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Simplified Scientific Christianity |
This study guide is intended for use with Mysteries of the Great Operas by Max Heindel. The guide contains two groups of questions for each section in Mysteries of the Great Operas. The first group of questions for a section are questions whose answer may be found somewhere in the section. The second group of questions are labeled as "thought questions." The answers to these questions are not given in the section, but rather can be answered by relating what was said in the section to one's own experience and by using one's creative imagination.
In using the study guide it is recommended that one first read an entire section from Mysteries of the Great Operas to get an overall picture of the topic being discussed. Then answer the questions below, referring back to the text as needed.
It is hoped that this study guide will help the reader clarify and make more precise the understanding of esoteric Truths, so that he or she may tred the path with a more certain step.
1-2] When Lucifer describes Faust, what problem does he point out?
1-3] Is discord needed in the universe? Why?
2-1] Why do people need to experience temptation?
2-2] Why is Faust dissatisfied with his "book learning"?
2-3] How can one, in general, open one's consciousness to that of some Spirit?
3-1] Where is it possible to meet the Spirit of the Earth face to face?
3-2] What is the path by which one may obtain entrance to this location?
3-4] Choose the word of phrase in each parentheses which correctly completes the sentence.
4-1] Why was Faust not able to retain communion with the Earth Spirit?
4-2] If Lucifer served Faust here on Earth, then when would Faust be required to serve Lucifer in return?
4-3] Faust says that it will be time for him to die when he takes on what attitude?
4-4] Lucifer required Faust to sign their contract in blood. Why?
5-1] Which of the following is not a reason why Faust made a pact with Lucifer?
5-2] What types of feelings have the Lucifer Spirits helped mankind to develop?
5-3] What caused the present-day apes to degenerate, instead of progressing?
5-4] What moral choice was Faust faced with when he met Marguerite? What was Faust's choice?
5-6] Why do the Lucifer Spirits incite people to war and murder?
6-3] Why did Faust, after his death, not have to serve Lucifer?
6-4] Goethe states, "All that is perishable is but a likeness."
6-5] When Goethe states, "The unattainable, here is accomplished." Where is he referring to?
7-2] In our material existence what do we tend to forget which music is able to remind us of?
Gamuret weds Herzleide.___ | A. As a result of suffering, one forsakes worldly attitudes and becomes a fool from the worldly point of view. |
Gamuret dies and Parsifal is born. ____ |
B. The aspiring soul flees from worldly things and leaves worldly sorrows behind. |
Parsifal leaves Herzleide, and she dies. ____ |
C. The dense body must respond to the commands given it, whether they come from the lower or higher self. |
Parsifal is told it is wrong to kill a swan, and he breaks his bow.____ |
D. The harmless life is an absolute essential prerequisite to the helpful life. |
The wound in Amfortas' side begins to bleed afresh at the sight of the Grail.____ |
E. The man of the world is tied to sorrow and suffering. |
Kundry is forced to serve whoever wakes her, whether it be Klingsor or the Grail Knights.____ |
F. When we have sinned, we feel remorse when we compare our actions with the ideal. |
7-4] When Kundry tempts Parsifal to engage in "love", how does Parsifal describe Kundry's "love"?
7-6] In the third act when Parsifal is questioned as to how he came to Mount Salvat, what is his answer?
8-1] Choose the word or phrase from each parentheses which correctly completes each sentence.
The (desire, vital) body can be powerfully stirred by one particular event, but the effect does not last very long. The (desire, vital) body requires repeated impacts upon it to receive any significant impression, but then the effects last for some time.
8-2] Next to each item on the left put the letter of the item on the right which is most closely related:
The Rhine maidens lived under the waters of the Rhine.____ |
A. Ancient humanity was guided and cared for by divine hierarchies. |
The Rhine maidens spent their time in frolic and play.____ |
B. Ancient humanity was united in spirit. All felt themselves to be part of one great family. |
There was one lump of Gold in the Rhine which all danced around.____ |
C. Humans began to make a distinction between mine and not mine, and to work to further their own interests. |
Alberich stole the gold and swam to the surface.____ |
D. Humanity emigrated to the highlands and began to see themselves as individuals. |
By forswearing love, Alberich was able to form the gold into a ring.____ |
E. Primitive humanity dwelt at the bottom of the ocean in the dense, foggy atmosphere of Atlantis. |
9-1] Next to each item on the left put the letter of the item on the right which is most closely related:
The gods built a walled fortress, Valhal.____ |
A. Creeds and dogmas are not universally true, and thus may become outdated when situations change. |
The Sun and Moon were part of the payment given to the builders of Valhal.____ |
B. Creeds and dogmas prevent one from seeing the universal light and knowledge. |
Freya, who fed the gods on her golden apples to preserve their youth, was given as part of the payment to the builders of Valhal.____ |
C. Religion loses some of its spiritual power when it tries to make itself understandable to the masses. |
To bind the bargains with the builders, magic characters were cut in the spear of Wotan.____ |
D. Religion, to make itself comprehensible to the masses, develops creeds and dogmas. |
10-1] What did the Walsungs seek? Why?
10-2] Why did Siegmund leave Valhal?
10-3] Why did Sieglinda (initially) stay in Valhal?
11-1] How does fear prevent people from finding truth and living it?
11-2] What did Wotan fear would happen if he did not put Brunhilde (truth) to sleep?
11-3] Next to each item on the left put the letter of the item on the right which is most closely related:
Siegfried, because he is fearless, is able to forge the sword, Nothung.____ |
A. Intuition leads the truth seeker forward. |
Siegfried recognizes that he does not look like Mime and that Mime is therefore not his father.____ |
B. Neither conventions nor illusions can waylay the fearless truthseeker. |
Fafner, the dragon, possesses the Ring of the Niebelung.____ |
C. Only the fearless can use the courage of despair to seek truth. |
Mime hopes Siegfried can slay the dragon so Mime can get the Ring.____ |
D. The desire nature has the Ego enmeshed in its snares. |
When Siegfried slays the dragon he also slays Mime.____ |
E. The higher self recognizes that it is separate from the dense body, and was not produced by it. |
Siegfried is led by a bird to where Brunhilde lies sleeping. |
F. The lower nature may scheme to use the power of the spirit to obtain material wealth and worldly power. |
Siegfried breaks Wotan's spear and passes through Loge's flames to reach and awaken Brunhilde.____ |
G. When the soul has conquered the desire nature it also is freed from the dense body. |
12-1] What must the truth-seeker do with truth once he has found it?
12-2] Next to each item on the left put the letter of the item on the right which is most closely related:
Brunhilde makes Siegfried's whole body invulnerable except at one point on his back between his shoulders.____ |
A. One who is married to truth is able to make swift decisions. |
Siegfried gives Brunhilde the Ring of the Niebelung.____ |
B. We can stand the antagonism we will encounter as we live he truth provided we meet it directly and do not turn our backs. |
Brunhilde gives her horse, Grane, to Siegfried.____ |
C. When the Spirit sees Truth, it also sees that all things are one. |
14-1] In each blank fill in a word or phrase which correctly completes the sentence.
Rhine maidens living in the Rhine correspond to the early ____ Epoch. Alberich forswearing love and forming the Ring, and devoting his energies to amassing material wealth and fighting others corresponds to the late ____ Epoch. The birth and work of the Walsungs (truth seekers) corresponds to the early ____ Epoch. The truth being opened to Siegfried and his taking the drink of forgetfulness and his being tempted to see if he will remain faithful corresponds to the later ____ Epoch.
15-2] Should women be treated as equals with men? Why?
15-3] What type of "love" did Tannhauser experience in the company of Venus?
15-4] What are some of the effects of passionate, sensual love?
16-1] Does true love seek to give, or does it seek to receive?
16-2] Give an example of what one might do when he or she is filled with "true love".
17-1] What is the unpardonable sin?
17-2] How must the unpardonable sin be expiated?
18-1] What did the Lucifer Spirits lead humanity to do with the creative force?
18-2] What must humanity learn to do with the creative force?
19-1] In what ways is a swan comparable to an Initiate?
19-3] What does the Teacher require of the Aspirant (in respect to his attitude toward the Teacher)?
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