ming these acts of
repetition, the more effective becomes this image for the soul.(27)

Such a symbol as has just been described represents no external object or
being evolved by nature, but for this very reason it possesses an
awakening power for certain inner faculties. It is true, someone may raise
the objection: certainly the "whole" as a symbol, does not exist in
nature; yet all its details are borrowed from nature, the black color, the
roses, etc. It can all be observed through the senses. He who is troubled
by such objections, ought to consider that it is not the images of these
sense perceptions that awaken the higher faculties of the soul, but that
this result is produced purely by the manner in which these details are
combined. And this combination does not then picture something that exists
in the sense-world.

A symbol was chosen as an example to show the process of effective
meditation of the soul. Many symbols of this kind are used in occult
training and are built up according to varying methods. Certain sentences,
formulae, and single words can also be given as subjects for meditations,
and in every case the means used will have the same object, namely: to
detach the soul from sense-impressions and to stimulate it to an activity
in which the impressions of the physical senses play no longer any part
and in which the unfoldment of inner latent soul capacities becomes the
essential.

There are, however, also meditations based exclusively upon feelings,
sensations, etc., and these are especially effectual. Let us, for
instance, take the feeling of joy. In the normal course of life the soul
experiences pleasure when there exists an outer stimulus to pleasure. If a
healthily constituted soul perceives some act performed by a person,
indicative of the doer's goodness of heart, then the soul will assuredly
feel pleasure and joy at such an act. But the soul is able to reflect upon
such an act, and can say to itself that an act done from sheer kindness of
heart is one in which the doer is following the interests of his
fellow-creatures rather than his own, and such an act may be called
ethically good. But the soul can lift itself above the perception of any
particular case in the outer world which has given it joy or pleasure, and
instead may arrive at a general concept of kindness. It can for instance,
think of kindness coming into existence through one soul making the
interests of others his own. And the soul