The Heart of Peace E-Book

Rudolf Steiner

• Herausgeber: Rudolf Steiner Press
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

As a spiritual teacher Rudolf Steiner wrote many beautifully formed and inspired verses. Often they were given in relation to specific situations or in response to individual requests; sometimes they were created for general use in assisting the process of meditation. Regardless of their origins, they are uniformly powerful in their ability to connect the meditant with spiritual archetypes and realities, and are valuable tools for developing experience and knowledge of other dimensions. Matthew Barton has delicately translated these meditations into English, many for the first time, and arranged them thematically in this outstanding new series. In this collection of meditations to promote courage and tranquillity, Rudolf Steiner highlights the balancing, harmonizing forces of the heart, which are so much under attack in our cerebral culture. The verses aim to strengthen the heart by warming and enlivening thinking, allowing for genuine peace of mind; by drawing feeling into the dark depths of our will in order to help develop courage; by nurturing a real sense of peace within the heart; and by helping us to help others. Together they provide a powerful antidote to the stresses and strains of modern life.

Leseprobe

A Note on the Author

RUDOLF STEINER (1861-1925) called his spiritual philosophy ‘anthroposophy’, which can be understood as ‘wisdom of the human being’. A highly developed seer, Steiner based his work on direct knowledge and perception of spiritual dimensions. He initiated a modern and universal ‘science of spirit’, accessible to anybody 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 literally thousands of schools, clinics, farms and other organizations doing practical work based on his principles. His many published works (writings and lectures) also 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 6,000 lectures across Europe. In 1924 he founded the General Anthroposophical Society, which today has branches throughout the world.

Also in the Meditations series:

Breathing the Spirit, Meditations for Times of Day and Seasons of the Year

Finding the Greater Self, Meditations for Harmony and Healing

Living with the Dead, Meditations for Maintaining a Connection with Those Who Have Died

THE HEART OF PEACE

Meditations for Courage and Tranquillity

Rudolf Steiner

Edited and translated by Matthew Barton

Sophia Books

Sophia Books An imprint of Rudolf Steiner Press Hillside House, The Square Forest Row, East Sussex RH18 5ES

www.rudolfsteinerpress.com

Published by Rudolf Steiner Press 2012

Rudolf Steiner’s verses are selected from the following volumes of the Rudolf Steiner Gesamtausgabe (‘GA’), his Collected Works published in the original German by Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach: GA 40 Wahrspruchworte, GA 267 Seelenübungen and GA 268 Mantrische Sprüche. This authorized volume is published by permission of the Rudolf Steiner Nachlassverwaltung, Dornach

This selection and translation © Rudolf Steiner Press 2002

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers

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

ISBN 978 1 85584 350 9

Typeset by DP Photosetting, Aylesbury, Bucks.

Contents

Introduction

I PEACE OF MIND

II THE HEART OF PEACE

III STRENGTH OF HEART

IV STRENGTHENING OTHERS

Notes

The meaning of the world lies in human hearts

Introduction

The heart is a wonderful and mysterious organ of perception: it ‘listens’ to the organism, mediating between opposites and artistically combining them, stirring the cooler lights of sensing and thought into the fire of metabolism and will, and vice versa; so that we breathe freely in feeling, in interplay between different opposing forces that work on us. Even the word itself suggests both this attentive listening (heart) and artistic mediation (heart). The heart continually creates balance within us and, as our emotional core (coeur) is also the mediator between us and the world, the place all our experience must pass through if we are to be as human as we can be.

It is clear that the heart is under attack in our times. Drained by a culture and education that speaks mainly to the head, and overwhelmed by the chaotic, exploding will of modern life, which often lacks rhythm, rhyme or reason, the soul’s balancing, harmonizing forces can start to shrink and weaken.

The verses gathered here aim to help strengthen the heart, and the first three sections of the book relate to slightly different ways in which we might do this: by raising feeling up into thinking, warming and enlivening it (Peace of mind); by dwelling in and nurturing a real sense of peace within the heart (The heart of peace); and by taking feeling down into the will and developing courage there (Strength of heart). Finally there is a fourth section, of verses given to help us help others. There are some overlaps in verses from the three first sections; I have tried to sense whether a verse speaks more to head, heart or will, but sometimes it is impossible to do this, since the verses interweave these three soul-forces so closely.

In translating I have tried to remain true to the original verses, yet also warm them into English and let them breathe there.

Matthew Barton