3 ESOTERIC LIFE VIEW - Henry T. Laurency Publishing Foundation
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1 3 ESOTERIC LIFE VIEW 3.1 LIFE VIEW 1 The world view is our total knowledge of the matter aspect of reality. The world view includes the physical and natural sciences and their offshoots. The life view concerns the consciousness aspect of existence and is the sum total of man’s attitude to life, to its meaning and goal, and his view on mankind and man’s ways. 2 Without a world view, knowledge of reality, the necessary basis of life view is lacking. A rational conception of reality is all the more important since the life view is of fundamental, indispensable importance. It is from his life view that man derives the bases of his valuations, his viewpoints for judgement, motives for action. The life view includes the conception of right and what is contained in the concept of culture. 3 The present exposé of a life view means to orient in the jungle of life, to be Ariadne’s thread in the labyrinth of life. Never before has the need for such a view been greater, for never before was disorientation greater. People recognize more and more clearly that traditional conceptions and historical views are fictitious and illusory, arbitrary constructions of ignorance. The all- demolishing powers, which frantically work for a return to the stage of barbarism, have unveiled their destructive tendency manifestly enough. The universal disorientation has resulted in a general sense of lawlessness and arbitrariness in all spheres of life, also in the world of material reality. A working hypothesis has been lacking, one unifying the scientist’s realistic view of existence with that of the seeking cultural man who strives to find a synthesis. Such a hypothesis would incorporate what is essential of mankind’s general experience of life and the indispensable idealism advocated by Platon. 4 In the heritage from our fathers there are esoteric axioms of life which ignorance has misinterpreted. These pearls can now be inserted again in their original setting. The ideas have thereby regained their import, and have become understandable. 5 This Life View is termed esoteric since it is based on the esoteric world view and on esoteric facts about the goal of life. There is no such life view that suits everybody on any level of development. What is common to them all is the knowledge of the laws of life, which everybody applies according to his understanding of life. Anyone who in addition wishes to practise all manner of conventions may certainly do so for his own part. 6 There are laws in everything: laws of nature or laws of matter in the matter aspect of existence; laws of life, or laws of consciousness, in the consciousness aspect. Anyone who knows about the laws has insight into reality and understanding of life. Before you can say how things ought to be you must know how things are. The laws of life grant freedom. The laws of life are no prohibitions. Those who need directions do not have knowledge and judgement of their own. In understanding the laws of life we make it possible for us to solve our problems of life rationally. By that the conditions of individual development are clarified. 7 Esoteric life views satisfy legitimate demands of intellectuality and ideality. Everybody has to decide for himself. Nobody who knows what responsibility means will take on him the responsibility for prescribing to others. You can always say: This is my view of the matter. Sooner or later the individual must form his own view, one suited to his understanding of life. Everybody is responsible himself for his own vision of life. Responsibility means the individual’s settling up with the laws of life, and has consequences in future incarnations. The individual must himself develop his concepts of right, must himself seek his ideals. The wise man refrains from constructing concepts of right for others. Everybody is somewhere on the gamut of development,
