The Rudolf Steiner Archive

3. The Founding of the German Section of the Theosophical Society

Article by Richard Bresch, “Der Vâhan,” Vol. IV, Nos. 5 and 6, November and December 1902

[ 1 ] After preliminary discussions had already taken place among individual delegates on the evening of October 18, the negotiations began as scheduled at 12:30 p.m. in the hall of the Theosophical Library and former residence of Count Brockdorff, who had moved to Merano, at Kaiser-Friedrich-Str. 54a, Charlottenburg, [Berlin]. The negotiations were opened with an appropriate address by the chairman, Dr. Steiner. Anyone who understands the signs of the times cannot fail to see that we are on the threshold of a new spiritual epoch, that a new turning point is in the making—one that is just as important and significant as those in the time of Augustine or, say, the 16th century—a transformation in which Germany, in particular, is called to achieve something truly great; German scholarship has the most important task in confronting materialism; only hand in hand with it would we be able to make a difference ...

[ 2 ] The ten lodges that had been granted the section charter were represented as follows:

Berlin	via	Rudolf Steiner
Charlottenburg	via	Julius Engel
Hanover	by	Wilhelm [Eggers]
Lugano	by	Dr. Hübbe-Schleiden
Munich	by	Ludwig Deinhard
Düsseldorf	by	Bruno Berg
Kassel	by	P. G. F. Scharlau
Stuttgart	by	Fr. Pfundt
Leipzig	by	Richard Bresch
HamburgHamburg	by	Bernhard Hubo

[ 3 ] They initially agreed that, in accordance with the bylaws of the European Section, the Berlin Lodge—which has more than 25 members—should have three votes in the balloting, while all other lodges should have only two. Since the new bylaws are expected to be published separately in the near future, this is not the place to discuss their individual provisions in detail; it should merely be noted here that, in order to ensure that as many lodges as possible were represented on the Executive Board, it was decided to elect ten additional members—for a total of fourteen Executive Board members—in addition to the four residing in or near Berlin as headquarters, in accordance with the bylaws of the European Section. The following were elected: Dr. Steiner as Secretary General; Mrs. von Holten as Treasurer; Julius Engel, Miss von Sivers, and Mr. Rüdiger (Charlottenburg) as members residing in or near Berlin; and furthermore, Dr. Hübbe-Schleiden, Ludwig Deinhard, Günther Wagner, Bernhard Hubo, Adolf Kolbe (Hamburg), Bruno Berg, Dr. Noll (Kassel), Oppel (Stuttgart), and Richard Bresch. All were elected for a three-year term. The fiscal year ends on September 30, and it was decided not to request the return of any dues already paid to London for the current year; thus, for the fiscal year that has already begun, the dues set at three marks per member are now to be collected by the branches and remitted to the new treasurer. The annual general meeting—barring extraordinary sessions—is to be held on October 19. Aside from the lodge delegates, only the Secretary General and the Treasurer have voting rights at this meeting. The publication of a journal entitled “Lucifer,” as planned by Dr. Steiner—the first issue of which is scheduled to appear around January 1903—is intended to uncover and gather all the threads and principles that lead from nature, art, philosophy, science, and social life toward the spiritual, thereby guiding them toward theosophy. This undertaking was welcomed by all as thoroughly appropriate, as laborious as it is commendable; there should be no separate section journal, but “Vâhan” should also publish the section’s news.

[ 4 ] Among the congratulations, it is worth mentioning a written message from the Italian section, a telegram from the French section, a verbal message from the Scandinavian section delivered by a gentleman from Denmark who was present, and a message from the British section delivered by Mrs. Besant, as well as several congratulatory telegrams from individual members.

[ 5 ] The negotiations dragged on into the next day; they had to be suspended at 6:00 p.m. on the first day of the meeting because Mrs. Besant was expected to arrive at the Friedrichstraße station at 7:00 p.m. She had come to Berlin specifically from London, thereby demonstrating the great importance she—and with her, the British Section—attaches to the formation of the German Section. Her presence during these days in Berlin significantly enhanced their significance and has earned her our gratitude as German Theosophists. The train pulled into the station on time, and a short but warm reception was held there by about 25 members.

[ 6 ] The following day, welcomed by Dr. Steiner, Mrs. Besant entered the hall during the proceedings and was greeted with a standing ovation; she attended the proceedings for about half an hour. After the proceedings had concluded to everyone’s satisfaction, thanks to Dr. Steiner’s skillful and tactful leadership, she presented him, as General Secretary, with the charter of the German Section and, following a break during which the guests were graciously and generously treated to refreshments by Miss von Sivers, delivered an address before an audience of 50 to 60 people. She explained how the European (now once again British) Section had hitherto encompassed the lodges of all European nations, but how cumbersome and complicated its administration had been as a result—a situation that could, of course, only be provisional until, little by little, one national section after another could stand on its own two feet and break away from the parent section; thus the Scandinavian, Dutch, French, and Italian sections had come into being, and it gave her particular satisfaction that the German Theosophical work was now also being undertaken by Germans in a German manner. All peoples are different, and each nation practices Theosophy in its own way; yet the peoples are like the notes of a harmony—each contributes its part to the great harmony, and their consonance forms the harmony, realizing universal brotherhood. Thus, the German Theosophical work is also a necessary component of the global Theosophical movement. The Theosophical Movement needs the German spirit; it needs the cooperation of the German people in order to be enriched by them. Ms. Besant went on to elaborate on the difference between Theosophical societies and other societies (see the February issue of *Vâhan*, p. 129), and that the current union of the lodges into a section was comparable to the shaping of a vessel from clay; in this way, a reservoir for divine life was being created, from which the latter could pour out over humanity. Compared to the religious institutions of earlier times, each founded by a great teacher who conveyed this divine life, the Theosophical Movement represents a significant advance; it is not a new religion, but rather strives for the great unity of all religions. However, as the divine life flows down into the reservoir and members receive this privilege, their responsibility also grows, and harmonious cooperation becomes an indispensable requirement. If, in everyday life, every gain and advancement is sought solely for one’s own personal benefit, this must now change; one must purify oneself and let go of all personal desires and aversions—only then does one transform from a mere member of society into a Theosophist. However, tolerance for all differences of opinion is achieved by recognizing that, while life dwells in everyone, it manifests itself differently in each person, and each person perceives the truth only from a different standpoint and in a different way. One person possesses poetic talent, another organizational talent, and a third intellectual, oratorical, or literary talent. The secret of success lies in the cooperation of all, in mutual tolerance, appreciation, and encouragement.

[ 7 ] The evening concluded with a lecture by Dr. Steiner on practical studies of karma, which we must refrain from discussing in detail.

[ 8 ] A lively and stimulating gathering at the vegetarian restaurant across from the Central Hotel kept many members together until late into the night.

[ 9 ] On Tuesday, October 21, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., Mrs. von Holten had invited the members to her hospitable, elegant home, and time had flown by amid lively conversation when it was time to set off for Charlottenburg via the new elevated and underground railways. There, in the same rooms used previously, Mrs. Besant answered a wide variety of questions posed by about 50 members:

[ 10 ] Regarding Christian Science, she said that a distinction is made between Christian healers and mental healers. The former deny all illness, maintaining that only God is real and that everything else is unreal, an illusion—the latter, however, acknowledge the illness and thus adopt a more rational standpoint; they seek to restore harmony (health) by correcting the disharmony caused by wrong thinking through right will and thought. However, with all such healings, there is a danger of removing the evil from the lower plane only to draw it up to a higher one, from which it would then eventually have to descend again in a different, worse form; physical ailments should therefore be treated only with physical means. Healings through prayer, etc., should actually be performed only by those with clairvoyance. Such individuals see what is lacking and observe the effects of their actions. When the saints perform healings, they act based on the insight that the patient’s karma in question has run its course, and they then restore the desired harmony through their own life energies.

[ 11 ] Another question was raised: How does the fact that Jesus ate fish with his disciples fit with the dietary laws? Furthermore, according to the Holy Scriptures, Jesus is said to have eaten fish after appearing to his disciples. Is the astral body even capable of consuming food? Answer: The latter suggests that the passage is meant to be understood symbolically. For both Christian and Eastern sacred scriptures, three interpretations are possible simultaneously. The first is that these are historical or factual accounts intended to teach morality and ethics to the masses; the second interpretation is for the more advanced—the intellectual one—and the third is the deepest, mystical one. The more spiritually advanced person—such as the current questioner—discovers an inner contradiction in the sayings that compels him to seek a higher explanation; in an occult sense, fish symbolize esotericism; thus, if Jesus ate fish with his disciples, this means that he instructed them in secret knowledge. Incidentally, however, a saint can also consume impure food without harm, since he knows how to neutralize or expel the harmful substances, as proven by the legend of Saint Sankharacharya, whom one of his disciples had reproached for eating impure food. The next day they came to a blacksmith’s shop, where the teacher picked up a red-hot piece of iron and was about to place it in the disciple’s hand. But when the disciple recoiled, he was told that the teacher could also “enjoy” unclean food “without harm,” whereas the disciple could not. - In response to the question, “What karma does one incur who neglects his family for the sake of his theosophical work?”, the reply was that everyone must fulfill their duty wherever their karma has placed them; thus, everyone must first and foremost provide for their family, and beyond that, each person must decide for themselves how much time to devote to their professional duties and how much they may devote to Theosophy.

[ 12 ] Question: Did the martyrs bring their terrible sufferings upon themselves in a previous life, or not?

[ 13 ] Answer: Martyrs usually willingly endure such suffering for the good of humanity, thereby taking advantage of an opportunity for more rapid spiritual progress and creating good karma for the future.

[ 14 ] Question: Lazarus is said to have been raised from the dead on the fourth day after Christ’s death. Wouldn’t the body have begun to decompose after four days, and would the resurrection still have been possible?

[ 15 ] Answer: First of all, we have no proof that this is what actually happened. If decomposition has already set in, a return to physical life is no longer possible. The magnetic connection between the astral and physical bodies must still be present; otherwise, it would be impossible even for a saint to bring someone back to life. However, this connection can remain intact for weeks after apparent death.

[ 16 ] Question: If this connection were to continue to exist for such a long time, wouldn't it be common for people to be buried alive?

[ 17 ] Answer: We hope and wish that this does not happen very often, but the possibility cannot be ruled out; indeed, changes in the position of the bodies in the graves have been observed, and cases of the deceased coming back to life have been documented. In any case, the short time limit prescribed in France until burial is not acceptable.

[ 18 ] Question: Is it right to be cremated after death?

[ 19 ] Answer: She (Besant) had always held the view that cremation was the best form of burial, because it severed all ties with the physical world most quickly and thoroughly. Another question concerned the spiritual floodwave that descends from higher planes every century and withdraws from the physical plane at the end of the century. Mrs. Besant confirmed this statement, but noted that the withdrawal of the floodwave is no reason to cease Theosophical work afterward; otherwise, the next spiritual floodwave would have to begin at a much lower level.

[ 20 ] A question regarding mantras was answered as follows: even an ignorant person, when reciting a mantra, achieves some effect, albeit a minor one. However, they are far more effective when recited by an expert with conscious will and understanding. - Mention was also made of the claim recently made by a London sect leader who claims to be the incarnated Jesus; there is every reason to treat this claim with caution; however, the possibility that Jesus, just as he once appeared to his disciples, might still appear today to a circle of his followers in the astral realm cannot be denied; only the utmost purity of such followers’ aspirations is an indispensable prerequisite.

[ 21 ] Finally, Mrs. Besant also refuted the accusation—often leveled against the law of karma—that it precludes all charity and compassion. Anyone who, under the pretext that the suffering person’s karma is to suffer, fails to take advantage of an opportunity presented to them to bring aid to someone in need fails to consider that they, in fact, were chosen by karma as an instrument to provide relief in times of distress. If they fail to do so, they too will be left in the lurch when faced with a similar need; the law of karma, however, will then seek and find another agent to fulfill that need and cannot remain unfulfilled or be broken.

[ 22 ] That evening, Mrs. Besant finally gave her public lecture at the Hotel Prinz Albrecht, which was attended by about 400 people. Dr. Steiner opened the event with a speech: Many, he said, may have been surprised when he publicly declared his commitment to theosophy about 14 days ago at the Giordano Bruno Society. But just as Giordano Bruno, drawing on Kepler’s discoveries, had demanded recognition of a new worldview back then, so too does Theosophy today present a new worldview, and we stand today—just as we did then—at a turning point in world history. Today, the German Section had been founded, and for this reason, the foremost representative of the Theosophical Movement had come here to deliver the opening remarks in public. Mrs. Besant’s lecture on Theosophy, its significance, and its purpose went something like this:

[ 23 ] “Over the past 100 years,” Mrs. Besant began her public lecture on theosophy, “the world has, as it were, become smaller to us because we can survey it more easily and completely; yet, on the other hand, it also seems larger to us when we consider the astonishing discoveries that research has painstakingly brought to light.” Countries and peoples have grown closer together; we cross the oceans with ease in all directions; what used to take years now takes only weeks or months; what used to take days now takes only minutes or hours. Yet it is not only spatial distances that are shrinking, but temporal ones as well. Whereas 100 years ago we could look back only a few thousand years into humanity’s past, today our gaze can reach farther and farther back. The ancient structures and other remnants of long-vanished civilizations are coming to light; lost nations and dead languages are being revived, so that they come to life and bustle anew, as it were, right before our eyes. We see them before us in their customs and traditions; indeed, written records even provide us with insight into their religious beliefs. And when we compared the otherwise so diverse traditions of various peoples, we were astonished to find that all the religions of these vanished peoples agreed on the main points—that they must therefore be rooted in a common origin. From the bosom of the earth, from tombs and ancient ruins, writings come to light that confirm this. In Mexico, ancient monuments bear witness to a long-vanished civilization that had astonished the Spaniards who first arrived there. All around the Mediterranean basin, in Central Asia, Macedonia, among the ancient Etruscans, and elsewhere, writings were found upon the opening of tombs that revealed the same ideas about nature, the human spirit, and its eternal continuity; indeed, among the Chaldeans, the Persians, and other nations, comparative mythology has even found the same expression for certain principles; nowhere did it find a religious doctrine entirely different from the others, but everywhere the same doctrines, the same ethics, the same symbols; this led them to ask where the root lay to which this striking agreement was attributable. Many scholars, of course, have sought to explain this agreement by arguing that the religions and the earliest, crude concepts of God among primitive peoples arose from fear of the forces of nature and death—that is, from the same motives everywhere—and had gradually developed and become more refined as intelligence and culture advanced. It was the most prominent thinkers outside the Church who held this view—among them, in particular, Huxley—and they called it agnosticism, that is, the belief that we humans can know nothing about religion and supernatural matters, and that in this regard everything is merely a matter of faith and emotion. Yet experience does not align with this view, for instead of religions that develop and perfect themselves gradually, we find, on the contrary, that highly perfect, pure, and highly spiritual religions are always established from the very beginning—religions that only degenerate and become materialistic over the course of time—that is, precisely the opposite process. The ancient writings, particularly those of the Indians, show that the concepts of God, the afterlife, eternal justice, etc., become ever more refined and elevated the further back in time we go, rather than coarser and cruder. ^{1This is confirmed, among others, by Max Müller in his *Essays on General Religious Science* (pp. 40ff.), where he states: “Monotheism preceded polytheism, and through the polytheistic mist of the Vedas, the memory of the One infinite God breaks through.” Furthermore, von Spiegel, one of the first experts on Persian religion, comments on the former as follows in the preface to his *Eranian Archaeology*, Vol. II: “Contrary to my earlier view, I no longer believe that the Eranian religion emerged from polytheism in such a way that the multiplicity of gods was restricted to a duality and ultimately led to monotheism. It seems far more correct to me that a powerful monotheism preceded dualism.” And in the November 5 issue of *Germania*, an article titled “Primitive Polytheism” states: “The primordial religion—whatever form it may once have taken—must have left some traces, some lingering echoes, in the most ancient religions. These traces must be investigated if one wishes to explore the history of the development of religion.” - What, then, do the oldest religions of the Chinese, Egyptians, and Indo-Europeans teach us about original polytheism in their written records? Not the slightest thing. On the contrary. The further research penetrates into prehistory, the more it is enabled by a wide variety of discoveries to examine the earliest seeds of religion, the more the image of a primitive humanity worshiping the most savage fetishism and the most debauched polytheism proves to be utter nonsense.... History has penetrated even the most distant times. It knows of peoples who have worshiped polytheism from the earliest times to the present in all parts of the world. Over these long centuries, surely a point could be identified somewhere where the shift from polytheism to monotheism began, even if only in the faintest glimmers. Why are no such facts presented? Very simply, because there are none.” D.R.}

[ 24 ] In the [Upanishads], for example, which are believed to have been written around 5000 B.C., we find set forth the most sublime concepts of God and the human spirit, which even our greatest philosophers fall short of—as Schopenhauer, for instance, acknowledged when he said of the [Upanishads], stating that they had enlightened his mind and would be his comfort at the hour of death. Since religions did not, therefore, develop out of savagery and ignorance, but rather—as far back as history extends—were founded by sages such as Laozi, Zoroaster, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad, Theosophy answers the question regarding the reason for the agreement evident in all religions, even those of ancient times, as follows: There is a brotherhood of divine beings who have risen far above the level of ordinary human development; from time to time, this brotherhood sends forth a member who, whether as a king, leader, or teacher, protects, guides, instructs, and educates a particular people or race. All of these Masters have proclaimed the same truths to the world, and history teaches us that every new religion is followed by a new era of development. All the main ideas of the ancient religions reappear in modern religions; thus, the idea of the continued development of one and the same human being through many lifetimes (reincarnation) was also found among the Hebrews and in early Christianity; later, in the sixth century C.E., however, it was declared heresy and survived only in a few sects. But religion does not necessarily have to be based on such a divine teacher—that is, on belief in an authority—but can also be knowledge or insight. Human beings are capable of separating themselves from their bodies and entering higher planes of consciousness; this has long been scientifically proven. Christianity, Islam, and many mystics right up to the present day attest to this possibility, we see evidence of this in somnambulism, telepathy, suggestion, hypnotism, and all forms of clairvoyance [and so on], so that even the most stubborn skeptics can no longer ignore these facts. Of course, they attempt to discredit such manifestations by claiming that they occur only in cases of hysteria, nervous disorders—that is, pathological conditions,^{2Today’s doctors, however, know very well how to distinguish between epilepsy and ecstasy; as demonstrated by a posthumous work by Prof. Kußmaul published in the *Deutsche Revue*. The claim that many of the greatest figures in world history—such as the Apostle Paul—suffered from epilepsy is refuted here. In the case of Muhammad,” says Kußmaul, “the condition appears to have been ecstatic rather than epileptic; he dictated the suras of the Quran during his seizures, which is incompatible with the nature of epileptic seizures.” Kußmaul argues that scientific pathology must impose stricter requirements on the diagnosis of epilepsy. D.R.} occur.

[ 25 ] Well, I’m not saying that’s the case, but even if we assume that leaving the body were possible only for people with extremely sensitive nerves, this would still not be evidence against the existence of this phenomenon—after all, what does the tool matter to us, as long as its achievements are great and valuable? Lombroso, an Italian psychiatrist, says that genius and madness are very close to one another. Suppose he were right; it is still a blessing for humanity that such geniuses exist, who bring us joy through their creations. Or do you perhaps think that the beef-eating, beer-drinking, muscular run-of-the-mill people would be better able to produce such works of art? Let us consider our great geniuses—a genius like Beethoven, a sculptor like Michelangelo, a Goethe, a Shakespeare! Where did they get their great ideas? Did they not obtain them by beholding them on a higher plane in the spirit? How many accounts have been given to us by people of what they have seen and heard while in a trance or in a state of ecstasy! In this state, the spiritual person leaves his body, slips out of his physical shell, as it were, and can then rise to a level higher than the physical one; there he sees—he is clairvoyant. This ability can also be acquired through practice and a certain amount of training; what sees or perceives there is the core of our spiritual being, and since this core is an emanation of the one great Life that lives in all, it cannot merely acknowledge this unity in all theoretically hold it to be true, but—once a person is able to carry this consciousness uninterrupted into their everyday, temporal awareness—they see, know, and feel this unity, the one life that pulsates within all; thus they understand their brother, because they feel with him, think with him, and love him—not as another, but as a part of their own self. Because he now understands everyone, he also embraces everyone with equal love. We should all learn this knowledge. Theosophy gives us the opportunity to do so; it offers us its treasures.

[ 26 ] Once we have all reached this level of understanding and knowledge, then everyone will also respect the differences of others. But the hatred and hostility that still prevail today among nations —the French hate the English, the English hate the Germans, the Germans hate the French, and so on—stem from the fact that each nation views its relationship with every other nation through the lens of its own self-created atmosphere of thought and feeling; in the light of eternal reality, all these antagonisms between nations, just as between individuals, are folly and madness; there should be only one competition among them: namely, which nation renders the greatest service to the welfare of the whole. The time is coming when everyone will recognize the tone and color expressed in every nation and every individual, when everyone will grasp the harmony flowing from these tones and colors, rejoice in them, and find in them a complement to their own tone and color; but this harmony of sound and color will lead us to that eternal, blissful peace, just as it will one day spring forth from divine wisdom, theosophy.”

[ 27 ] Thus concluded Mrs. Besant’s public lecture, which had clearly made a deep and lasting impression on the audience—even those who understood very little English; there was nothing sensational or theatrical about it, nothing shrill or intrusive; in short, forceful, powerfully emphasized sentences, even those who did not understand the language were left with an impression of dignity and significance. Mrs. Besant spoke with consummate eloquence; despite having only recently recovered from a severe fever, she showed no sign of fatigue, did not falter even once, did not correct a single word or alter a phrase she had begun, and the last sentence of her speech came out as fresh as the first. Dr. Steiner took it upon himself at the end to interpret the main ideas of this lecture for those in the audience who did not understand English—not verbatim, of course, but in his own style; however, a rendering of his remarks would have to repeat too much of what has already been said, which is why such a rendering must be omitted here.

[ 28 ] And so, during those memorable days in Berlin, we finally achieved the fervently and long-awaited union, so that the next day a solemn feeling stirred deep within my soul, and I could easily have convinced myself that Berlin had put up the festive flags not for the Empress, but for our section. After all, we have now, as far as possible, prevented any stagnation or fizzling out of the Theosophical Movement in Germany, as well as any fragmentation into illegitimate splinter groups; we have created a viable organizational foundation for flourishing growth and planted a healthy seed in fertile soil. The real work, of course—the growth itself—is only just beginning; may all the necessary virtues and abilities be found among us.