Water Trial

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The water trial, from which the Christian sacrament of baptism derives, goes back to the ancient mysteries. By immersion in water, the mystery student was brought close to drowning, whereby the etheric body loosened and a review of the life panorama of the previous life on earth became possible, as it can normally only be experienced immediately after death. Through this trial it must be proved whether one can move freely and safely in the spiritual world when the support of the outer sensual world has fallen away.

„Since in this phase of his path the mystery student must learn to find his support, without any external support, solely in the forces emanating from the true Self within, this test has sometimes been called the "water trial“. Water has no bars. The mystery student is faced with the task of swimming in this "water" of the forces of the spirit without clinging to authorities, dogmas and institutions.“ (Lit.: Dietzfelbringer, p. 37)

According to imaginative descriptions in the Gospels, Saint Peter also had to undergo such a water trial:

„22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”“

Because Peter had passed the test with the help of the Christ, he was also able to say soon afterwards:

„18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”“

In the water trial, the spiritual disciple must lean completely on his own I in the roaring sea of the astral world, as on a rock in the surf. This requires independent power of judgement in thinking, self-control in feeling and initiative in willing (one voluntarily takes upon oneself serious obligations to which there is no external impetus). Only in this way can one pass from the sense world, which carries one safely, to the conscious experience of the unstoppably flowing etheric world. Before this, the disciple had to purify himself of his earthly desires through the catharsis and pass the fire trial. The spiritual fire "burns" the veil of the sensual world and the spiritual archetypes of the outer world light up for the imaginative gaze. In order to also learn to understand what was seen spiritually, the spiritual disciple also had to learn how to read the occult script, through which he reached the level of inspiration.

„For the one who has reached the aforementioned stage of initiation, there are duties to which there is no external impulse. He is not prompted in these matters by external circumstances, but only by those measures which are revealed to him in the "hidden" language. Now he must show by the second "trial" that, guided by such a rule, he acts as surely and firmly as, say, a civil servant performs the duties incumbent upon him. - For this purpose, the candidate will feel himself confronted with a certain task through the occult training. He is to perform an action as a result of perceptions which he makes on the basis of what he has learnt in the preparatory and enlightenment stages. And what he has to perform he must recognise through the marked scripture which he has acquired. If he recognises his duty and acts correctly, then he has passed the test. One recognises success by the change that takes place in the perceptions of the mind's ears and eyes, perceived as figures, colours and sounds, through action. In the progress of the occult training it is stated exactly how these figures etc. look and are perceived after the action. And the candidate must know how to produce such a change. - This test is called the "water trial", because in the activity in these higher regions the human being lacks the support of the external conditions, just as in moving in water, the bottom of which one cannot reach, the support is lacking. - The process must be repeated until the candidate has complete certainty.“ (Lit.:GA 10, p. 81f)

Once the spiritual disciple has passed the water trial, he can proceed to the air trial.

Literature
References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated.
Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com.
Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books
A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works
Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English.
Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold
steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA)
Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF.
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