How do We Approach the Class Lessons Of The School of Spiritual Science In Kolisko Group Japan?

Kolisko Group was founded on June 3, 2018, as a group on the special field of „Collaboration of Medicine with Education“ (eine Gruppe auf sachlichem Feld), and has ever since been on its quest for an appropriate way to approach the Class Lessons of the School of Spiritual Science for its members scattered all over Japan, as we – its founding members – were all members of the School of Spiritual Science. We are conscious of the following question areas:

  • Role of the Class Holder (in his/her relationship to the other members of the School of Spiritual Science and to the Gotheanum);
  • Question of translation (whether to use an already existing translation or to translate anew);
  • Question of venue (whether to consider the possibility of online transmission for members living long distances away);
  • Question of the Class style (whether to read the text or to communicate its content in a free way);
  • Collaboration with other Class Holders and School members of different groups in and outside of Japan.

Within our group, we have been discussing the above questions among the groups members. We had also had several opportunities to talk with some members of the Executive Council and Section Leaders of the Goetheanum and other Class Holders in Japan, before we had our first Class Lesson on March 13, 2019. Since then, we have consciously tried different forms of Class Lessons and currently (in May 2020) we find ourselves working on the 10th Class Lesson of the School of Spiritual Science.

As we, in the recent critical situation caused by the coronavirus, tried the possibility of online communication, we have come to a certain orientation in our approach to the Class Lessons of the School of Spiritual Science in our Kolisko Group. Thus, we would like to share with those interested our basic understanding and orientation in the following:

The Class Lessons of the School of Spiritual Science in Kolisko Group

  1. The Class Holder stands on a completely equal basis with other School members;
  2. The Class Holder offers other School members his knowledge and information, and on request some advise regarding meditation;
  3. The Class Lessons take place, as far as the year 2020 is concerned, twice a month, basically at two venues (Sumiregaoka-Hidamari Clinic and Hori Clinic) and possibly at other venues or online depending to the needs of a particular situation;
  4. Regarding Rudolf Steiner’s texts of the First Class of the School of Spiritual Science, there exist at present three different translations by Yuji Agematsu, Iwao Takahashi and Mieko Nakatani (Tokyo Michael Branch). Considering that translated words are also „living beings“ that may transform themselves according to the time and the situation as well as to the understanding and condition of the translator, who tries to receive what may be revealed through the original text, we have come to think that it will be good for our Class Holder, Kai Iruma, to translate the text each time for his Class Lesson. However we have no intension of claiming that our group’s translation would be the „best“. The text will be sent to the participants prior to the Class Lesson (with the full consciousness that Rudolf Steiner explicitly warned against sending these texts by post. This calls for full responsibility on the part of each individual School member, who participates in the Class Lessons in the time of internet);
  5. The Class Lessons in Kolisko Group are given with the goal to reach spiritual deepening in connection with the Group’s motto („Es war in alten Zeiten / Da lebte in der Eingeweihten Seelen Kraftvoll der Gedanke…“) which we have as a group dedicated to the collaboration of Medicine with Education, with a hope to built a spiritual solidarity beyond regions through the conscious and active participation of each individual School member;
  6. In case the Class Work takes the form of an online meeting, the time will be confined to the communication of knowledge and possibly advise regarding meditation; mantras will not be spoken;
  7. The group strives contribute to the development of the work of the School of Spiritual Science in the world through collaboration with the Goetheanum and other Class Holders and School members in Japan and overseas.

(Written on May 17, 2020)