Letter from Arie van Ameringen - August 2011

Dear Friends,

As we approach Michaelmas, we can ask ourselves how we might act in a more consciously responsible way with regard to the world around us. The events of the last few months, on various continents, from England to Syria, from North Africa to Norway, from North America to Somalia, are of concern for all of us in one way or another. On route to Russia, where our ISIS group has come to meet with Anthroposophical initiatives and offer workshops, I made a stop in Frankfort.  Wandering through the town, I chanced upon a postcard with an excerpt of a poem by Goethe that I had learned in school.  It starts like this:

Edel sei der Mensch,

hilfreich und gut

Denn dass allein

unterscheidet ihn

von allen Wesen

die wir kennen.

These lines can be translated as:

“May the human being be noble, ready to help others, and good.

It is these qualities alone that distinguish him from

All other known living creatures.”

This distinguishing feature in relation to all other living beings is given here as an ideal.  The three qualities mentioned in these lines could be described as: a) nobleness of soul, respect for human values; b) generosity in one’s willingness to help others; c) tolerance and a peaceful attitude towards others. This profoundly humanistic poem also allows us to sense the existence of the spiritual world. Further on, Goethe describes how moral deeds are dependent upon the choices one makes and the goals one sets for oneself. 

What then can we do?  What deeds can we perform that work toward the ideal set forth in Goethe’s poem? 

Recent world events bear witness to very difficult economic and social situations. The human behaviour displayed in these events is a far cry from the ideals Goethe wished for. In England, swarms of young people rioted with unparalleled destructive violence. In Syria, the merciless repression of the leaders has gone far beyond the limits of respect for human dignity. The violence of one lone Norwegian citizen show how strongly ideas of religious and ethnic intolerance hold sway in the world. In a recent interview, one of the richest men in the United States, Warren Buffet, condemned the egotistical behaviour of some of his extremely wealthy colleagues. In June, an article printed in the Boston Globe commenting on the present economic situation stated that the number of American children suffering from malnutrition turning up in hospital emergency rooms had doubled in the last two years.  And it is easy to find many examples which serve to show the same tendencies.  

In chapter nine of his Philosophy of Spiritual Activity, Rudolf Steiner, when speaking of free moral deeds, elaborates on the various reasons which cause us to act – referring to the connection between motive and driving force (the latter being an immediate impulse resulting in an action – Triebfeder in German).  The motive, on the one hand, corresponds to the concept or the mental picture that we have for the deed we perform. The driving force, on the other hand, is conditioned by our character disposition, our education, our values, or by the rules of social conduct.  Thus, for example, brushing one’s teeth every day may be due to vastly different driving forces depending on the individual. In one instance, this act may derive from a conscious concern for one’s personal appearance; in another case, it may be performed habitually simply because one’s parents insisted on the importance of dental hygiene.

When we perform an “automatic” deed, we are acting in direct reaction to a percept obtained through our lower senses (instincts) or conditioned by social conventions (tact). On a higher level, we may be moved to an action through our feelings (pity, compassion, etc.). 

An even higher driving force is the result of thinking, reflection.  But the highest of all is the act that comes from intuition, insofar as this action is free from all external (social) or individual (character) constraints. In this case, our deed is the result of a purely spiritual content; it comes directly from the realm of ideas. We act out of love for the deed itself. Then our action is truly free. Our actions, in daily life, result from varying motives. Our degree of freedom will differ depending on the specific circumstances. 

The qualities set forth by Goethe are absolutely necessary for preserving our humanness, and we must continue upon this path. No deed performed in this sense is ever too small. But on the way towards free moral deeds, it is good practice always to ask ourselves our reasons for acting in one way rather than another. Simply becoming aware of the motives and driving forces behind our actions is a first step on the path of inner transformation; this is in itself a Michaelic deed. The will-strengthening exercises given by Rudolf Steiner can be of great help on this path. Our actions can then become enlightened and meaningful not only for ourselves but for mankind as a whole. 

Arie van Ameringen 

General Secretary

August 2011, Irkutsk , Siberia

Lettre de Arie van Ameringen - Septembre 2011

Chers Amis

A l'approche de la Michaëlie, nous pouvons nous demander quel geste, quelle action nous pouvons faire de façon plus consciente pour le monde qui nous environne.  Les évènements qui se sont déroulés depuis quelques mois sur les différents continents, de l'Angleterre à la Syrie, de l'Afrique du Nord à la Norvège, de l'Amérique du Nord à la Somalie, nous interpellent d' une façon ou d'une autre.

En route vers la Russie - où notre groupe d'ISIS va rencontrer des initiatives anthroposophiques et y offrir des ateliers, je me suis arrêté à Francfort.  En parcourant la ville, je me suis adonné à lire une carte postale sur laquelle il y avait un extrait d'un poème de Goethe que j'avais appris à l'école.  Le début se lit comme suit:

Edel sei der Mensch,

hilfreich und gut

Denn dass allein

unterscheidet ihn

von allen Wesen

die wir kennen

Et qui peut se traduire par:

"Que l'être humain soit noble, dans l'entraide et bon.

C'est par ces seules qualités qu'il se distingue de

tous les autres êtres vivants que nous connaissons."

Cette distinction par rapport aux autres êtres vivants est présentée comme un souhait, un idéal. Les trois qualités mentionnées pourraient être décrites comme: a) de la noblesse d'âme, du respect pour les valeurs humaines; b) une générosité dans l'entraide et c) une tolérance et un comportement pacifique envers ses semblables. Le poème profondément humaniste nous parle aussi du monde spirituel que nous pouvons pressentir. Plus loin, Goethe décrit comment l'action morale est tributaire des choix que l'on fait et des buts que l'on poursuit.

Que pouvons-nous faire comme gestes, comme actions qui aillent dans le sens de l'idéal du poème de Goethe?

Les récents événements dans le monde témoignent de situations économiques et sociales difficiles. Les comportements sont loin des idéaux tels que souhaités par Goethe. En Angleterre, ces hordes de jeunes ont agi avec une violence destructrice inégalée. En Syrie, la répression sans merci des dirigeants a dépassé largement les limites du respect et de l'intégrité humaine. Les agissements d'un Norvégien reflètent des pensées d'intolérance ethniques et religieuses.

Un des hommes les plus riches des États-Unis, Warren Buffet, dans une entrevue récente dénonçait les comportements égoïstes de ses richissimes collègues. Dans un article paru dans le Boston Globe en juin ou on y parlait de la situation économique difficile, on mentionnait que le nombre d'enfants américains sous-alimentés qui se présentait aux urgences dans les hôpitaux, avait doublé depuis deux ans. Et on peut facilement trouver d'autres exemples dans le même sens.

Dans le chapitre 9 de la Philosophie de la liberté, Rudolf Steiner, dans la perspective d'un acte moral libre, développe les différentes raisons qui nous poussent à agir en faisant référence au lien entre le motif et le pouvoir d’impulsion (dans ce dernier cas, il s'agit d'une force qui nous met en action - Triebfeder en allemand).  Le motif correspond, pour sa part, au concept ou à l'image mentale que nous avons d'une action. Le pouvoir d’impulsion peut être conditionné par notre disposition caractérielle, par l'éducation, les valeurs ou encore les lois de la société.  Ainsi, si une personne se brosse les dents tous les jours les raisons, le pouvoir d’impulsion peut être très différent d'une personne à l'autre. Dans un cas, ça peut être pour des raisons esthétiques, dans un autre cas ça peut être parce que les parents ont insisté sur l'importance de l'hygiène.

Lorsque nous exécutons une action 'automatique', nous agissons directement en raison d'une perception de nos sens inférieurs (instinct) ou d'un comportement social de convention (tact).  À un niveau supérieur, nous pouvons être appelés à cause de nos sentiments (pitié, compassion etc.).

Un pouvoir d’impulsion plus élevé est produit par la pensée, par la réflexion  Le plus élevé est celui qui nous vient de l'intuition, dans la mesure où cette action est libre de toute contrainte extérieure (sociale) ou individuelle (caractère). Notre action est alors régie par un contenu purement spirituel, elle est issue directement du monde idéel. Nous agissons par amour pour l'acte en soi.  Nous agissons alors vraiment librement.  Nos actes, dans la vie de tous les jours, peuvent être motivés par des mobiles différents. Nous sommes plus ou moins libres selon les circonstances.

Les qualités que Goethe nous présente sont absolument nécessaires pour notre humanité et nous devons poursuivre sur ce chemin. Une petite action dans ce sens n’est jamais de trop.  Mais dans le progrès d'une action morale libre, il est bon de se demander pour quelle raison on agit de telle ou telle façon.  Déjà prendre conscience de nos motifs d'action et des raisons de notre pouvoir d’impulsion, est une voie de transformation intérieure que nous pouvons aussi identifier comme une action michaëlique. Les exercices proposés par Rudolf Steiner pour travailler la volonté peuvent aussi contribuer à cette voie.  Nos actions en deviendront ainsi plus éclairées et significatives pour nous-mêmes comme pour l'humanité.

Arie van Ameringen 

Secrétaire général

août 2011, Irkuts, Sibérie

Report from the Worldwide Biography Conference 2011

- by Dorothy Lebaron

I attended the Worldwide Biography Conference held from June 28 to July 3, at Emerson College in England. This was the first conference taking place under the new initiative on the site of Emerson College, called “Emerson Trust.”  The theme for this year’s conference was “Living in an Awareness of Karma.”

Biography, as a new profession, is much more established in Europe and also Brazil,  than it is in North America. Its roots go back to the late 1970s, in Holland, inspired by the work of Bernard Lievegoed. The first worldwide biography conference was held in 1987, and they now take place every two years.

There were more than 100 participants in the conference, from the Netherlands, the UK, Switzerland, Japan, Romania, Brazil, Israel, Germany, the USA, and myself from Canada.

Many of these countries have biography training programs, with graduates often working in the field of biographical counseling or biographical coaching. However, there is also a recognition for “biography workers” or “biography practitioners,” who are professionals who work with human development out of anthroposophy but not with a “counseling” specialty. As Michaela Glöckler said in her keynote lecture, everybody will do their jobs better when they have done biography work. Everybody needs it.

The conference was rich and exciting. It began with two days of master classes, allowing participants to experience the deep learning that biography can offer. In the shorter presentations offered in the marketplace, one could learn about techniques other people are researching and using in the field. There were two evening dialogues where we all gathered in silence and conversation around the theme of “Listening to the Earth” and “Listening to the Karma.”

One of the conference participants from Japan, Yukiko, had assembled fifty-five beautiful photos of Fukushima that were taken before the area was hit by the disaster of the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear power plant destruction. It created a powerful entry into our theme of looking at the time and circumstances we are living in, and recognizing the place where our personal destiny meets the destiny of humanity. Through working individually and in groups we were guided into finding a world event that touched us, recognizing in this event our own personal struggle, meeting the forces at work there, and allowing that struggle to show us a future step. It was very powerful.

There is a pioneering quality to biography work. Questions living in the conference participants were about growing this work, finding applications for it, and a sense of how much it can offer people living in these complex times and searching for deeper meaning and understanding in their lives. As Michaela Glöckler said, in each person’s biography lives their own initiation path. This is a very new branch of anthroposophic work.

Dorothy LeBaron is a faculty member at Arscura, School for Living Art, where there is a biography training program called Biography—Life as Art.

Thomas Meyer Bibliography - Update

- by Ann Watson

The Laurence Oliphant book, When a Stone Begins to Roll, is Thomas's latest book.  It is a fairly small book that comes as an equivalent to the much bigger biography on Laurence Oliphant, by Thomas.  Oliphant is mentioned by Rudolf Steiner in the karma lectures as a spiritual being who has been a guide to all initiates when they are entering the spiritual world.  When A Stone Begins to Roll sells for $16.50 retail so is very inexpensive
.  
Another book is  The Bodhisattva Question, which is in print for the second edition, about Krishnamurti and Annie Besant.  This book also has two otherwise not published lectures by Elizabeth Vreede about Rudolf Steiner's year of lectures on the Second Coming and RS's relationship to this question.

D. N.  Dunlop -  a Man of Our Time is perhaps not so easy to get, but I think it is now "print on demand" status.  Light For The New Millennium is of course the best of all of them and is one of the most important books in Anthroposophical literature.   Emil Bock uses the same material, The von Moltke Papers, as a subject in his Life and Times of Rudolf Steiner Vol. 2  which has as the last three or four chapters the question of Pope Nicholas - who is Helmuth von Moltke.  

This book Light For The New Millenium by Thomas Meyer can provide study material for more than a year for anyone interested enough to GET INTO IT.  It leads into all sorts of other books like WJ Stein's Ninth Century which has a chapter about Pope Nicholas, and also Emil Bock's above mentioned book. Then one can also can find related study work in the book The  Anglo American Establishment by Carroll Quigley, which is about the brotherhoods in England at the time of WW1. Also Terry Boardman's works Casper Hauser - Where Did He Come From?, and Mapping the New Millenium are fantastic followup material.  Another excellent book which uses Light For the New Milllennium as a reference book is Conjuring Hitler, a recent work by a PhD in Economics, Guido Preparata, who is mainstream scholarship.  It is as Rudolf Steiner predicted - "Future historians" will have their work cut out for them and will see the events around the beginning of WW1 in a different light.

These books are the great books of our era.

Also "in print books"  are The Death of Merlin, a cool collection of essays by WJ Stein and of course Rudolf Steiner's Core Mission.

Lettre de Arie van Ameringen - Juin 2011

Le festival de la  rencontre avec le Moi supérieur

Je viens de revenir d’une réunion avec le Collegium de l’Amérique du Nord.  Le groupe est constitué de représentants de la Section d’anthroposophie générale et  des autres sections.  Les participants se réunissent deux fois par année pour partager leurs recherches en Science de l’esprit.  Je fus chaleureusement accueilli comme un nouveau membre représentant le Canada.

En premier lieu, ma participation se limitait à écouter le partage de leurs recherches sur les quatre éthers.  À la fin de l’année, je devrais être en mesure de  vous communiquer des résultats sur ce sujet fort complexe.

Sur le chemin de retour de Kimberton (Pennsylvanie), je me suis arrêté au Lac George, un magnifique endroit au pied des Adirondacks.  Je suis arrivé dans un village qui préparait l’Americade, le plus grand rassemblement de motards au monde (plus de 50,000 personnes).  Mon sommeil fut écourté par les vagues de vrombissement des moteurs.

On peut affirmer que c’est le festival de la personne qui  cherche la liberté de mouvement.  

Quand nous parlons de la Pentecôte, nous nous référons à la liberté d’un autre niveau.  Qu’est-ce que cela veut dire?  Le festival de la Pentecôte permet la réunion de l’être humain avec le Saint Esprit; c’est   le travail de chaque individualité pour se libérer de sa nature terrestre et devenir un véritable être humain en établissant un lien avec son Moi supérieur.  Par un travail sur soi, il participe au développement de l’humanité entière.  Il ne travaille plus à partir du courant héréditaire mais prend sa racine dans la libre individualité.  Cela signifie qu’à notre époque l’impulsion christique de  l’action libre se fait au-delà des groupes, nationalités et origines ethniques.

Au Congrès de l’AGA à Vancouver, Philip Thatcher a attiré notre attention sur l’importance de l’action librement exécutée dans le processus du karma qui guérit. Paul Mackay a élaboré davantage cette idée lors de sa présentation. Il a posé la question suivante : Quelle est votre contribution au destin de notre temps? Il a mentionné trois étapes, comme aide, dans le développement personnel.

1 Qu’est-ce que je veux changer dans ma vie ?

2. Comment est-ce que je peux arriver à un changement qui perdure ? En l’amenant dans mon sommeil ce changement devient un idéal.

3.L’importance d’un dialogue intérieur dans ce processus de changement. Comment établir un pont entre l’idéal et les faits de la vie réelle ?

En portant un regard sur  l’assemblée annuelle au Goetheanum et les événements qui se sont déroulés avant et après, nous pouvons remarquer qu’il y a eu de l’incompréhension, de l’inquiétude par rapport à `l’information qui circulait. Aussi, la question de la représentation des membres lors des votes est devenue cruciale.

Des membres dans les différentes parties du Canada ont spontanément formé des cercles de chaleur de soutien aux membres qui se rencontraient à Dornach. Les rapports qui ont été écrits par des membres sur le déroulement de l’assemblée mentionnent  comment  le comité directeur s’est efforcé d’expliquer les décisions difficiles qui ont été prises au cours de l’année.

Qu’est-ce que nous pouvons apprendre de ces événements ?

Il est certain que cela nous ramène à la communication dans le vrai sens i.e. une information qui est partagée, commune et qui fait part de la construction de la communauté. L’information devient non-pertinente si elle n’est pas  prise en considération de façon positive. La rencontre entre les personnes  favorise ce processus de communication.

L’imagination de la Pentecôte présente une communauté spirituelle constituée de la réunion du moi supérieur de chaque individualité. Nous sommes appelés à participer à cette imagination.

Pour conclure, je voudrais remercier France Beaucage et Philip Thatcher pour le travail inspirant qu’ils ont fait pour la Société Anthroposophique au Canada. France a porté la question financière avec rigueur et un grand engagement moral. Philip, par ses nombreux voyages, ici comme à l’étranger, a créé des possibilités de rencontres réelles entre les membres.

Arie van Ameringen,

Secrétaire général

Letter from Arie van Ameringen

The festival of the meeting of the Higher Self

I have just returned from a meeting of the North American Collegium.  This group is made up of representatives of the General Anthroposophical Section and of all the other Sections.  The participants meet twice yearly to share their spiritual-scientific research.  I was warmly welcomed as a new member representing Canada.

For this initial meeting, my role was that of listener as the others shared the results of their work on the four ethers.  At the end of the year I feel I should be able to present some of the results of this very complex question.  

On my way back from Kimberton (Pennsylvania), I stopped at Lake George, a magnificent spot located at the foot of the Adirondacks.  I found myself in a town preparing for the Americade, the largest gathering of bikers in the world (more than 50,000 participants).  My sleep was cut short by wave upon wave of roaring engines.

One could say that this was a festival of the individual seeking freedom of movement.

When we speak of Whitsun, we speak of freedom on quite another level.  What does this mean?  The festival of Whitsun allows the meeting of the human being with the Holy Spirit; it is up to each individual to work to free oneself from one’s earthly nature and become a true human being by establishing a link with the higher self.  By working on oneself, a human being participates in the development of mankind as a whole.  In so doing, one no longer works out of the stream of heredity, but rather finds one’s roots in the free individuality.   This is to say that in our time the Christ-inspired impulse towards the free deed takes place on a level above that of any group, nationality or ethnic origin.

During our AGM conference in Vancouver, Philip Thatcher drew our attention to the importance of the freely-performed deed as a healing process for karma.  Paul Mackay elaborated on this idea in his talk.  He asked the following question: What is your contribution to the destiny of our time?  He mentioned three stages as an aid to personal development:

1. What do I want to change in my life?

2. How can I bring about a lasting change?  When I carry the idea of this change into sleep, this change can become an ideal.

3. The importance of an inner dialogue with oneself in this process of change.  How can I create a bridge between the ideal and the realities of daily life?

In looking back over the AGM at the Goetheanum and the events surrounding it, before and after, we become of aware of the uncertainties and the fears generated by all the information in circulation.  In addition, the question of the representation of the membership in the voting process became crucial.

Members in various parts of Canada spontaneously created circles of warmth to support those who were meeting in Dornach.   The reports written by members who attended mention how the Executive Committee made every effort to explain the difficult decisions that had to be made during the year.

What can we learn from these events?

Obviously, this brings us back to the question of communication in the true sense, i.e. information that is shared by all and as such helps to build true community.  Information loses all relevance when it is not taken up in a positive manner.  The meeting of individuals with one another encourages this process of communication.  

The Whitsun imagination is one of a spiritual community created by the meeting of the higher selves of each individual.  We are being called upon to participate in this imagination.

In conclusion, I wish to extend my thanks to France Beaucage and Philip Thatcher for their inspired work on behalf of the Anthroposophical Society in Canada.  France carried the financial aspect with rigor and a great sense of moral commitment.  Philip, through his many travels, both here and abroad, created real possibilities for meeting among members.

Arie van Ameringen,

General Secretary

Anthroposophical Biography of Steven Roboz

- by Michael Roboz

Steven came to Anthroposophy through his first wife in London, England, around 1948. There was a choice between seeing a movie or going to a lecture by W. J. Stein. She chose the lecture. Steven then attended Stein’s lectures at all opportunities when he was in London. He was the one at the door with the basket. Steven also accompanied Stein when Stein traveled to places, such as Camphills. Stein and his second wife often visited Steven and Charlotte in their apartment. It seems that Stein took a special interest in Steven.

When Steven got the job with British Be Beers, Stein gave Steven a special medicine against Malaria, as Steven was sent to West Africa to diamond drill for diamonds. Steven never got sick. Steven also survived the harsh heat and humidity by reading Steiner and not drinking. Steven was one of the few mining engineers that did not go nuts in this environment.

One of the few Steiner books that survived the breakup of Steven’s first marriage to Charlotte was The Gospel of St. Mathew. It was sent to him from London to British Guiana. Charlotte took all the rest of his books.

Whenever Steven was in New York, (Union Carbide’s head office was in Manhattan), he was visited 211 Madison Ave. It was there that he was accepted into the School of Spiritual Science by Henry Barnes.

Steven was one of the founding members of the Anthroposophical Society in Canada in Toronto, in 1953, when it split off from the Anthroposopical Society in America.

When Steven and Helga, Steven's second wife (and my mother), came to Vancouver in 1954, there were only the Friedebergs and another old lady, Mrs.Mayne, the grandmother of Ann Watson. . At first, the meetings were held at their rented house off S.W. Marine. By that time, there were the Oldhams (Jack was the British Trade Commissioner), Mrs. Halliday and a couple of German people. I was a baby at the time. The Watsons (Jack and Sheila) brought Ann in a bassenette. Helga stayed in the kitchen during the meetings to try to keep me quiet.

Later, the meetings were held at Mrs. Mayne’s. By 1965, the group applied to become the Albert Steffen Group, since Albert Steffen died that year. That proved to be a problem later when in Dornach, Steven would announce himself to people as Steven from the Vancouver Albert Steffen Group. He cojjld not get an audience at first, until he had a chance to explain the situation.

In 1970, Steven appealed to the group and raised the $10,000 needed for a down payment for the mortgage to buy the first Rudolf Steiner Centre at 4th. /Trutch in Vancouver. The two suites allowed it to be viable and self-supporting. Steven and a few others formed the Rudolf Steiner Centre Association to run the building with Steven as President, and Cora Verbrugh as Treasurer.

In 1971, Steven took over Steiner Book Centre (SBC) from Douglas Andress. Douglas and Else (the President of the Canadian Society at the time) had been visiting us in February of that year. He asked Steven to take over SBC if Douglas died. Six weeks later, Douglas was dead. Steven published over 30 titles and had a distributorship for anthroposophical books in Canada, New Zealand and Australia. .. Over the past year, we have had requests from Bosnia and Israel for them to translate Steven's booklet"Islam-study notes" into their respective languages.

Steven and Helga organized and carried out the festivals. Steven gave the talks and for many years arranged for visiting lecturers who often stayed at our house. Helga was like the social hub of the Society. There were times when we had both foreign and local visitors almost every day. The Wednesday study group, which Steven had started in 1954, continues today. Steven had withdrawn his influence on the Group slowly in the 2000s and since 2009, not gone at all. In the 1970s, we often had over 100 people attending a Wednesday. That was before other study groups and interest groups had formed.

Steven was also part of Committee that helped to start the Waldorf School. Steven was Secretary of the Vancouver Waldorf School Association in 1954..