Noble Eightfold Path

[Bruce Michael]

Dear Friends,

The city of Petalamund (Petal Mount) appears in verses in Eschenbach's
"Parsifal". It has sixteen gates and is beseiged by a black (Blackamoor) army on eight of the gates and a white army on the other eight.

Here is a picture of the heart lotus blossom or chakram. Eight of the petals (those beseiged by the Moorish army) have been developed through Grace, the other eight require working on by the individual.

Here is a most practical way in the which Noble Eightfold Path has been incorporated into the Christian context.
Rudolf Steiner suggested these exercises for students who wished to enhance these qualities:


FOR THE DAYS OF THE WEEK

The pupil must pay careful attention to certain activities in the life of
soul which in the ordinary way are carried on carelessly and inattentively.
There are eight such activities.

It is naturally best to undertake only one exercise at a time, throughout a
week or a fortnight, for example, then the second, and so on, then
beginning over again. Meanwhile it is best for the eighth exercise to be
carried out every day. True self-knowledge is then gradually achieved
and any progress made is perceived. Then later on - beginning with
Saturday - one exercise lasting for about five minutes may perhaps be
added daily to the eighth so that the relevant exercise will occasionally
fall on the same day. Thus: Saturday - Thoughts; Sunday - Resolves;
Monday - Talking; Tuesday - Actions; Wednesday - Behaviour, and so
on.

SATURDAY

To pay attention to one's ideas.

To think only significant thoughts. To learn little by little to separate in
one's thoughts the essential from the nonessential, the eternal from the
transitory, truth from mere opinion.

In listening to the talk of one's fellow-men, to try and become quite still
inwardly, foregoing all assent, and still more all unfavourable judgments
(criticism, rejection), even in one's thoughts and feelings.

This may be called:

`RIGHT OPINION'.

More:
Planetary Qualities - 8-fold path



-Br.Bruce