Life Between Death and Rebirth E-Book

Rudolf Steiner

• Herausgeber: Rudolf Steiner Press
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

A single lecture taken from the volume Life Beyond Death.

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Leseprobe

RUDOLF STEINER (1861–1925) called his spiritual philosophy ‘anthroposophy’, meaning ‘wisdom of the human being’. As a highly developed seer, he based his work on direct knowledge and perception of spiritual dimensions. He initiated a modern and universal ‘science of spirit’, accessible to anyone willing to exercise clear and unprejudiced thinking. From his spiritual investigations Steiner provided suggestions for the renewal of many activities, including education (both general and special), agriculture, medicine, economics, architecture, science, philosophy, religion and the arts. Today there are thousands of schools, clinics, farms and other organizations involved in practical work based on his principles. His many published works feature his research into the spiritual nature of the human being, the evolution of the world and humanity, and methods of personal development. Steiner wrote some 30 books and delivered over 6000 lectures across Europe. In 1924 he founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches throughout the world.

LIFE BETWEEN DEATH AND REBIRTH

RUDOLF STEINER

RUDOLF STEINER PRESS

Rudolf Steiner Press Hillside House, The Square Forest Row, RH18 5ES

www.rudolfsteinerpress.com

Published by Rudolf Steiner Press 2015

First published in English in Life Beyond Death by Rudolf Steiner Press 1995

Originally published in German by Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Basel. This authorized translation is published by permission of the Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung, Dornach

© Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung This translation © Rudolf Steiner Press Ltd., 1995

This book is copyright under the Berne Convention. All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Inquiries should be addressed to the Publishers

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978 1 85584 456 8

Cover by Andrew Morgan

Contents

Life between Death and Rebirth

Notes

Life between Death and Rebirth

Berlin, 19 March 1914

TODAY'S THEME is without doubt a most hazardous and difficult one. Nevertheless, it is one which I would like to broach, concerning as it does a very special object of spiritual-scientific research.1 I believe that my very respected listeners—some of whom have been present at these lectures over many years—will find this object of spiritual-scientific research acceptable, since I have often endeavoured to present here, in a general way, the possible proofs and justifications for such research. Today, though, we must distance ourselves a little from these proofs and justifications. For the findings of spiritual-scientific research, about the life of the human being between death and rebirth, will be presented here in a descriptive form. In spite of the fact that today's theme is a conceptually difficult one for contemporary consciousness (and must still be wholly rejected by such a consciousness, which regards the results of this research as unproven), I would nevertheless like to make the following introductory remark: I am fully aware that I speak in an age which has advanced sixty years since Julius Robert Mayer made the great discovery of the metamorphosis of natural forces; and more than half a century since the great discoveries of Darwin; in an age which has experienced great successes in science such as, for example, spectro-analysis and astro-physics and, in more recent times, experimental biology. Although I recognize and am fully aware of these scientific achievements, I still wish to address the theme of today's lecture, in spite of the fact that this must seem contradictory to those who believe that spiritual-scientific research and spiritual-scientific conviction should be rejected if one is to proceed in a truly scientific way. I would also like to make one further introductory remark: if I was not quite clear that what is to be presented about the life between death and rebirth adheres to the most rigorous spiritual-scientific method and can be upheld on equal terms with the results of science, then I would regard it as thoughtless, even frivolous to speak of spiritual-scientific results before this assembly. I am fully aware of my responsibility, precisely in regard to this theme, to speak in a scientific way. Yet the whole manner in which one must approach the truth and truthfulness of spiritual-scientific research involves an open, receptive mood and gesture of soul, which is today hardly a common one. I would like first of all, very briefly, to examine the mood of soul needed by the spiritual researcher and also, to a certain extent, by anyone who would recognize the truth of the results of spiritual-scientific research.