The Rudolf Steiner Archive

39. The Budapest International Congress of the Federation of European Sections of the Theosophical Society, 1909

Foreword by Marie Steiner to the publication of Rudolf Steiner’s report in “What Is Happening in the Anthroposophical Society,” No. 1922/1944:

[ 1 ] It may be of historical interest to include here the report that Dr. Steiner himself gave orally about the congress. The account of this report, which appeared in the *Mitteilungen* of 1909, is quite faithful. It takes us back to the time of the emerging conflict with the leaders of the Theosophical Society, who sought to suppress the Christian-esoteric current of Western occultism by founding the “Star of the East” shortly thereafter and proclaiming Krishnamurti as the reincarnated Savior. - Instead of another report, we will present here the lecture that Dr. Rudolf Steiner gave at the Berlin branch on the Budapest Congress. Dr. Steiner said something to the following effect:

Rudolf Steiner's Report:

[ 2 ] Since the Munich Congress, there has been a change in the way these meetings are held. Previously, the arrangement was such that the congress took place every year. Since the Munich Congress, following a discussion that had already taken place immediately after the Paris Congress, a change has been implemented. Since that time, these congresses have been held every two years. Accordingly, a period of two years has elapsed between the Munich and Budapest congresses. The next congress will be held in Turin in 1911 and will be organized by our Italian Section.

[ 3 ] Above all, with regard to the most recent Budapest Congress, it must be mentioned that we were deeply delighted by the enthusiasm and strong theosophical idealism of our Hungarian friends and Society members. The Hungarian Section is one of the most recently founded sections in Europe. We were deeply pleased by the effort and dedication with which our Hungarian friends had organized this event. Within the Theosophical Society, there was truly present what one might call a symbol, a reflection of what is familiar to anyone even slightly acquainted with Hungarian conditions. The Hungarian nation is rightly regarded as hospitable, and it was this quality—in the sense most commonly understood in that country—that we encountered so distinctly at this congress.

[ 4 ] In Budapest, we departed from what had been sought in Munich—and what, in a certain sense, might be called the “harmonization” of the external environment with what is taking place in theosophical hearts. We made a start on this back then—and our Berlin lodge hall is a further embodiment of this idea—to symbolically express in the surrounding space what moves our hearts. For it is not a matter of indifference what thought-forms are stimulated from the outside, namely from the space where theosophical thoughts are to be experienced and stirred from within.

[ 5 ] The Hungarians, however, made up for this by decorating the hall with symbolic works of art. Those members who are not officials of the Society—the latter being occupied with administrative tasks during the congress—were able, in their moments of leisure, to admire the wide variety of symbolic paintings on the walls, particularly those by Hungarian artists. I would like to emphasize in particular that this decoration of the hall demonstrated how this nation is intrinsically inclined to combine a certain primal element of feeling and mental images with a sensibility that has emerged from a deep integration with European conditions, and how this gives rise to particularly interesting results, especially in symbolic painting. A series of paintings, such as that by Alexander Nagy, which symbolically depicted the search for happiness and sought to show how a person born into the world initially desires everything around them—particularly the happiness of the human heart; then, furthermore, how the human heart, in its search for happiness, undergoes the most diverse experiences that the outside world can offer; how it experiences what takes place in the world of wealth and poverty; how it comes to see that happiness cannot be attained on the journey through life unless it is sought in love for the other beings who live with us; and finally, how happiness can never be found by the solitary heart that seeks only to live for itself. In a similar symbolic manner, various ideas are expressed in images that fill the soul with tragedy. This is particularly true of the serious, meaningful images by [Belé Takéch].

[ 6 ] Of particular significance was the photographic reproduction of a large-scale artwork by one of our members from the Scandinavian Section: Frank [Heyman]. He has a unique way of creating art. I had already encountered this style of creation under much more favorable circumstances—back when I was able to visit the artist at work in his studio. On one of my trips, which I had to make in the interest of theosophy, I also passed through Gothenburg, met Heyman in person, and was taken by him to his studio located near Gothenburg. It is situated on a hill. In every direction, one is presented with a wonderful panorama. One can hardly imagine a more inspiring landscape than the one visible all around.

[ 7 ] There are actually quite a few—though massive—colossal works of art created by Frank Heyman. These are figures that are likely to make an impression on the realistic sensibilities of our time, an impression that might perhaps be characterized by the following words: “What kind of crazy painter is this, anyway?” One sees several colossal figures in which the head resembles a prismatic, yet irregularly shaped form. Hands, gestures—in short, the entire figure—are rendered in the most varied ways, angular and square.

[ 8 ] This figure makes a different impression on the occultist. The occultist immediately senses: This is something perceived from a higher world. For when one knows what the true mysteries of the human etheric body are, when one knows how this etheric body stands behind the physical body as a body of force, and knows how every movement expressed in the physical body is accompanied each time by a very specific movement in the etheric body, then one has the impression that the artist is creating out of the forces of the etheric body and expressing his supersensible experiences in these forms.

[ 9 ] In this way, he sought to show how the human soul develops and, one might say, how the etheric body plays a role in this development. The fundamental feeling one has when viewing his works of art is as if he were asking himself the question: “Who am I?” And when this question shakes the whole human being to its core, the etheric body enters into a state of regularity that Frank Heyman has beautifully expressed in his works. What he depicts, then, are the simple geometric forms of the etheric body, as it were, crystallized.

[ 10 ] A second image embodies the question of the person lost in thought: “Who am I?” One senses the emanation of the feeling of “peace” in the form. Here, too, the etheric currents are expressed in the sculpture. Thus, in the sculptures of our friend Heyman, we are not dealing with forms of the physical body, but rather with his crystallization of what takes place in the etheric body into the sculptural substance. In this way, the entire inner life of the human being—up to the contemplation of the Divine—is depicted. One can truly say what I hinted at in Budapest in a brief address about these works of art: The Theosophical Movement will flourish and prosper all the more the more streams of life flow from its impulses—not only from the teachers, but from all sides. Much is accomplished when streams of life flow into art from Theosophy in this way.

[ 11 ] It would have taken more than just one railroad car to transport these few but colossal works of art from Gothenburg, Sweden, to Budapest. This transport was not feasible, so visitors had to settle for smaller photographs of the artworks.

[ 12 ] But it is my hope that, as the Theosophical Movement grows stronger and stronger and the culture of the time increasingly embraces it, our friend Frank Heyman will once again become an artist of the utmost importance to it. I mention this only to point out the style of decoration in the spacious hall that was made available to us.

[ 13 ] It was particularly noteworthy that all of the European sections were represented at this congress, as evidenced by the fact that a wide variety of European languages could be heard from the podium during the welcome address to the secretaries-general.

[ 14 ] One could take satisfaction in the fact that, although perhaps only a very few were able to physically understand the speaker at the moment when a wide variety of languages were being spoken, the Theosophical Movement is a force that will gradually develop a language that goes from heart to heart, from soul to soul, and fosters understanding among the various nations.

[ 15 ] In addition to the older sections—the Scandinavian, French, Dutch, English, Italian, German, and Finnish sections (the latter of which was represented by our friend Selander, whose presence among us today gives us great pleasure)—two new sections have recently been established within Europe: the Russian and Czech sections. In addition, a representative from Bulgaria was present. There was certainly no shortage of languages during the welcome addresses by the General Secretaries.

[ 16 ] It was significant that the president of the Theosophical Society, Miss Besant, was able to preside over the convention in person and thus be among us once again. On the evening of May 28, the convention members had gathered for an informal welcome reception.

[ 17 ] In her first address on Sunday, May 29, Misses Besant spoke, in particular, about the place of the Theosophical Movement within the spiritual life of the present age. She demonstrated how the Theosophical Movement fits into our present spiritual life. She provided a broad overview of the development of humanity, particularly during the last three cultural epochs leading up to our own. She showed how humanity has gradually developed out of the past cultural epochs—the third and fourth of the post-Atlantean era—and out of our fifth epoch; how, in our time, the Theosophical Movement must position itself within the whole of this spiritual life; and how, through the Theosophical Movement in our time, this spiritual life must experience a special upswing and take on a special direction. It was a significant speech because it was able to show how theosophical understanding of human history is in fact not merely intended to satisfy the curiosity of this or that individual, but to point out to us what our place is in the spiritual development of humanity. It is not a matter of learning theoretically that the individual races and subraces develop in this or that way—but rather of recognizing the place in which we ourselves are situated in the present age.

[ 18 ] Just as new impulses have emerged in earlier eras to bring about new directions, so we are certainly living in a time in which the great ideas of the Theosophical Movement—brotherhood, reincarnation, and karma—are meant to take root in the hearts and come to the fore in those people who gather within the Theosophical Society to truly help bring about a kind of future culture .

[ 19 ] It was particularly significant that Misses Besant emphasized how necessary it is, amid the manifold and divergent opinions within the Theosophical Movement, to grasp our place in the spiritual evolution of humanity, and that what truly matters is not whether we belong to this or that direction or current, but rather that these various currents come together peacefully within the Theosophical Society—coming together in such a way that they flow into humanity as a common spiritual current, which is essentially characterized by the fact that those who belong to it are aware that the correct understanding and feeling of the ideas of brotherhood, reincarnation, and karma is what the realization of a corresponding future depends upon.

[ 20 ] It would take us far too far afield if I were to elaborate on each of these ideas here, as Misses Besant has done. I myself hinted at how we should view these ideas at the last meeting held here before our departure for the Budapest Congress.

[ 21 ] It may be helpful if, instead of focusing primarily on words, we take note—so to speak—of the spirit that was so consciously sought at this, our last congress. There has been—and it is good for us to touch upon these matters—much talk about the diversity of teachings and opinions and the varied presentation of insights among us and in other circles of the Theosophical Society. One often hears, here and there in Europe: What should one hold to? Misses Besant teaches this, Dr. Steiner that, and so on. If one considers only the outward appearances, then it cannot be denied that there is a semblance of justification for this assertion or there. Yet within the Theosophical Movement, the view should increasingly take hold that it is truly much better for that which is a rich, manifold, occult life—the life of the higher worlds—to be presented from as many perspectives as possible. Can anyone really wish that the wisdom contained in the two volumes of H. P. Blavatsky’s *Secret Doctrine* should be regarded as exhaustive, and that, time and again, in every corner of the world where Theosophy exists, work should be based solely on this *Secret Doctrine*, with only “photographs” of what is written therein ever being presented? The Theosophical Movement is something that should exist as a living force within human beings. We are right to say that Theosophy did not come into the world through this or that book, nor through this or that set of dogmas. Theosophy originates from those exalted individualities whom we call the “Masters of Wisdom and Harmony of Feelings,” for they have opened the sources of spiritual life, which can then flow into human beings. It is natural that what flows in is from time to time written down in books, and an immense body of such flowing wisdom has been recorded in the *Secret Doctrine*. For example, the Dzyan Stanzas and the Letters of the Masters are texts that are far from being fully understood, from which we can draw inspiration for a long time to come—texts that rank among the greatest revelations in the history of human development. But we must be clear that even this is not the main point; rather, what matters is that this living spiritual life has been flowing anew into the Theosophical Movement ever since that time.

[ 22 ] And now I ask you: If anyone wants to draw a tree, how does he do it? He sits down, draws it from a certain angle, and then shows you the picture. In fact, only someone who describes what is happening in the spiritual world—whether in a book or through spoken words—can do this. Even in *The Secret Doctrine*, you have nothing other than a certain body of wisdom presented from a particular perspective. Just as you can now sit on the other side and paint the tree from a different angle, so too can the spiritual image be illuminated from a different perspective. Take a picture of a tree painted from a specific angle. What would you say if another painter depicted the tree in his picture with a slightly different shape and lighting and said, “This is the very same tree, only viewed from the other side”? Would you say, “That’s not the tree, because otherwise it would have to have the same shape and lighting as that one”? It is much the same with the *Secret Doctrine*, and it is by no means necessary to merely “photocopy” the wisdom as it appears in the *Secret Doctrine*. Get to know the Tree by having it sketched for you from a wide variety of angles, if you do not yet know it yourself. The ability to speak about the spiritual world from a wide variety of perspectives is made possible by the fact that the “Masters of Wisdom and the Harmony of Feelings” have allowed their power to flow into our movement, and that these inflows continue.

[ 23 ] But why is one image portrayed more from one perspective and the other more from the other? This does not depend on chance or arbitrariness, but on necessity. It depends on the fact that, in the most diverse places around the world and within the most varied cultural currents and movements, there are different needs regarding the spiritual world. This must certainly be taken into account. The form of representation depends not only on the person who represents it, but also on what his task, his mission, is. The right approach must be taken with regard to the representation; that is what matters.

[ 24 ] Although, at first glance, one might say—with regard to the form of presentation—that Miss Besant says this and Dr. Steiner says that, it was good that this congress emphasized that what matters is not whether everyone speaks exactly the same way as everyone else, but rather that the various occult sources within the Theosophical Society can find common ground and come together.

[ 25 ] We can use yet another image if we wish to characterize the spirit that was sought—the spirit of harmony. You may know that tunnels are dug by starting from both ends, and that, if dug correctly, the two ends meet in the middle. So it can and should be with the work of the Theosophical Society as well. Therefore, it will be good for that which has a more Eastern character—that is, more in keeping with the character of our movement’s early days and based on the *Secret Doctrine*—to work toward this unification, just as Western occultism, whose sources were not yet accessible at that time, does today.

[ 26 ] Of course, when speaking of Blavatsky’s theosophy, one must not refer to it as “Indian theosophy.” It will be my task in Munich, on the occasion of my next series of lectures there, to show what the true nature of what might be called “Indian theosophy” actually is. Blavatsky’s teachings contain only a very small portion of what could be called Indian teachings. Those familiar with Blavatsky’s teachings will know that they contain much from Egyptian, Babylonian, and Chaldean teachings, and that they are by no means specifically Indian theosophy. It is a misnomer to speak of “Indian theosophy” in contrast, for example, to what is being practiced here. The fact is simply that, at the time when H. P. Blavatsky was active, the Western sources had not yet been made available, and that these sources have more to say about certain matters than the Eastern sources. We do not hold it against the Eastern sources if they cannot provide satisfactory information regarding certain matters. This must be understood. The question arises time and again: “Why do you say something different from Eastern theosophy?” If one were to examine what this difference actually is, one would no longer be able to raise this question at all. Take a look at how things stand. For example, we adopt H. P. Blavatsky’s profound interpretation of the legend of Buddha, which states that he perished from eating pork. Specifically, the interpretation that he revealed too much of his teaching and, as a result, met a tragic karmic end. We certainly acknowledge what is positive, and—this must be emphasized—that nothing positive found in Eastern teachings is missing from Western teachings. Nothing is denied; everything is affirmed. But when Eastern occultists ask, “Which occultist has ever heard of an initiatory text, such as the Apocalypse, being given amid thunder and lightning?” Western occultists reply: Every Western occultist knows what is meant by this. And we must say that we, as Western occultists, have a mission of addition and expansion with regard to Eastern teachings. One must distinguish between what has been the case up to now and what this expansion and addition entail; then one will come to understand how these two schools of thought—which some have recently sought to portray as opposed to one another—relate to each other.

[ 27 ] It is especially important here in the West to emphasize what is called the principle of evolution—the principle of evolution in our physical world and the principle of evolution in the higher world.

[ 28 ] Misses Besant gave a very beautiful lecture—I’ll say it frankly—marked by great intuition and deep feeling, under the title: “The Christ—Who Is He?” It is precisely in this lecture that one can see that there is harmony, not disharmony, between Eastern and Western life, provided one is willing to view the matter in the right light. This lecture, delivered on the second day of the congress, was preceded by a lecture of mine: “From Buddha to Christ.” You are all familiar with the details of that lecture, except for one point that may not yet have been mentioned here and which relates to the three great names that are regarded as particularly worthy of veneration within Rosicrucian Theosophy. These three great names existed throughout the Middle Ages. These three names were also known to those who adhered to dogmatic Christianity. They often demanded of their orthodox adherents a formula that was, in fact, a curse: “I curse Skythianos, I curse Zaratas, I curse Boddha.” These three individualities were burdened with a curse in medieval culture whenever one wished to prove that one was a Christian.

[ 29 ] Christian Rosicrucianism regards these three figures as noble beacons of light. We will speak more about Skythianos later. Zaratas is a great teacher of Western initiation. He was none other than Zarathustra, who was reborn in various disciples—in Hermes and Moses—and finally, in the sixth century B.C., as Nazaratos. He was one of the great inspirers of the Rosicrucian teachings. Likewise, Buddha was counted among the great individualities. The individual contributions they had to make converged at that time into a single, comprehensive contribution to human development, and through this, the great impulse—which we call the Rosicrucian impulse—was able to be given. Now, in my lecture “From Buddha to Christ,” it was necessary to emphasize—indeed, to strongly emphasize—what I had said here before my departure for Budapest: the connection between Zarathustra and Christ, the seven Rishis who came over from the Atlantean era, and so on. Mrs. Besant also said something in her lecture “The Christ—Who Is He?” that applies to the presentation of such insights as I have indicated. She emphasized that when approaching such questions, one must be clear that, with regard to the fundamental principle, there is agreement among all occultists; but that it is, of course, a self-evident truth that every occultist is compelled to present things as they appear to him, and that he is compelled to reveal what he is able to reveal given his stage of development. Misses Besant emphasized that the corresponding inner development is achieved through the mystical path—the path that has been characterized here in the most varied ways, which has the most varied stages, and so on.

[ 30 ] When one considers what is experienced regarding the personality of the occultist and the various stages of ascent, there can be no difference between one occultist and another other than that one is somewhat more or less developed than the other. But in what is true, there can be no difference, just as there can be no difference in the view when two people reach the same summit together while climbing a mountain. The same is true of occultists when their lives are in accordance with the truth. This was also Miss Besant’s starting point, and she went on to show that the occultist, who must take things seriously and act in the world, must cross a certain boundary—a boundary that our general audience very easily takes offense at. For example, there are many people who believe in reincarnation—who believe that the human individuality can reincarnate. But when one then points out to them that this or that individuality appeared in this personality at this time, in that one at that time, and so on, people take offense, even though they believe in reincarnation. When it comes to specific statements such as those I had to make regarding the reincarnations of Zarathustra, a certain boundary must simply be crossed, and the question arises as to how many people are still willing to go along with it.

[ 31 ] In fact—as Misses Besant has also emphasized—there is only one true history, and that is the one recorded in the Akashic Records. Anyone capable of reading the Akashic Records—which, however, only a higher, spiritual eye can decipher—can recount the true history. But then we must also concede to the one who is to describe reality that he crosses this boundary.

[ 32 ] Misses Besant went on to explain: “It is, of course, entirely natural and self-evident that each person can decipher this difficult-to-decipher chronicle of the Akashic world only in accordance with his or her own level of development. Nevertheless, it is true that, in its essential features, everything certainly tends toward a great unity.” Every occultist will recognize what we call the “Grand Lodge of the Masters of Wisdom and Harmony of Feelings.” These Masters of Wisdom are accessible to those who are knowledgeable in the occult. It is true that the Masters of Wisdom live out in the world and have the ability to reach that wondrous place known as Shamballa, which also plays a major role in Eastern teachings. Misses Besant emphasized that those we call the “Masters of Wisdom and Harmony of Feelings” are able to communicate through their connections to this mysterious place, Shamballa.

[ 33 ] But then we must once again be clear that anyone who engages with occult teachings at all should not take offense at names, and should not confuse the name with the thing itself. This confusion of the name with the reality can easily occur, especially when certain names are associated with particular sensations and feelings in certain regions. That is why Misses Besant emphasized that such a confusion of name and reality should not occur, particularly when speaking of the Buddha and the Bodhisattva on the one hand, and of Christ on the other. Above all, we must bear in mind that when we speak of a Bodhisattva, we are referring not to an individual but to an office. There are thus names for offices and names for individuals. Every person has a name of their own. But there are also names such as “emperor” and “king.” We must not, however, confuse the name given to an individual with that individual themselves.

[ 34 ] I ask you to bear in mind that I am not, strictly speaking, giving a presentation on Miss Besant’s lecture here, but rather freely linking my own ideas to Miss Besant’s arguments.

[ 35 ] You will recall that in the various lectures I have given here this winter, it was emphasized how the “spirits of the personality” play a completely different role on Saturn and, in turn, grow into a completely different office on Earth. The same is true of what is called a Bodhisattva. This is an office into which the individuality enters when it is ready. Thus we can fully understand why Mrs. Besant said that the individuality who appeared as a Buddha had previously passed through the most diverse stages of development, becoming more and more mature until, at a certain point in its development, it became a Bodhisattva. Just as, for example, in a secular career one can, over time, become a government official and so on, so do the various individualities pass through these roles.

[ 36 ] Now, I have always emphasized that, for example, the entity of whom the “Seven Holy Rishis” say is beyond their sphere is, in essence, the same as the Christ. This Being is also the same one who outshines the various Bodhisattvas, who has worked within them and through them. What I have to teach is that this Being, who was beyond the sphere of the Rishis, who inspired Zarathustra, who poured her truths into the beings we call Bodhisattvas, embodied itself in a very specific and, at that time, far more appropriate way than before in Jesus of Nazareth during the last three years of his life, so that we can certainly say: Christ was already connected to humanity even before the Palestinian event; he is moving forward in evolution. The earlier epochs were necessary for him to become what he is in our epoch. One could also say that this being already existed in the cosmos in earlier times and worked through various messengers. One could also emphasize that this same being has always been there.

[ 37 ] Eastern philosophy—the entire spirit of the East—is analytical. To ascend from the various manifestations of humanity to the Whole, to Unity—that is the path of the East. The task of the West is to develop the synthetic spirit. What kind of being is it that has developed as Ahura Mazdao? What are the various factors that have shaped it? How has it always come to us in ways other than through revelation? Understanding these questions, the goals of development, and the major moments in that development—that is what matters in the West. But if someone comes and says, “Here you have a plant”—one can particularly elaborate on Goethe’s thoughts here—“When the leaves transform, they become blossoms; the petals are transformed stem leaves…”—that is not sufficient; one must also show how a green stem leaf can become a red petal. Thus, the Western approach does not deny anything of the Eastern perspective, but rather adds something by characterizing the factors through which stem leaves become petals. The same is true of Christ when one simply says that he had already existed before. The combination of the synthetic method with the analytical is desirable in all science, and it can also be achieved in full harmony within the theosophical spiritual movement. There is absolutely nothing here that could disturb the harmony of the Theosophical Society if what must be added to the Eastern analytical spirit is added: the Western synthetic spirit. Because the Theosophical Society is living life itself and not the propagation of dogmas, I myself cannot find anything that could be called a contradiction between any of the various schools of thought or a lack of harmony. This harmony must rest on that deep foundation which creates a current capable of absorbing the waters of various sources. It must rest on this foundation, not on the parrot-like repetition of dogmas. We will come to know many more things in this direction as the Theosophical Movement proves itself equal to its mission. The Theosophical Society will always bring forth something new. We have the certainty that the Masters of Wisdom watch over the Theosophical Movement. If one were to be surprised and immediately speak of heresy whenever something new arises, then the Theosophical Movement would be worse than earlier, similar movements. And yet, unfortunately, the search for heresies is actually more prevalent in our time than in any other. Miss Besant regards the Christ as the Being who revealed Himself in Jesus of Nazareth—further details can be discussed later—as the Being who is called upon to show the way to what is now taking shape as a new cultural seed. In this lecture, she also pointed out that this Being will continue to work in a more intimate context once humanity has reached a certain point in its development. There may be a contradiction in the external details—these are merely external details—but one can fully agree that Christ—though my own insights differ from Misses Besant’s regarding the manner and timing—will return, and that those who are prepared will recognize him. However, one should emphasize being prepared rather than the Second Coming itself. It could easily be the case that people have the Christ among them but do not recognize him, even if he were to remain among them for more than three years. What matters is that one increasingly develops the capacity for recognition. Wait and patiently cultivate the ability to recognize him. Fundamentally, it does humanity a disservice to point to a specific time. Therefore, it is better to emphasize the means that lead to the recognition of the Christ.

[ 38 ] I wanted to offer a few notes intended to illustrate the spirit that was sought at this Budapest Congress. For this reason, the unity of our work should be emphasized, even though the occult sources are of the most diverse kinds. The longer this unity and harmony in our work within the Theosophical Society is maintained, the better it will be. We must be absolutely clear about this. The Budapest Congress has certainly given the participants nothing more than the opportunity to be able to say, as they left this Congress, that there truly is the best will and the best prospect for working in full harmony; and one should not fall into the error of seeking to point out differences. ‘Those who prefer the name Bodhisattva—as Misses Besant professes—will present the matter differently from those who consider the name Christ to be more correct. Let us therefore be in harmony among ourselves and in harmony with the Theosophical Movement.

[ 39 ] We may describe this harmony as a welcome development. As evidence that the will to cooperate and work in harmony currently far outweighs all other divergent tendencies, I would like to point out the following fact: Some of my books have been translated into various languages, and it was precisely Misses Besant, in her capacity as President of the Theosophical Society and as Chair of the Society’s General Council, who felt moved to award me the Subba-Row Medal—originally endowed by our dear President Olcott—for the best work recently published within the Theosophical Movement. As Misses Besant has pointed out, the first recipients of this medal were H. P. Blavatsky, followed by Mr. Mead, and finally Misses Besant herself. The first time Misses Besant, as President of the Theosophical Society, had the opportunity to award it, she gave it to me. I mention this fact not for my own sake, but as a sign of the spirit of harmonious cooperation within the Theosophical Society. I may say that—as I also emphasized at the Budapest Congress—when it comes to the Subba Row Medal, I pay particular attention to the name. Those who know me will be aware that I have long regarded Subba Row as a spirit acting directly from spiritual knowledge. It is very fitting that this special medal was established in his honor. Please consider what I have said not in relation to myself, but in relation to the entire German Section. What belongs to me belongs to the German Section.

[ 40 ] Now I would like to further describe the course of the congress. Perhaps one or two people who want pedantic details will say that I am a poor reporter. To that I would like to say that I do not intend to give a report like the ones newspapers usually provide, but rather to present the spiritual substance of the matter. I would like to mention that our Hungarian friends also ensured that the necessity of that spiritual orientation, which finds its home within the ranks of the Theosophical Movement, was brought into sharp relief. They could not have done this better than by presenting us, in a special theatrical performance, with a significant work of Hungarian drama, “The Tragedy of Man” by Emerich Madách. This work is something that simply had to be presented to theosophists. One can learn an immense amount from this tragedy by Madách. If I were to digress even further from what some reports refer to, I would have to describe to you something of what is called the Hungarian spirit, which is characteristically expressed in this *Tragedy of Man*. But I do not wish to go that far; I would simply like to offer a few remarks on the work and its relationship to the Theosophical Movement. Madách is indeed an interesting figure. He lived his life during a time when Hungary went through a great deal. He was born in 1823 as a scion of an old Hungarian noble family and died in 1864. He lived through the era when the Magyars attempted to gain independence through the Revolution of 1848. He lived through the entire aftermath of that revolution—including Hungary’s subjugation by Austria—until the great Hungarian statesman Deák found a way to establish a configuration within the Austrian state that resulted in the coexistence of the Austrian and Hungarian lands in their present form. This structure of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy is quite complex, and a further explanation would go too far here. Madách participated wholeheartedly in these Hungarian developments and died in 1864, shortly after yet another failed attempt had been made to establish centralization, following which—albeit after Madách’s death—the Austro-Hungarian dual system was created.

[ 41 ] Madách began writing political articles at an early age, and from this you can see that he was involved in the affairs of his nation. In his outlook, he was one of those Magyars who advocated for the development of Magyar identity toward independence—that is, for conditions that were, in part, only achieved through Franz Deák. He felt it to be a profound humiliation inflicted upon his nation that, under the so-called Bach regime, Hungarian culture was Germanized and Hungarian identity in Hungary was completely disregarded. Madách personally had an unpleasant encounter with the Austrian reactionary forces. Although he did not personally participate in the Revolution of 1848, out of a generous and kind heart he took in a refugee who had been involved in the uprising and had sought shelter on the Madách estate.

[ 42 ] In the early 1950s, Madách got married in a way that can only be described as eminently happy. Then, in Hungary, a wave of persecution began against those who had taken part in the revolution. When it became known that Madách had harbored a fugitive—the fugitive was never found—he was put on trial and thrown into prison. In prison, he wrote wonderfully tender poems. He knew nothing of his homeland; no news reached him. Yet a note of hope runs through his poems—the hope that he would be reunited with those from whom he had been torn, and especially with the one he loved so dearly: his wife. It was a great disappointment to him that his wife, of all people, had been unfaithful to him during his imprisonment, so that he was subsequently forced to part ways with her. Thus, Madách had to endure both external and internal pain. That is why he so fiercely denounced the conditions of his time; and one might say that everything—all the terrible, deeply painful life experiences that had settled in Madách’s soul—he expressed in his *Tragedy of Man*. Thus we see how this tragedy is permeated by that feeling one might have when traveling across the vast Puszta, where one senses the infinite but finds no true resting place. The way he portrays the “Tragedy of Man” is very characteristic of a figure born of our time—and specifically from a people of the earth. We see how creation is presented to us, how it is released from the hand of God the Father. After his ministering spirits have praised him for the glory he has brought into being, Lucifer steps forward and declares: “I am as old as you; you could not have created in your way without the negative principle that always opposed you and that molds what is in the process of development into fixed forms. Without it, you could not have created.”—We then see how humanity appears within Paradise as Adam and Eve; we see how God hands two trees to Lucifer, above all the Tree of Knowledge. It is depicted in beautiful imagery how Adam and Eve partake of the Tree of Knowledge, how they are then expelled from Paradise, and are now set out into the world, where they must make their way by their own strength. Adam and Eve face the necessity of creating and working with their own hands and thus making their way in the world. Then Lucifer reappears. Adam, who feels the urge to discover what will actually become of this world into which he has been placed, is lulled by Lucifer into a dream in which he is shown, through images of overwhelming grandeur, what humanity has endured in the past and must still endure in the future. First, ancient Egypt appears; Adam as a pharaoh, surrounded by slaves. The wife of one of the slaves is Eve. The full tragedy of this epoch of human history unfolds before Adam’s soul. He senses the terrible twist of fate expressed in the words: “Millions for a single one—one above millions.” His soul rushes away from this vision and finds itself transported once more to a later epoch. Adam is reincarnated as Miltiades in ancient Athens. Miltiades has just accomplished a great and glorious deed; in his wife he finds the reincarnated Eve, who teaches their son what his father’s virtues are. Surrounding him is a demagogic mob. He is accused of treason, convicted, and dragged off to his death. Next, in a dream, Adam encounters a later period of the Roman Empire. There he is shown to us as he lived during the Roman Empire. A scene of a dreadful nature. Adam had sought power as a pharaoh; as Miltiades, he had seen how meaningless everything is, having endured the great disappointments that a liberator of the people can suffer through the betrayal of the people. Now he wants to lead a life of debauchery, embracing evil in every possible form. He is shown to us in a reveling crowd, with Eve as a courtesan. Outside, a man who has died of the plague is being carried past; a courtesan presses a kiss to his lips. His entire life and conduct are one of terrible presumption. And it is during this time that the Apostle Peter delivers his speech. We find ourselves at the beginning of the spread of Christianity. Among those who had seen the prostitute kiss the corpse was Peter. He stepped forward and said, “You are breathing in the plague, you reckless woman.” Then Peter spoke words that shed light on the matter in a flash:

“You cowardly race, you wretched brood!
As long as fortune and joy smile upon you, just like
flies in the sun, brazenly,
you boldly trample God and virtue underfoot;
but when danger knocks at your door,
God’s mighty finger touches you,
You cower in cowardice and despair pitifully,
Do you not feel how heavily Heaven’s punishment
Already weighs upon you? Just look, look around you,
The city lies desolate; a savage, foreign horde
trample the golden crops; all order
has dissolved—no one commands and no one
obeys. With heads held high,
plunder and murder stride through quiet, peaceful places,
followed by horror and pale anxiety.
And heaven, earth, and the entire universe refuse
To offer you compassion or help in these trials.
Is it not true that, with your lustful frenzy of the senses
You cannot silence that solemn voice,
Which stirs up all the depths of your inner being
And in vain urges you toward a better goal? Is it not true that you feel no satisfaction,
Does lust awaken only revulsion in your heart?
You look around fearfully, your lips stammering...
In vain—you lack faith in your old gods
For they have turned to stone.
(At that moment, the statues of the gods crumble to dust.)
Their image crumbles to dust, and never will you find
A new deity who, once more,
Might lift you up, purified from the dross.
Just look around you—what rages in the city
More devastating even than the plague? Countless
Rise from their soft lairs,
To populate the deserts of Thebaid
Alongside feral anchorites
, Seeking there what might still stir their dull senses
And lift them up.
You, O degenerate race,
Will vanish without a trace from the stage of this world.”

[ 43 ] “The image crumbles to dust”—that is the flash of lightning that pierces this passage through Peter’s speech.

[ 44 ] Adam also turns away from this image and toward the Crusades. Here he sees how Christianity is embodied in outward forms. Then he sees himself as Kepler, surrounded by the vanity of the court. Then he appears before us in the French Revolution as Danton; Eve as the Marquis’s sister.

[ 45 ] He flees from this image, arrives in London, and finds himself in an era when materialism is on the rise, the idea of freedom is gaining ground, and people seek to redeem the world through it. He also turns away from this vision and finds himself in another situation, where people live solely for utility, where they stand side by side, as it were, merely as numbers, where all warmth has fled, and only mental chimeras remain. Finally, in the last image, having arrived at the end of the earth’s age, the remaining humans are like Eskimos, half-animal; this is how the advanced ones—their development, their power itself—appear to him; he sees them striding through the worlds in future times as such “grotesque beings.”

[ 46 ] When he wakes up, he wants to kill himself. Now comes the point I actually want to draw attention to, because it demonstrates the necessity of theosophical development in our time. After the dream, Eve confesses to Adam that she feels [as] a mother. He is overjoyed by this and now hears himself say: I do not wish to delve further into what lies ahead, into the natural process of becoming; I wish to be content to live on within the species. — And indeed, what is given here to humankind as a kind of teaching—Do not seek, O human, trust in what is given to you...—is contained in the words spoken by the Lord:

“Do not seek the mystery that the gracious hand of God
Has benevolently veiled from your longing gaze
With wise intent.
For if you saw that your soul
Dwells on earth only temporarily,
And that eternal life awaits you beyond,
It would no longer be a virtue to suffer here.
And if you were to see your soul
dissolve into dust, what incentive would you have
to renounce the raw, full enjoyment of the moment
for the sake of moral ideals?
Whereas now, when your future
shimmers toward you only through gray mists,
When the burden of your existence weighs you down,
You are carried by the exalted feeling of infinity.
And should the pride of this feeling now and then
Lead you too far,
Then the span of your life sets limits for you
And the greatness of the soul and virtue are preserved.”

[ 47 ] In *The Tragedy of Man*, we have before us a work of true greatness. Yet embedded within it is also some of the sadness that is possible only in a person who has experienced such profound pain as Madách, and who was thereby predestined to create this work. What would be possible if humanity were to solve the world’s mysteries to a certain extent, if it could answer the question: “What will become of human progress?” The greatest minds have turned to pessimism precisely because they found no answer. And now I ask: Has not the most beautiful answer to such a question—as it arises from this beautiful, magnificent, powerful, yet unsatisfying poetry—become Theosophy? Does not the poet Madách prove the necessity of Theosophy in our time, when he says: “What would it even mean if we were to gaze upon the worthlessness and aimlessness of existence?” And now, with the theosophical worldview, we not only look into the depths that extend all the way down to the Eskimos, but we also see how humanity will rise to ever higher stages of development, to higher spiritual spheres.

[ 48 ] Just imagine what it would have meant if, at a time when Madách could have grasped it, what was given to humanity in the last third of the nineteenth century had appeared before his poetic soul? It would have been something that stirred the very lifeblood; and Madách wrote his poetry with that very lifeblood.

[ 49 ] I would like to mention a few more points regarding the convention.

[ 50 ] If one compares this Budapest Congress with earlier ones, one notices that a tremendous shift has taken place in terms of mindset and understanding of the relationship between Theosophy and science. This shift has become particularly evident through our seven years of work in Germany and the assistance of our scientific collaborators, who have contributed significantly to this transformation of the relationship between Theosophy and science.

[ 51 ] Dr. Unger gave a lecture on “Theosophy as a Life Force,” in which he demonstrated that, if one thinks in a scientific spirit, one will find in theosophy exactly the same attitude toward the recognition of experience as in the other sciences. He demonstrated how the other sciences—even the natural sciences—must involve just as much faith and authority as, for example, when a Theosophical society listens to someone capable of exploring the occult world and accepts what that person has to share based on their research. Our friend Dr. Unger presented a fine discussion of theosophy and science in his lecture.

[ 52 ] Then our friend Dr. Peipers demonstrated in two lectures, accompanied by slides, how what is taught by the Theosophical Movement proves to be practical in science. He explained how, through occult anatomy and occult medicine, the corresponding sciences of our time must once again be placed on a sound foundation. I would have much to say if I were to provide further details about the work of our most valiant colleague, Dr. Peipers.

[ 53 ] Finally, I would like to say that not much came of the various discussions that were sparked. There was little interest in discussing the questions raised in any depth:

[ 54 ] 1. Whether a journal should be established in the major languages spoken within the Theosophical Movement and in Esperanto, and

[ 55 ] 2. whether schools should be established in which suitable theosophical speakers can be trained.

[ 56 ] I probably don't need to say that I didn't take part in these discussions, since you all know that I don't expect much from discussions.

[ 57 ] Then Ms. Wolfram—from Leipzig—spoke about the occult origins of the legend of “Tristan and Isolde.”

[ 58 ] The conference was followed by two public lectures, one by Miss Besant on “Paths into the Spiritual World” and one by me on “The Western Paths of Initiation.” These public lectures were relatively well attended.

[ 59 ] All in all, I could only describe the spirit of our gathering in Budapest. It was gratifying for us that the Theosophists of Europe had met once again, even if only a small number of them were present.