The Rudolf Steiner Archive

36. Words for Annie Besant After the Presidential Election

My dear Theosophical friends,

[ 1 ] It is with great pleasure that I welcome you once again today, following our extended break. Hopefully, we will be able to kick off a very good winter campaign this evening.

[ 2 ] It is a welcome development that, as our branch has grown, we have also had to expand this space. And it is, above all, an even more welcome development that we were able to expand it. If, during these winter lodge evenings, the fact that the rooms have become somewhat more airy and perhaps a little more inviting makes these evenings even more enjoyable for you, then we will have achieved what is indeed highly desirable in the interest of our spiritual movement.

[ 3 ] Our spiritual movement is indeed meant to penetrate more deeply and intensely into the entire spiritual life of our time with each passing year. And the larger our small groups become—as we gather in this way in the various German cities—the more we will succeed not only in absorbing theosophical ideas ourselves, but also in allowing them to flow into the hearts of our contemporaries. All the more will we fulfill the task that we recognize as the most beautiful within our spiritual movement.

[ 4 ] I don't need to talk to you today about these tasks. You are all familiar with them. There is, however, one wish we all share—and one we may express—which is that we may succeed in making some progress in our work again this winter.

[ 5 ] Before we turn to the subject of our discussion, perhaps I may briefly touch on a few points regarding the Movement—specifically, the fact that you will by now be aware from the “Bulletins” that Miss Annie Besant has indeed been elected President of the Theosophical Society. We might as well combine this announcement with another event connected to our current president, Miss Besant: On October 1, our current president turned sixty. It may well be said that this celebration of the sixtieth birthday of our esteemed President, after whom our lodge is named, must also, in a certain sense, be a celebration of our lodge. On this occasion in particular, we recall that Misses Besant has at this time taken on the essentially quite heavy burden of the presidential duties of the Theosophical Society and that she—who has, in any case, always devoted her full energy wherever possible—has, so to speak, added to the exertion of all her strength something that was necessary at this very moment, and which, in and of itself, requires the full strength of a human being.

[ 6 ] Nevertheless, we must welcome with great satisfaction that things have turned out this way, in line with the remarks I was able to share with you before the election. In this context, we may reflect on the way in which Miss Besant has devoted her energies to the Theosophical Society and movement for the past eighteen years. We understand this way of working best when we remember what the actual foundations of this Theosophical movement are.

[ 7 ] When we speak of these foundations of the Theosophical Movement, the three principles of our movement naturally come to mind first for members. First, to establish the core of a universal brotherhood; second, to seek the core of wisdom in the various religious denominations; and finally, third, to contribute to the dissemination of those insights that pertain to the higher spiritual worlds.

[ 8 ] If we now ask ourselves whether our society, by upholding the first principle—the principle of universal brotherhood—has anything distinctive to offer compared to other societies, we must say that anyone who looks around the world with an unbiased eye will know that this commitment to humanity, in the broadest sense of the word, is a central tenet of many contemporary societies, and that today, in the widest possible circles, this ideal is recognized as one that every noble person must strive for. And if a particular society adopts this ideal as its banner, then many around the world will ask: Why should we join this society, since we can fulfill this ideal in a completely different way and within other communities? And the second point—seeking the core of the teachings of wisdom in the various religious denominations—is an ideal that is already being cultivated today by many scholarly circles and by many individual scholars. If we wish to view the matter from a purely scholarly standpoint, we must acknowledge that, at least in circles with scholarly training, this ideal is also pursued—namely, through scholarly research, which, by its very nature, is not fundamentally intended to be the province of a society. Nevertheless, we would fail to recognize the very essence of our Society if we did not hold fast to these two great ideals. If we were not clear that, in the spirit of what we have come to know as esoteric Christianity, it is precisely the all-encompassing ideal of brotherhood that the Theosophical Society prescribes for us—and, on the other hand, that we can best achieve the great, deep, and profound peace—which, as an outflow of this universal brotherhood, is meant to envelop the world as a new social force— we can best achieve this peace by fostering peace right down to the core of the soul, right into the hearts of human beings. But as long as we cannot foster peace in relation to external institutions, in relation to external deeds, in relation to justice and morality, we will never seriously achieve this universal peace in the world, for what fundamentally divides people are their thoughts and their beliefs, and we will never achieve what we call universal brotherhood unless we foster peace within these beliefs. And how could we establish peace if we were unable to recognize the common core of truth found in the most diverse religious creeds? By finding harmony in our creeds, we will also establish great world peace. It is therefore evident that this must be our great ideal.

[ 9 ] But these ideals are also recognized outside the Theosophical Society. They are recognized by all those who view life with a certain degree of objectivity. At least the first principle is recognized by all people today who think with any degree of nobility, in the form in which it is presented to us. And the second principle is also recognized by those who have transcended narrow-minded fanaticism. What, then, distinguishes us from them, and what entitles us to be a special society, if these ideals are nothing special? The following: It is true that universal brotherhood is the highest ideal of humanity; it is true that one should foster peace and harmony even within one’s own faiths. But there is only one means to this great end. This means, this path, this course is what makes the Theosophical Society unique. And it is only because it believes that these two great ideals can be achieved solely through this path that it has its raison d’être. And this means is to make the mysteries of the higher spiritual world accessible to humanity.

[ 10 ] Someone may acknowledge the general ideal of brotherhood. But they are attempting to introduce it into the world with inadequate means if they do not stand on the foundation of an exploration of the spiritual mysteries of the world, and they also fail to recognize the inadequacies in religious creeds if they do not regard what underlies them in the spiritual worlds as the basis—let us say—for the complete correctness in the formulation and articulation of these ideals. You would, however, be convinced—if only you could follow the course of time—that this ideal will never be attained by the means employed outside the theosophical movement. In contrast, through the exploration of the spiritual world itself, the fulfillment of the first two ideals will arise of its own accord, as a matter of course.

[ 11 ] Therefore, the history of our movement since 1875 has also shown that those who have joined it have, for the most part, always done so because they knew that within this society they could find some of the realities of the spiritual worlds in their true form. This exploration of the occult world was at the very foundation of the Theosophical Society. It is what will always bind the members together. If we were to lose sight of this exploration of the supersensible world, then we, as a Theosophical Society, would have no reason to exist. Therefore, our primary task must be the cultivation of occultism. A vast body of occult truths has been brought into the world through the Theosophical Movement and continues to be brought into the world.

[ 12 ] Only those who work in this spirit truly understand this Theosophical movement. Whether they follow this or that path, using this or that method, those who regard the cultivation of occultism within the Society as the main objective are of the same mind. That alone could have been the perspective from which Misses Besant’s presidency was justified. They have held this perspective from the very beginning, and the task will be to learn, within the Society, that occultism itself is something that unites us. Whatever objections might have been raised in the most varied ways against Misses Besant’s presidency were, in essence, swept aside for those versed in the occult—as I have already stated—by the single sentence found in the various documents she sent out to the public prior to the election. This sentence was so authentically expressed in the spirit of occultism that one can see—whatever else one may think of her—that this sentence was written from the heart and the spirit of an occultist. And that was the sentence—which, of course, can be understood today only by people with an occult mindset—that she may invoke the approval of her Master and that she prefers this single approval from her Master to the entire majority that might result from a vote in the democratic sense. That is an occult mindset; that is standing on the ground of truth. The truth is recognized—not discovered—through a vote.

[ 13 ] While this is becoming difficult in our time for the great masses out there—who must take precisely the opposite path—it must increasingly become the mindset of the occultist. What we have recognized as truth, we have recognized, even if the whole world stands against us. Therefore, it must be true that our own judgment—based on the spiritual Powers that stand above us—is more binding upon us than any other. At the same time, professing this mindset today requires a certain courage—great courage. Even within the Theosophical Society, courage is required. Anyone who lacks this courage could not be a true occultist. However, anyone who holds this conviction deep within knows quite clearly that no matter what obstacles may stand in the way of our movement, no matter what may be done to us, this movement must find and follow its path.

[ 14 ] Therefore, it is best for us to work within our movement—which we recognize as the right one—and to work correctly. What we are able to put forward is more important, much more important to us than what we are supposed to fight against, even what we are supposed to fight against within society. That Misses Besant stands precisely on this ground—which characterizes her as an occultist—is illustrated by a small example that is, after all, likely symptomatic. Just at the last annual meeting in London, Misses Besant, who was presiding, came under heavy attack from various quarters.

[ 15 ] It might have seemed strange that at this gathering only her opponents spoke and none of her friends stood up to attempt a defense. That might have seemed a bit odd. It no longer seems strange once one realizes that Misses Besant had asked her friends not to defend her at this gathering, no matter what might happen. This, in turn, is symptomatic of an occultist gathering. To summarize briefly: What is important is that we are clear that Mrs. Besant stood on the same ground when she joined the Society—the ground that gave the Society a firm foundation at its inception—that she has never strayed from that ground, and that she will therefore be a guarantee that, as a leading figure, she will not stray from it. We may therefore welcome with great satisfaction the fact that Miss Besant, so close to her sixtieth birthday, has taken on the burden of the presidency in addition to all her other work. Let us hope that the Theosophical Movement will be kept on the course it must follow if it is to contribute to the further development of humanity’s spiritual life.

[ 16 ] In this spirit, let us celebrate the sixtieth birthday of Miss Annie Besant. And at such a moment, we realize that the occultist knows that thoughts, feelings, and emotions are not something unreal, but something real; that they are forces; and that each of us can exert an influence through our thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Take this moment—such as the present one—as an opportunity, if you can, to direct toward our President the thoughts and feelings you experience as thoughts of love, devotion, and friendship; then, each in your own place, you will be able to be a helper just as this President needs. This is the best way for us to celebrate the occasion: by making the thoughts that are usually only spoken at such celebrations the foundation of our actions. Let us say to ourselves: We want to send him thoughts, feelings, and emotions of support. This is something we had to take to heart in the Besant Lodge.