Thinking & Soul Life

[Bruce Michael]

Dear Friends,
Some folk have had the opinion that Anthroposophy is "too intellectual", but this is a result of a misunderstanding.

In 1911 and 1912, Dr. Steiner gave the lecture series "World of the Senses and World of the Spirit". There he says the basis of good thinking is grounded in :
(a) Wonder
(b) Veneration/reverence
(c) Feeling oneself in wisdom-filled harmony with the laws of the world
(d) Devotion/self-surrender

For Example:

"But now a man who has attained to a certain feeling of reverence, and then, having experienced this feeling of reverence, wanted to press forward with mere thought -such a man would again come to a nothingness. He would not be able to go any further. He would, it is true, make some discoveries that were quite correct, and because he had gone through these first two stages, he would with this correct knowledge have also acquired many clearly and firmly established points of view. But he would inevitably, for all that, soon fall into uncertainty. For a third condition must take hold in the soul after we have experienced wonder and reverence; and this third mood we may describe as -feeling oneself in wisdom-filled harmony with the laws of the world. And this feeling can be attained in no other way than by having insight in the worthlessness of mere thinking..."

These things are explained in "Knowledge of the Higher Worlds":
Chapter: How Is Knowledge of the Higher Worlds Attained?
From KOTHW:

"It is not easy, at first, to believe that feelings like reverence and respect have anything to do with cognition. This is due to the fact that we are inclined to set cognition aside as a faculty by itself — one that stands in no relation to what otherwise occurs in the soul. In so thinking we do not bear in mind that it is the soul which exercises the faculty of cognition; and feelings are for the soul what food is for the body. If we give the body stones in place of bread, its activity will cease. It is the same with the soul."

Living thinking is dependent on a living soul firstly. Thinking is not cognition but a tool of cognition.

-Br.Bruce

[cyberpi]

Love God with all of your heart, soul, and, ..... I forget. oh yeah... MIND!

[Bruce Michael]

Originally Posted by cyberpi

Love God with all of your heart, soul, and, ..... I forget. oh yeah... MIND!

Greetings Cyperpi,
And can you see the relationship between love and thinking? Indeed, thinking can be a reflection of Cosmic Love. Thinking brings together the objects in our world and finds the interrelationships between them.

Karmically it works like this- those who are truly loving souls, in deed and thought, develop thinking forces in their next incarnation.

Warm Regards,
Br.Bruce

[intrepidlover]

I will make this simple. How does Steiner's view compare with the Theosophical view of the Sevenfold nature of man?

Sevenfold constitution of nature and man

Is it the same but worded differently (the excerpt you have quoted is quite obfuscatory in my opinion to say the least)

Hopefully your response to the Theosophical version will open up the discussion further.

[Bruce Michael]

Originally Posted by intrepidlover

I will make this simple. How does Steiner's view compare with the Theosophical view of the Sevenfold nature of man?

Sevenfold constitution of nature and man

Is it the same but worded differently (the excerpt you have quoted is quite obfuscatory in my opinion to say the least)

Hopefully your response to the Theosophical version will open up the discussion further.

Hello,
Is this addressed to me?
It would be handy if you personally addressed me, if it is.

I haven't posted on the Sevenfold Nature of man.
Various theosophical authors have views on the sevenfold nature- Subba Row argued with HPB over it.

There is no "theosophical version" just teachings by various theosophical authors- one of whom was Dr.Steiner. I posted a link to his Theosophy which contains his teaching on the matter.


Greetings,
Br.Bruce

[intrepidlover]

Originally Posted by Bruce Michael

Hello,
Is this addressed to me?
It would be handy if you personally addressed me, if it is.

Sorry but I am new here and just starting to learn the etiquette.

Originally Posted by Bruce Michael

I haven't posted on the Sevenfold Nature of man.

I know you haven't. I was asking if Steiner's view was similar to or compatible with the page I linked to.

Originally Posted by Bruce Michael

There is no "theosophical version" just teachings by various theosophical authors- one of whom was Dr.Steiner.

That would be correct. A foundation teaching of the Theosophical Society is that there are no dogmas.

Originally Posted by Bruce Michael

I posted a link to his Theosophy which contains his teaching on the matter.

Yes I know. It is far too long-winded for me. I am a journalist. I try to be concise and unambiguous. My view is that if people can't express themselves clearly and concisely, they probably don't know what they are talking about. I make no apology if you choose to read this as a criticism of Dr Steiner.

[Bruce Michael]

Originally Posted by intrepidlover

Sorry but I am new here and just starting to learn the etiquette.



I know you haven't. I was asking if Steiner's view was similar to or compatible with the page I linked to.



That would be correct. A foundation teaching of the Theosophical Society is that there are no dogmas.



Yes I know. It is far too long-winded for me. I am a journalist. I try to be concise and unambiguous. My view is that if people can't express themselves clearly and concisely, they probably don't know what they are talking about. I make no apology if you choose to read this as a criticism of Dr Steiner.

I started a new thread on this subject:
Sevenfold Nature Compared