Self-Knowledge, the Journey to Wisdom: Higher Knowledge, the Guardian of the Threshold and the Power of Christ

by Rudolf Steiner, Andreas Neider (Compiler), Matthew Barton (Translator)

Overview

Selections from various volumes in The Collected Works of Rudolf Steiner

Many spiritual traditions speak of a "guardian" or "dweller" who protects the threshold to the spiritual world, warning the unprepared to pause in their quest for higher knowledge. The Guardian reveals the consequences of our negative actions and points to the full reality of our untransformed nature. This experience is said to be one of the deepest and most harrowing on the inner path, but is an essential precondition to any form of true initiation.

The words "know yourself" were inscribed at the entryway to the ancient Greek temple of Apollo. Those who sought initiation in the mysteries were instructed to look within themselves first. Likewise, as spiritual seekers today we need true self-knowledge to distinguish between what belongs to our awareness and what is objectively part of the spiritual environment. Steiner taught that, as long as we draw back from such knowledge, our spiritual quest will be unsuccessful.

When we begin to engage with Anthroposophy, it becomes clear that Steiner's teachings do not constitute a doctrine or set of dogmas but a path toward deeper understanding. In this essential handbook, the editor gathered many of Rudolf Steiner's statements on the intricate and arduous path of self-knowledge that offer steady support and guidance.

This volume is a translation from German of Erkenne dich selbst (Rudolf Steiner Verlag, 2010).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781855844124
Publisher:	Rudolf Steiner Press
Publication date:	09/28/2015
Pages:	98
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Rudolf Steiner (b. Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner, 1861-1925) was born in the small village of Kraljevec, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now in Croatia), where he grew up. As a young man, he lived in Weimar and Berlin, where he became a well-published scientific, literary, and philosophical scholar, known especially for his work with Goethe's scientific writings. At the beginning of the twentieth century, he began to develop his early philosophical principles into an approach to systematic research into psychological and spiritual phenomena. Formally beginning his spiritual teaching career under the auspices of the Theosophical Society, Steiner came to use the term Anthroposophy (and spiritual science) for his philosophy, spiritual research, and findings. The influence of Steiner's multifaceted genius has led to innovative and holistic approaches in medicine, various therapies, philosophy, religious renewal, Waldorf education, education for special needs, threefold economics, biodynamic agriculture, Goethean science, architecture, and the arts of drama, speech, and eurythmy. In 1924, Rudolf Steiner founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches throughout the world. He died in Dornach, Switzerland.

Andreas Neider (b. 1958) studied philosophy, ethnology, history, and political science. He worked for 17 years at Verlag Freies Geistesleben, first as an editor and then as publisher. Since 2002 he heads the cultural agency Von Mensch zu Mensch (From Person to Person). Neider organized the annual Stuttgart educational congresses for 14 years, and in 2015 co-founded the Akanthos Academy in Stuttgart. He lectures on anthroposophy, meditation, and media education in youth and adult education. He has numerous publications with the Freies Geistesleben and the Rudolf Steiner Verlag in Dornach, Switzerland. He is currently working on a dissertation at the Alanus University comparing the methods of anthroposophic and Buddhist meditation.

Matthew Barton is a translator, editor, teacher, and poet, and taught kindergarten for many years at the Bristol Waldorf School. His first collection of poems was Learning To Row (1999). He has won numerous prizes for his work, including an Arts Council Writer's Award and a Hawthornden Fellowship.