Meditation with Robin Schmidt – by Paul Hodgkins and Susan Richard

13 Sep Meditation with Robin Schmidt – by Paul Hodgkins and Susan Richard

On Saturday, August 19, 2017, approximately forty people attended a day-long workshop on the practice of anthroposophical meditation, led by Robin Schmidt. Robin co-authored, with Heinz Zimmerman, a book on this topic, and his teachings on the workshop day were mostly based on the content of his book, Meditation.

If you were not able to attend the workshop, you may learn a great deal about the practice of anthroposophical meditation by reading the book, which is available through the Anthroposophical Society in Canada. You can order it on the website.

Robin’s presentation was very organized, clear, and thorough. He began by placing anthroposophical meditation firmly in the stream of European modernity, into which three ideas, consisting of infinity, eternity, and autonomy, flow. These ideas became impulses which gave rise to modern science and thinking; they were taken up by the Rosicrucians in a more spiritual way. The Rosicrucians recognised that we are born out of the infinite; that the eternal is ever-present for us in Christ; and that a true selfless autonomy is founded in the Holy Spirit. Finally, Rudolf Steiner imbued the Rosicrucian way with the Michaelic impulse, such that we unite ourselves with the infinite through study; we unite ourselves with the eternal through gratitude; and we unite ourselves with autonomy through self-transformation.

Robin further elaborated that Steiner brought to meditation a questioning quality, related to a need to serve the world. The purpose of meditation is to search for understanding with respect to such a question. The path of meditation is not grounded in anthroposophical dogma, but in a pursuit of discovery both of self and of world, in order that humanity may develop in accordance with spiritual awakening.

In the morning, we went outside and practised a short meditation with a small object in nature. The aim was to experience astonishment, discovery, and reverence with respect to the qualities found in this natural object, and then, to seek these qualities within one’s own soul. Truly, an astonishing discovery! Afterwards, participants shared their findings with each other.

In the afternoon, we took up a verse, or a mantram, and learned how to transform this into a meditation. Robin outlined four stages in this process: preparation; concentration; contemplation; and meditation. Finally, this leads to the possibility of living with a spiritual being during the period of meditation. Robin emphasized that, to be an anthroposophist, is to work within these questioning aims, rather than stuffing one’s soul with anthroposophical information. One is entirely free and independent, and one’s striving depends entirely on oneself. Steiner stressed the importance of placing a particular thought within the soul for the purpose of meditation. This thought acts as a gateway through which one may enter and exit the spiritual world. Without such a thought in the soul, one cannot meditate in the anthroposophical sense.

Robin also steered us through lively discussion and questions. It was a very freeing and enlightening day, and we hope that Robin will soon return.