The natural tendency in humans is to shut themselves away from collective, universal life and only live their personal life

The natural tendency in humans is to shut themselves away from collective, universal life and only live their personal life. They imagine they will remain safe if they are apart from one another. No – they are mistaken. They create an inner isolation, exposing their soul to every possible danger. Obviously, we cannot always be with others, and anyway this is not desirable, but we have to be with them at least in thought. Even our wish to improve ourselves must not be solely for our own evolution, our own salvation, but for the salvation of all people on earth. The word ‘unity’ is the most profound one in spiritual science; it contains the meaning of our life. When we are aware that we belong to one and the same family, we can be confident that we are doing something great. This greatness comes not from us but from this universal family to which we belong. It is what sustains us and saves us from the feelings of poverty, loneliness, uselessness and emptiness that can sometimes take hold of us.