The Spiritual-Physical nature of the Foundation Stone Meditation in relation to the Class Mantrams

By Margaret Roigard

At the afternoon tea break on Saturday I heard myself saying “I am having such a good day”. When reflecting on this comment, I realised that being together with a group of enthusiastic and dedicated Anthroposophists had a profound effect upon my soul. I felt nourished and uplifted.

This was my first time attending a Class conference and, unfortunately, I was only able to be there for the Saturday.

The morning opened with the Class lesson 4. The warmth, humility and reverence shown by Marinus La Rooij succeeded in setting the tone of the day for me. I am privileged to attend the Class in Christchurch and I am always impressed with the work Marinus puts in prior to a Class lesson and am aware of the immense responsibility Class Holder has.

He presented his thoughts on approaches to the lessons and asked open and valid questions regarding them. One question he asked of himself is whether to read the lesson or deliver a free rendering and he was able to provide reasons to support both.

When asked if the importance and benefit of reading or a free rendering of a Class lesson was for him or the class, his response was “hopefully for the world”.

The theme of the conference was “The Spiritual-Physical nature of the Foundation Stone Meditation in relation to the Class mantrams” and this was the topic for Session 3 in the afternoon.

This session was presented by Julian Pook who spoke so eloquently with some wonderful examples from science and history to help clarify and support his comments.  I had not met Julian before and was humbled by his dedication, knowledge and the research that he clearly had undertaken for this presentation. It is a difficult task to keep someone’s attention so late in the day and with such an in-depth and complex topic, but he provided many thought provoking concepts. 

There was a lot to think about, a lot to try and understand and I will need to let it sit with me and digest to absorb the soul message that Julian endeavoured to present (as I had difficulty in making a link from the Foundation Stone Meditation to the Class mantrams).

Earlier in the day, when reading the content of Session 1 on the programme – “artistic work to theme” presented by Mark Geard – I was filled with trepidation. Not having attended a Class conference before I was unsure of what to expect and inwardly was thinking “please do not take me out of my comfort zone. I am not ready for this”. Although I was aware that beings of hindrance were infecting my thoughts, knowing and understanding that somehow didn’t help me to raise my thinking out of my fearful little self.

As we all took our seats at the table, Mark explained what we would be doing and that this was a meditation.

My trepidation rapidly subsided as we fell into silence and began the artistic work.

The contrast from the first “work” using the colours to the second “work” was noted by all and discussed during the conversation after lunch.

I looked at the artwork on the tables and to me it reflected each person’s individuality and supported the comments that had been made during the discussion after lunch where some who spoke had similar feelings/experiences and others had differing ones – yet they were complementary.

The highlights of the day for me were many but the most prominent are:

  • The opportunity to be with people who share a love for and commitment to Anthroposophy, and thereby to the whole of world evolution
  • The enthusiasm and diversity of people working together in harmony. I once read “It is our hearts that must find one another so that we can have conceptual disagreements without personal disharmony” (Heinz Zimmerman). 

I asked myself if I would want to attend a Class conference in the future and my response was a resounding “Yes” (but hopefully for the entire weekend).

I am reminded of a passage in Lecture 2 from At the Gates of Spiritual Science where Rudolf Steiner says:

“Everyone can derive joy and hope from the communications of another, for what we are told about the higher worlds is not mere theory unrelated to life.

As it fruits it brings us two things we must have if we are to lay hold of life in the right way – strength and security….

Strength comes from the impulses of the higher worlds

Security comes when we are consciously aware that we have been created from out of the invisible world”

The day spent in the company of so many fellow students of Spiritual Science has certainly given me strength and security.

In closing I would like to express a warm and heartfelt thank you to those who worked behind the scenes in preparing and co-ordinating this conference and especially to Marinus, Mark and Julian for your selfless gifts to all of us who attended.