Four of Rudolf Steiner's best-loved lectures are collected in this book. They are some of the most accessible presentations of the anthroposophic approach to life available in English. Included are:

"Practical Training in Thought"
"Overcoming Nervousness"
"Facing Karma"
"The Four Temperaments"

The first lecture concerns the fundamental human activity of thinking. Everything we do, we do through thinking. The first task, then, is to realize the reality of thinking. To help us do this, Rudolf Steiner gives exercises that will allow us to experience the cognitive, even clairvoyant, power of thinking. Steiner shows us how exercises in thinking also give us the calm, centered sense we need to lead purposeful, healthy lives.

"Facing Karma" takes us to the heart of life, where we experience suffering and happiness. The law of karma that determines life's experiences and encounters also helps us develop the self-knowledge required for self-transformation.

Finally, Steiner discusses the four human temperaments, showing us how the union of hereditary factors and our inner spiritual nature both shape our psychology. The guide here is the ancient classifications of sanguine, choleric, phlegmatic, and melancholic temperaments. Our renewed understanding of these allows us to develop a truly modern spiritual psychology, which forms the basis of all real inner development.

With its many practical exercises, mantras, and meditations, this book offers fundamental introductions for anyone beginning or needing encouragement along the path of inner development.