The Flame of the Spiritualized Vision: Enlightenment on The Way of Initiation - by Dr. Rudolf Steiner (vegetarian), Part 1 of 2

Born in 1861, Dr. Rudolf Steiner was a great Austrian polymath, philosopher and scientist who made influential contributions in the fields of education, science, spirituality and medicine. His writings cover a wide range of subjects, and he published more than 25 books, including “Mysticism at the Dawn of the Modern Age,” “The Way of Initiation,” and “Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path: The Philosophy of Freedom.” He developed and taught an esoteric spiritual philosophy called anthroposophy, based on “the science of the spirit.”

Today we have the opportunity to read a selection from the profound works of Dr. Rudolf Steiner, in his book “The Way of Initiation.” “Particular stress must be laid on the importance of feeling with intensity that which one thinks. In calmness of mind a single thought must be vitally experienced within oneself to the exclusion of all disturbing influences. Sufficient time must be taken to allow the thought, and the state of feeling connected therewith, to become, as it were, imbedded in the soul. If that is accomplished in the right way— possibly not until after numerous attempts— an inward force will make itself felt. And this force will create new powers of perception. The grain of seed will appear as if enclosed in a small luminous cloud. The spiritualized vision of the student perceives it as a kind of flame. This flame is of a lilac color in the center, blue at the edges. Then appears that which one could not see before, and which was created by the power of thought and feeling brought into life within oneself.” “But this is precisely the important point— not to confuse, at this difficult stage of human evolution, spiritual reality with the mere creations of phantasy, and to have the courage to press bravely onward, instead of growing timorous and faint-hearted. On the other hand, however, it is necessary to insist on the necessity of maintaining unimpaired, and of perpetually cultivating, the healthy attitude of mind which is required for the distinguishing of truth from illusion.”

“He who has won this vision has gained greatly, inasmuch as he sees things, not only in their present state of being, but also in their development and decay. He begins to see in all things the spirit, of which the bodily organs of sight have no perception, and he has taken the initial steps on that road, which will gradually lead him to the solution, by direct vision, of the secret of birth and death.”