of exhaled carbon dioxide to inhaled oxygen is altered in a specific manner. In our restless times, the rhythmic structuring of life is absolutely essential. All processes follow one another in a grand rhythm, and this rhythm should be carried into life as much as possible. For example, one should begin a meditation session at a specific hour, or reflect on one’s past life at the same hour each evening. In this way, one unleashes powerful forces within one’s soul.

[ 53 ] Fifth, exploring the correspondences between the microcosm and the macrocosm. Goethe also expressed the connection between these two in these beautiful words:

If the eye were not like the sun,
It could never behold the sun;
If God’s own power did not dwell within us,
How could the divine delight us?

[ 54 ] A thorough contemplation of our organs teaches us about the corresponding parts of the macrocosm. For example, the study of the eye teaches us about light; an exploration of the lungs provides insight into the composition of air, and so on. In a similar way, one should ultimately arrive at self-knowledge.

[ 55 ] Thus, by immersing ourselves in the small inner world, the great world is gradually revealed to us as well. Through such comparative reflections, the state of godliness is finally attained, as the result of all previous exercises and especially the deeply tranquil contemplation of the sixth stage.

[ 56 ] In all of this, it is essential that a person be imbued with certain positive qualities, such as self-confidence, self-control, and presence of mind.

[ 57 ] We must work tirelessly on this inner development. For even though the Divine is truly already latent within us, it will not become immediately manifest without effort and corresponding development. This path does not require withdrawing from human and social circles to devote oneself to one’s own development in solitude. Nor does it demand contempt for matter, but rather simply rising above it and transcending it toward something higher.

[ 58 ] Self-knowledge is knowledge of the world! — Let this be your motto.

[ 59 ] The three paths described here lead a person toward higher discipleship. Only from this point can one then, through a true initiate, attain the final key to the mystery of the world, thereby gaining insight into the deeper interconnections of world and human life. That highest level then signifies the ability to receive intuitions from higher worlds. It is a state of spiritual clarity and divine light.