Spiritual Truths as a Foundation for Morality
In 1906, Rudolf Steiner was then fully established as a key public speaker, traveling extensively throughout Europe to give lectures. In July, Steiner gave an address, The Spiritual-Scientific Basis of Goethe's Work, at the Second Annual Congress of the Federation of European Sections of the Theosophical Society held in London. In his autobiography, Steiner notes that even then the Theosophical Society showed signs reminiscent of spiritualism and Eastern influences under Annie Besant. Steiner warned members that the part of the Society under his direction had nothing to do with such things.
In August and September, Steiner gave a series of lectures in Stuttgart, At the Gates of Spiritual Science. In particular, on August 23, 1906, Dr. Steiner spoke directly about looking into the spiritual worlds ourselves, rather than relying on mediumship and incarnations of spiritual gurus. He says, "The spiritual eyes and ears of everyone can be opened, if he brings enough patience and perseverance to the task." People may think it is enough to act according to moral principles, but Rudolf Steiner says, "If we want a firm foundation for morality, we must supply the soul with fuel in the form of knowledge of the truth." While the graphic and quote above about the effect of lies may seem extreme or distasteful to some anthroposophists, Rudolf Steiner was on a mission to offer humanity Truth.
There is a saying in occultism that can now be revealed: Every lie is a murder in the astral world! — This is a very significant statement, the importance of which can only be understood by those who have insight into the higher worlds. How casually people speak: “Oh, that’s just a thought, a feeling—it stays in the soul; I mustn’t slap someone, but a bad thought doesn’t do any harm.” — There is no more untrue saying than: “Thoughts are duty-free”—for every thought, every feeling is a reality, and if I think someone is a bad person or that I do not love them, to one who can see into the astral world, this is like an arrow, like a bolt of lightning, moving like a shotgun pellet toward the other person’s astral body and harming them. Every feeling, every thought is an entity, a form in the astral world, and for those who have insight into this world, it is often much worse to witness someone harboring a bad thought about a fellow human being than to see them physically harmed. To make this truth known is to establish morality, not to preach it. When one speaks the truth about a person, a thought-form is created that the seer can recognize by its shape and color, and which strengthens the life of the other person. A thought that contains a truth is directed toward the being to whom it refers, and it nourishes and enlivens that being. Thus, when I think a truth about my fellow human being, I strengthen their life; when I speak a lie about them, I direct a hostile force toward them that has a destructive, even deadly, effect. Therefore, every lie is murder. Every truth is a life-affirming element; every lie is a life-inhibiting element. Those who know this will be more careful regarding truth and lies than those who are merely told that they should always tell the truth.
He concludes, "Strange as these facts may seem, they are none the less facts."
Read more: Rudolf Steiner, At the Gates of Spiritual Science, Lecture II, GA 322, 23 August 1906, Stuttgart.