Abd-ru-shin's civil names are Oskar Ernst Bernhardt. He was born on 18th April 1875 in Bischofswerda, Saxony.

After a brief commercial training Abd-ru-shin began his literary activity while still a young man. This often led him to foreign countries. In 1915 he was interned in England. Released in 1919, he first went to Dresden, later to Bavaria and in 1923 began to write the first lectures of the Grail Message. In 1928 he settled on Vomperberg in the Tyrol.

There he wrote the Work "In the Light of Truth", the Grail Message.

Exiled from Austria in 1938 by the Nazis, he died on 6th December 1941 in Kipsdorf (Germany).

His living knowledge is no earthly learnedness. He draws it from purest and highest Sources.

As every work allows conclusions to be drawn about its author and as he thereby reveals himself, so the personality of Abd-ru-shin is to be recognised from his Work.