new years eve to 2012, hong kong
The thought came to mind to include this post at years-end and new beginning with an excerpt from Walter Johannes Stein's "The Ninth Century and the Holy Grail". The Austrian philosopher W.J. Stein (1891-1957) taught in the first Waldorf School in Germany when it began 1919. Rudolf Steiner asked him to be the German Literature and History teacher, even though his background was philosophy with Phd's in mathematics and physics. He became noted for his original scholarship and penetrating spiritual scientific research particularly with his groundbreaking and unconventional methods into the deeper aspects and meanings of the Holy Grail. He was led by his Anthroposophical insights into the inner workings of reincarnation and karma which are not only unique but profound in the deepest sense of the word. Stein reveals not only the historical 9th century background when the Parzival story actually unfolded but also provides us with the basis for understanding of the immense battle now dawning closer upon humanity in our time... between the spiritual powers of the True Grail Impulse and the sinister anti-Grail forces which threaten to annihilate the human spirit and all world civilization. I will follow up the quoted material with a commentary. I wish you a spiritually good and prosperous new year with courageous heart-strength to manifest your insightful intentions in practical life. We will all need to draw on this thought as a guiding light in all our remaining years to come..
In the early days of the Waldorf school, Rudolf Steiner used to come for visits to the school in Stuttgart. Walter Johannes Stein describes one special event:
'As he came up the steps in his black coat, his eyes beaming with love and kindliness, the children would run to meet him seizing his hands or at least his coat-tails. He would come across the court with the children jumping happily around him, but as he passed up to the staff room they hung back with shy respect. He generally arrived in the morning,. Later, when the lessons began, he visited the different classes....On January 16, 1923, Rudolf Steiner came to visit the 11th grade class.'
They were reading a verse from Wolfgang von Eschenbach's Parzival when Rudolf Steiner entered the room and listened to what they were saying about the Sword of the Grail.'
Stein continues...'His custom was to listen quietly to the talk between teacher and children. He sat at the desk, looked at the class and listened very seriously and attentively; then a bright light broke over his face, his eyes shown, he stood up, and continued the class himself. At such times he was always very animated. He asked questions, glancing round to see who was ready with an answer. There were always the most wonderful conversations between him and the children. On this occasion he said, "Graal, that comes from gradalis; that means gradually", "by degrees". The way of Parzival is accomplished stage by stage, from dullness... through doubt... to Saelde.' He took the chalk, wrote the word Saelde on the blackboard and said, 'That is blessedness. The word soul is ...[implied]. Saelde is connected with soul.'
He then asked, "In what period did this all this, that Dr. Stein has told you, really happen?" The children said, "It was the Middle Ages." 'Yes,' said Dr Steiner, 'but we can date it more exactly. In the description of Parzival's experiences we can see very well that the conditions of the eighth or ninth centuries are being described. Those were times of bloodshed. Men were accustomed to live among bloodshed. And at that time, too, there were wild forests everywhere, and there men fought. They still shed blood in their sacrifices. From time to time shining forms of light clad in scintillating armour passed through the forest. When they came to inhabited places, the people came together and conferred with one another, and no longer went out to fight and plunder. These knight-errants, who appeared from time to time in their flashing armour, sought to establish, in this bloodthirsty age, an order that was based in bloodshed. The central body of these knights, who were scattered about everywhere, was formed by the Knights of King Arthur, or as we may also call them, "Knights of the Sword". They had their centers in Northern France and in England. But there were other knights too at that time. Now think. If Arthur's Knights were Knights of the Sword, what sort of knights could the other knights have been?'
Dr Steiner then made the children guess, and helped them, until at last one of them said, 'The others were "Knights of the Word" .'
'Yes indeed,' said Dr Steiner, 'that is quite right. The others were really "Knights of the Word".' The word is a sword too, but not an ordinary one. The word is a sword that proceeds out of man's mouth. Here you see this sword is mentioned.' Dr Steiner took the book from my hand and began to read, interspersing his reading with explanations.
"The sword will withstand the first blow, at the next it will break in twain."
W. J. Stein then goes on..."The Grail Sword breaks when it has grown old," said Dr Steiner, 'therefore that of which only the fragments have been handed down must be brought back to its source. What is old must be renewed at the living spiritual source. There the Grail Sword will become whole again.'
then again from Linda Sussman from her book "Speech of the Grail"...
"If the end of the Grail journey is to become like the Grail, then the crowning achievement is to stand with humble dignity upon the threshold between earthly and spiritual worlds. Like the Grail, human beings who inhabit their speaking are the connection, the common boundary between visible and invisible realms. The grail journey brings Parzival and each seeker to realize that, as Robert Sardello says, 'the new temple of initiation is the world itself'. With that insight the re-sacralization of the earth becomes possible through renewal of the individual and collective understanding of the significance of human speech." (p.11) (italics my emphasis)
me now speaking: with this post, the attempt is made to illustrate the fundamental importance of speech...not just as a means of ordinary daily communication in a computer age...but as a way capable of expressing the deepest fount of the human heart, full of a insight for the three great ideals of humanity: TRUTH BEAUTY GOODNESS. It would seem almost impossible in our lives today, but if in our daily connection with others we could strive for and remain somehow, ever inwardly connected in the deepest recesses our our being (conscience) with these great ideals then our speech will convey a feeling and sense of light, life and love for others, in a world falling deeper into darkness, death and fear and despair. The world now needs a new world culture which heals. This is what the world is calling calls on us to do. Everything now is dependent on the how of every thought, word and action. Yes, we create ...and co-create our future...
"If the end of the Grail journey is to become like the Grail then the crowning achievement is to stand with humble dignity upon the threshold between earthly and spiritual worlds." as Linda puts it...
or too, as the Tao teaches us...to firmly hold the balance between heaven and earth with courageous virtue.
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