through new impressions and new experiences, but also by letting the old
ones be active within him.

He who allows his experiences and his opinions free play, keeping himself
with his sympathies and antipathies, personal interests and feelings
entirely in the background, will prepare an especially fertile soil for
supersensible cognition. He will in very truth be developing what may be
called a rich inner life. But what is of primary importance is the balance
and equilibrium of the qualities of the soul. People are very apt to
become one-sided when indulging in certain activities of the soul. Thus,
when a person has come to know the advantages of contemplation, and of
dwelling upon pictures derived from his own thought-world, he is apt to
develop a tendency to withdraw himself from the impressions of the outer
world. Yet such a step only leads to parching and withering the inner
life; and he will go farthest who manages to retain an unchecked
receptivity for all impressions of the outer world, while possessing the
power to withdraw within his own inner self. It is by no means necessary
to think only of the so-called important events of life: every one, in
every sphere of life, be his four walls ever so humble, will be possessed
of experience enough, provided only his mind is truly receptive.
Experiences need not be sought--they abound on every hand.

Of particular importance is the way in which experience may be utilized by
the human soul. For instance, one may make the discovery that someone whom
he or another greatly reveres, has some quality that must be regarded as a
flaw in his character. An experience of this kind may lead the person to
whom it comes to thoughts which will tend toward one of two different
directions. He may simply feel that he can never again regard the person
in question with the same degree of veneration; or on the other hand, he
may say to himself: "How has it been possible for this revered person to
be burdened with such a failing? How can I present the matter to my mind
so as to see in this failing not merely a fault, but something that is the
outcome of his life, possibly even caused by his noble qualities?" Whoever
can place the question thus before his own mind may, perhaps, arrive at
the conclusion that his veneration for his friend need not suffer the
least diminution, in spite of the failing that has come to light.

Experiences of this nature will, each time they are met with, add
so