The Rudolf Steiner Archive

Full Members:

I hereby take the liberty of inviting you to this year's general assembly. It will take place in Berlin (Wilmersdorf Motzstraße 17), on Saturday and Sunday, October 29 and 30, 1904.

The agenda is as follows:

I. Saturday 3 p.m.: Board meeting.

Berlin Wilmersdorf Motzstraße 17

6 p.m.: Free get-together of the assembled members. Berlin Wilmersdorf Motzstraße 17

II. Sunday A.) 10 a.m.: General assembly.

Berlin Wilmersdorf Motzstraße 17.

1. Welcome of the members present by the chairman. 2. Reports of the secretary general and the other officials of the board and the branches. 3. election for resigned board members. 4. Motions and other business.

B.) 4 p.m.: Lecture and discussion meeting.

(The exact agenda for this item will be announced later).

With theosophical greetings,
Dr. Rudolf Steiner
General Secretary of the German Section of the T.S.

Berlin, October 15, 1904

I hereby take the liberty of inviting you to the general assembly of the Berlin branch. It will take place on Sunday, October 23, at 3 p.m. at Motzstraße 17.

With theosophical greetings
Dr. Rudolf Steiner
1st Chairman.

Marie von Sivers
2nd Chairwoman.

Read by Mr. G. S. Arundale. Translated by Marie Steiner for the twenty-ninth Anniversary and Convention of the TS, 1904

To the President-Founder, TS: - With my fraternal and most cordial greetings I have pleasure in submitting to you the Annual Report of the German Section TS.

New Branches have been formed in Cologne, Nurnberg, Munich and Dresden. Our Kassel Branch has dissolved, but it is to be hoped that it will revive in a short time. Besides there is a new Branch in formation in Karlsruhe.

The total number of Branches in Germany and German Switzerland is 13; 138 new members have joined during the year; two have resigned; one died; so that the net increase amounts to 135 members.

The review, Luzifer, has been considerably enlarged through its union with the Gnosis, a magazine that appeared hitherto in Vienna. Its editor is Dr. Rudolf Steiner; it is published in Berlin, Motzstrasse 17. Its influence upon the deepening of theosophical life is evident. The Vâhan, under the editorship of Mr. Bresch, is continued in its habitual manner.

A new book of Dr. Rudolf Steiner was issued last spring under the title of «Theosophy, an introduction into supersensual works and into the destiny of man.» The following translations have been published:

«Four Great Religions,» by Mrs. Besant, through Mr. G. Wagner; «Atlantis,» by Scott Elliot, through members of the Leipzig Lodge; «Fleta,» by Mabel Collins, through members of the Stuttgart Lodge, and «Studies in the Bhagavad Gita,» by «Dreamer.»

I myself have held a great number of lectures in many towns of Germany with the view of theosophical propagation, and will continue to do so. In September we had a visit from Mrs. Annie Besant who lectured publicly in Hamburg, Berlin, Weimar, Munich, Stuttgart and Cologne, and kindly addressed the lodges in private meetings, infusing them with her spiritual strength.

Despite all difficulties our work advances well, and it is to be hoped that with every new year we shall be able to send in better reports.

The increase of members in Berlin and Leipzig is a good sign of progress.

We send our warmest greetings to all brothers in India and sincere congratulations to our revered President.

Dr. Rudolf Steiner,
General Secretary.

To the members of the Berlin branch of the Theosophical Society.

I kindly request that you kindly appear at 5 p.m. on Sunday, February 5, at 17 Motzstr. for an extraordinary general meeting.

Agenda.

1. The first and second chairmen make available to the “Berlin branch” all their functions related to the “Berlin branch” in an emergency application.

2. Dr. Steiner's report on the reasons for and consequences of this step.

With theosophical greetings,
Dr. Rudolf Steiner
currently 1st Chairman.

To the esteemed members of the Berlin branch of the Theosophical Society and the German Theosophical Society.

Recently, the views of individual members of the above branch have come to light, and they do not agree with the way the leadership has conducted business so far. This has led me to resign from my position as chair. The second chair, Ms. von Sivers, and the treasurer, Mr. Kiem, are also resigning from their posts at the same time as me.

Another solution to this situation was impossible for the reason that I myself must be of the opinion that the previous management and type of leadership is the correct one, and that any other type and view on this matter must necessarily lead away from the true tasks of the Theosophical life. I will defend this view where it is at stake, but I will never impose it on anyone. Those who wish to hold it may do so in complete freedom. However, to carry this view through, a subtle kind of trust is needed, and this does not go well with a purely business-like approach to things. Therefore, I ask those esteemed members who wish to have a purely business-like leadership to take it upon themselves. The Berlin Branch will continue to function under the leadership of Mr. Paul Krojanker, Berlin WfIilmersdorf, Bülowstraße 56. However, those members who are in agreement with my leadership have decided to resign from the Berlin Branch and form a special branch. My and my colleagues' activities will continue in the future in this branch.

It goes without saying that this purely business-related measure will in no way affect the theosophical relationship between me and my co-workers and other members of the Theosophical Society. Every member is invited, as before, to my lectures at Berlin Wfilmersdorf, Motzstr. 17, as well as to all the others. In terms of administration, however, I will in future have only the same relationship to the Berlin branch as to all the other branches of the German Section, as Secretary General.

The members associated in the new branch so far are: Miss Förstemann, Miss Heinrich, Mrs. Johannesson, Mrs. Blieffert, Mr. Blieffert, Miss Knispel, Mr. Kiem, Miss Mücke, Mrs. Artur, Mr. Flamme, Mr. Schlosshauer, Miss Voigt, Miss Fröhlich, Countess Moltke Huitfeld, Mr. Tessmar, Mr. Magnetiseur Werner, Mr. Magnetiseur Tönjes, Dr. Wegeler, Dr. Braun, Mrs. Wandrey, Mr. Willmann, Baroness Lichtenberg, Baroness Lichtenberg, Mr. Gnuschke, Mrs. Kreiselmeyer, Mr. J. Kreiselmeyer, Mrs. Schmidt, Miss v. Sivers, Dr. Rudolf Steiner.

Those members who still wish to join this new branch are requested to contact the undersigned.

With theosophical greetings,
Dr. Rudolf Steiner

Today, the name H. P. Blavatsky unites the thoughts of all theosophists around the world. However, only a few people today know what the spiritual progress owes to the founder of our movement. And even these few know it only partially. For the profound wisdoms contained in The Secret Doctrine reveal themselves to man only slowly and gradually. Whenever one has advanced a little further on the path that loses itself at dizzying heights for every human eye, one discovers new secrets in this book, for which one could not have had the right understanding before. And so HPB is one of those individuals for whom the degree of veneration becomes higher and higher with one's own development. One must have experience in such an increase of esteem for her if one wants to gain the right point of view towards HPB. One must learn to honor her in the right way.

In the beginning, one may still ask about the outward details of her life in order to gain a relationship with her. But there comes a point when all outward appearances fade away in the face of the realization of the immeasurably significant spiritual mission of HPB and her great task within the present spiritual movement. Those who then really perceive something of this spiritual mission will, from the knowledge gained, understand how they should relate to our great pioneer. He also learns to understand that a person who has such a mission must necessarily first accept misunderstanding and even defamation. These are among the sacrifices he must make in life. HPB's work took place at a time when materialistic thinking and attitudes were expanding tremendously. Science, life, everything seemed to supply the building blocks for materialism to erect a gigantic structure. The personality who in such a time brought humanity a renewed awareness of the truth of a spiritual world had to be complex. One has to consider that it depends not only on the truth as it should be handed down to people, but also on the people themselves. It was infinitely difficult to convey the truth to a materialistic way of thinking and attitude in such a way that it could be understood. How HPB had to act was dictated by the measure of understanding that the time could bring her. When a hammer strikes an object, what happens depends not only on the hammer. Glass shatters and lead is beaten into a thin plate. When the great spirit gives great gifts, it must pour its gifts into the vessels that are held out to it by the recipients. – In HPB's case, people will gradually learn to distinguish only between the outer form and the inner value of her great gifts. – It was precisely the spirit of the time in which she had to fulfill her mission that made it so infinitely difficult. The fact that she took on this mission at all testifies to the insight of the size of the personality; but it also testifies to how great the willingness of this personality was to make the sacrifices associated with the mission.

Much has been objected to, namely by the learned or those who want to be learned, regarding the authenticity, etc., of HPB's achievements. It has been doubted that she really did receive her revelations from the source she indicated. But does it depend on that? Isn't it more important to understand the work and recognize its inner value? How many would have to say, with proper study, that they can learn things from the source of HPB's writings that could not be revealed to them from anywhere else. In any case, she is the mediator. Is it wise to receive truths from the hand of a person that deal with the highest things, and then to find fault with the credibility of the same person in much lesser things? Nothing could make HPB more of a miracle than if the objections raised against her were in any way justified. Just imagine the conclusion that would have to be drawn under such circumstances. Suppose someone doubts the “authenticity” of the Dzyan verses. This has been done, and many still do it. So that ancient source HPB refers to does not even exist. All right; let's assume that this is the case, just for the sake of argument. One can argue about the authenticity; but to argue about the truth is absurd. Because everyone can convince themselves of the truth if they take the right paths. Those who do so will recognize more and more of the deepest truths in these verses. Indeed, the matter stands in such a way that with each advance in one's own knowledge one is actually more convinced of the abysmal depth of it, and it becomes ever clearer what one must still leave to one's own guesswork even with advanced understanding. What does the accusation mean in comparison: HPB invented the Dzyan stanzas? The strangest thing would have to happen: this woman finds the deepest truths and invents a foolish fairy tale about their origin. Now the conclusion is so impossible that it can only be a testament to the illogicality of HPB's opponents, but it cannot be taken seriously by someone who truly understands.

The accusers of this personality must gradually see their entire edifice collapse if they have acquired an understanding, even to a moderate degree, of her spiritual power and the nature of her mission. And gradually the image of the woman will emerge from the ruins of accusations, misunderstandings, etc., a woman who placed her abilities at a significant turning point in the service of a movement whose value will not be recognized except by those who have not yet acquired an understanding of it.

But we Theosophists will always celebrate Lotus Day, as the day of remembrance of the moment when HPB left the physical plane, as a day of celebration, and as a day of love and gratitude to the foundress of our movement. Among those of us who understand, HPB is not an authority in the popular sense, because she does not need such authority. But the right and true authority that is due to her will be provided by the recognition of her work. A sense of authority is only to be demanded where it is not voluntarily given. We appreciate and love HPB because we would be untrue to the truth we have recognized if we behaved differently. And we sense that this appreciation of ours will itself be an unfolding lotus flower. For the more we ourselves ascend in knowledge, the larger and more widespread will be the petals of the flower. But for this ascent HPB's work is again the ladder that holds us. Therefore gratitude must be the echo that flows from our hearts when the Lotus Day is a living symbol of our growing knowledge.

Dear members of the board of the D.S. of the T.G.

We kindly request that you send us your formal approval as soon as possible, so that (in addition to the Secretary General, who, according to the statutes, is ex officio the representative of the section at the congress of the Federation of European Sections) Miss Marie von Sivers and Mr. Adolf Arenson can serve as members of the committee that will conduct the business of the congress as it pertains to the German section.

After the most careful consideration of all circumstances, the Secretary General places particular emphasis on your immediate notification of your approval of the election of the above two members. Any delay would cause important obstacles for Secretary Marie v. Sivers at the moment.

Secretary General
Dr. R. Steiner

Confidential

First Rules of the Esoteric School of T.S. on behalf of the Head of the School.

The Esoteric School of Theosophy.

While the “three goals” of the Theosophical Society are well known, it has yet another goal that is not discussed publicly, namely, to help develop the inner life of its more serious and dedicated members, to show them the way to the “narrow, old path” that leads them to the higher realms of existence.

It is by this aim that the Esoteric School is the heart of the Theosophical Society.

The School is divided into degrees. The first degree consists in the Order of Initiation; the next is the First Degree, the next the Second, etc.

The neophyte enters the Order of Initiation. He has not yet taken a vow, but only promised to return his papers if asked to do so, and to regard them as a matter to be spoken of only among members of the School.

For those entering the School, a description of the further organization of the School will be given over the next three weeks.

But first we will speak of the immediate tasks by which the one on the path of examination reaches his goals. These instructions apply initially to the first two months. After that, further instructions will be given. One has to remain on the path of examination for at least 12 months. Then the first degree can be attained.

One initially achieves the goals of the examination path by observing a “daily rule”. It consists of the following:

I. The follower of the school should get up at a certain hour and, before having a meal, engage in meditation. The hour for this is not determined by the school. Each person should set it for themselves, but then strictly adhere to it. Only by organizing his life in a regular (rhythmic) way can man integrate himself into the rhythmic universe and in this way emulate the divine laws of this universe himself. In this emulation of the great laws of the universe lies the possibility of attaining a higher existence.

1. The morning meditation should begin with the one on the path of testing seeking complete concentration within himself, so that during the time set aside for this concentration he hears, sees, etc. nothing outside, and remembers nothing of the ordinary life. At first, in this inner silence, he should turn his thoughts to the Divine in the universe. And then he should realize that his own self is one with this universe. To this end, he should say the words to himself in perfect concentration. These words should not just speak to the mind, but to the whole person; they should be a complete inner experience:

"Brighter than the sun
Purer than the snow,
Finer than the ether
Is the Self
The spirit in my heart
That Self am I
I am that Self.

2. After you have finished this, concentrate on one of the sentences in “Light on the Path”, namely:

the first 14 days on: “Before the eye can see, it must wean itself from tears.”
the following 14 days on: “Before the ear is able to hear, its sensitivity must fade.”
another 14 days on: “Before the voice can speak before the masters, it must unlearn its wound.”

The point is not to speculate about these sentences, but to live with them inwardly for a few minutes, to immerse oneself lovingly in them.

3. After this has also been completed, everyone should turn their thoughts to what the divine is for them. They should surrender to this divine in full devotion. This third part should be a kind of emotional surrender to what one recognizes as their God.

The entire meditation should take about 15 minutes. It is important to see that you are completely awake during the meditation, not falling into a state of half-consciousness.

4. In the evening, before falling asleep, review the experiences of the day for 3-4 minutes. You ask yourself what you have experienced and whether you have gained enough from it; and regarding what you have done, you ask yourself whether you could not have done better. In this way, you become your own objective judge. You should not develop remorse. This is worthless for your own personality and for the world. But we should learn from our past every day for our future, and thus make life a lesson. That is what all evolution consists of. The review should be done in such a way that one begins with the last experiences in the evening and progresses towards the morning (retrograde).

5. One should keep a notebook in which one enters a few words every day about how the morning and evening meditation went and from which one informs the head of the school about one's progress when requested.

6. The consumption of alcoholic beverages is incompatible with the tasks of meditation.

7. Abstinence from meat dishes is not required, but is recommended because it promotes the achievement of the goals of the esoteric school.

More in the next three weeks.

Dear friends!

To avoid any misunderstanding, I would like to point out from the outset that I do not consider this letter to be an official one from the Secretary General, but rather a private statement that I feel obliged to make because a number of members of our section would like to hear my opinion on the following matter.

Our Stuttgart I branch has expressed in a circular letter to the German branches of the TG that it does not agree with the arguments of “Vâhan”, of which Mr. Richard Bresch is the editor, insofar as these refer to individual events in the society. This circular also contains proposals for a settlement between Vâhan and the German section. So far, the Leipzig and Besant branches in Berlin have commented on the rally of our Stuttgart I lodge in circulars.

I would now like to say the following about this:

I respect every foreign opinion as justified, provided that it is based on the principle of serving the truth; and I also seek to understand an opinion that I personally must consider wrong if it does not arise from the above principle. This is demanded by the theosophical tolerance, and such is also made quite clear to us by the true law of karma. It is not intended to cast the slightest doubt on Mr. Bresch's desire to serve the truth with his remarks. And I certainly do not want to criticize his view. I just want to put my opinion alongside his.

Regarding the Fuente bequest, I believe that Colonel Olcott and Annie Besant have handled it so well that it could not have been done better. The sum has been used for Theosophical purposes in the most eminent sense. And the Theosophical Society has not only the task of spreading Theosophical dogmas and teachings, but also of serving the culture of the world through Theosophical life. The two things that the legacy is used for, however, are foundations of the most beautiful theosophical kind. In any case, if there had been a general vote on the matter in the TG, I would not have voted in favor of a different use. So the only remaining objection is that such a vote should have taken place. But I am of the opinion – another person is entitled to a different opinion – that in the TG much cannot be based on formalities, but on the trust we have in the proven personalities. And Colonel Olcott and Annie Besant have done so much for the TG that I think they can be given trust in such a matter.

But even if one does not hold the matter in such a way, I am of the opinion that one should take a different path to change certain circumstances than through a magazine that - even if it is Theosophical - is still published publicly. Otherwise we will end up introducing the less than pleasant newspaper style into our society as well. And that would be a fatal mistake. I agree with many people that some aspects of the TG, especially the way the congresses are organized, need to be improved. But I think that this should be treated as an internal matter and that we should work towards improvement by working personally on it. I can only assure our esteemed friends that I spoke with many personalities at the last London Congress and found much understanding in this regard. It seems to me that the same approach should be taken with regard to the number of lodges. An exchange of ideas by letter with Colonel Olcott would have been quite sufficient. I do not believe I need address the matter of the publication of books in luxury editions. Besides the motives asserted by Mr. Bresch, artistic motives also come into consideration. And how far one goes is a matter of taste. But no one should set themselves up as the arbiter of taste for the whole world. We can only hope that our judgment will be given some consideration if the judgment of others is also allowed and one's own is not considered infallible.

With the kind of criticism that Mr. Bresch practices, it is all too easy to run the risk of violating the empirical law that “something always sticks” when it comes to accusations made by strangers. And whatever Mr. Bresch's opinion may be, I cannot admit its relative justification, but I will not quibble with it any further. I hope he will not claim that Colonel Olcott and Annie Besant have ill will in any of their actions. If I cannot assume that, then it would be impossible for me to take the critical tone that he does.

Regarding the proposal of the Stuttgart Lodge I to regulate the relationship of Vâhan to the section, I would just like to say that I, too, like Mr. Bresch, consider it impossible for an editor to be dependent on the Society. Quite apart from the fact that you cannot edit according to votes, such a thing is technically unfeasible. The situation is different with a newsletter, which can be discussed at the General Assembly in October.

I will soon be sending a circular letter to the branches about the proceedings of the London Congress and some other Society matters.

With brotherly Theosophical greetings,
Dr. Rudolf Steiner.

Theosophical Society
(Adyar Madras Headquarters)
Besant Branch Berlin

The Besant branch of the Theosophical Society discussed the position of the German “Vâhan” in its meeting of July 24, 1905 regarding the attitude of the German “Vâhan” in matters concerning the Theosophical movement and the criticism that is practiced in this journal on individual measures within the Theosophical Society. With regard to the two circulars received in this matter from the Stuttgart I and

Leipzig Besant Branches, the following resolution was unanimously adopted.

1) The assembled members declare that they do not agree with the attitude of the German “Vâhan” in the indicated direction.

2) The meeting also disagrees with the nature of the criticism that the German “Vâhan” exercises on prominent members of the Theosophical Society, especially on those members for whom this branch - as already expressed in its name (Besant-Branch) - has a full, of course free of all personality cult, admiration.

The Besant Branch leaves everything else to the General Assembly of this year, which may take a position on the matter in the way that can be justified in the statutes.

On behalf of the Secretary:
Marie v. Sivers.

and the Chairman of the Besant Branch:
Dr. Rudolf Steiner.