What if we read the news without immediately developing an opinion? Or if we met someone without immediately judging them? We are quick to define things by our opinions of them, but unless we do some real soul searching, we don’t know the source of our opinions or why we find it so important to have them. It may be in our best interest to think deeply about these questions. Steiner says that our opinions and judgments are effective barriers to progress in spiritual knowledge. Yet, if we don’t know how to open ourselves to new ways of thinking, we will never even venture toward spiritual science in the first place.
For example, spiritual science shows that human evolution is much longer than most of us think because most of us think of the human being as a physical manifestation rather than a spiritual being currently going through its physical phase. This basic premise of spiritual science is not common knowledge now, and many of us could find it easy to either ignore it or refute it. If we entertain that idea, though, we can imagine vast periods of time preceding our physical bodies and vast periods of time proceeding into a future wherein we will no longer need our physical bodies. In order to learn about the evolution of humanity and the earth and even our cosmos, “we must begin with a certain fundamental attitude of soul. In spiritual science this fundamental attitude is called the path of veneration, of devotion to truth and knowledge. Without this attitude no one can become a student (of spiritual science.)” Veneration and devotion are not characteristics of our modern culture, so where do we start?
Let’s see what Dr. Steiner has to say:
Our civilization is more inclined to criticize, judge, and condemn than to feel devotion and selfless veneration. Our children criticize far more than they respect or revere. But just as surely as every feeling of devotion and reverence nurtures the soul’s powers for higher knowledge, so every act of criticism and judgment drives these powers away. This is not meant to imply anything against our civilization—our concern here is not to criticize it. After all, we owe the greatness of our culture precisely to our ability to make critical, self-confident human judgments and to our principle of “testing all and keeping the best.” Modern science, industry, transportation, commerce, law—all these would never have developed without the universal exercise of our critical faculty and standards of judgment. But the price of this gain in outer culture has been a corresponding loss in higher knowledge and spiritual life. Therefore, we must never forget that higher knowledge has to do with revering truth and insight…
In an age of criticism, ideals are degraded. Reverence, awe, adoration, and wonder are replaced by other feelings—they are pushed more and more into the background. As a result, everyday life offers very few opportunities for their development.
If we wish to become esoteric students, we must train ourselves vigorously in the mood of devotion. We must seek—in all things around us, in all our experiences—for what can arouse our admiration and respect. If I meet other people and criticize their weaknesses, I rob myself of higher cognitive power. But if I try to enter deeply and lovingly into another person’s good qualities, I gather in that force…
Each moment that we spend becoming aware of whatever derogatory, judgmental, and critical opinions still remain in our consciousness brings us closer to higher knowledge. We advance even more quickly if, in such moments, we fill our consciousness with admiration, respect, and reverence for the world and life. Anyone experienced in these things knows that such moments awaken forces in us that otherwise remain dormant. Filling our consciousness in this way opens our spiritual eyes.
Excerpt from: How to Know Higher Knowledge: A Modern Path of Initiation, Chapter I: How to Know Higher Worlds by Rudolf Steiner.
Though a simple concept to understand, feeling respect and reverence for the world and life is challenging. Nevertheless, this is a preliminary requirement regardless of the spiritual path we choose. The excerpt below from The Inner Development of Man, directly pertains to what we’ve been discussing here.
It is difficult to attain an uncritical attitude, but understanding must take the place of criticism. It suppresses the advancement of the soul if you confront your fellowman immediately with your own opinion. We must hear the other out first, and this listening is an extraordinarily effective means for the development of the soul eyes. Anybody who reaches a higher level in this direction owes it to having learned to abstain from criticizing and judging everybody and everything. How can we look understandingly into somebody's being? We should not condemn but understand the criminal's personality, understand the criminal and the saint equally well. Empathy for each and every one is required, and this is what is meant with higher, occult “listening.” Thus, if we bring ourselves with strict self-control to the point of not evaluating a fellow human being, or the rest of the world for that matter, according to our personal judgment, opinion and prejudice and instead let both work on us in silence, we have the chance to gain occult powers. Every moment during which we become determined to refrain from thinking an evil thought about a fellow human being is a moment gained.
Dr. Steiner often reminded his audiences and readers to keep an open mind when he introduced new findings. We will be moving forward this year with spiritual topics that will necessitate the openness of mind we’ve been discussing today.
