Greater Guardian of the Threshold

The Greater Guardian of the Threshold prevents us from consciously entering the spiritual macrocosm as long as we have not attained the necessary spiritual maturity to do so. He spreads the veil of the sense world over the spiritual in nature and thus hides it from our view.

„There is not only one, but essentially two, a "lesser" and a "greater" "guardian of the threshold". Man encounters the former when the connecting threads between will, thinking and feeling within the finer bodies (the astral and etheric bodies) begin to unravel in the way indicated in the previous chapter. Man comes face to face with the 'greater guardian of the threshold' when the dissolution of the connections extends also to the physical parts of the body (namely, first of all, the brain).“ (Lit.:GA 10, p. 193)

On the path of spiritual training, the first encounter is with the lesser guardian of the threshold, who opens up to the spiritual disciple the view of his true inner nature, with which only real self-knowledge shines forth and the transformation of one's own inner being can begin. The spiritual disciple becomes mature through this, so that some time later he can also meet the Greater Guardian of the Threshold.

In the 7th picture of Rudolf Steiner's mystery drama "The Guardian of the Threshold", the Guardian says to Johannes Thomasius:

What unchecked wish doth sound within mine ear? So storm men's souls when first approaching me E'er they have fully gained tranquillity. It is desire that really leads such men And not creative power which dares to speak; Since it in silence could itself create. The souls which thus comport themselves when here I needs must relegate again to Earth, For in the Spirit-realm they can but sow Confusion, and do but disturb the deeds Which cosmic powers have wisely foreordained. Such men can also injure their own selves Who form destructive passions in their hearts Which are mistaken for creative powers, Since they must take delusion for the truth When earthly darkness no more shelters them.

Welch ungestümes Wünschen tönt hierher; So stürmen Menschenseelen, die mir nahen, Bevor sie noch Gelassenheit sich voll errungen. Es treibt jedoch Begierde solche Wesen Und nicht die Kraft, die schaffend sprechen darf, Weil sie sich schweigend selber schaffen konnte. Die Seelen, welche hier sich so bezeugen, Ich muß zur Erde sie zurück verweisen. Sie können doch in Geistesreichen nur Verwirrung stiften und die Taten stören, Die Weltenmächte weise vorbereiten. Und auch dem eignen Wesen schaden sie. Sich selbst erzeugen sie Zerstörungstriebe, Die sie für Schöpferkräfte halten können, Weil sie den Wahn für Wahrheit nehmen müssen, Wenn Erdenfinsternis sie nicht mehr schützt. (Lit.:GA 14, p. 359)

And it goes on to say:

Thou must first part with many of those powers Which thou hast won when in thine earthly frame. Out of them all thou canst alone retain That which by efforts, pure and spiritual, Thou didst achieve, and which thou hast kept pure. But this thou hast thyself cast off from thee And given as his own to Ahriman. What still is thine hath been by Lucifer Destroyed for use within the spirit-world. This too upon the threshold I must take If thou wouldst really pass this portal by. So nought remains to thee; a lifeless life Must be thy lot within the spirit-realms.

Du mußt dich trennen erst von vielen Kräften, Die du im Erdenleibe dir erworben. Behalten kannst du doch von ihnen nur, Was sich in geistig reinem Streben dir Erschlossen und auch rein verblieben ist. Doch dieses hast du selbst von dir geworfen Und Ahriman als Eigentum gegeben. Was dir jetzt noch erhalten, das hat dir Für Geisteswelten Lucifer verdorben. Ich muß es an der Schwelle dir benehmen, Wenn du gerecht sie überschreiten willst. So bleibt dir nichts; - ein wesenloses Wesen, Das wirst du sein, wenn du dich geistig findest. (Lit.:GA 14, p. 362)

See also

• Guardian of the Threshold
• Lesser Guardian of the Threshold
• Initiation
• Rosicrucian initiation

Literature

• Rudolf Steiner: Wie erlangt man Erkenntnisse der höheren Welten?, GA 10 (1993) English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org
• Rudolf Steiner: Die Geheimwissenschaft im Umriß, GA 13 (1989) English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org
• Rudolf Steiner: Vier Mysteriendramen, GA 14 (1998), ISBN 3-7274-0140-0 English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org
• Rudolf Steiner: Von der Initiation. Von Ewigkeit und Augenblick. Von Geisteslicht und Lebensdunkel, GA 138 (1986), ISBN 3-7274-1380-8 English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org

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.