Lotusblüten 12, no. 75 (December 1898), 849-856
[Ich. Eine Weihnachtsbetrachtung.]
Translation from the German by Robert Hutwohl[1]
Pitiable is the one
who thinks something else other than his true “I,”
as the only God.
The Chhandogga [Chāndogya Upaniṣad] Upanishad says:
“Truly; all this is the eternal. Let us draw closer to him in silence, he who shines through all the worlds.
Man is made out of will. As a man’s will is, so will he himself become, and when he leaves this world he himself is what he willed. Shaped by the mind, embodied in life, shining like the sun, wanting truth, clad in resplendent ether, almighty, all-loving, all-enjoying, all-tasting and all-encompassing, still and sufferingless; this is my soul; in the heart of the heart; smaller than a grain of rice, smaller even than the germ contained in the grain of rice. But also mightier than the earth, larger than the firmament, more glorious than the sky, stronger than all worlds, almighty, all-loving, all-enjoying and all-embracing, still and sufferingless. This is my soul at the core of the heart. When I step out, this will be me. Those who have experienced this mourn no more.”
Indian philosophy teaches us that the infinite world-spirit, Ātman, is the sole and indivisible true Self of all beings; the Buddhist doctrine likewise says that God is the one eternal truth and reality and all the rest, in itself, is only a transitory semblance, and the Bible certifies it by saying that the Word (Logos) was in God and was itself God is, and that everything was created from this word and nature of God. It is therefore not materialistic pantheism when we say with the Christian mystics that God[2] is the essence of all things and, although exalted above all things, yet in all things is supreme, the eternal, immortal, sole essence.
But if God is the highest in all things, then there can be no exceptions, and consequently he is also the highest self-consicousness in man, which every man carries in his heart, even if he is not yet fully awakened in him, and which therefore needs no external intermediary to reach it; for the supreme consciousness in man manifests itself in him without the intercession of another, by his own power, when no insurmountable obstacles stand in the way of his manifestation. Also, everyone in whose mind there has come a glimpse of true Self-consciousness knows that there is no separateness, but, as there is only one all-encompassing divine love, so there is only one, indivisible, true Self, Deity, in knowledge of which all people will eventually come together and unite.
But the obstacle to this revelation of God in man is nothing other than the deception of individuality, with the passions arising from this deception, egotism, vanity, megalomania, lust for power, envy, jealousy, etc. While the knowledge of the true Self unites all people, humanity is torn by the delusion of the self into many parts, each hostile to the other, as we see among all peoples, in all countries, churches and societies. They all cry out for unity, but in fact none of them wants to unite with the other, they only want to rule over them and suppress them. Even among the bullies of general human brotherhood, as a rule, only empty enthusiasm is hidden, and where the varnish is scraped off, egoism emerges. A union of all human beings, in which no special interests prevail, is possible only on the basis of the religious recognition of the unity of the deity in humanity, and on no other. Where party interests are involved, it is not divine wisdom which rules, but self-interest.
“I am the one soul of all souls, which has its altar in the sanctuary of the human heart. Before my face there is no respect of persons; I embrace all beings with equal love. Whoever receives me, I will receive into my kingdom.” Thus speaks the word of God, the true self, the voice of silence but the false self knows nothing of him With loud cries it praises its advantages and imagines that it is the center of everything to be existence. The true Self is only One; the false “Is” are many, they come and go and change; they appear again and again in new masks. “We are the masters of the world!” call. “We are the chosen and fortunate. We are rich and powerful, and whoever does not go with us is our enemy. We harmed this opponent today, and we hope to destroy that one tomorrow. Praised be our cunning and insidiousness.”[3]
These are the demons and devils who inhabit the underworld, i.e., inhabiting the region of passion and desire in man, growing in him, possessing him, embodying and personifying himself in him, and taking the throne due to reason. This is how we encounter them in everyday life. Whoever is ruled by such a false “I” is blind to the knowledge of the truth and is like an apparently dead person among the living; for only he is truly alive in whom these delusions have vanished and who has come to the consciousness of his true self, the divinity in humanity.
The Holy Feast of Christmas (it is sacred to those who sanctify it) is meant not only to celebrate the re-occurrence of the Solstice, or to renew the memory of the birth of the Prophet of Nazareth, but should inspire us to strive to that the birth of the God-man which takes place in us. As at Christmastime in the cold north the brooks and rivers are frozen, and snow and ice cover the still earth like a shroud, so also the hearts of many people are still encased in an icy crust of selfishness and self-conceit, and the streams of love and mercy freezes, while envy and greed, like hungry wolves and hyenas, seek prey. Certainly many lights twinkle on the Christmas tree, where plasterwork and tinsel gold are resplendent; but the light of knowledge of eternal truth penetrates only sparingly, and little of the gold of wisdom can be found even where it is announced loudest. On the other hand, the great world delights in the pretty dolls and toys which the Christmas season and the New Year bring, without considering that these treasures are as ephemeral as themselves. But he who is “above the stars,” high above the ideas, fantasies, and things which excite man’s desires, dwells in his infinity, goes on bestowing his treasures of light, warmth, and life, wisdom, and love in rich abundance upon the world, unconcerned whether men receive them or themselves close them.
So also, the visible sun in the sky cares nothing for the plants on which it shines; She knows nothing of them, and they also know nothing about her, but the sunshine and warmth that the plant absorbs become her own; to the part received, the rose owes its fragrance, the lily its splendor, and the grape its sweetness; in this way the sun and the plant become acquainted with one another, and the sunlight is born in the tulip, which thereby receives its splendid colors from it.
Likewise, the knowledge of God enters the soul of man only when he opens his heart to the influence of divine love. Then the light of knowledge dawns in him and clothes him with glorious colors; for all good is of God, and the virtues of a man, like the qualities of the plant, are not the products of matter or form, but a manifestation of the forces at work therein.
The true Self is the Deity, the false self is that sum of the mutable “Is” which constitutes the mortal personality of man with his changing opinions, conceits, delusions and beliefs. The real Self is the seat of knowledge of the true, the false self the seat of delusion. When the true consciousness of God moves into the heart of man, then the true Self, the Redeemer, and with him the eternal life of the Soul, is born in him. This is for him the true and holy Christmas. Then spring breaks within him, and his spiritual resurrection follows, the divine Easter festival, the day of knowledge.
Note:
[1] I. A Christmas Consideration. [Ich. Eine Weihnachtsbetrachtung. Franz Hartmann, M.D. Lotusblüten 12, no. 75 (December 1898), 849-856] {This article was reformatted from the original, but with the content unchanged other than fixing minor typos. Translation from the German by Robert Hutwohl, ©2025}
[2] {R.H.—The Monad.}
[3] Compare, Bhagavad Gita XVI.