Initiation before and after the Mystery of Golgotha
The topic of the Old and New Mysteries can be approached from many perspectives, it is related to
- the evolution of consciousness and the stages of the development of the human 'I' through the working of the SoF since the Lemurian epoch
- the effects of the Luciferic and Ahrimanic influences and the 'fall into matter' that affected this evolution and the connection of Man with the spiritual worlds
- the impact of the Mystery of Golgotha at the 'turning point of time' between descending and ascending evolution
The processes and rituals of initiation in the ancient Mysteries are a direct consequence and related to the above, and are put in perspectives in the Mysteries of the Spirit, the Son and the Father .. whereby the 'Mysteries of the Spirit' refer to the 'Old Mysteries' and those of the Son to the New Mysteries.
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Before the Mystery of Golgotha, initiation took place in such a way that the disciple was first prepared by the mystery teachings, and was then guided by a temple priest or initiator through the process of 'awakening' whereby the disciple was artificially placed in a condition resembling death, for a period of three and a half days and three nights. The priest drew out the etheric body so only a very loose connection existed between etheric and physical bodyn resulting in a deep, trance-like sleep whereby the I lived in the higher worlds.
The key is that the neophyte disciple was entirely dependent on and in the hands or authority of the Priest to be able to enter the higher worlds. This principle of enforced authority also came to expression in social life as the priests were rulers and the structure of the state was in the power of initiates.
Since the Mystery of Golgotha and the coming of Christ, the new principle of initiation is very different and takes place in a state of full consciousness in the physical body. This could not have taken place, earlier. An example is Paul, initiated in the light, not in the darkness of the temple.
The new principle opened the way for an entirely new form of a free authority, based solely upon trust and confidence and by virtue of which we all face one another as brothers (and the one who stands higher will be recognised as the one who deserves our trust).
Aspects
- on baptism with water:
- ".. the procedure in the old initiation .. was based upon the withdrawal, in a certain respect, of the etheric body, which normally is firmly joined to the physical body, and that this enabled the astral body to imprint its experiences into the etheric body. The disciple was submerged in water, resulting in a certain separation of the etheric from the physical body; and thus he could attain to a survey of his life and become aware of the connection of this individual life with the regions of the divine-spiritual world." (from 1909-06-30-GA112; see Baptism#1909-06-30-GA112)
- on temple sleep of three and a half days - see Mystery School tradition#Temple sleep
vision of twelve parts
- In initiation, the initiate would be in the higher worlds for three days and experience the whole progress of future human evolution, whereby every future stage was represented by an individual. The initiate would perceive twelve people representing the twelve stages of inner development and corresponding powers of soul in the form of human individuals. At a given moment the initiate would see his own individual nature taken to the stage where the whole of humanity is filled with buddhi, meaning that it will be christed. He would see himself in the God, with behind him John, the final figure indicating he had reached completion. He would see himself transfigured in a state he would achieve when he had reached completion; his powers of soul personified, with John the final stage of completion, proclaiming the Christ stage. In the yoga sleep those twelve figures would then make a group, gathering for the 'mystic communion'. The human being sitting surrounded by the powers of soul would say to himself: these are at one with me; they have taken me through Earth evolution and I have walked their feet. The communion meal symbolizes that the twelve powers of soul are at one with the human being. (1906-12-02-GA097)
- The brotherhoods in Palestine, developed out of the order of the Essence, had a meal symbolizing the mystical Holy Supper 'eating the easter lamb' at Easter
various other
- See also:
Inspirational quotes
1907-03-17-GA097
"You will know the Truth, and the Truth will make you free”: these are profoundly Christian words, for they signify a perspective into the farthest future of Christianity. Christianity is [only] at the [very] beginning of its evolution.
Illustrations
Lecture coverage and references
1905-09-27-GA093A
[impact of MoG]
From this aspect we must consider the entrance of Christ into world history.
Previously, anyone who wished to achieve a life in Christ had to enter into a Mystery school. There a state of lethargy was induced in the physical body and only through the purified priesthood could there be added to the astral body what was still needed for its purification. This constituted initiation.
But through the coming of Christ into the world, it came about that a Man who felt himself drawn to Christ could receive from him something which could take the place of this old form of initiation. It is always possible that someone through union with Christ can preserve his astral body in so purified a condition that he is able to work into his etheric body without doing harm to the world.
When one bears this in mind the expression ‘vicarious atonement through death’ receives a quite other significance.
This is what is meant by the atoning death of Christ.
Before this, death in the Mysteries had to be suffered by everyone who wished to obtain purification.
Now the One suffered for all, so that through the world-historic initiation a substitute has been created for the old form of initiation. Through Christianity much that is of a communal nature has been brought about, which previously was not communal. The active power of this substitution is expressed in the fact that through inner vision, through true mysticism, community with Christ is possible.
This has also been embodied in language. The first Christian initiate in Europe, Ulfilas, himself embodied it in the German language, in that man found the ‘Ich’ within it. Other languages expressed this relationship through a special form of the verb, in Latin for instance the word ‘amo’, but the German language adds to it the Ich. ‘Ich’ is J. Ch. = Jesus Christ. It was with intention that this was introduced into the German language. It is the initiates who have created language. Just as in Sanskrit the AUM expresses the Trinity, so we have the sign ICH to express the inmost being of Man. By this means a central point was created whereby the tumultuous emotions of the world can be transformed into rhythm. Rhythm must be instilled into them through the Ich.
This centre point is literally the Christ.
1906-12-02-GA097
compare the below with compare this with 1907-04-01-GA096, see see: Holy Supper symbolism - apostles#1907-04-01-GA096
Human perfection consists in the falling away of the lower soul-forces, so that only the higher forces remain behind; in future, man will no longer have the lower forces; he will, for example, no longer have the forces of procreation. John's soul-power above all will raise those lower forces to the loving heart. It will send out streams of spiritual love. The heart is the most powerful organ, when Christ lives in man. The lower soul-forces are then raised from the abdominal regions to the heart.
Every initiate experienced this in the Mysteries of the heart. It re-echoed in the words: “My God, my God, how thou hast raised me!” With the appearance of Christ Jesus, the whole Mystery, the whole experience, became reality upon the physical plane.
At that time there were brotherhoods in Palestine which had developed out of the old order of the Essenes. Among their institutions, they also had a meal symbolizing the mystical Holy Supper. “To eat the Easter Lamb” is a general expression for something which took place at Easter.
Jesus sat down with the Twelve and inaugurated the Holy Supper with the words:
“At the end of the evolution of the Earth, all men will have absorbed what I brought down to the Earth, and the words, ‘This is my Body, This is my Blood,’ will then be true.”
Afterwards he said: “There is one among you who will betray me.”
This is brought about by the power of egoism. But as surely as this power of egoism is the source of treason, so surely will this lower soul-force be raised to a higher stage.
One of the disciples rested upon Jesus' bosom, he rested upon Jesus' heart. This means that all the lower forces, every form of egoism, will be raised to the heart.
[editor: see also: Mystery of the Heart]
At this point Jesus repeated to his disciples the words: “Eli, Eli, lama sabathani”—“Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him!”
[editor: see also: Eli Eli Lama Sabachthani - EELS]
1907-03-07-GA264
p 349
1907-03-17-GA097
Before the Christian era, Initiation took place in such a way that
- the disciple was first prepared for everything which Mystery Teaching was able to give, until he reached the point where he was familiar with all the concepts and ideas, all the habits and feelings which are needed for living and perceiving in the higher worlds.
- This was followed by what was designated as the Awakening, which lasted for three and a half days and three nights. This consisted of a process whereby, through the skill of the Temple-Priest, the human being was artificially placed in a condition resembling death, for three and a half days.
- Whereas, normally the physical and etheric bodies remain connected during sleep, the initiating priest now drew out, during this space of time, the etheric body of the disciple about to be initiated, so that only a very loose connection existed between the etheric and physical body, on the one hand, and the remaining two bodies, on the other hand. It was a deep, trance-like sleep. The I of the Man lived in the higher worlds, during this period of time. As the disciple had been given a knowledge of the higher worlds, he now felt at home there. The Priest was his guide. First of all, the Priest had to free the etheric body from the lethargic physical body, in order to lead it out of the physical body; in a fully-conscious state, the human being would never have been able to rise to these higher worlds ; it was necessary for him to be lifted out of such a state.
- Although the experiences which a human being passed through in such a process, were sublime and overpowering, he was nevertheless entirely in the hands of the Priest; he was under the power of another, and only under these conditions was he able to enter the higher worlds.
The new principle of Initiation - which is not connected, since the coming of Christ, with any physical quality - is clearly indicated to us, in the case of Paul: He is initiated in the Light, not in the darkness of the Temple. This could not have taken place, earlier. When we bear this in mind, we shall be able to realise the tremendous turning-point brought about by Christ Jesus. The way to this was prepared by Moses, Zarathustra Buddha, Pythagoras; but it was brought to fulfilment by Christ-Jesus.
Thus we see also that in the Christian schools of initiation this new principle is carried through, for the first time: the principle of not drawing the human being out of the physical body, in order to lead him into the higher worlds, but of leading him into the higher worlds while completely conscious in his physical body. This is what took place, accordingly, in the Christian esoteric schools. In contrast to this, there is the old way - and this still includes a great part of humanity, even at the present time - in which there is the initiating Temple-priest, to whose stern authority the neophyte surrenders himself. Only by subjecting oneself entirely to the power of such an initiating priest, was it possible to ascend to higher worlds.
The principle of enforced authority came to expression also in social life. The Priests were rulers. Every law of government, the whole structure of the state, was in the power of the Initiates. From the blood-community of the tribe, up to the community of the nation, this was possible.
But, through the fact that the old principle of initiation was eliminated, the way was opened for an entirely new form of authority: a free authority, based solely upon trust and confidence. "Believe only in the one whom you trust" .. this is the most sublime Christian idea to which we can rise, by virtue of which we all face one another as brothers, and the one who stands higher will be recognised as the one who deserves our trust.
"Watch and pray": this is a fundamental Christian principle. The new initiation takes place in a state of full consciousness.
"You will know the Truth, and the Truth will make you free”: these are profoundly Christian words, for they signify a perspective into the farthest future of Christianity.
Christianity is at the beginning of its evolution.
1907-04-01-GA096
see: Holy Supper symbolism - apostles#1907-04-01-GA096
1922-07-30-GA214
see: Initiation in ancient Mysteries#1922-07-30-GA214
Discussion
Note 1 - Confusion about old and new mysteries
Within the anthroposophical movement and society the topic of the 'New Mysteries' receives an additional dimension with the discussion around the fact that Rudolf Steiner 'founded the New Mysteries'. Without sufficient background this topic leads to considerable confusion, exemplified with discussions around the Foundation Stone event and meditation.
See: Mystery School tradition#.5B1.5D - Rudolf Steiner.27s new Mysteries and the Foundation Stone
Related pages
- Mysteries of the Spirit, the Son and the Father
- Christ Module 5 - Initiation and spiritualization
- Mystery School tradition
- Initiation
Further reading
- Bastiaan Baan: 'Alte und neue Mysterien' (2010)
