The Spiritual Guidance
of Man and of Mankind
BY
DR. RUDOLF STEINER
EDITED BY H. COLLISON
The Authorized English Translation
The copyright, the publishing rights, and theeditorial responsibility for the translation of theworks of Rudolf Steiner, Ph.D., with the exceptionof those already under the editorial supervisionof Max Gysi, are now vested in Mr. HarryCollison, M.A., Oxon.
In the following pages are reproduced the contentsof some lectures delivered by me at Copenhagenin June last, in connection with the GeneralMeeting of the Scandinavian Theosophical Society.What is here set forth was therefore spoken to anaudience acquainted with occult science, or theosophy.A similar acquaintance is assumed in thiswork. It is throughout based on the foundationsgiven in my books, “Theosophy” and “An Outlineof Occult Science.” To anyone taking up thepresent work who is unacquainted with thesepremises, it must needs appear the strange outpouringof mere fancy, but the above-named bookspoint out the scientific basis of everything stated inthis one.
I have completely re-written the shorthand reportof the lectures; nevertheless it has been myintention on publishing them, to preserve the charactergiven in oral delivery. This is specially mentionedbecause it is in general my opinion that theform of work intended for reading should be quitedifferent from that used in speaking. I have expressedthis principle of mine in all my earlierwritings, as far as they were intended for the press.[4]If in this instance I have worked out my subject incloser connection with the spoken word, it is becauseI have reasons for letting the work appear atthis juncture, and an adaptation completely in accordancewith the above rule would take a greatdeal of time.
Rudolf Steiner.
Munich, August 20, 1911.
A man reflecting on his own nature soon becomesconscious that there is within him a secondand more powerful self than the one bounded byhis thoughts, his feelings and the fully-consciousimpulses of his will. He becomes aware that he issubject to that second self, as to a higher power.It is true that at first he will feel it to be a lowerentity as compared with the one limited by his intelligentand fully-conscious soul, with its inclinationstowards the Good and True. And at first hewill strive to overcome that lower entity.
But closer self-examination may reveal somethingelse about the second self. If we often, in thecourse of our lives, make a kind of survey of ouracts and experiences, we make a singular discoveryabout ourselves. And the older we are, the moresignificant do we think that discovery. If we askourselves what we did or said at a particular periodof our lives, it turns out that we have done verymany things which are only really understood inlater years. Seven or eight, or perhaps twentyyears ago, we did certain things, and we know quitewell that only now, long afterwards, is our intelligence[6]ripe enough to understand what we didor said at that earlier period.
Many people do not make such discoveries aboutthemselves, because they do