I think your initial reference to Steiner's "billiard ball" analogy from PoF is a good one. Yet, he would supplant it a number of years later by what he says in his book, Outline of Occult Science, from 1910. In the first chapter, the character of occult science is described. We have already had this discussion. This is what gives modern academics, in their progressive higher education, the dilemma they have, and largely with the liberal arts curriculum. We need to extend the present limits into the domain of occult science. And, we know that CIIS is resistant to doing that. My own prospectus appeals have fallen on deaf ears for many years. That is why I am reduced to writing on Substack. At least they care in the AI frame of reference. ;)
Yet, it is always good writing to you. I see it as a kind of renewal of the so-called, "Great War", between C.S. Lewis, and Owen Barfield. My understanding is that it was a relatively short war, and largely dealing with metaphysics. Lewis was the one that tired out in the exchanges, but would grow an imaginative cognition based on Barfield's inspirations.
It is generally regarded by now that Steiner's first esoteric book, Theosophy, written in 1904, is a rewrite of The Philosophy of Freedom, for his anthroposophical audience.
29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. 30 And two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 32 And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 33 They said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” 34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him. Matthew 20
46 Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” 50 Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. 51 And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road. Mark 10
In previous discussions it has been inferred, and even scientifically espoused that gravity bends light in order to give the power of discrete subject-object distinctions to the human eye. Yet, what if it can be shown that gravity only makes us children of the Earth. Something more has to take place in order to bend light for the appearance of what becomes the intentional mind in its power to think. This is the Experience of Object Permanence, which occurs at some point in every human life, and can be likened to the blind men in Jericho, who wanted to gain the sight that Christ had in mind. This is the parable. They gained the sight wherein subject-object distinctions became apparent. Prior to that, they could not discern one thing from another. Thus, in Christ, they saw the new age unfolding.
another scene with a blind man, this time from the Gospel According to Mark, has always struck me, and I incorporated it into the essay:
Consider the healing of the blind man in the Gospel According to Mark:
22And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. 23And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. 24And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.
He still must learn to see through his eyes, which is to say, to interpret the visible signatures of phenomena, even after Christ restores his sight. We have to be able to intend something—to mean something—in order to see it. What we cannot mean, we cannot see, and when we see, it is meaning that we are seeing.
This was the man who was born blind, and is also described in John 9, as the 6th attesting miracle. It was his karma to be blind from birth in order to receive his physical sight through Christ. With the men from Jericho, and I only got this intuition in reading your essay on Intentionality, which is quite excellent, it seems more like the desire for "seership". Bartimaeus senses when Christ passes that the disciples have been receiving a teaching that was superior to the parables meant for the public. This is what he seeks, as well.
34 And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 35 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8
One of my favourite parables
Hi Max,
I think your initial reference to Steiner's "billiard ball" analogy from PoF is a good one. Yet, he would supplant it a number of years later by what he says in his book, Outline of Occult Science, from 1910. In the first chapter, the character of occult science is described. We have already had this discussion. This is what gives modern academics, in their progressive higher education, the dilemma they have, and largely with the liberal arts curriculum. We need to extend the present limits into the domain of occult science. And, we know that CIIS is resistant to doing that. My own prospectus appeals have fallen on deaf ears for many years. That is why I am reduced to writing on Substack. At least they care in the AI frame of reference. ;)
Yet, it is always good writing to you. I see it as a kind of renewal of the so-called, "Great War", between C.S. Lewis, and Owen Barfield. My understanding is that it was a relatively short war, and largely dealing with metaphysics. Lewis was the one that tired out in the exchanges, but would grow an imaginative cognition based on Barfield's inspirations.
It is generally regarded by now that Steiner's first esoteric book, Theosophy, written in 1904, is a rewrite of The Philosophy of Freedom, for his anthroposophical audience.
https://rsarchive.org/Books/GA009/English/AP1971/GA009_index.html
29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. 30 And two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 32 And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 33 They said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” 34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him. Matthew 20
46 Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” 50 Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. 51 And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road. Mark 10
In previous discussions it has been inferred, and even scientifically espoused that gravity bends light in order to give the power of discrete subject-object distinctions to the human eye. Yet, what if it can be shown that gravity only makes us children of the Earth. Something more has to take place in order to bend light for the appearance of what becomes the intentional mind in its power to think. This is the Experience of Object Permanence, which occurs at some point in every human life, and can be likened to the blind men in Jericho, who wanted to gain the sight that Christ had in mind. This is the parable. They gained the sight wherein subject-object distinctions became apparent. Prior to that, they could not discern one thing from another. Thus, in Christ, they saw the new age unfolding.
another scene with a blind man, this time from the Gospel According to Mark, has always struck me, and I incorporated it into the essay:
Consider the healing of the blind man in the Gospel According to Mark:
22And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. 23And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. 24And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.
He still must learn to see through his eyes, which is to say, to interpret the visible signatures of phenomena, even after Christ restores his sight. We have to be able to intend something—to mean something—in order to see it. What we cannot mean, we cannot see, and when we see, it is meaning that we are seeing.
This was the man who was born blind, and is also described in John 9, as the 6th attesting miracle. It was his karma to be blind from birth in order to receive his physical sight through Christ. With the men from Jericho, and I only got this intuition in reading your essay on Intentionality, which is quite excellent, it seems more like the desire for "seership". Bartimaeus senses when Christ passes that the disciples have been receiving a teaching that was superior to the parables meant for the public. This is what he seeks, as well.
34 And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 35 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8