The Foundations of Esotericism
GA 93a
7 October 1905, Berlin
Lecture XII
When the physical body is discussed most people have a very unclear, confused idea of what it actually is. In point of fact what we have before us is not just the physical body but a combination of the physical body with higher forces. A piece of rock crystal is also physical but in its very nature this is something quite different from the human eye or heart, which are also physical. The eye and heart are parts of the physical body, but they are intermixed with man's higher members and through this, something is brought about which is completely different from other aspects of the physical. In water we find oxygen and hydrogen but they look quite different from when we see them separated. Then we are aware of their difference. In water we have before us a mixture of both. What meets us in the physical body of man is also a mixture comprised of the physical, etheric and astral bodies.
The physical human eye is similar to a camera, for, as with the camera, there appears within it a picture of the surrounding world. Only when one abstracts from the physical eye everything that is not to be found in the camera, does one discover what is the specific nature of the physical eye. So too one must abstract from the entire physical body everything that is not purely physical: only then does one have what in occultism is called the physical body. In itself it can neither live, think nor feel. There then remains a very wisely ordered, extremely complicated automaton, a purely physical apparatus. This, alone, was all there was of human existence at the Old Saturn stage. At that time the eyes were present only as little cameras. What was produced as [a] picture of the surrounding world came to the consciousness of a Deva being. In the middle of the Saturn evolution the so-called Asuras (the Archai) were sufficiently advanced to make use of the apparatus. At that time they were at the human stage. They made use of the automata and the pictures they produced. The Asuras themselves were not within the apparatus but outside and only made use of the pictures as we make use of photographic apparatus in order to take pictures of a landscape. Thus the physical body of man was at that time an architectural structure of a physical apparatus operated from outside. This is the first stage of human existence.
The second stage of development was the permeation of this physical apparatus with the etheric body. It then became a living organism. That also found expression in the configuration of the body. The automaton was built up out of a fairly firm undifferentiated mass, similar to what today is a jelly-like substance, like a soft crystal.40In Marie Steiner's notes: ‘formed out of an undifferentiated gelatinous mass like a mineral protoplasm’. In the second Round of evolution in the Old Sun existence, the physical automaton was imbued with the etheric body. In this Round the solar plexus developed. It is so called because still today only rudiments of the organ are present. It fashions a nervous system into the physical apparatus. In the case of the plant something similar is present. That is the second stage.
But these stages are not final; evolution gradually progresses. Even today the solar plexus is an active agent in certain animals which have not developed a spinal cord. All invertebrate animals are single forms from left behind stages of what was laid down earlier. It was only on the Earth that man cast out from himself the vertebrate animals. In earlier times his organism was still somewhat similar to that of the crab at the present day. Man has progressed beyond that earlier stage whereas the crab has remained stationary. It is an astonishing fact that the whole inner formation of the crab has a certain similarity to the human brain. There is actually a similarity between the internal formation of the crab and the human brain. Like the human brain the crab too is enclosed in a hard shell. After man had developed a spine and had metamorphosed the upper vertebrae, he cast off the hard shell. The crab has not developed further. It has adapted itself to its environment by means of a hard shell that it had to have and which serves the same purpose as does the protective covering of the whole body in man.
The third stage is that in which the whole is transformed by the astral body working within it. This organic transformation is connected with the development of the heart and the circulation of the blood. The heart of the fish has remained stationary at a halfway stage.41Fish have a heart with two compartments consisting of atrium and ventricle. The development of the heart is proportionate to the degree in which there is an increase in the inner warmth of the body; this signifies nothing other than a drawing of the astral into the body.
The spinal cord with the brain is the organ of the ego. This is surrounded by the threefold protective sheath of the astral, etheric and physical bodies. After the organ of the ego (spinal cord and brain) had been prepared, the ego laid itself in the bed made ready for it, and spinal cord and brain appear as organs in the service of the ego.
The four-fold man is put together in this way. It is the Pythagorean square.
- The spinal cord and brain are the organ of the ego.
- The warm blood and the heart are the organ of Kama (astral body).
- The Solar plexus is the organ of the etheric body.
- The actual physical body is the complicated physical apparatus.
Thus has the four-fold being of man been constructed.
In occultism what we have now described is again called a spiral (Wirbel), something that builds from outside inwards and unites with what builds up from within. Physical body, etheric and astral bodies have built up the human being. Then the ego makes itself felt and this builds from within outwards. These are the four constituents of man. Here we find in the outer an imprint of the four-fold man. All further development is of such a nature that the human being, starting from this point of the ego, consciously experiences what previously he went through unconsciously.
Today, in order to realise that this is so, one must in the first place investigate what took place when our ego was being developed. In order to do this we must, as it were, take up our position under a certain organ. This is most aptly expressed in the Buddha legend. It says in the legend that Buddha remained seated under the Bodhi tree until he attained illumination in order to rise to higher stages, to Nirvana. For this Buddha had to place himself under the brain, under the organ of consciousness. That means the paths he had previously traversed unconsciously he had to traverse again consciously. Under the large brain there lies, more towards the back of the head, the small, tree shaped brain (the cerebellum). Under this brain Buddha placed himself. The cerebellum is the Bodhi tree. This shows how what is said in such profound legends is actually taken from human evolution.
Everything that is now known only by means of anatomy was at that time known in quite another way. The occult investigator made his researches with the help of the Kundalini light. The pupil was prepared for this in the following way. He came to a Master. If the latter found him trustworthy he received as instruction, not actually a teaching—today it has become different, today man must find his way by means of intellect and concepts—but the Master spoke somewhat as follows: ‘Every day for about six weeks you must spend several hours in meditation and give yourself up to some sentence of eternal value, completely sinking yourself into it.’ At present man cannot do this because life in modern civilisation makes too many demands on him. At that time the pupil meditated six to ten hours daily. He cannot do this nowadays without withdrawing from the whole life around him. At that time however the pupil required hardly any time for external needs. He found his nourishment in outer nature. He therefore made use of his time for meditation, perhaps uninterruptedly for ten hours. By this means he very soon progressed so far that he brought his body, which at that time was less dense, into such a condition that the Kundalini light was awakened within him. This is for the inner being what sunlight is for the outer world. Actually we do not see external objects, but reflected sunlight. The moment when, with the help of the Kundalini light, we can illuminate the soul, it becomes as visible as an object shone upon by the sun. So for the yoga pupil the whole inner body gradually became illuminated. All ancient anatomies were seen from within, through inner illumination. Thus the (Indian) monks, who clothed their experiences in legends, spoke of what they had perceived through the Kundalini light.
Now we must ask ourselves how the different parts of the human body are worked upon. In regard to what belongs to the brain and spinal cord, man first works consciously on the physical plane through the human ego [Gap in the text ...] He has at present no influence on anything else. He has for instance no influence on the circulation of the blood. Such things are developed by degrees. Here other beings co-operate, Deva beings, so that all creatures having a blood circulation are dependent on Deva forces for its regulation. The astral body is permeated and worked upon by different Deva forces. The lowest work on the astral body. Higher forces work on the etheric body and still higher Devas on the physical body, the most perfected body possessed by man. The astral body is strikingly less perfect than the physical body. The physical heart is indeed very clever; the stupid one is the astral body, that directs into the heart all kinds of heart poisons. The most perfect part of man is the physical body, less perfect is the etheric body and still less perfect is the astral body. What is only in its beginnings, the ‘baby’ in man, is the ego Organisation. This is the four-fold man, which contains the ego as the temple contains the statue of a god.
The whole development of human culture is nothing other than the working of the ego into the astral body, the education of the astral body. Man enters into life filled with desires, impulses and passions. In so far as he masters these impulses, desires and passions, he is working his ego into the astral body. When the Sixth Root-race, the Sixth Epoch, has reached its conclusion, the ego will have completely worked into the astral body. Until then the astral body will continue to be dependent on the support of the Deva forces. As long as the ego has not permeated the entire astral body, so long must the Deva forces support the work.
The second stage of development, which follows that of the cultural, is the development of the esoteric pupil. He works the ego into the etheric body. Through this the Deva forces are gradually released by the work of his own ego. Then he also gradually begins to see into himself.
We can now ask: what is the significance of the astral body, for what purpose does man have an astral body? It is to give him the possibility, by way of his desires, to do what otherwise he would not have done, and to betake himself to the physical plane. For before man can acquire objective knowledge on the physical plane he must direct to it his wishes and desires. Without these he would have been unable to develop an objective observation of the world or a sense of duty and morality. Only after a gradual transformation of his desires can these be changed into duties and ideals. Man can only pursue this path by means of the driving, organising power of the astral body.
The etheric body is the bearer of thoughts. What is thought within man, is etheric outside, just as what is desire within him, is astral outside. But it is only when pure thinking begins that etheric substance is radiated into the astral impulses. As long as thinking is not yet pure thinking we have astral substance surrounding the etheric form. So thought-forms, as they are called, are made out of a kernel of etheric substance surrounded by astral substance. Along the paths of the nerves stream the so-called abstract thoughts, which however are in reality the most concrete, for they are etheric forces. As soon as man even begins to think, he is already working the ego into his etheric body. When a man dies it becomes clear that the physical body has nothing to do with the ego. Every connection between the physical body and the ego is broken off after death. Previously this connection took place indirectly through the other bodies. When these are no longer there the corpse has no further relation to the ego. Then the outer Deva forces receive it and it is again absorbed into the physical environment. The word ‘verwesen’ (decay) does not mean only a passing away, but a return to the ‘Wesen’ (being) out of which the body came forth. This is what may be said in respect of the physical body. The Dutch word ‘Lichaam’ does not mean ‘Leichnam’ (corpse) but the physical body which has to be carried about.
The etheric body is to a great extent in a similar situation to the physical body. It is taken up in the same way by the Devas and then again dissolved into general circulation. But there remains from the etheric body what the human being himself has worked into it and this does not dissolve. It is this which later, at the time of reincarnation, forms a central point, around which what is to be added is crystallised. This small part of the etheric body remains present in the case of everyone. In the same way there remains from the astral body as much as the human being has worked into it. Only during the last third of the Sixth Root-Race will the entire astral body be retained by all people of normal development.
Thus development begins by man's working consciously on his astral body. The task of the Chela, the occult pupil, consists further in the transformation of his etheric body. The stage of chelahood is completed when after death the entire etheric body remains intact. The sojourn in Devachan is necessary in order to make possible a renewal of the forces of the etheric body. The small portion of the etheric body which to begin with man carries into Devachan can grow into the complete etheric body, because the necessary conditions are created there.
This makes comprehensible the varying length of the sojourn in Devachan. When the human being stands at the beginning of his development and has transformed but very little of his etheric body he can only remain in Devachan for quite a short time. The part of the etheric body that is lacking must be replaced for him by the external Devas. When he develops further he sojourns for a progressively longer time in Devachan; thus the time that he spends there increases in proportion to his own development. People, however, who are more advanced sometimes reincarnate earlier for other reasons, for instance, because they are needed in the world.
When the Chela dies, the entire etheric body is present. Thus at this stage the Chela can renounce Devachan because the etheric body has been completely worked through. Then, after quite a short time, re-birth takes place. He waits at first in the astral world, as in a place of transition, until he receives a definite mission from his Master. Then he can again take possession of his etheric body in order to reincarnate once more.
Until this stage is reached a duality is necessary for evolution, i.e. that which man is unable to develop inwardly for himself is built into him from outside. Help must be brought to him from without. Thus in Devachan the etheric body is once more made complete by external Deva powers. The Physical Plane and Devachan are polar opposites. Between them lies Kamaloka, a place of transition, a transitional stage, an intermediary condition that causes the human being to be connected with what he has worked into his astral body. The astral body leads man on to the Physical Plane, where he directs his attention outwards. Here desires are cultivated by contact with external things. When a person dies his craving for outer objects does not immediately cease, although he no longer has organs bringing him into connection with them. The desire remains but the organs are lacking. In Kamaloka he must break himself from this longing for the outer-world. Kamaloka does not actually belong to normal development; it is only a stage where habits must be relinquished. It is because man can no longer satisfy his wishes, because he no longer has organs for the physical world, that Kamaloka comes about.
When someone commits suicide he has identified his ego with the physical body. For this reason the longing for the physical body is all the more intense. It seems to him that he is like a hollow tree, like someone who has lost his ego. He then has a continual thirst for himself.
When a man is put to death by violence he is in a similar situation. In the case of someone who meets a violent death he continues seeking for his physical body until the time when he would otherwise have died. This seeking can bring about harmful reactions. In such a case it can happen that a man who meets his end by violence is filled with a terrible rage against those who have caused his death. Then in the murdered man the blow is changed into a counter blow. Thus from the astral world, the souls of Russians executed for political reasons fought against their own countrymen on the side of the Japanese. This happened in the Russo-Japanese war; it is however not a general rule.
XII
Wenn vom physischen Körper die Rede ist, haben die meisten eine sehr unklare, verworrene Vorstellung von dem, was eigentlich der physische Körper ist. Wir haben ja eigentlich nicht den rein physischen Körper, sondern eine Zusammensetzung von dem physischen Körper mit den höheren Kräften vor uns. Physisch ist auch ein Stück Bergkristall. Aber das ist dem Wesen nach etwas ganz anderes, als das menschliche Auge oder das Herz, die doch auch physisch sind. Das Auge und das Herz sind Teile des physischen Körpers, aber vermischt mit den höheren Gliedern des Menschen und dadurch wird im Physischen etwas ganz anderes bewirkt als beim übrigen Physischen. Sauerstoff und Wasserstoff haben wir auch im Wasser vor uns, aber sie sehen da ganz anders aus, als wenn wir sie beide für sich sehen oder für sich haben. Dann treten sie uns ganz anders entgegen. Im Wasser haben wir eine Mischung der beiden vor uns. Was uns nun im physischen Körper des Menschen entgegentritt, ist auch eine Mischung aus dem Physischen mit dem Äther- und dem Astralkörper.
Das physische menschliche Auge ist ähnlich einer photographischen Kamera, denn wie in der Kamera entsteht darin ein Bild der Umwelt. Wenn man nun von dem physischen Auge alles abzieht, was in der Kamera nicht entsteht, dann hat man erst das Spezifische des physischen Auges. So muß man auch von dem ganzen physischen Körper alles abziehen, was nicht rein physisch ist, dann hat man erst das, was man im Okkultismus den physischen Körper nennt. Dieser kann unmittelbar nicht leben, nicht denken, nicht fühlen. Da bleibt dann übrig ein sehr weise eingerichteter äußerst komplizierter Automat, ein rein physikalischer Apparat. Diesen ganz allein gab es nur auf der Saturnstufe des menschlichen Daseins. Damals waren die Augen nicht anders vorhanden denn als kleine Kameras. Was darin von der Umwelt als Bild entworfen wurde, kam zum Bewußtsein einer Devawesenheit. In der Mitte des Saturnkreislaufes waren die sogenannten Asuras (die Archai) reif, den Apparat zu benutzen. Diese waren dazumal auf der Stufe der Menschheit. Sie benutzten diesen Automaten und die Bilder, die darin entstanden. Sie selbst waren nicht darinnen, sondern außerhalb und benutzten nur die Bilder; ähnlich wie wir uns jetzt photographischer Apparate bedienen können, um Bilder einer Landschaft aufzunehmen. Der physische Körper des Menschen war also dazumal ein von außen aufgeführter, architektonischer Aufbau eines physikalischen Apparates. Das ist die erste Stufe des menschlichen Daseins.
Die zweite Stufe der Ausbildung war die Durcharbeitung dieses physikalischen Apparates mit dem Ätherleib. Da wurde er ein lebender Organismus. Das drückte sich dann auch aus in der Konfiguration des Körpers. Der Automat war aufgebaut aus einer ziemlich festen undifferenzierten Masse, ähnlich wie heute eine Geleemasse ist, wie ein weicher Kristall.* Im zweiten Kreislauf, in dem Sonnendasein, wurde der physische Automat nun von dem Ätherkörper durchzogen. In diesem Sonnenkreislauf entstand auch das Sonnengeflecht (Solarplexus), das darnach benannt ist, weil das ein wirkliches Organ ist, von dem heute nur noch Rudimente vorhanden sind. Es arbeitet sich ein Nervensystem in den physikalischen Apparat hinein. Bei den Pflanzen ist noch etwas Ähnliches vorhanden. Das ist die zweite Stufe.
Aber diese Stufen sind nicht abgeschlossen; die Entwickelung geht graduell weiter. Ein solches wirksames Agens ist das Sonnengeflecht auch noch heute bei den Tieren, die kein Rückenmark ausbilden. Alle wirbellosen Tiere sind noch einzelne Ausbildungen zurückgelassener Stufen desjenigen, was früher veranlagt war. Die Wirbeltiere hat der Mensch erst auf der Erde aus sich herausgesetzt. Früher war der Mensch noch ähnlich organisiert wie heute etwa der Krebs. Der Mensch ist heute über die damalige Stufe hinausgeschritten, während der Krebs stehengeblieben ist. Überraschend ist es, daß das ganze Innere des Krebses eine gewisse Ähnlichkeit mit dem menschlichen Gehirn hat. Es gibt tatsächlich eine Ähnlichkeit zwischen der inneren Krebsgestalt und dem menschlichen Gehirn. Auch der Krebs ist eingeschlossen in eine harte Schale wie das menschliche Gehirn. Nachdem der Mensch ein Rückenmark ausgebildet und die oberen Wirbel umgestaltet hatte, warf er die harte Schale ab. Der Krebs hat sich nicht weiter entwickelt. Er hat sich an die äußere Umgebung angepaßt durch eine harte Schale, die ihm das sein mußte, was dem Menschen die schützende Hülle der ganzen übrigen Körperlichkeit ist.
Die dritte Stufe ist die, auf der das Ganze umorganisiert wird von dem hineinarbeitenden Astralleib. Das Umorganisieren ist verknüpft mit der Ausbildung des Herzens und dem Durchströmen mit dem warmen Blut. Das Fischherz ist auf dem halben Wege stehengeblieben. Das Herz wird gleichmäßig in dem Maße ausgebildet als die innere Körperwärme zunimmt; das heißt nichts anderes als das Einziehen des Astralen in den Körper hinein.
Das Rückenmark mit dem Gehirn ist das Organ des Ich. Dieses ist von der dreifachen Schutzhülle des Astral-, Äther- und physischen Leibes umgeben. Nachdem das Organ des Ich (Rückenmark und Gehirn) vorbereitet worden ist, legt sich das Ich in das bereitgemachte Bett hinein und Rückenmark und Gehirn treten als Organe des Ich in dessen Dienst.
So setzt sich der vierfache Mensch zusammen. Das ist das Quadrat der Pythagoreer:
1. Das Rückenmark und das Gehirn sind das Organ des Ich.
2. Das warme Blut und das Herz sind das Organ des Kama (Astralleib).
3. Der Solarplexus (Sonnengeflecht) ist das Organ des Äther körpers.
4. Der eigentliche physische Körper ist ein komplizierter physikalischer Apparat.
So hat man den Menschen vierfach aufgebaut.
Was wir jetzt beschrieben haben, das nennt man im Okkultismus wieder einen Wirbel, etwas, das von außen hereinbaut und sich mit dem vereinigt, was innen sich aufbaut. Physischer Körper, Äther- und Astralkörper haben den Menschen aufgebaut. Dann macht sich der Punkt des Ich geltend, und dieses baut nun von innen heraus. Das sind die vier Teile des Menschen. So finden wir im Äußeren einen Abdruck des viergliedrigen Menschen. Alle Weiterentwickelung ist eine solche, daß der Mensch von diesem Punkt des Ich aus bewußt alles durchmacht, was er vorher schon unbewußt durchgemacht hat.
Um heute zu erkennen, daß das so ist, muß man zunächst erforschen, was geschehen ist, als sich unser Ich ausgebildet hat. Wir müssen da unseren Standpunkt sozusagen unterhalb eines gewissen Organes nehmen. Das ist außerordentlich geistreich ausgedrückt in der Buddha-Legende. Es heißt ja in der Legende, daß Buddha unter dem Bodhibaume verweilte, bis er zur Erleuchtung kam, um zu höheren Stufen, zum Nirvana zu gelangen. Buddha mußte dazu unter das Gehirn, unter das Organ des Bewußtseins kommen. Das heißt, die Wege, die er vorher unbewußt durchgemacht hatte, mußte er bewußt wieder durchmachen. Unter dem großen Gehirn sitzt mehr im Hinterkopf das baumförmig gebildete kleine Gehirn. Unter dieses hat sich Buddha gestellt. Das kleine Gehirn ist der Bodhibaum. Das zeigt, wie das, was so tiefe Legenden sagen, der menschlichen Entwickelung selbst entnommen ist.
Alle Dinge, die jetzt durch die Anatomie allein bekannt sind, wurden damals auf ganz andere Weise bekannt. Die okkulten Forscher untersuchten mit Hilfe des Kundalinilichtes. Ein Schüler wurde in folgender Weise darauf vorbereitet. Er kam zu einem Meister. Wurde er von diesem als zuverlässig erkannt, so bekam er als Unterricht nicht etwa eine Lehre — heute ist das anders geworden, heute muß der Mensch durch den Verstand und die Begriffe seinen Weg nehmen -, sondern der Meister sagte ihm etwa: Du mußt jeden Tag mehrere Stunden, zunächst etwa sechs Wochen lang, in Meditation verbringen und dich einem der ewigen Sätze hingeben, dich ganz in ihn vertiefen. Heutzutage kann der Mensch das nicht, weil das Leben mit der heutigen Kultur zu viele Anforderungen an ihn stellt. Damals aber meditierte der Schüler sechs bis zehn Stunden täglich. Er kann das jetzt nicht, ohne sich aus der Kultur herauszuziehen. Damals brauchte der Schüler fast keine Zeit für die Kultur. Seine Nahrung fand er drauBen. Er verwendete daher seine Zeit zur Meditation, vielleicht zehn Stunden ununterbrochen. Da kam er sehr bald dazu, daß er den damals noch nicht so dicht gewordenen Körper dahin brachte, daß im Inneren das Kundalinilicht erwachte. Dieses ist für das Innere, was für die Außenwelt das Sonnenlicht ist. In Wahrheit sehen wir auch draußen nicht Gegenstände, sondern das zurückgestrahlte Sonnenlicht. In dem Augenblicke, wo wir imstande sind, mit Hilfe des Kundalinilichtes die Seele zu beleuchten, wird die Seele so sichtbar, wie ein von der Sonne beschienener Gegenstand. So erleuchtet sich für den Jogaschüler allmählich der ganze innere Leib. Alle alten Anatomien sind von innen, durch innere Beleuchtung gesehen. So redeten die [indischen] Mönche, die ihre Erfahrungen in Legenden umsetzten, von dem, was sie durch das Kundalinilicht geschaut hatten.
Wir müssen uns jetzt fragen, wie an den verschiedenen menschlichen Teilen gearbeitet wird. An dem, was zum Gehirn und zum Rückenmark gehört, arbeitet der Mensch erst auf dem physischen Plane bewußt durch das menschliche Ich ... (Lücke im Text.) Auf anderes hat der Mensch zunächst keinen Einfluß. Er hat zum Beispiel keinen Einfluß auf den Umlauf des Blutkreislaufes. Nach und nach bilden sich erst solche Dinge heraus. Da arbeiten andere Geister, Devanaturen mit, so daß alle Wesen, sofern sie einen Blutkreislauf haben, darauf angewiesen sind, daß Devakräfte diesen regeln. Den Astralleib durchsetzen und bearbeiten äußere Devakräfte. Die niedrigsten arbeiten am Astralleibe. Höhere Kräfte arbeiten am Ätherleib und noch höhere Devas am physischen Körper, an dem vollkommensten, den der Mensch hat. Der Astralleib ist bedeutend weniger vollkommen als der physische Körper. Das physische Herz ist tatsächlich sehr gescheit, aber was dumm ist, ist der Astralkörper, der dem Herzen alle möglichen Herzgifte zuführt. Das Vollkommenste am Menschen ist der physische Leib, weniger vollkommen ist der Ätherleib, noch weniger vollkommen ist der Astralleib. Das was eben anfängt, das «Baby» im Menschen, ist das Ich. Das ist der viergliedrige Mensch, der in sich das Ich enthält, wie der Tempel die Statue eines Gottes.
Die ganze menschliche Kulturentwickelung ist nichts anderes als das Hineinarbeiten des Ich in den Astralleib, ein Ausbilden des Astralleibes. Erfüllt mit Begierden, Trieben und Leidenschaften tritt der Mensch in das Leben ein. Indem er diese Triebe, Begierden und Leidenschaften überwindet, arbeitet er das Ich in den Astralleib hinein. Wenn die sechste Wurzelrasse, das sechste Hauptzeitalter vollendet sein wird, wird das Ich ganz in den Astralleib hineingearbeitet sein. Bis dahin ist der Astralleib immerfort darauf angewiesen, von den Devakräften unterstützt zu werden. Solange das Ich nicht den ganzen Astralleib durchsetzt hat, so lange müssen Devakräfte die Arbeit unterstützen.
Die zweite Entwickelung, die auf die Kulturentwickelung folgt, ist die Entwickelung des Geheimschülers. Der arbeitet das Ich bis in den Ätherleib hinein. Dadurch werden die Devakräfte auch im Ätherleib nach und nach abgelöst von der eigenen Arbeit des Ich. Da fängt der Mensch dann auch an, sich nach und nach selbst zu durchschauen.
Wir können nun fragen, was bedeutet der Astralleib, wozu hat der Mensch einen Astralleib? - Dazu, um dem Menschen auf dem Umwege über die Begierde Veranlassung zu geben, das zu tun, was er sonst nicht getan hätte: sich auf den physischen Plan zu begeben. Denn bevor der Mensch auf dem physischen Plane objektiv erkennen kann, muß er seine Wünsche und Begierden auf ihn richten. Ohne diese hätte er nicht eine objektive Weltbetrachtung, auch nicht Pflichten und Moral entwickeln können. Erst durch eine nach und nach erfolgende Umwandlung der Begierden werden diese in Pflichten oder Ideale umgewandelt. Diesen Weg mußte der Mensch machen durch die antreibende, die organisierende Kraft des Astralleibes.
Der Ätherleib ist der Träger der Gedanken. Was Gedanke im Inneren ist, ist Äther von außen, so wie die Begierde im Inneren Astrales von außen ist. Aber erst wenn das reine Denken beginnt, wird in die Astralimpulse Äthermaterie hineingestrahlt. Solange die Gedanken noch nicht rein sind, haben wir rings um die Ätherform herum Astralmaterie. Also was man Gedankenformen nennt, ist zusammengesetzt aus einem Kern von Äthermaterie, umringt von Astralmaterie. Längs der Nervenbahnen gehen die Ströme der sogenannten abstrakten Gedanken, die aber in Wirklichkeit die allerkonkretesten sind, denn sie sind Ätherkräfte. Sobald der Mensch überhaupt anfängt zu denken, arbeitet er schon das Ich in seinen Ätherkörper hinein. Wenn der Mensch stirbt, wird es klar, daß der physische Körper mit dem Ich nichts zu tun hat. Es ist jede Leitung von diesem zum Ich nach dem Tode unterbrochen. Die Leitung fand vorher indirekt durch die anderen Körper statt. Wenn diese fort sind, hat der Leichnam gar keine Beziehung mehr zum Ich. Da nehmen ihn die äußeren Devakräfte an sich, er wird wieder in die physische Umwelt hineinorganisiert. Das Wort «verwesen» bedeutet nicht nur vergehen, sondern zu dem Wesen werden, aus dem der Körper hervorgegangen ist. Das ist bezüglich des physischen Körpers zu sagen. Das holländische Wort «lichaam» bedeutet nicht Leichnam, sondern den mitherumgetragenen physischen Körper.
Auch der Ätherkörper ist zum großen Teil noch im gleichen Fall wie der physische Körper. Er wird ebenso nach dem Tode von den Devas aufgenommen und geht dann wieder in dem allgemeinen Kreislauf auf. Aber vom Ätherkörper bleibt, was der Mensch selber hineingearbeitet hat und löst sich nicht auf. Es ist das, was später bei der Wiederverkörperung einen Mittelpunkt bildet, um den das andere sich herumkristallisiert. Dieses Stückchen bleibt bei jedem Menschen vom Ätherkörper vorhanden. Ebenso bleibt vom Astralleib so viel vorhanden, als der Mensch hineingearbeitet hat. Erst während des letzten Drittels der sechsten Wurzelrasse wird bei allen normal sich entwickelnden Menschen der ganze Astralleib erhalten bleiben.
Die Entwickelung beginnt also damit, daß der Mensch bewußt den Astralleib bearbeitet. Die Arbeit des Chela, des Geheimschülers, ist ferner, den Ätherleib umzuarbeiten. Er ist mit der Chelaschaft fertig, wenn nach dem Tode der ganze Ätherleib erhalten bleibt. Der Aufenthalt im Devachan ist nötig, um die Organisation des Ätherleibes immer wieder neu möglich zu machen. Das kleine Stückchen des Ätherleibes, welches der Mensch anfangs ins Devachan trägt, kann sich zum völligen Ätherleib auswachsen, dadurch daß die Bedingungen dazu im Devachan geschaffen werden.
Dies macht begreiflich, wie es sich mit dem Aufenthalt im Devachan verhält. Wenn der Mensch am Beginn seiner Entwickelung steht und nur ganz wenig von seinem Ätherleib umgearbeitet hat, kann er nur ganz ‚kurze Zeit im Devachan bleiben. Das fehlende Stück des Ätherleibes müssen ihm die äußeren Devas ersetzen. Wenn er sich weiter entwickelt, verweilt er immer länger im Devachan, dann nimmt die Dauer des Aufenthaltes dort zu. Die Zeit, die er dort verbringt, wächst also im Verhältnis zur eigenen Ausbildung. Weiter fortgeschrittene Menschen werden aber manchmal aus anderen Ursachen früher wieder inkarniert, zum Beispiel weil man sie in der Welt braucht.
Wenn der Chela stirbt, ist der ganze Ätherleib da. Also kann der Chela auf dieser Stufe auf Devachan verzichten, weil eben der Ätherleib vollständig ausgearbeitet ist. Dann tritt nach einer ganz kurzen Zeit eine Wiederverkörperung ein. Er wartet zunächst in der Astralwelt als in einer Übergangsstation, bis er von seinem Meister eine bestimmte Mission erhält. Dann kann er seinen Ätherleib wieder beziehen, um sich dann wieder zu verkörpern.
Bis dahin ist ein Zweifaches zur Entwickelung notwendig, nämlich daß die Dinge, die man nicht selbst im Inneren ausbilden kann, von außen hineingebaut werden. Von außen muß nachgeholfen werden. So wird im Devachan von äußeren Devamächten der Ätherleib wieder ergänzt. Gegensätze sind der physische Plan und das Devachan. Dazwischen liegt Kamaloka, eine Übergangsstation, eine Übergangsstufe, ein Zwischenzustand, der dadurch bewirkt wird, daß der Mensch zusammenhängt mit dem, worin er hineingearbeitet hat. Der Astralleib führt den Menschen auf den physischen Plan, auf dem er sich nach außen richtet. Die Begierden lernen dort an den äußeren Dingen Geschmack gewinnen. Ist der Mensch gestorben, so hört die Gier nach den äußeren Gegenständen nicht sogleich auf, obwohl er keine Organe mehr hat, um mit ihnen in Verbindung zu treten. Die Gier bleibt, aber die Organe fehlen. Dieses Begehren der äußeren Welt muß sich der Mensch im Kamaloka abgewöhnen. Das Kamaloka gehört eigentlich gar nicht zur normalen Entwickelung hinzu; es ist nur ein Abgewöhnungszustand. Weil der Mensch seine Wünsche nicht mehr physisch befriedigen kann, weil er keine Organe mehr für die physische Welt hat, deshalb tritt Kamaloka ein.
Wenn der Mensch Selbstmord begeht, hat er sein Ich mit dem Physischen Körper identifiziert. Daher entsteht nachher um so heftiger die Gier nach dem physischen Körper. Er kommt sich dann vor wie ein ausgehöhlter Baum, wie einer, der sein Ich verloren hat. Er hat dann einen fortwährenden Durst nach sich selbst.
Wenn der Mensch gewaltsam getötet wird, ist er in einer ähnlichen Lage. Bei dem Menschen, der eines gewaltsamen T'odes stirbt, bleibt bis zu der Zeit, zu der er sonst gestorben wäre, das Suchen nach seinem physischen Körper, nach seinem Selbst. Dieses Suchen kann sich in schlimmen Reaktionen geltend machen. Bei dem, der durch Gewalt getötet wird, ruft dies in gewissen Fällen eine ungeheure Wut hervor gegen die, die seinen Tod verursacht haben. So verwandelt sich bei dem Hingerichteten der Stoß in Gegenstoß. So haben von der Astralwelt aus die Seelen von Russen, die aus politischen Gründen hingerichtet worden waren, gegen die eigenen Landsleute gekämpft auf Seiten der Japaner. Das geschah im Russisch-Japanischen Krieg, es ist aber durchaus keine allgemeine Regel.
XII
When we talk about the physical body, most people have a very vague, confused idea of what the physical body actually is. We do not actually have a purely physical body, but rather a combination of the physical body and the higher forces. A piece of rock crystal is also physical. But in essence it is something completely different from the human eye or the heart, which are also physical. The eye and the heart are parts of the physical body, but they are mixed with the higher members of the human being, and this causes something completely different to happen in the physical than in the rest of the physical. We also have oxygen and hydrogen in the water before us, but they look very different there than when we see them separately or have them separately. Then they appear to us in a completely different way. In water, we have a mixture of the two before us. What now appears to us in the physical body of the human being is also a mixture of the physical with the etheric and astral bodies.
The physical human eye is similar to a photographic camera, because, as in the camera, an image of the environment is created in it. If we now subtract from the physical eye everything that is not created in the camera, we are left with what is specific to the physical eye. In the same way, if we subtract everything from the whole physical body that is not purely physical, we are left with what occultism calls the physical body. This cannot live, think, or feel directly. What remains is a very wisely designed, extremely complicated automaton, a purely physical apparatus. This existed on its own only at the Saturn stage of human existence. At that time, the eyes existed only as small cameras. What was projected into them from the environment as images came to the consciousness of a Deva being. In the middle of the Saturn cycle, the so-called Asuras (the Archai) were ready to use the apparatus. At that time, they were at the stage of humanity. They used this apparatus and the images that were created in it. They themselves were not inside it, but outside, and only used the images; similar to how we can now use photographic apparatus to capture images of a landscape. The physical body of the human being was therefore at that time an architectural structure of a physical apparatus, operated from outside. This is the first stage of human existence.
The second stage of development was the working through of this physical apparatus with the etheric body. Then it became a living organism. This was also expressed in the configuration of the body. The automaton was constructed from a fairly solid, undifferentiated mass, similar to what we now call a jelly mass, like a soft crystal.* In the second cycle, in the sun existence, the physical automaton was now permeated by the etheric body. In this sun cycle, the solar plexus also developed, which is named after it because it is a real organ of which only rudiments remain today. A nervous system works its way into the physical apparatus. Something similar is still present in plants. This is the second stage.
But these stages are not complete; development continues gradually. The solar plexus is still such an effective agent today in animals that do not develop a spinal cord. All invertebrates are still individual formations of stages left behind from what was previously predisposed. Humans first separated themselves from vertebrates on Earth. In the past, humans were organized similarly to what crabs are today. Humans have now progressed beyond that stage, while crabs have remained unchanged. It is surprising that the entire interior of a crab bears a certain resemblance to the human brain. There is indeed a similarity between the internal structure of a crab and the human brain. Like the human brain, the crab is also enclosed in a hard shell. After humans had developed a spinal cord and transformed the upper vertebrae, they shed the hard shell. The crab did not develop further. It adapted to its external environment by means of a hard shell, which had to be for it what the protective covering of the rest of the body is for humans.
The third stage is that in which the whole is reorganized by the astral body working within it. This reorganization is linked to the formation of the heart and the flow of warm blood through it. The fish heart has stopped halfway. The heart develops evenly as the inner body heat increases; this means nothing other than the astral body drawing into the physical body.
The spinal cord with the brain is the organ of the I. It is surrounded by the threefold protective shell of the astral, etheric, and physical bodies. Once the organ of the ego (spinal cord and brain) has been prepared, the ego lies down in the bed that has been made ready, and the spinal cord and brain enter into its service as organs of the ego.
This is how the fourfold human being is composed. This is the square of the Pythagoreans:
1. The spinal cord and brain are the organs of the ego.
2. Warm blood and the heart are the organs of the kama (astral body).
3. The solar plexus is the organ of the etheric body.
4. The physical body itself is a complex physical apparatus.
Thus, the human being is constructed in four parts.
What we have just described is called in occultism a vortex, something that builds from the outside and unites with what is building up inside. The physical body, the etheric body, and the astral body have built up the human being. Then the point of the I asserts itself, and this now builds from the inside out. These are the four parts of the human being. Thus, we find an imprint of the fourfold human being in the external world. All further development is such that the human being consciously experiences everything from this point of the I that he had previously experienced unconsciously.
In order to recognize that this is so today, we must first investigate what happened when our I was formed. We must take our standpoint, so to speak, below a certain organ. This is expressed in an extraordinarily witty way in the Buddha legend. The legend says that Buddha remained under the Bodhi tree until he attained enlightenment in order to reach higher stages, to attain Nirvana. To do this, Buddha had to go below the brain, below the organ of consciousness. This means that he had to consciously go through the paths he had previously gone through unconsciously. Below the large brain, more towards the back of the head, sits the small brain, which is shaped like a tree. Buddha placed himself below this. The small brain is the Bodhi tree. This shows how what such profound legends say is taken from human development itself.
All things that are now known through anatomy alone were known in a completely different way at that time. Occult researchers investigated with the help of the Kundalini light. A student was prepared for this in the following way. He came to a master. If he was recognized by the master as reliable, he did not receive a teaching as instruction — today this has changed; today, people must find their way through the intellect and concepts — but the master told him something like this: You must spend several hours every day, initially for about six weeks, in meditation and devote yourself to one of the eternal sentences, immersing yourself completely in it. Nowadays, people cannot do this because life in today's culture places too many demands on them. But in those days, the student meditated six to ten hours a day. He cannot do this now without withdrawing from culture. In those days, the student needed almost no time for culture. He found his nourishment outside. He therefore used his time for meditation, perhaps ten hours without interruption. Very soon, they were able to bring their bodies, which were not yet so dense at that time, to the point where the kundalini light awakened within. This is to the inner world what sunlight is to the outer world. In truth, we do not see objects outside either, but rather the reflected sunlight. The moment we are able to illuminate the soul with the help of the kundalini light, the soul becomes as visible as an object illuminated by the sun. In this way, the entire inner body gradually becomes illuminated for the yoga student. All ancient anatomies are seen from within, through inner illumination. This is how the [Indian] monks, who translated their experiences into legends, spoke of what they had seen through the kundalini light.
We must now ask ourselves how the various parts of the human body are worked on. Man only consciously works on what belongs to the brain and spinal cord on the physical plane through the human ego ... (Gap in the text.) Human beings initially have no influence on other things. For example, they have no influence on the circulation of the blood. Such things only develop gradually. Other spirits, devas, work together with them, so that all beings, insofar as they have a blood circulation, are dependent on devic forces to regulate it. The astral body is permeated and worked on by external devic forces. The lowest ones work on the astral body. Higher forces work on the etheric body, and even higher devas work on the physical body, the most perfect body that humans have. The astral body is significantly less perfect than the physical body. The physical heart is actually very intelligent, but what is stupid is the astral body, which supplies the heart with all kinds of heart toxins. The most perfect part of the human being is the physical body, less perfect is the etheric body, and even less perfect is the astral body. What is just beginning, the “baby” in the human being, is the I. This is the four-membered human being, which contains the I within itself, just as a temple contains the statue of a god.
The entire development of human culture is nothing other than the working of the I into the astral body, a training of the astral body. Filled with desires, drives, and passions, the human being enters into life. By overcoming these drives, desires, and passions, he works the I into the astral body. When the sixth root race, the sixth main epoch, is complete, the ego will be fully integrated into the astral body. Until then, the astral body will always need to be supported by the devic forces. As long as the ego has not permeated the entire astral body, the devic forces must support the work.
The second development, which follows cultural development, is the development of the secret disciple. He works the ego into the etheric body. As a result, the devic forces are gradually replaced by the ego's own work in the etheric body. Then the human being also begins to gradually see through himself.
We can now ask, what is the meaning of the astral body, why does the human being have an astral body? - It is to give the human being, via the detour of desire, the impetus to do what he would not otherwise have done: to enter the physical plane. For before the human being can recognize the physical plane objectively, he must direct his wishes and desires toward it. Without this, they would not have been able to develop an objective view of the world, nor duties and morals. Only through a gradual transformation of desires are these transformed into duties or ideals. Humans had to take this path through the driving, organizing power of the astral body.
The etheric body is the carrier of thoughts. What is thought on the inside is ether on the outside, just as desire on the inside is astral on the outside. But only when pure thinking begins is etheric matter radiated into the astral impulses. As long as thoughts are not yet pure, we have astral matter surrounding the etheric form. So what we call thought forms are composed of a core of etheric matter surrounded by astral matter. Along the nerve pathways flow the currents of so-called abstract thoughts, which are in reality the most concrete of all, for they are etheric forces. As soon as a person begins to think at all, the I is already working into their etheric body. When a person dies, it becomes clear that the physical body has nothing to do with the ego. Every connection between the body and the ego is severed after death. Previously, this connection took place indirectly through the other bodies. When these are gone, the corpse no longer has any connection to the ego. The external devic forces take it upon themselves, and it is reintegrated into the physical environment. The word “decay” means not only to pass away, but to become the essence from which the body originated. This applies to the physical body. The Dutch word “lichaam” does not mean corpse, but the physical body that is carried around.
The etheric body is also largely in the same situation as the physical body. After death, it is also taken up by the devas and then re-enters the general cycle. But what the human being himself has worked into the etheric body remains and does not dissolve. It is what later forms a center during reincarnation, around which the rest crystallizes. This small part remains present in every human being's etheric body. Likewise, as much of the astral body remains as the human being has worked into it. Only during the last third of the sixth root race will the entire astral body be preserved in all normally developing human beings.
Development therefore begins with the human being consciously working on the astral body. The work of the chela, the secret disciple, is also to transform the etheric body. He has completed his chelahood when, after death, the entire etheric body remains intact. The stay in Devachan is necessary in order to make the organization of the etheric body possible again and again. The small piece of the etheric body that the human being initially carries into Devachan can grow into a complete etheric body, because the conditions for this are created in Devachan.
This makes it understandable how the stay in Devachan works. When a person is at the beginning of their development and has only reworked a very small part of their etheric body, they can only stay in Devachan for a very short time. The missing part of the etheric body must be replaced by the outer devas. As they develop further, they remain in Devachan for longer and longer periods of time. The time they spend there increases in proportion to their own training. However, more advanced human beings are sometimes reincarnated earlier for other reasons, for example because they are needed in the world.
When the chela dies, the entire etheric body is present. At this stage, the chela can therefore dispense with Devachan, because the etheric body is fully developed. After a very short time, reincarnation occurs. The chela first waits in the astral world as a transitional station until he receives a specific mission from his master. Then he can reoccupy his etheric body in order to reincarnate.
Until then, two things are necessary for development: namely, that the things that cannot be developed internally must be built in from the outside. Help must come from outside. Thus, in Devachan, the etheric body is replenished by external Deva forces. The physical plane and Devachan are opposites. Between them lies Kamaloka, a transitional station, a transitional stage, an intermediate state, which is brought about by the fact that the human being is connected with what he has worked into. The astral body leads the human being to the physical plane, where he turns outward. There, the desires learn to take pleasure in external things. When a person dies, the craving for external objects does not immediately cease, even though they no longer have the organs to connect with them. The craving remains, but the organs are missing. In Kamaloka, the person must wean themselves off this desire for the external world. Kamaloka is not actually part of normal development; it is only a state of weaning. Because the human being can no longer satisfy his desires physically, because he no longer has organs for the physical world, Kamaloka sets in.
When a person commits suicide, he has identified his ego with the physical body. This is why the craving for the physical body is all the more intense afterwards. They then feel like a hollowed-out tree, like someone who has lost their ego. They then have a constant thirst for themselves.
When a person is killed violently, they are in a similar situation. A person who dies a violent death continues to search for their physical body, for their self, until the time when they would otherwise have died. This search can manifest itself in terrible reactions. In certain cases, being killed by violence provokes tremendous anger against those who caused their death. Thus, in the case of those who have been executed, the blow is transformed into a counterblow. From the astral world, the souls of Russians who had been executed for political reasons fought against their own compatriots on the side of the Japanese. This happened in the Russo-Japanese War, but it is by no means a general rule.