Rudolf Steiner's exercises for spiritual development

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Main article: Rudolf Steiner

Main article: Anthroposophy

Rudolf Steiner described numerous exercises for spiritual development, and other anthroposophists have added many others. A central principle is that "for every step in spiritual perception, three steps are to be taken in moral development". Moral development reveals the extent to which one has achieved control over one's inner life and exercises this in a direction in harmony with others' spiritual life. It shows the real progress in spiritual development, the fruits of which are given in spiritual perception. It also guarantees the capacity to distinguish between false perceptions or illusions (which are possible in perceptions of both the outer world and the inner world) and true perceptions, or, better said, to distinguish in any perception between the influence of subjective elements (i.e. viewpoint) and the objective reality to which the perception points.^[1]

1 Preliminary requirements for embarking on a spiritual training
2 Supplementary exercises
3 Individual exercises
4 References

[edit] Preliminary requirements for embarking on a spiritual training

In order for a spiritual training to bear healthy fruits, Steiner suggested, a person would have to attend to the following:^[2]

Striving to develop a healthy body and soul.
Feeling connected with all of existence; to recognize oneself in everything, and everything in oneself; not to judge others without standing in their shoes.
Recognizing that one's thoughts and feelings have as significant influence as one's deeds, and that work on one's inner life is as important as work on one's outer life.
Recognizing that the true essence of a human being does not lie in the person's outer appearance, but rather in the inner nature, in the soul and spiritual existence of this person. *Finding the genuine balance between having an open heart for the demands of the outer world and maintaing inner strength and "unshakeable endurance".
The ability to be true to a decision once made, even in the face of daunting adversity, until one comes to the conclusion that it was or is made in error.
Developing thankfulness for everything that meets us, and that universal love that allows the world to reveal itself fully to me.

[edit] Supplementary exercises

Steiner suggested that a special group of general exercises should accompany all spiritual training as their influence on inner development would be beneficial whatever the spiritual path. These exercises are:^[2]

Practicing ever better control of thinking. For example: for a period of time – normally a few minutes, not longer – contemplate any object and concentrate one's thoughts exclusively on this object. (A crystal or a paper clip might do.)
Development of initiative. For example, choose any free deed, i.e. one that nothing is influencing you to do, and choose a regular time of day or day of the week to practice this. (Watering a plant daily could be a freely chosen deed.)
Equanimity. Quiet reactive emotions. Discover how to express one's true feelings sensitively.
Positivity. See the positive aspects of everything, and make the best out of every situation.
Open-mindedness. Be open to new experiences, never letting expectations based upon the past close your mind to the lessons of the moment.
Harmony. Find a harmonious, balanced relationship between the above five qualities, be able to move dynamically between them.

[edit] Individual exercises

Some of the many exercises developed in anthroposophy include:

Review of the day. Each evening, go backwards through the day recalling its events, its sequential unfolding (experienced here reversed in time), the people one met, etc.
Experiencing the year's unfolding.
- Drawing the same plant or tree or landscape over the course of a year.
- Meditating the sequence of 52 mantric verses, the Calendar of the Soul, that Steiner wrote to deepen one's experience of the course of the seasons and the year and to bring the inner life of the soul into dialogue with nature.
Building up an imagination independent of all outer experience, and then dissolving this imagination. The creative activity of imagination itself — the creative activity of the human spirit — can thus be experienced directly, stripped of the particular content with which it was occupied.^{[citation needed]}