MEN ARE often struck with admiration when they observe the instinctive actions of animals. They ascribe a special sense to animals which mankind either lack completely or which they have allowed to degenerate.

They are perplexed, for example, when they see a horse, a dog or some other animal suddenly refusing to pass a certain place on a road it is accustomed to and which it has perhaps taken daily, and when they subsequently learn that an accident occurred on that very spot shortly afterwards.

Quite often the lives of one or more persons have been saved through such incidents. So many of these cases have been published that there is no need to go into the matter more deeply here.

Instinct or unconscious presentiment are the terms man has used to describe this characteristic of the animal! Having found a name for a thing men are usually well satisfied! They envisage something in their imagination and accept it as fact, irrespective of whether they are right or wrong. It is the same with this!

The reason for such actions on the part of an animal, however, is quite a different one. It possesses neither the quality nor the ability of instinct as man understands the word. In such incidents it merely heeds a warning that is given to it. These warnings can be seen quite well by the animal, whereas only a few people are able to observe them.

As I have already explained in one of my earlier lectures, the soul of an animal does not originate in the Spiritual Sphere from which man comes, but from the Animistic Sphere. The elemental beings also originate there, such as the gnomes, elves, nixies, and so on, whose field of activity lies in what men usually call Nature, i.e., water, air, earth and fire. The same applies to other beings which occupy themselves with the development and growth of stones, plants and the like. All these elemental beings originate in another section of the Animistic Sphere to that of the animal souls. However, the mutual homogeneity of their origin provides a greater possibility for them to recognise each other. Thus an animal is far better equipped to recognise these elemental beings than is man, whose origin lies in the Spiritual Sphere.

The elemental beings know exactly when and where sudden changes in Nature are about to take place, such as landslides, rocks being dislodged from mountains, trees falling, the caving-in of land undermined by water, the bursting of a dam, sudden water eruptions, volcanic and fire eruptions, tidal waves and floods, earthquakes, and everything else coming within the same category, because they themselves are occupied with the preparation and bringing about of such changes, which men call disasters and catastrophes.

If such a happening is imminent it may well be that an animal or a person approaching the spot is warned by these elementals. They block the way and try, through vehement motions, shouting or sudden impressions upon their feelings, to induce them to return. The animal is startled, its hair »bristles«, and it energetically refuses to continue, quite contrary to its usual behaviour, so that often as an exception even the best-trained animal disobeys its master. This is the reason for the striking behaviour of the animal in such cases. Man, however, does not see these elemental beings and very often runs into the danger, thereby perishing or suffering great harm.

For this reason man should pay more attention to animals so that he learns to understand them. Then animals will truly become man’s friends, able to fill gaps and thus be much more useful to him than they have been in the past.

 

THERE has been much discussion on this subject all over the world. Both in poetry and prose the kiss of friendship has been beautified and exalted to a high position in the world of thoughts. However, all this is only a phantasy far removed from what is natural!

It is a pretty little cloak which, as with so many things, earthman has manufactured in order to admire himself or others in it. Yet admiration is absolutely out of place, for in reality it is nothing but hypocrisy, a shameful attempt to disarrange and distort the Laws of Creation, and thus divest them of their glorious and simple naturalness!

It is true that the intention behind a kiss often varies, but this does not alter the fact that each kiss as such remains a kiss, i.e., a physical contact which, according to the Natural Laws, causes a feeling that can never be other than merely physical. He who knows my Message is aware of this already. Man must not always behave in such a cowardly manner in his efforts to deny the true nature of his deeds! On the contrary he must remain clearly conscious of them at all times. A hypocrite is even worse than an evil-doer!

The term »kiss of friendship« definitely presupposes the age of maturity.

The kiss between a man and a woman who have reached a mature age, however, is subject to the vibrations of the Primordial Laws in Creation, no matter how pure their intentions. It is ridiculous to make excuses. Man knows very well that the Laws of Nature do not ask for his opinion. The kiss given by a friend, a brother, or a father to a mature girl or woman always remains a kiss between the different sexes, despite the strongest self-delusion. It is no different with the kiss given by a mother to her son as soon as he has reached a mature age. The Laws of Nature neither know of nor grant any distinction in these matters. Every person must therefore practise much greater self-restraint!

Only man’s mania for wishing to adapt the Natural Laws to his own desires creates ideas so opposed to those laws, such as kisses of friendship, embracing among relatives, and the many other trespasses existing in these matters. Under the most hypocritical cloaks man often tries to sin, even deliberately!

Because many people believe they are acting quite harmlessly with such transgressions, and imagine their intentions to be absolutely pure, this does not alter the fact that such behaviour is contrary to the Laws of Nature. It is and remains a distortion of the purest Laws of Nature when they are robbed of their beautiful simplicity by false interpretation. Only what is unhealthy arises from this, because every abuse and distortion only devalues, defiles and debases the original soundness of the law.

Therefore away with such hypocrisy! At last honour the Laws of Nature as they really are in their simple and thus sublime greatness! Adjust yourselves to them and live accordingly! Also adjust all your thinking, your actions and your habits to them, both within your families and outside! Therefore become natural in the purest sense and you will then also be happy! Every unhealthy aspect of life will then fall away from you. Honesty will be the rule among you, and you will be spared many unnecessary inner conflicts, which only result from such foolish illusions, and often molest and torment you all through your earthly lives.

The unhealthiness of this injurious toying, this wrongful caressing, which invariably indicates a purely physical basis, can be most clearly observed in immature and guileless children of a tender age. Children who are continually showered with or, to put it quite frankly, »molested« by these family caresses always have an unhealthy appearance. Besides nearly every child shows an intuitive repulsion against such obtrusive fondling and never any desire for it, because in reality a child is »naturally innocent«. To start with it must first always be trained to tolerate and return caresses.

Such training, however, is only desired by the grown-ups, who through the maturity of their physical bodies instinctively feel the need for it, but it is not the wish of the child! All this shows clearly enough the dangerous coercion which is being insidiously brought to bear upon the child. Gradually, however, it gets accustomed to this fondling and finally comes to desire it out of sheer habit, until the maturing body itself awakens in the instinct.

Shame on a mankind who continually try to hide their base desires and personal weaknesses under a cloak of hypocrisy, or who act thoughtlessly in such matters!

Man must know that genuine love is of the soul only! Everything else is merely instinct! Psychic love, however, has nothing to do with the physical body, nor has it any physical desires, for the separation between all the species in Creation always remains complete. Spiritual is spiritual, psychic is psychic, and physical is and always remains only physical!

When the physical body dies not a single particle of the soul dies with it. This proves in all simplicity that everything stands on its own, that no intermingling occurs.

A soulful kiss, for example, exists only in the imagination, because every kiss is and always remains merely a gross material act. What a man experiences in his soul thereby is an entirely separate matter. Psychic love goes beside the physical instinct, not with it or even in it.

Any other conception is a gross self-deception because it does not correspond with the Laws of Nature. It was only the intellect which invented differences therein to serve as an excuse, and in order to create a new caricature with which to mutilate the Truth. In its pure form the Truth should bring mankind to awakening and recognition, thus to purity and truthfulness of character, and finally to ascent towards the Light.

Now at last, man, have the courage to be true in all you do! Also in regard to the kiss! Break through the deceptive images your vanity and sensual lust have created! Wake up!

 

THE GREATEST burden with which the human soul has encumbered itself, and which will hinder every possibility of ascent, is vanity! It has spread ruin throughout the entire Creation. Vanity has become the most powerful poison for the soul, because man has cherished it as a shield and mask for all his shortcomings.

Like a narcotic it always helps to overcome psychic shocks easily. It is of no consideration to earthmen that this is merely an illusion, so long as it affords them satisfaction and therewith the possibility to attain some earthly goal, if only a few minutes of ridiculous self-complacency. It does not need to be genuine, a mere semblance will suffice!

People speak of this vanity, of conceit, spiritual arrogance, malicious joy and so many characteristics of all earthmen in a benevolent and glossing-over way as being snares of the Lucifer principle. All this, however, is nothing but feeble self-excuse! Lucifer had no need whatever to exert himself so very much. It sufficed for him to tempt man to enjoy the fruit of the »tree of knowledge«, and thus to indulge in the knowledge, thereby inducing him to over-develop his intellect. All that followed was brought about by man himself.

As the worst outgrowth of the intellect (which is earthbound and gaining the upper hand), vanity must be disposed of — vanity which is the root of so many evils, such as envy, hatred, slander, and the craving for all kinds of earthly pleasures and possessions. Everything that is ugly in this world is really anchored in vanity, which expresses itself in a great variety of ways.

It was the urge towards outward sham which produced the »caricature of man« so predominant today! The sham being who does not deserve to be called »man«, because in his vanity he undermined the possibility of the necessary spiritual ascent for the sake of sham, stubbornly blocking all the natural connecting lines given to him for his activity and spiritual maturing, and wantonly burying them entirely against the Creator’s Will!

The effect of raising the earthbound intellect to the position of an idol was in itself sufficient to change the entire course which the Creator had designed for man in His Creation.

Lucifer claimed it as a triumph for himself that the human soul had ventured to interfere with its physical body in such a manner as to make it utterly impossible for the soul to fulfil its willed activity in Creation. In order to sharpen the intellect man feverishly promoted the one-sided cultivation of that part of the brain which is exclusively devoted to working in the World of Gross Matter, namely the frontal brain. This resulted in the automatic repression and curtailment of the activity of the spiritually receiving part of the human brain. Consequently the ability to comprehend spiritual things was rendered more difficult, and in the course of thousands of years earthman even entirely lost spiritual understanding.

Thus he now stands forsaken and useless in Creation! Cut off from the possibility of spiritual recognition and ascent, and consequently also cut off from God!

That is the work of Lucifer! He had no need to do anything more! He could then leave earthman to himself, watching him sink from one step to another and thus remove himself further and further from God, all as a consequence of this single act!

For those men who make the genuine effort to think objectively just for once it is not at all difficult to observe this. It is easily understandable that intellectual activity also bears within itself the conceit which comes of an insistence on knowing better, the obstinate perseverance in everything which such activity considers right, for man has »thought« as far as he was able to think in these matters. He has reached his highest limit in thinking!

Man cannot know that this limit is a low one because of the earthbound condition of his frontal brain, and that therefore he cannot penetrate any further with his intellect. For this reason he will always believe and aver that with his limit he has also achieved what is right. If he hears something different he will always give greater credence to and consider right what he has thought out. This remains the peculiarity of every intellect, and thus of all intellectuals!

As I have already pointed out once it is the task of one portion of the brain substance to receive what is spiritual like an antenna, while the other portion, which produces the intellect, transforms what has been received for use in the Gross Material World. Conversely the frontal brain which produces the intellect is likewise supposed to take in all the impressions from the World of Matter, and so transform them that the back brain can receive them and use them for the further development and maturing of the spirit. Both parts, however, are intended to work together, for it has been so decreed by the Creator!

Due to the intervention caused by the one-sided cultivation of the frontal brain, the latter became over-dominating in its activity, thus disturbing the necessary harmonious co-operation between the two brains, and consequently all healthy activity in Creation. The development of the portion meant to receive spiritual impressions lagged behind, while the frontal brain, which became more and more active through training, had long since ceased to receive through the back brain the pure vibrations from Luminous Heights necessary for its work, and for transmission into the World of Gross Matter. Instead it absorbs its working substance for the most part from its material environment and from thought-forms only, which it sends out again remodelled as its own production.

There are only a few people today whose receptive portion of the brain co-operates harmoniously at least to some extent with the frontal brain. These people rise above the ordinary level and distinguish themselves through great inventions or through an amazing reliability in their capacity to perceive intuitively, which enables them quickly to grasp many things that can only be attained by others through laborious study.

These are the people of whom it is enviously said that they »receive it in their sleep!« They confirm the saying: »The Lord gives it to His own in their sleep!«

By »His own« are meant those who still use their implements in accordance with the Creator’s decree, i.e., those who are what He wills them to be and who, like the wise virgins, continually replenished the oil in their lamps; for these alone can »recognise« the Bridegroom when He comes. Only they are really »awake«! All the others are »asleep« in their self-imposed limitations! They rendered themselves incapable of »recognising« because they did not keep the requisite »tools« in proper order. Without the harmonious co-operation of that portion of the brain meant to receive spiritual impressions, the frontal brain is like a lamp without oil!

Persons of mediumistic ability cannot so easily be included in the above category. While it is true that the receptive part of their brain necessarily functions more or less well, during this receptive activity the frontal brain of such mediums, which is meant for the earthly transmission of what is received, becomes fatigued. Due to the determined volition of some dweller in the beyond, the proceedings bring exceptional pressure to bear upon the receptive portion of the medium’s brain, and this consequently calls for a more powerful counter-pressure, which in turn automatically draws blood from the frontal brain, i.e., the warmth which is engendered by movement, with the result that the frontal brain comes to a partial or complete standstill. It co-operates only sluggishly or not at all. This withdrawal of blood would not be necessary if the receptive brain had not been seriously weakened by the suppression.

This gives the cause why the transmission of a medium, either verbally or in writing, does not appear to be so well remodelled for earthly comprehension as it must necessarily be if it is to be correctly understood by earthly conceptions, such as computation of space and time.

This also gives the cause why mediums who often foresee earthly events, catastrophes or the like, can rarely in their utterances or writings forecast the earthly time accurately.

A medium receives the ethereal impression and passes it on verbally or in writing with little or no alteration at all for the Gross Material World. This naturally results in misunderstanding on the part of those who view things from a purely gross material standpoint. The ethereal impression differs from the gross material effect which manifests later on. For in the World of Ethereal Matter the contrasts are sharper and richer, with corresponding effects. Now it frequently happens that mediums depict nothing but ethereal things without alteration, because the frontal brain cannot follow up with its work of remodelling and is quiescent. Then the picture of an event and the times given differ, for ethereal conceptions of time also differ from earthly conceptions.

Consequently predictions and descriptions of the same happening will sound different from almost every mediumistic person, depending on the degree of co-operation possible by their frontal brain, which can only in very rare cases achieve the complete transformation necessary for earthly conceptions.

If those dwelling in the beyond, however, are striving to re-establish connection between the World of Ethereal Matter and the World of Gross Matter, which had been severed by earthmen, then no exactions or ridiculously presumptuous judgments on the part of ignoramuses and intellectuals shall be further tolerated, for such efforts must be taken with absolute seriousness, so that what has been spoiled by conceited vanity can again be restored.

All fantastics, zealots and mystics must also be excluded from participating, for in reality they are even more detrimental than the intellectuals!

If both parts of the brain of earthmen could co-operate harmoniously, as the Creator ordained they should, then the transmissions of the mediums would be given in conceptions of time suitable to the World of Gross Matter. As it is, however, the more or less extensive withdrawal of blood from the frontal brain causes derangements and distortions. To correct them requires diligent study through observation. But it deserves neither the ridicule nor the aspersion of fraudulent intentions, such as the spiritually indolent love to suggest.

As in all fields so also in this there will naturally always be people with a pretence to knowledge who bask in their »proficiency« in these things, and who make themselves completely ridiculous, not to mention others with sordid aims! But such can be found everywhere, and it affords no justification for besmirching the work itself or those seriously engaged upon it in such a flagrant manner!

This kind of conduct which disparages everything that cannot yet be understood is again nothing but an expression of ridiculous vanity, a sign of irresponsible stupidity which has become habitual among these people. But there is nothing that is great or sublime which has not in the beginning incurred the enmity of mankind. Not excluding the utterances of Christ Jesus, Who fared no differently Himself!

Such scoffers show only too clearly that they go through life blindfolded, or at least with obvious narrow-mindedness!

Let us take a glance around us! He who goes on his way scoffing at the previsions and forecasts of terrible happenings which accumulate from all sides, and who refuses to see that many of them are already being fulfilled, that natural catastrophes are increasing from one week to the next, is either narrow-minded or does not yet want to recognise anything because of a certain fear!

These are the narrow-minded or cowardly who dare not face the facts! In any case they are harmful creatures!

He who does not yet wish to recognise the great economic distress which steadily increases in every country on earth, nor see in the consequent confusion and helplessness a disastrous setback, just because he himself still happens to have enough to eat and drink — such a person no longer deserves to be called man, for he must be inwardly corrupt and blunted to the suffering of others.

»All this has already happened before!« That is what they thoughtlessly reply! It is true that such events have taken place before, but singly, and not in the same conditions as today, not with all this knowledge men boast of and with all the precautionary measures which can now be taken. That is as different as day is from night!

Above all there was never such an accumulation of events! In past times a gap of years occurred between natural catastrophes. Such happenings excited all civilised nations and were talked and written about for months, while today they are dismissed from the mind within a few hours at a dance or in everyday conversation. This is a difference which people do not want to see on account of a fear which manifests itself in frivolity, in a wanton refusal to understand!

»The people must not be disturbed!« That is the order which has gone forth! Not out of love for humanity, however, but only for fear that mankind might make demands with which no one could cope any longer!

The attempts made to calm the public are often so crude that none but the indifferent humanity, with that obtuseness that prevails today, can listen to them in silence! Nobody bothers to recognise and remonstrate against these efforts as being antagonistic to the Sublime Will of God!

God wills that men should recognise these warnings which speak so plainly to them in the march of events! They are meant to awaken out of their irresponsible spiritual lethargy in order to reflect and retrace their steps in time, before it becomes necessary that they themselves must experience all the afflictions they can still see their fellow-men suffering. It is rebellion against God on the part of those who try to prevent this with comforting words!

Unfortunately, however, mankind are only too susceptible to every word which tends to absolve them from personal spiritual activity, hence they like to listen to the most peculiar utterances, accept them faithfully, and in fact desire to have them; even spread and advocate them rather than be disturbed from their peace and comfort!

And beloved vanity beats time to this, proving the best support of all those weeds which, like vanity itself, grow as the fruit of the intellectual domination which is hostile to God!

Vanity will never permit the recognition of the Truth, no matter where it is to be found. What it achieves in this respect is proved by the attitude of this mankind to the life on earth of the Son of God which, in its true and great simplicity, does not satisfy the vain minds of men. The believer wants »his« Saviour only in accordance with his own ideas. Therefore he embellishes the earthly mission of the Son of God, Christ Jesus, with events of his own fabrication!

According to man’s opinion and solely because of his »humility« towards all that is Divine, this Saviour, being the Son of God, must also be absolutely »supernatural«! But in so thinking they do not realise that God Himself is the Perfection of all that is natural, and that Creation developed out of this His perfect Naturalness through His Will. Perfection, however, also bears the unchangeable within itself. If there could possibly be an exception in the Laws of Creation, which correspond with the Will of God, they would be bound to contain a gap and thus lack perfection.

Man’s humility, however, sets itself above all this! For as regards the life of the Son of God on earth it expects, indeed demands, an alteration in the existing Laws in Creation, thus a trespass against them. And just from Him Who had come to fulfil all the Laws of His Father, as He Himself said! They expect from Him things which must simply be impossible according to the laws of natural development. And just by that is His Divinity to manifest Itself, the Divine Which carries the Living Source of the Natural Laws within Itself!

Yes, man’s humility can achieve a great deal! But its true face bears the stamp of exaction, and not of genuine humility! The greatest presumption and the worst form of spiritual arrogance! Sweet vanity just covers this with a thin cloak which bears a semblance of humility!

It is indeed sad that so often even those who have a really good volition allow themselves, in their initial and quite genuine humility, unwittingly to be carried away by their enthusiasm to commit the most incredible things!

They gave play to their imagination, and the subsequent transmissions did great harm!

Thus the child Jesus was already supposed to have performed the greatest miracles, even during the childhood games played by every child who is healthy and spiritually alert. The small birds which he modelled from ordinary clay came to life and flew into the air singing merrily, and many other such things! Such happenings are simply impossible, because they are contrary to all the Divine Laws in Creation!

Otherwise God the Father might just as well have placed His Son upon the earth as a fully mature man! What was the need of a human mother? Why the inconvenience of a birth? Are men unable to think in simple terms for once? It is their personal vanity which deters them! In their opinion the life of the Son of God on earth must be different. They want it this way so that »their« Saviour and »their« Redeemer should not be subject to the Laws of God in Creation. Actually in their view this would not have been too small for Him, the Son of God, but it surely would have been for all those who wish to recognise their Redeemer in Him! Human vanity, and nothing else!

They fail to realise how even greater it was for Jesus voluntarily to subject Himself to these Laws by becoming flesh in order to bring the Truth in the Word to those who, through the distortion of their earthly tool, had wantonly rendered themselves incapable of receiving and recognising the Truth of their own accord. They were much too conceited to see Christ’s Mission fulfilled in the Word Itself. For them, vain men that they are, greater things had to come to pass!

And when the Son of God suffered physical death upon the cross, dying just as any man must die when crucified because it corresponds with the Divine Laws in Creation, when His human body could not simply descend unharmed from the cross, then vanity had no other choice but to assert that the Son of God had to die in this way, that in order to bear the sins of the poor little men He did not wish to step down from the cross, so that they can now be joyfully received into the Kingdom of Heaven!

And thus the foundation was laid for the later belief in the necessity of the death on the cross, that great and tragic error prevalent among Christians today, which is entirely due to the vanity of men!

If there is no longer any man who wishes to recognise that such thinking can only arise out of shameless conceit — to the joy of Lucifer who presented man with vanity in order to ruin him — then there is no longer any help for humanity and all is in vain! Even the greatest and strongest warnings in Nature cannot arouse them from their spiritual sleep! Why does not man think any further?

If it would have been possible for Christ to have risen from the dead in the flesh, then it follows that one could just as logically expect it to be possible for Him to descend to the earth already matured in the flesh, from that sphere to which He was supposed to have ascended physically at His resurrection! That this did not happen, however, that on the contrary from the very beginning He had to live through the phases that every human body is subject to from birth onwards, with all their great and minor troubles, and also face the many other needs of His earthly life, clearly enough speaks against this conception. Quite apart from the fact that it could not be otherwise because the Son of God also had to submit Himself to the Perfect Laws of His Father in Creation!

He who wishes to enter Creation and live upon the earth is subject to the Immutable Laws of Creation!

All assertions to the contrary are inventions, created in their enthusiasm by men themselves, and then bequeathed as the truth! The same happened with all traditions, regardless of whether they were passed on verbally or in writing. Human vanity plays a great role in this! Very seldom indeed do they issue from the human hand, voice or even brain without something being added! Second-hand records never constitute a proof on which posterity should rely. Man only needs to observe current events closely! Let us take just one example which received world-wide publicity!

Newspapers in all countries published reports of the mysterious »castle« on Vomperberg, of which I was supposed to be the owner! I was described as »the Messiah of the Tyrol« or »the Prophet of Vomperberg« with great and prominent headlines, even in the leading newspapers which wish to be taken seriously! There were weird and mysterious accounts of numerous underground tunnels, of temples, of knights both in black and silver armour, of an unheard-of cult, also of great parks, automobiles, stables, and whatever else could be invented by the diseased brains that can report such things. Details were quoted, some based on beautiful phantasy and others so disgustingly filthy that anyone giving a little thought to the matter could not fail immediately to recognise the lies and malevolence behind it!

And there was not one word of truth in any of these reports!

If, however, after centuries or, better still, in thousands of years to come, some person reads one of these evil and scurrilous articles ... who can blame him for wanting to believe it and saying: »Here it is, reported and published, and the same in nearly every newspaper and language!«

And all this was nothing but a reflection of the decadent brains of this time! With their own works they stamped themselves with the proof of their depravity, ready for the coming Judgment!

This happened even today in spite of every facility for speedily obtaining accurate information before publication. What must it have been like in former times, in the days of Jesus, when everything could only be passed on by word of mouth? How greatly subject to alteration are such verbal transmissions! This applies equally to written records and letters. It takes on the characteristics of an avalanche! Already partially misunderstood at the start, in this way there always arises something different to the original facts. How much of what has been heard has been written down at second, third or even tenth hand only, but which has now come to be regarded as the original basis! Surely men should know their fellow-men!

As soon as they can no longer make use of the scaffolding of their intellect — which is the case with all truth on account of its great simplicity — they are not satisfied. They either reject or change it in a manner that suits their beloved vanity!

For this reason »mysticism« is preferred to the simple truth! The great craving for »mysticism«, for everything mysterious, which is engrained within every person is vanity, and not the urge for truth as is so often depicted! Self-complacency constructed the unhealthy way upon which hosts of idle enthusiasts can sun themselves, and upon which many who are spiritually indolent allow themselves leisurely to drift!

In all these matters the vanity of man plays a devastating and dismal role, dragging him tenaciously and irretrievably down to destruction, because he has come to love it!

He would be seized with consternation if he could but once master himself sufficiently to reflect about it objectively and without self-complacency! But again that is just the difficulty! He cannot do anything without being self-complacent! Thus many will probably have to remain in this state until they perish from it!

This fact in all its tragedy is the result which, consequent upon the Fall of Man, was forcibly brought about by the prevention of the harmonious development of the brain in the earthly body entrusted to him. The distortion of the tool indispensable to man in this Gross Material World through its one-sided development has thereby exacted its revenge. Now man stands Unharmoniously in Creation with his gross material tool, his physical body, incapable of performing the task he has to fulfil therein, rendered useless by himself!

To eradicate the root of all this evil the intervention of God is necessary! Every other power and authority, however great, is inadequate to achieve this! It constitutes the greatest and most devastating contamination in man’s false volition that ever found its way into Creation. Everything on this earth will have to collapse before any improvement can come about, because there is nothing in existence which is not already irretrievably pervaded by it!

 

WHEN people ask themselves what is the right way to bring up their children they must first of all consider and adjust themselves to the particular child. The personal wishes of the educator in this matter must be put completely aside. The child must go its own way on earth, but not that of its educator.

It is well meant if an educator sincerely wishes to put at the disposal and use of his child those experiences which he himself had to undergo in his life on earth, with a view to sparing the child much in the way of disappointment, loss and pain. But in most cases he achieves very little!

In the end he has to recognise that all his efforts and good intentions in this matter have been utterly in vain, for at a certain time the maturing child quite suddenly and unexpectedly goes its own way, and in decisions of importance to itself has forgotten or disregarded all admonitions.

The educator is not justified in bewailing this, for with all his good volition he entirely failed to realise that the child he wished to educate has by no means to follow in his footsteps, in order properly to fulfil the purpose of its existence here on earth.

All the experiences which the educator could or was obliged to undergo in the past were intended and necessary for him. They were therefore only of use to him, provided he was capable of absorbing them in the right manner.

The experiences of the educator, however, cannot bring the same benefit to the child because, for the purpose of its own development, the child’s spirit must pass through entirely different experiences that accord with the threads of fate connected with it.

Not two of the many men on earth follow the same path for the purpose of furthering their spiritual maturing!

The experiences of one man are therefore spiritually valueless for any other man. And if one person exactly follows and imitates the footsteps of another he has just frittered away his own time on earth!

Until the child reaches maturity you shall only prepare the tool which it needs for its life on earth, and nothing else, namely, the physical body with all its gross material functions.

Exercise the greatest care to see that you do not distort or even completely disable it through excesses or one-sidedness! Next to the necessary physical training, schooling in the right activity of its brains plays an important part. The first period of this training ends with the beginning of maturity, and not until then must the second period begin, which is to teach the spirit to control the entire body correctly.

Until the spirit breaks through in the years of their maturity the children of earthmen have only a predominantly animistic intuitive perception. Naturally they are already set aglow inwardly by the spirit, i.e., they are not merely like noble animals in the highest state of development, but already very much more. Nevertheless the animistic prevails and is therefore decisive. It is absolutely imperative that this be borne in mind by every educator, and the basis of an education strictly adjusted in accordance with it, if the result is to become complete and without harmful effects on the child. The child must first receive full understanding in the great activity of all that is animistic, to which at this time it is still more open than to that which is spiritual. In this way its eyes will open in joy and purity to the beauties of Nature which it sees around it!

The streams, the mountains, the forests, the meadows and the flowers, as well as the animals, will then become familiar to every child, who will be securely anchored in this realm, which is to provide the field of activity during its sojourn on earth. It will then stand quite firmly and fully conscious in Nature, in the whole world of animistic activity, full of understanding and thus well equipped and quite ready to work with its spirit also, uplifting and furthering to an even greater extent all that surrounds it like a huge garden! Only thus can it become a true gardener in Creation!

On this basis and not otherwise must each maturing child stand when the spirit breaks through, healthy in body and soul, joyfully developed and prepared on that soil to which every child belongs. The brain must not be one-sidedly over-burdened with things that will never be needed during its life on earth, things which do cost great pains to acquire, consequently wasting its strength and weakening body and soul!

If, however, a preliminary education already takes all his strength, then man has nothing left for his real task!

With the right training and preparation for real life, however, work becomes only a joy, a pleasure, for then everything in Creation is also able to vibrate in full harmony, thus supporting the maturing of youth by furthering and strengthening it.

But how senselessly men act towards their children! What crimes are they guilty of against posterity!

Just when the spirit within the young girl’s body breaks forth so that it can make use of the gross material and ethereal tools entrusted and given to it, in order that she may become a real human being, this young representative of womanhood is dragged off to earthly pleasures ... with the idea of getting her quickly linked up with a man!

The spirit, the true human being, which has yet to face earthly activity, thus never gets a start. Becoming paralysed, it must watch how the earthly intellect, which was exclusively and wrongly trained, expends itself in nothing but glittering nonsense in order to appear clever and witty and thus cover the lack of true spirit. It must observe how the intellect becomes implicated in all sorts of impossible things, thereby requiring and squandering the entire strength the tool is able to give. Finally the woman becomes a mother without ever having been a real human being!

Thus there is no field left for the spirit, no possibility for it to become active!

And things are not much better for the young man! He is weary and fatigued from over-burdening study in schools, his nerves overwrought! He provides only a diseased soil for the spirit breaking through, a brain distorted by and satiated with useless things. Thus the spirit cannot work as it should, and in turn cannot develop itself properly, but is stunted and completely smothered by the weight of the dross! There only remains an unquenchable yearning to give some inkling as to the presence of the immured and suppressed human spirit. Finally even this longing is lost in the mad whirl of earthly haste and greed which is first meant to act as a bridge over this spiritual vacuum, and which later on becomes a habit and a need!

This is the manner in which man now goes through his earthly life! And for the most part the faulty upbringing is to blame for it!

If man wishes to stand aright here on earth the first part of his training, i.e., of his education, must absolutely be changed. Let children really be children in these matters! Never allow them to enjoy equal privileges with grown-ups, nor indeed expect that grown-ups should adjust themselves to children! You are giving them a strong poison by doing so! For the spirit of the children has not yet broken through from within, they are still largely dominated by their animistic nature, and therefore they are not on a level with grown-ups.

Children feel this very distinctly! Therefore do not allow them to play a role which deprives them of this consciousness! You only make them unhappy! They become unsteady upon the firm soil of the childhood which is their rightful due, and which is ordained for them in Creation. But they can never feel at home on an equal footing with grown-ups, because they lack the principal quality which entitles them and makes them able to exist on that level — the complete connection of their spirits with the outer world through their bodies!

You rob them of the genuine childhood to which they are fully entitled according to the Laws of Creation, and which they even need urgently, because the experiences of childhood are absolutely necessary for the later development of the spirit. Instead you often allow them to mingle with grown-ups in whose company they cannot move freely since they lack every quality to do so. Such children become unsteady and precocious, which naturally only appears repulsive to grown-ups, giving an unhealthy impression, and disturbing pure intuition and all harmony. For a precocious child is like a fruit the kernel of which is still unripe, whereas the shell is already about to grow old!

Beware of this, parents and educators, for it is a crime against the Laws of God! Let children remain as children! Children that know they are in need of the protection of all grown-ups!

The task of the grown-up is only to furnish the protection which he is able and also in duty bound to give where the child deserves it.

Unless you yourselves destroy this Law of Nature the child, in its animistic state, quite distinctly senses the need of the grown-up’s protection and consequently looks up to him, by way of balance voluntarily showing him the respect which implies the desire for support.

But in most cases you do destroy this Law! You tear every child out of its quite natural intuitive perceiving through the false methods you apply to them, very often just to satisfy your own desires, since for the most part the child is a lovable plaything to you which you wish to enjoy, and which you try to make prematurely intelligent so that you may be proud of it!

All this is of no benefit to the child, but only harmful! In the days of its youth, which must be considered as the first stage of its development, already starting with the earliest years, you have to fulfil more serious duties towards the child. Not your wishes, but the Laws of Creation must be the decisive factor in this matter! And the decree that every child must be a child in all things!

A human being who has really been a child will grow up to give full value as an adult. But only then! And a normal child can be solely recognised by the fact that it has a genuine respect for grown-ups in its personal intuitive perception, which thus precisely corresponds to the Law of Nature.

All this every child already bears within itself as a gift of God. It will develop this if you do not bury it! Therefore keep children away when grown-ups converse together, for they do not belong there. In this also they must always know that they are children, and as such not yet of full value, not yet matured for their work on earth. Much more is contained in these apparent trifles than you think today. They fulfil a basic law in Creation which you often disregard. Children, all of whom still stand predominantly in the animistic, are in need of this as an outward support, in accordance with the Law of the Animistic!

Grown-ups must give protection to children! Therein lies more than the words alone indicate! But they must grant protection only where the child deserves it! Children must return something to balance this protection, so that they may already learn through experiencing that there must be equilibrium everywhere, and that therein lie harmony and peace. This also is demanded by the nature of the animistic.

It is just this, however, which many parents and educators have often neglected, although it is the fundamental condition for a proper upbringing, if such is to be carried out in accordance with the Primordial Laws of Creation. Everyone lacking the conception of unconditional equilibrium is bound to waver and fall, no matter whether sooner or later. And the consciousness of the unavoidable necessity of this conception must be hammered into the minds of children from their very first days so that it becomes as much their own, as much a part of their flesh and blood, and as natural as the feeling for physical balance which they develop, and which is based on the same fundamental law.

If this principle is carefully applied in all education, there will at last be free men who are pleasing to God!

But just this most indispensable and main fundamental Law in this Creation was disregarded by men everywhere. Except for the sense of physical balance this law is not observed and practised in the field of education. This necessarily brings about one-sidedness of an unhealthy kind, causing every man to flounder about psychically on his course through Creation and continually to stumble and fall!

It is sad that this intuitive sense of equilibrium is only accepted as necessary for all movements of the physical body, but does not receive the proper care and is often altogether neglected, in things psychical and spiritual. The child must be carefully guided in these matters by imposing external restrictions upon him from the first weeks. To neglect this brings about dreadful consequences for the entire existence of every human being through the Law of Reciprocal Action!

Just look around you! In the life of the individual, as well as in the family, in state activities and in the attitude of the churches, indeed everywhere, there is a serious lack of consideration in this and only in this! And yet you find this law manifesting clearly everywhere, if only you wish to observe it! Even the physical body indicates it; you can find it in regard to food-intake and waste-elimination, also, indeed, in the various kinds of food you eat if the body is to keep well, in the balance between work and rest in all its details, quite apart from the afore-mentioned Law of Equilibrium which enables every individual body to move, and only thus to become fit for its task on earth. This law also holds and sustains the entire world, for only through the balance of equilibrium can stars and globes pursue their respective courses and maintain themselves.

And you, you little men in Creation, no more than a speck of dust before the Sublime Creator, you overthrow this law by refusing to heed and obey it fully!

For a time it was possible for you to distort it, but now it jerks back into its original form, and in doing so it must hit you painfully!

Out of this one fault has grown all the affliction which hits Creation today! It is also the cause of dissatisfaction and rebellion within nations where a proper balance is lacking on the one side. However, this is nothing but a continuation and development of those mistakes which the educators make in regard to youth!

The new kingdom, the Kingdom of God on earth, will create equilibrium and with it a new generation. But before it can be understood force will have to be used to bring about the right conception of equilibrium. It will bring it about forcibly by remodelling all that is distorted, a process which is already taking place, because all that is false and unhealthy must run itself to death, urged on by the invincible power and force of the Light. Then will follow the gift of the true conception of all the Primordial Laws of Creation. Strive to recognise them correctly already, and you will stand aright in this Creation. This in turn will result in bringing you nothing but happiness and peace!