Steiner sees Krishna as a great spiritual teacher and the Bhagavad Gita as a preparation, though still abstract, for the coming of Christ and the Christ impulse as the living embodiment of the world, law, and devotion, represented by the three Hindu streams of Veda, Sankhya, and Yoga. For him, the epic poem of the Bhagavad Gita represents the fully ripened fruit of Hinduism, whereas Paul is related but represents the seed of something entirely new. In the last lecture, Steiner reveals Krishna as the sister soul of Adam, incarnated as Jesus, and claims Krishas Yoga teachings streamed from Christ into Paul.
In this important series of lectures, given near the end of his life, Rudolf Steiner brought together many aspects of his research into man and nature. The first three lectures show us man's inner relationship to the ancient and sacred animal representatives -- eagle, lion, and bull -- and to the forces of the cosmos that form them. This insight is deepened in the second group of lectures by approaching the plant and animal worlds in the context of spiritual evolution. The third group gives a unique and intimate description of the elemental nature spirits -- the purely spiritual beings that complement plants and animals -- and the cooperation these beings offer to mankind. In the fourth series, man himself is placed in this harmony of nature -- in the symphony of the Creative Word.
12 lectures, Berne, September 1-12, 1910 (CW 123) For centuries people have been baffled by the varying accounts of Christ's life as presented in the four Gospels and have struggled to reconcile them. In these profound and stimulating lectures, Steiner addresses this conundrum. He shows how each of the Gospels presents a different lens onto Christ's life and message. Here Steiner reveals the Gospel of Matthew as the one that emphasizes Christ's humanity. But he does not stop there; his visionary perspective traces Christ's life and message to spiritual impulses that go back centuries, even millennia, to the legendary civilization of Atlantis, to the mysterious Zarathustra, and to the Jewish sect known as the Essenes. An introduction by Richard Smoley, author of Inner Christianity, puts Steiner's vision into perspective for modern readers. Once you have experienced Steiner's powerful exploration of Matthew, you will never see the Gospels in the same way again. Previous translation titled The Gospel of St. Matthew. READ BOBBY MATHERNE'S REVIEW OF THIS BOOK "If we read Steiner's] lectures with an open and attentive inner eye, we may be able to see the Christ mystery, not as a collection of dogmas or facts, but as a spiritual impulse that stretches far beyond the limits of Christ's own time and even of the lifespan of Christianity itself. We may even catch a glimpse of the high powers that govern the life of civilizations and of the great entity known as the human race." --Richard Smoley (from the introduction) According to Matthew is a translation from German of Das Matthaeus-evangelium. A previous translation was titled The Gospel of St. Matthew.
An Outline of Occult Science is Rudolf Steiner's thesis discussing the unknown, the nature of mankind, and his belief that science may be used to explain the unusual phenomena known as the occult. First published in 1910, this book strives to define, categorize and explain various manifestations of the occult. The author concedes at the opening of the book that many otherwise open-minded and receptive individuals immediately recoil from the concept of the the unknown, especially in relation to attempts to investigate it scientifically. After introducing the occult, Steiner delves into explaining the two worlds he thought comprised the reality we live in. The natural world, that which is visible and readily perceivable around us, and the spiritual world, where the unexplained phenomena arise. The nature of man as a bodily being, and how his physical self bridges the gap between these two worlds, is much detailed.
30 Selected lectures The Festivals and Their Meaning collects thirty of Rudolf Steiner's most important lectures on the festivals of the year. He identifies and illumines the true meaning behind Christmas, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, and Michaelmas, emphasizing their inner spiritual and outer cosmic aspects. Steiner shows that the festivals do not only commemorate great historical events and truths of the Christian tradition; they are in themselves―each year―spiritual events that manifest in seasonal and natural rhythms and carry a significance that grows and deepens with the development of human evolution.
Presenting a key series of lectures on personal development, this book
explains that the central mission of spiritual science is to enable people to
ascend, in full consciousness, to a knowledge of spiritual realities. It also
clarifies the differences between Buddhism and Christianity, and makes some
esoteric observations about the moon.
The review exercises bring the experiences of our daily lives to full awareness. By directing our attentive gaze to what has happened--whether during a single day or during a whole phase of life--we kindle light in our will. Undertaking such a review backward, in reverse order, or from an "external" perspective, requires a huge inner effort as we attempt to establish distance between ourselves and our daily experiences. In this essential handbook, the editor has gathered virtually all Steiner's statements on the review exercises, supporting them with commentary and notes. Described from different perspectives and approaches, the book includes a surprising range of suggestions for practice. Individual chapters focus on reviewing the day (transforming the power of memory); reviewing events in one's life (awakening the higher self); reviewing the perspectives of others (awakening social impulses); exercises in thinking backward (illuminating the will); and more. This little will be helpful to all who are earnestly following the path of Spiritual Science.
