Individual awareness
People who are on the right path of spiritual search are basically the same human beings as others, however advanced they may be, no matter how high their esoteric knowledge is. The only thing that can substantially differentiate them from other people is the fact that they try to see reality in a more complete and profound way than the cultural environment that surrounds us is accustomed to us.
It must be a process of individual awareness to extract the best of what has been contained in the interiority of each one and that has to become a daily fact that can be shared by all human beings who want it. In this sense, the use of grandiloquent terms should be avoided when talking about discipleship, teachers and initiation processes.
It can always be a valuable and necessary activity to go through the sieve of common sense and sound reason, reviewing and criticizing the information and knowledge provided by any teacher or spiritual teaching, not only based on what coincides with our personal opinion, but fundamentally in what they can contribute to the interest and progress of humanity as a whole, and always for the respect they show to others.
Esoteric knowledge
The authors who transmit their teachings are human beings, and therefore subject to errors, half-truths and misrepresentations. The work of hidden knowledge, as Rudolf Steiner states, is always inspired by spiritual entities interested in the evolutionary process of the human being, of one or another rank, sign or level.
Any training in the esoteric world must provide realism and humility, in a natural, non-feigned way, a higher level of emotional maturity and, consequently, of social responsibility, starting with understanding, tolerance and empathy with others. We are all in solidarity in the same car as humanity; We are all subject to mistakes, especially dealing with supersensitive issues, and therefore no one can believe or feel superior or above any other human being. He who believes himself too much does not have the capacity or energy to take care of others.
Linking with the Cosmos
The path must be traveled by oneself, feeling linked to everything that exists; the reinforcement of the individuality that this entails must be counteracted by linking all the beings of the Cosmos, in a process of solidarity, empathy and co-responsibility, in order to avoid falling into a cold arrogance or indifference. There also has to be a longing that breaks with conforming to what materialism as a cultural ideology offers at this time, a search for something that does not come from the material.
Logically, normal people (in the sense that they do not care about spiritual or esoteric issues) are the most apt to function in the physical-material world in which we live, especially the minority that is able to deepen the deep dimensions of said world and thus concentrate wealth (and the power inherent in it) in their hands, subjecting the rest. On the other hand, people who have delved into the global reality and work on esoteric knowledge have the advantage of their own development, which can radiate to the world, but the disadvantage that, in the short term, they become ineffective in the material world, from which they begin to separate irremediably. As Steiner points out in his work , How is knowledge of the higher worlds acquired ? It is difficult to maintain the correct balance between the different structures of the human being's bodies (physical, etheric and astral), producing a certain independence or dissociation between their psychic powers of thought, feeling and will. However, any suprasensible perception that the aspirant to higher knowledge can obtain should not interfere with his usual waking awareness, but complement and enrich it, never neglecting the concern for the social and the reality of the existence of evil as an entity objective, of the suffering and injustices existing in humanity, and of the need to fight, if possible, against them.
The word as an instrument
The word is the most powerful creative instrument that the human being has, through the phonation organ (the larynx), which, as Steiner points out, is an organ in the process of transformation and that in the future will replace the reproductive organs . Therefore, any specialized terminology, not only esoteric terms, has power in itself, and its abuse can have intoxicating mood effects. Too much supersensitive information, apart from everyday life, can dull thought and numb consciousness, if it is only awake for the "transcendent" and in a lethargic state for everyday reality. In these cases, it may be best to temporarily move away from “esoteric” issues and their replacement with social activities and relationships with other human beings, especially if it is based on working with marginalized and dispossessed.
Reality analysis
As we have seen, entering the world of knowledge of the occult, of the sensory not perceivable, as advocated
The consciousness of a growing part of humanity today begins to be able to enter the supersensitive through a moral conscience in thoughts and feelings, thus differentiating itself from an immense majority of human beings who are drawn into materialistic influences of the prevailing cultural system, which we should not forget, is directed by beings aware of their objectives contrary to the Christ impulse, which, as Steiner affirms, is the only one that can guarantee the correct evolution of humanity to achieve its ends, in accordance with the plans of the divinity. Spiritual science can help in this regard through knowledge of the impulse of Christ.
Evolution of the soul
Asceticism and external training for spiritual knowledge belong to the initiatory processes of the past; At the present time, the correct evolution is the spontaneous evolution of the soul so that it develops the internal forces on its own. What is appropriate for one person can be very harmful to another. The only exercises that make sense today, in a serious spiritual current, are those destined to increase the level of consciousness. When we ask ourselves if what we do, feel or think can cause some disorder or imbalance to the global humanity to which we belong, it is our internal consciousness that must be in a position to respond to us. The soul that is prepared receives instruction from within. Self-discernment is an essential element to be cultivated from the early stages of the development of the aspirant to spiritual knowledge: he must know at all times what he needs and suits him or what he does not need. Any repression or self-mortification is no way to obtain healthy and natural progress.
Freedom of conscience
Equally important is respect for individual freedom of conscience. Therefore, care must be taken not to be subjected to any social structure or spiritual discipline that seeks to condition the behavior of the human being: let us be very aware of each of the decisions we make, not letting ourselves be carried away by customs, the established, by the politically correct or by the fashions or opinions of other unreliable. May everything we do consciously accept, without ever delegating our conscience. We reiterate Steiner's statement that when man does not act consciously there are always other entities with conscience that are willing to do so in their place, therefore it is necessary to avoid, if possible, the states of semi or unconsciousness, mainly caused in hypnotic states, alterations of consciousness, or caused by the consumption of any type of drugs. It is still curious, although terrible, to see how a large part of today's youth is able to pay to escape, that is, to lose their consciousness through drug use, when there are countless entities always willing to take charge Of the same.
Road Preparation
Unlike what happens in any field of materialistic science, where a high degree of preparation and effort is required that has to be developed through time of effort, study and practice, man normally has no problem in entering, without any preparation, in the field of knowledge and spiritual work, in most cases to satisfy your curiosity, without any desire for inner search, which can be observed today in all movements and tendencies pseudo-spiritual type "New age. " As Steiner points out, this can have serious dangers. When a person begins to develop his conscience regarding the vital, psychic and wisdom forces, he begins to take over from what superior forces do for him, since what he thinks, feels and does depends on him. The Self begins to be the owner of its own structures (physical, etheric and astral bodies), and it is necessary that this process be linked to an increase in morality and responsibility, in a necessary work of moral self-awareness. We have seen previously that imbalances in the integrity of the person due to the dissociation between the mood forces of thinking, feeling and wanting, can lead to various schizoid-like pathologies and other personality dissociations. The mood defects can easily intensify in an overflowing astrality: anger, lies, pride and megalomania can escape the control of thought and dominate the individual, without the latter being aware of what is happening; the vision of reality is lost
In a serious spiritual study, fear cannot be admitted, since it paralyzes and prevents action. The important thing is to always remain in a state of open awareness and alert to what comes to us from outside and what we do inside, knowing that nothing is ours, that everything affects us, the inside and the outside, that the What I think, feel and do is not at all indifferent, that it can be harmful or beneficial, for myself and for the whole conscience of humanity.
For Steiner, the discussion and confrontation of hidden realities between people of the same or different spiritual tendencies is somewhat absurd: spiritual facts are, regardless of whether people may or may not perceive them, may or may not understand them. The spiritual work has already been said to be on an individual basis; Each one has to confront himself, it is his total responsibility. It requires integrity, honesty and a certain degree of moral conscience. It does not correspond to this era any work of proselytism or attempt to convince anyone of anything, which in addition to interfering with the free will of people, is counterproductive.
Biosophical Society
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