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Turning Points Spiritual History
GA 60

19 January 1911, Berlin

I. Zarathustra

Among the fundamental principles underlying Spiritual Science and to which your attention has been drawn in previous lectures, the most prominent is the idea of Reincarnation. According to this generally unpopular and little understood concept, it is maintained that human individuality is constrained to manifest again and again in a single personality, during its enfoldment in the course of repeated earth-lives. It has been previously pointed out that many and diverse questions are associated with this conception, and that such is the case will become more and more apparent as we proceed.

What deep meaning, we might ask, underlies the fact that the span of man’s life on earth is destined to recur, not once only, but many times, and that during each successive period between rebirth and death human individuality persists. When we study the evolution of mankind in the light of Spiritual Science, we find therein a progressive purport, a design of such nature that each age and each epoch presents in some fashion a different content, and we realize that human evolution is ever destined to maintain a definite upward trend. Thus do we become aware of a profound latent significance, when we know that the varied influences which act upon mankind are indeed potent and become absorbed over and over again by the Ego during the course of human development. A condition which is only possible because man, with all that comprises his being, is brought into contact not once alone, but recurrently, with the great living stream of evolution.

When we regard the whole evolutionary process as a rational progression, ever accompanied by fresh contents, there dawns a true comprehension of those Great Spiritual Beings who set the measure of progress. We are then able to realize the import and proper relation of these outstanding leaders, from whom have come new thoughts, experiences and impulses destined to further the advancement and progressive evolution of humanity.

During this Cycle of Lectures I shall speak of many such Spiritual Beings who have acted as guides to mankind, and at the same time bring forward and elucidate various matters connected with this subject. The first human individuality to claim our attention from such a point of view is Zarathustra, about whom, although there is much discussion in these days, little is known; for as far as external investigation goes his history is especially problematical, as it is shrouded in mystery and unrecorded in ancient documents.

When we consider the characteristics of such a personality as Zarathustra, whose gifts to mankind, as far as they are preserved for us, seem so strange to our present age, we at once realize how great is the dissimilarity in man’s whole being at different periods of earthly progress. Casual reflection might easily lead to the conclusion, that from the very beginning humanity has always had the same ideas concerning morality, the same general thoughts, feelings and conceptions as those which exist in our time. From previous lectures, however, and from others which will follow, you will know through the teachings of Spiritual Science that during man’s development great and important changes take place, especially as regards the life of the human soul, the nature of human apprehension, emotions and desires. Further, you will realize that man’s consciousness was very differently constituted in olden days; and that there is reason to believe that in the future yet other stages will be reached in which the conscious condition of mankind will vary considerably from its normal state to-day.

When we turn our attention to Zarathustra we find that we must look back over an extremely long period. According to certain modern researches, he is considered to be a contemporary of Buddha; the approximate date of his life being fixed at some six to six and a half centuries before the birth of Christianity. It is, however, a remarkable and interesting fact that other investigators of late years, after carefully studying all existing traditions concerning Zarathustra, have been driven to the conclusion that the personality concealed beneath the name of the ancient founder of Persian religion must have lived a great many centuries before the time of Buddha. Greek historians have stated over and over again that the period ascribed to Zarathustra should be put back very many, possibly five to six thousand years before the Trojan War1the date of which has been placed at about 1200 B.C.

From the above, and from what has been learned through research in many directions, we can now feel certain that historical investigators will in the end be unwillingly forced to acknowledge that the claims of Grecian scholarship regarding the great antiquity of the Zarathustran era, as indicated by ancient tradition, are justly founded and must be accepted as authentic. Spiritual Science, in its statements and theories, fully concurs with the old Greek writers who already in olden days had fixed the period of the founder of Persian religion so far back in time. We have, therefore, good reason for maintaining that Zarathustra, living as he did thousands of years before the birth of Christianity, was doubtless confronted with a very different class of human consciousness from that which exists in our present age.

It has often been pointed out, and we will again refer to this matter, that in ancient times the development of human consciousness was such that the old ‘dream state’, or ‘clairvoyant condition’ (we will avoid misusing this term, as is so often done in these days), was in every way perfectly normal to man, so that his conceptions and ideas were such that he did not contemplate the world from that narrow perceptual point of view that is so prevalent to-day.

We can best picture the impressions made by the world upon the consciousness of the ancients, if we turn our thoughts to that last enduring remnant of the old clairvoyant state, namely, dream consciousness. We all know those fluctuating dream pictures that come to us at times, the most of which carry no meaning, and are so often merely suggestive of the outer world, although there may now and then intrude some higher level of conscious thought; dream visions, which in these days we find so difficult to interpret and to understand. We might say that our sleep consciousness runs its course pictorially in ever-changing scenes, and which are at the same time symbolical. For instance, many of us have had the experience that events connected with some impressive happening—say, a conflagration—have been after a time once more figuratively manifested to us in a dream. Let us now consider for a moment this other horizon of our sleeping state, where clings in truth that last remnant of a conscious condition belonging to a by-gone age in the grey and distant past.

The consciousness of the ancients was such that in reality they lived in a life of imagery. The visions which came to them were not merely indefinite unrelated creations, for they had reference to an actual outer world. In olden days primitive man was capable of intermediate conscious states, between those which prevail when we sleep and when we are awake; then it was that he lived in the presence of the Spirit-World, and the Spirit-World entered into his being. To-day this door is closed, but in those ancient times such was not the case. It was while in this intermediate condition that man became aware of visions which resembled to some extent dream pictures, but were definite in their manifestation of a spirit life and of spiritual achievement existing beyond the perceptual world. Although in the Zarathustran era, such visions had already become somewhat confused and vague, there was nevertheless still close contact with the world of spirit, therefore these ancients could say from direct observation and experience: ‘In the same way as I realize this outer physical world and this perceptual life, even so do I know that there exists another conscious condition belonging to a different region—a spiritual realm—related to that which is material, and where I do of a verity experience and observe the workings of the Divine Spirit.’

It is a fundamental principle underlying the evolution of the human race, that in no case can any one quality be developed except at the expense of some other attribute; hence it came about that from epoch to epoch, the faculty through which in olden times mankind obtained a clear inner vision of the spiritual realms became ever less and less pronounced. Our present day exact methods of thought, our power of expression, our logic, all that we regard as the most important driving forces of modern culture did not exist in the remote past. Such faculties have been acquired during later periods at the expense of the old clairvoyant consciousness, and it is now for mankind to regain and cultivate this long-lost power. Then in the future of human evolution a time will come when in addition to man’s purely physical consciousness, his intellectuality and his logic, he will again approach the condition of the ancient seer.

We must differentiate between the upward and downward tendency of human consciousness. Evolution has a deeper meaning when we realize that in the beginning man was entirely of a spiritual realm, where he lived in the soul, and that when he descended into the physical world it was ordained that he should gradually relinquish his clairvoyant power in order that he might acquire qualities born of the existing purely physical conditions; such as intellectuality and logic. When this stage in his development has run its course he will again return to the world of spirit.
Regarding the circumstances connected with these curious clairvoyant states and experiences of the ancients we have no historical record. Zarathustra lived in that same remote age, and was one of those great leading personalities who gave immense stimulus to the advancement of culture and civilization. Such guiding personalities must ever draw from the creative source that which we may term Illumination, whereby they are initiated into the higher mysteries of the world, irrespective of the standard of normal human consciousness existing in their time. Other such outstanding personalities of whom mention will be made during these lectures are: Hermes, Buddha and Moses.

Zarathustra lived at least 8000 years before the present era, and those glorious gifts to civilization which emanated from his illumined spirit have been reflected in the great cultural progress of humanity. His influence has long ago been clearly recognized, and can be detected even to this day, by all who take note of the mysterious currents underlying the whole of human evolution.

We now realize that Zarathustra belonged essentially to those Great Ones in whose souls lived a measure of the spiritual elements of truth, wisdom and perception, far surpassing the customary standard of human consciousness of their period. His mission was to proclaim to his fellow men, in that part of the world later known as the Persian Empire, those grand truths which emanated from the superperceptual regions—a world utterly beyond the apprehension of man’s normal consciousness in that dim and distant age.

If we would understand the true significance of Zarathustra’s teachings, we must remember that it was his task to present to a certain section of humanity, in an intelligible manner, a particular world aspect; while on the other hand, various movements which had been in progress among the peoples of other regions, had given a different trend to the whole sphere of man’s culture.

The personality of Zarathustra is of special interest because he lived in a territory, contiguous upon its South side to a country which was inhabited by Indian tribes, upon whom spiritual blessings flowed in quite a different manner. When we look forward from those by-gone times we find upon the selfsame soil where dwelt these ancient Indian tribes, the peoples among whom at a later period arose the poets of the Vedas. To the North, where spread the great Brahman Doctrine, is situated that region which was permeated throughout by the powerful and compelling teachings of Zarathustra. But that which he gave to the world was in many respects fundamentally different from the teachings of the great Ieaders among the Indians, whose words have lived on in the moving poetry of the Vedas, in their profound philosophy, and has reached yet an echo in that final glorious blaze of light—The Revelation of the Buddha.

We can understand the difference between that which was born of the flow of thought from Zarathustra and the teachings of the ancient Indians, when we bear in mind that we may approach the region of the superperceptual world from two sides. Already in other lectures we have spoken of the path which man must traverse in order that he may enter into the spirit realms. There are two possible methods by which he may raise the energy of his soul, and the capacities latent in his inner being, so much above their normal level that he can pass out of this perceptual into the superperceptual world. The one method is that by which man enters or retires, more and more deeply into his soul, and thus merges himself in his very essence. The other leads behind the veil which is spread around us by our material state. Man can enter the superperceptual region by both these methods.

When we experience within our very being a deepening of all values of our spiritual feelings, conceptions and ideas—in short, of our soul impulses; when in fact we creep more and more into ourselves, so that our spiritual powers become ever stronger and stronger; then can we, as it were, in some mystic way merge ourselves within and pass through all that we hold of the physical world to our actual spirit essence—the soul Ego—which Ego continues from incarnation to incarnation, and is not perishable but everlasting. When we have overcome our lusts and passions and all those experiences of the soul which are ours because we are of the body in a physical world, then can our true being pierce the surrounding veil and for ever enter the world of spirit.

On the other hand, if we develop those powers which will enable us not merely to be sensible of the outer world with its colours, tone sensations, heat and cold; and if we so strengthen our spiritual forces that we shall be aware of that which lies beyond the colours, the sound, the heat and the cold, and all those other earthly sense-perceptions which hang as a mist about us—then will the enhanced powers of our soul take us behind the enshrouding cloud and into that boundless superperceptual region which is without confine and stretches ever into the infinite.

There is one way leading to the Spirit-World which we may term the ‘Mystical Method’, and another which is properly called ‘The Method of "Spiritual Science"‘. All great spiritual personalities have followed these paths, in order to attain to those truths and revelations which it was their mission to impress upon humanity in the form of cultural progress. In primeval times man’s development was of such nature, that great revelations could only come to the people of any particular race, through one of these methods alone. But from that period on, in which the Greeks lived, that is, at the dawn of the Christian era, these two separate thought currents commingled, and became more and more one single cultural stream. When we now speak of entering the higher spheres, we understand, that he who would penetrate into the superperceptual region, develops both qualities of power in his soul. The forces necessary to the ‘Mystical Method’ are evolved within the inner being, and those essential to the course of ‘Spiritual Science’, are strengthened while man is yet conscious of the outer world. There is to-day no longer any definite separation of these two paths, as since about the time of that epoch marked by the life of the Grecian race, these two currents have run their course together—in the one, revelation comes about through a mystic merging of man’s consciousness within his very being—in the other, the veil is torn asunder by the enhanced power of his spiritual forces, and man’s awareness stretches outward into the great cosmos.

In olden times before the Grecian or Christian era, these two possible methods were in operation separately among different peoples, and we find them working in close proximity, but in divers ways, in the Indian culture which found expression among the Vedas, on the one hand, and that of Zarathustra, further North, on the other. All that we look upon with such wonder in the ancient Indian culture, and which later found expression through Buddha, was achieved by inner contemplation, and turning away from the outer world—through causing the eyes to become less sensitive to physical colours, the ears to physical sounds, and bringing about a deadening of the sense organs in general to the perceptual veil—so that the inner soul forces might be strengthened:—Thus did man press on to Brahma, there to feel himself unified with that which ever works and weaves as the Inner Spirit of the Universe,—In this way originated the teachings of the Holy Rishis, which live on in the poetry of the Vedas, in the Vedantic philosophy, and in Buddhism.

The Doctrine of Zarathustra was, however, entirely based upon the other method above-mentioned. He taught his disciples the secret of strengthening their powers of apprehension and cognition, in order that they might pass beyond the mists surrounding the outer perceptual world. He did not say to his followers, as did the Indian teachers: ‘Turn away from the colours, and from the sounds, and from all outer sense-impressions, and seek the path to the spiritual realms only through the merging of yourselves within your very souls’,—but he spoke thus:—‘Strengthen your powers of perception, in order that you may look around upon all things, the plants, the animals, that which lives in the air and in the water, upon the mountains, and in the depths of the valleys, and cast your eyes upon the world.’ We know that the disciples of the Indian mystics regarded this earth upon which we live as merely maya (illusion), and turned from it in order to attain to Brahma. On the other hand, Zarathustra counselled his followers not to draw away from the material world, but to pass outward and beyond it, so that they might say:—‘Whenever we experience perceptual manifestations in the outer physical world, we realize that therein lie concealed and beyond our sense perceptions the workings and achievements of the spirit.’

It is remarkable that the two paths should have been thus united in early Grecian times, and just because in that period true spiritual knowledge was more profound than in our day (which we are inclined to regard as so amazingly enlightened!) all things found expression in imagery, and the images gave rise to Mythology. Thus do we find these two thought currents commingled and fostered in the Grecian culture—The Mystical tending inward, and the Zarathustran outward into the great cosmos.

That such was the case becomes evident from the fact, that one of these paths was named after Dionysos, that mysterious god who was reached when man merged himself ever deeper and deeper within his inner being, there to find a questionable sub-human element, as yet unknown, and from which he first developed into man. It was this unclean and half-animal residue to which was given the name of Dionysos. On the other hand, all that comes to us when we regard our physical sense perceptions from a purely spiritual standpoint, was termed Apollo. Thus we find in ancient Greece, in the Apollo current of thought, the teaching of Zarathustra; and in the Dionysos current, the doctrine of mystical contemplation, side by side in contrast. In Greece they united and operated conjointly—the Zarathustran and the Mystical Methods, those methods which had been at their highest level, working separately, in the days of the ancient Indians.

Here we might say, that already in olden times these two thought currents were destined to commingle in the coming Grecian cults of Apollo and Dionysos, and thenceforward they would continue as one; so that in our present cultural period, when we raise ourselves to a certain spiritual understanding, we find them still unified and enduring.

It is very remarkable, and one of the many riddles which present themselves to the thinking mind, that Nietzsche in his first work, The Birth of Tragedy from the Spirit of Music, gave evidence of a vague suspicion that in the Grecian creeds of Dionysos and Apollo, the Mystical current meets the stream of scientific spiritual thought.

A further matter of interest lies in the fact, that Zarathustra actually taught his disciples to recognize in detail, the hidden workings of the Spirit in all material things, and from this starting-point the whole of his gifts to culture emanated. He emphasized that it was not sufficient for man merely to say:—‘There before us spreads a material world, behind which ever works and weaves the Divine Spirit.’ Such a statement might appear at first sight full of significance, it leads, however, only to a general pantheistic outlook, and means nothing more, than that some vague nebulous spirit underlies all material phenomena. Zarathustra, like all other great personalities of the past who were exalted and had direct contact with the Spirit-World, did not present these matters to his followers and the people in any such indefinite and abstract manner; he pointed out, that in the same way as individual physical happenings vary in import, so is it with the latent spiritual factor, it being sometimes of greater and sometimes of less moment. He further stated that the sun, regarded purely from the physical point of view as a member of the stellar system, is the source of all earthly phenomena, life, and activity, while concealed within is the centre of spiritual existence in so far as we are immediately concerned.

These things Zarathustra impressed earnestly and clearly upon his disciples, and, using simple words, we can picture him as addressing them somewhat as follows:—‘When you regard man, you must realize that he does not only consist of a material body—such is but an outer expression of the spirit which is within. Even as the physical covering is a manifestation in condensed and crystallized form of the true spiritual man, so is the sun which appears to us as a light-giving mass when considered as such, merely the external manifestation of an inner spiritual sun.’ In the same way as we term the human spirit element as distinguished from the physical, The Aura, to use an ancient expression, so do we call the all-embracing hidden spiritual part of the sun, The Great Aura (Aura Mazda); in contradistinction to man’s spiritual component, which is sometimes called the Little Aura.

Now, Zarathustra named all that lies hidden within and beyond man’s mere apprehension of the physical sun—‘Aura Mazda’ or ‘Ahura Mazdao’—and considered this element as important to our spiritual experiences and conditions, as is the physical sun to the wellbeing of plants and animals, and all that lives upon the face of the earth. There behind the physical sun lies the Spiritual Master—The Creator—‘Ahura Mazdao’ or ‘Aura Mazda’, and from ‘Ahura Mazdao’ came the name, ‘Ormuzd’, or, ‘The Spirit of Light’.

While the Indians mystically searched their inner being, in order to attain to Brahma—The Eternal—who shines outward as a point of light from within man’s essence, Zarathustra urged his disciples to turn their eyes upon the great periphery of existence, and pointed out that there within the body of the sun, dwells the great Solar Spirit—Ahura Mazdao—‘The Spirit of Light’. He taught them that, just in the same way as when man strives to raise his spirit to perfection, so must he ever battle against his lower passions and desires, against the delusive images suggested by possible deception and falsehood, and all those antagonistic influences within, which continually oppose his spiritual impulses. Thus must ‘Ahura Mazdao’ face the opposition of ‘The Spirit of Darkness’—‘Angra Mainyus’ or ‘Ahriman’.

We can now realize how the great Zarathustran conception could be evolved from experiences born of sensations and sense contents. Through these, Zarathustra could advance his disciples to a point where he could make clear to them that:—Within man there is a ‘Perfecting Principle’, which tells him that whatever may be his present condition this principle will work persistently within, and through it he may raise himself ever higher and higher; but at the same time there also operate impulses and inclinations, deceit and falsehood, all tending towards imperfection. This Perfecting Principle must therefore be developed and expanded, in order that the world may be destined to attain to wiser and more advanced states of perfection; it is the ‘Principle of Ahura Mazdao’, and is assailed throughout the whole world by Ahriman—‘The Spirit of Darkness’—who through imperfection and evil brings shadows into the light. By following the method above outlined, Zarathustra’s disciples were enabled to realize and to feel, that in truth each individual man is an image of the outer universe.

We must not seek the true significance of such teaching in theories, concepts and ideas; but in active vivid consciousness and in the sensations impressed when through it man realizes that he is so related to the universe that he can say:—‘As I stand here, I am a small world, and as such I am a replica of the Great Cosmos.’ Just as we have within us a principle of perfection, and another which is antagonistic, so throughout the universe is Ormuzd opposed by Ahriman. In these teachings the whole cosmos is represented as typical of a widespread human being; the forces of greatest virtue are termed Ahura Mazdao, while against these operate the powers of Angra Mainyus.

When a man realizes that he is in direct contact with the workings of the universe and the attendant physical phenomena, but can only apprehend the perceptual, then as he begins to gain spiritual experience, a feeling of awe may come over him (especially if he is materialistic in thought) when he learns through Spectrum Analysis, that the same matter which exists upon the earth is found in the most distant stars. It is the same with Zarathustranism, when man feels that his spiritual part is merged in that of the whole cosmos, and that he has indeed emanated from its great spirit. Herein lies the true significance of such a doctrine, which was not merely abstract in character, but on the contrary wholly concrete.

In this present age it is most difficult to make people understand (even when they have a certain sense for the spiritual that lies behind the perceptual) that it is necessary to a true and spiritually scientific view of the cosmos, that there be more than one central unity of spirit-power. But even as we distinguish between the separate forces in Nature, such as Heat, Light, and Chemical forces, so in the world of spirit must we recognize not merely one centralized power (whose existence is not denied) but we must differentiate between it and certain subservient uplifting forces, whose spheres of action are more circumscribed than are those of the all-embracing spirit. Thus it was that Zarathustra made a distinction between the omnipotent Ormuzd, and those spirit beings by whom he was served.

Before we turn to a consideration of these subservient spirit entities, we must draw attention to the fact that the Zarathustran theory was not a mere Dualism—a simple doctrine of two worlds—the worlds of Ormuzd and of Ahriman; but that it maintained that underlying this double flux of cosmic influence, is a definite unity—a single power—which gave birth to both The Realm of Light (Ormuzd) and to The Realm of Darkness (Ahriman). It is not easy to gain a right understanding of Zarathustra’s conception concerning this ‘Unity’ underlying Ormuzd and Ahriman. With reference to this point the Greek authors state that the ancient Persians worshipped, and regarded as a ‘Living Unity’, that which lay beyond the light, and which Zarathustra termed ‘Zervane Akarene’. How can we gain a comprehension of what Zarathustra in his teachings meant by ‘Zervane Akarene’ or ‘Zaruana Akarana’?

Let us consider for a moment the course of evolution; this we must regard as of such nature, that all beings tend towards greater and greater perfection. So that if we look into the future, we see more and more of the radiance from the Light-Realms of Ormuzd; but if we turn our eyes upon the past, we realize how the powers of Ahriman, which oppose Ormuzd, are circumstanced; and we then know that with the passing of time, these must be conquered and for ever ended.

We will now picture to ourselves that the path into the future and that into the past each lead to the same point; a conception which present-day man finds most difficult to grasp. Let us take as an example a circle; if we pass along the circumference from the lowest point in one direction, we come to the opposite point above, if, however, we go along the other side, we come to the same point. When we consider a larger circle, then the circumference is flatter, and we must traverse a greater distance in each case. We will now suppose a circle to expand ever more and more, then ultimately the path on either side becomes a straight line, and is infinite. But just before the circle becomes infinite we would reach the same point whether we went by the one path or the other. Why, then, should not the same happen when the circumference is so flattened that the periphery becomes a straight line? In this case the point at infinity on the one must be identical with that on the other, and therefore we must be able to travel to it, from the lowest point in one sense (say, positive), and return as if coming from the opposite (negative) direction. This means that when our conception is infinite, we have a straight line extending without limit on either side, but which is in reality the circumference of an infinite circle.

The abstraction given above lies at the basis of Zarathustra’s conception of what he termed Zaruana Akarana. Here, with regard to time, we look in one direction into the future, in the other into the past, and when we consider an infinite period time closes in upon itself as in a circle. This self-contained and infinite time circle is symbolically represented as a serpent eternally biting its own tail, and into it is woven upon the one side, The Power of Light, shedding upon us continually a greater and greater radiance; and upon the other, The Power of Darkness, becoming ever more and more profound. When we are midway, then is the light (Ormuzd) intermingled with the shadows (Ahriman); all is interwoven in the self-embracing infinite Flux of Time, ‘Zaruana Akarana’.

There is something more about this ancient cosmic conception; its basic ideas were treated seriously, there were no mere vague statements such as:—‘Without and remote from all that is material in this perceptual world, beyond those things which affect our eyes, our ears, and sense organs in general—abides The Spirit’. But it was definitely asserted, that in everything which could be seen and apprehended, therein could be discerned something of the nature of spirit signs, or a manifestation of the Spirit-World.

If we take a sheet of paper upon which are inscribed alphabetical characters, these may be combined into words; but we must first have learnt how to read. Without this ability no one could read about Zarathustra; for they would merely perceive certain characters which could only be followed with the eyes. Actual reading can only take place after it is clearly understood how to connect such characters with that which is within the soul. Now, Zarathustra discerned a written sign underlying all that was in the perceptual world, particularly in the manner in which the stars are grouped in the universe. Just as we recognize written characters upon paper, so did Zarathustra descry in the starry firmament something similar to letters, conveying a message from the Spirit-World. Hence, arose an art of penetrating into the World of Spirit, and of deciphering the signs indicated by the arrangement of the stars, and of finding a method of reading and construing from their movements and order, in what manner and way those spiritual beings that are without, inscribe the facts concerning their activities in space.

Zarathustra and his disciples had a paramount interest in these matters. To them it was a most important sign that Ahura Mazdao, in order to accomplish his creations and to reveal his message to the world, should (in the language of Modern Astronomy) ‘describe a circular path’. This fact was regarded as a sign traced in the heavens indicating in what manner Ahura Mazdao worked, and the relation which his activities bore to the universe as a whole. It is important that Zarathustra was able to point out that the constellations of the Zodiac, taken together as forming a closed curve in space, should symbolize a continuous and also retroactive time flux; and we can realize that there is indeed a most profound significance underlying the statement, that one branch of this time-curve stretches outward into the future, while the other leads backward into the remote past. Zaruana Akarana is that bright band of stars, later known as the Zodiac, that self-contained time-line ever traversed by Ormuzd, The Spirit of Light. In other words, the passage of the sun across the constellations of the Zodiac is an expression of the activity of Ormuzd; while the Zodiac itself is the symbol of Zaruana Akarana. In reality, Zaruana Akarana and The Zodiac are identical terms, just in the same way as are Ormuzd and Ahura Mazdao.

There are two special circumstances to be considered in this connection. First, when the passage of the sun through the Zodiac takes place while it is light, as in the summer. At such time the solar radiance falls full upon the earth, bringing with it the power emanating from those spiritual forces ever flowing outward from the Light-Realms of Ormuzd. That part of the Zodiac traversed by Ahura Mazdao in the daytime, or during the summer, denotes the manner in which He works and weaves unhindered by Ahriman. On the other hand, those Zodiacal constellations which lie far beneath the horizon—dark regions through which we might picture the passage of Angra Mainyus—are symbolical of the Kingdom of The Shadows.

We have stated that Zarathustra regarded Ormuzd as associated with the bright sections of the Zodiac (Zaruana Akarana), while he looked upon Ahriman as connected with the gloom. In what way do the activities of Ormuzd and Ahriman find expression in our material world? In order to understand this point we must realize that the effect of the solar rays is different in the morning from that at noon; varying as the sun ascends from Aries to Taurus, and again during its descent toward the horizon. The influence exerted is not the same in winter as in summer, and differs with every passing sign of the Zodiac. Zarathustra regarded the changing aspects of the sun in connection with the Zodiacal constellations as symbolical of the activities of Ormuzd proceeding from different directions, and from which came those spiritual beings that are both His servants and His sons, and who are ready at all times to execute His commands. These are the ‘Amschaspands’ or ‘Ameschas Pentas’, subservient entities, to each of whom is allotted some special duty.

While Ormuzd controls all active functions in the Light-Realms, the Amschaspands undertake that specific work which finds expression in the transmission of the sun’s light when in Aries, Taurus, Cancer, etc. But the true vital activity of Ormuzd is manifested in the full radiance of the sun, shining throughout all bright signs of the Zodiac, from Aries to Libra or Scorpio. Following the Zarathustran line of thought, we might say:—‘It is as though the evil powers of Ahriman came through the earth from those dark regions where abide his servants—his own Amschaspands—who are opposed to the good genii standing by the side of Ormuzd.’ Zarathustra actually distinguished between twelve different subservient spirit entities; six or seven on the side of Ormuzd, and five or six on that of Ahriman. These are regarded as typical of good or evil genii (Amaschas Pentas—lower spirits), according as to whether their influence comes with the sun’s rays from the bright Signs of the Zodiac, or emanates from those which are in gloom.

Goethe had the subservient spirits of Ormuzd in mind when he wrote the following words at the beginning of Faust in the ‘Prologue of Heaven’:

‘But ye, God’s sons in love and duty,
Enjoy the rich, the ever-living Beauty!
Creative Power, that works eternal schemes,
Clasp you in bonds of love, relaxing never,
And what in wavering apparition gleams
Fix in its place with thoughts that stand for ever!’2Doch ihr, die echten Göttersöhne,
Erfreut euch der lebendig reichen Schöne!
Das Werdende, das ewig wirkt und lebt,
Umfass euch mit der Liebe holden Schranken,
Und was in schwankender Erscheinung schwebt,
Befestiget mit dauernden Gedanken.

(Trans: BAYARD TAYLOR)

From the above it is apparent that the conception which Goethe formed of ‘God’s sons’ as the servants of the Highest Divine Power, is similar to Zarathustra’s concept concerning the Amschaspands, of which, as already stated, he recognized twelve different kinds. Again, subservient to these Amschaspand entities, according to Zarathustranism, are yet lower orders of spiritual powers or forces, among which some twenty-eight separate types are usually distinguished. These are the so-called ‘Izarads’ or ‘Izeds’; the number of different classes into which they may be divided is, however, indeterminate, being variously estimated from twenty-four up to twenty-eight, and even as high as thirty-one. There is yet a third division of spiritual powers or forces, termed by Zarathustra ‘Ferruhars’ or ‘Frawaschars’. According to our conceptions, the Ferruhars have the least influence of any upon our tendencies and dispositions in the material world, and are regarded as that spiritual element which permeates the great macrocosm, and underlies all perceptual physical activity. They are the reality behind everything of which we are conscious and appears to us as merely external and material.

While we picture the Amschaspands as controlling the twelve forces which are at work during all physical effects engendered by the action of light, and the Izeds, as governing those which influence the animal kingdom, so do we consider the Ferruhars, in addition to possessing the quality above-mentioned, as spiritual entities having under their guidance the ‘Group-Souls’ of animals.

Thus did Zarathustra discern a specialized realm beyond this perceptual universe—a perfectly organized superperceptual world—and his concept was absolutely definite, and in no sense of the nature of an abstraction. Behind Ormuzd and Ahriman he pictured Zaruana Akarana, further the good and bad Amschaspands, below these the Izeds, and lastly the Ferruhars.

Man, as he is fashioned, is a replica in miniature of the great universe, and therefore all forces operative in the cosmos must be present in some manner within his being. Just as the benevolent powers of Ormuzd are expressed during that inner struggle to attain to perfection, and the unclean forces of Ahriman are in evidence while there is gloom and temptation, so do we find also the trace of other spiritual powers—those of the lower genii.

I will now make a definite statement, which when viewed from the standpoint of modern cosmic ideas, is liable to awaken bitter feeling, namely:—I assert that before long it will be discovered and recognized by external science, that a superperceptual element underlies all physical phenomena, and that latent spirit exists in everything that comes within the limits of our sense perceptions. Further, that science will be driven to admit, that in the physical structure of man there is much that is a counterpart of those forces which permeate and spread life throughout the whole universe, and which flow into the body, there to become condensed.

Let us go back to the Zarathustran Doctrine, which in many ways is similar to that of Spiritual Science. According to its concepts, Ormuzd and Ahriman are regarded as influencing mankind from without. Ormuzd being the source of inward impulses toward perfection, while Ahriman is ever in opposition. The Amschaspands also exert spiritual activity, if we consider their forces as being, so to speak, condensed in man, then it should be possible to trace and recognize their action to the point of physical expression.

In Zarathustra’s time, anatomy, as we understand it to-day, did not exist. Zarathustra and his disciples, by means of their spiritual insight, actually saw the cosmic streams to which reference has been made; they appeared to them in the form of twelve cosmic outpourings, flooding in upon man, there to maintain activity. Thus it came about that the human head was regarded by Zarathustra’s followers as a symbol of the inflowing of the seven good, and five evil, Amschaspands. Within man we have a continuance of the Amschaspand flux; how, then, is this flux to be recognized at this much later period? The anatomist has discovered that there are twelve principal pairs of brain nerves, which pass from the brain into the body. These are the physical counterparts, as it were, of the twelve condensed Amschaspand out-flowings, namely, twelve pairs of nerves of extreme potency in bringing about either the highest perfection, or the greatest evil. Here, then, we find reappearing in our present age, but transformed into material terms, that concept which had come to Zarathustra from the Spirit-World, and which he preached to his disciples.

There is, however, in all this a point of controversy. It is so easy for anyone in our day to maintain that the statements of Spiritual Science become wholly fantastical when it is alleged that Zarathustra, speaking of twelve Amschaspands, had in mind something connected with the twelve pairs of nerves which are in the human head! But the time will come when the world will gain yet another item of knowledge, for it will be discovered in what manner, and form the spirit, which permeates and lives throughout the universe, continues active in man.

The old Zarathustranism has arisen once again in our modern physiology. For in the same way as the twenty-eight to thirty-one Izeds are the servants of the Amschaspands, so are the twenty-eight spinal nerves subordinate to those of the brain. Again, the Izeds, who are present in the outer universe as a spirit flux, enter the human body, and their sphere of action is in those nerves which stimulate the lower soul-life of man; in these nerves they crystallize, as it were, and assume a condensed form. And where the Ized-flux, as such, entirely ceases, and the term ‘nerve’ can no longer be applied, is the actual centre where our personality receives its crowning touch. Further, those of our thoughts which rise slightly above mere cognition and simple brain action, are typical of the Frawaschars or Ferruhars.

Our present period is connected in a remarkable manner with the Doctrine of Zarathustra. Through his teachings and by means of his spiritual archetypes, Zarathustra was enabled to enlighten his people regarding those regions which spread beyond the perceptual world, while his imagery was ever as a flowing contact with that which lies hidden behind the veil. With reference to this great doctrine it is most significant that after it had acted as an inspiration to humanity for a long period, always tending to promote greater and greater effort in various directions of cultural progress—only to lose its influence from time to time—there should arise once more, in our day, a marked tendency toward a mystical current of thought.

It was the same with the Greeks after the two methods of approach to the Spirit-World had commingled, for they also, at times, showed a preference for either the mystical or the Spiritual Scientific thought current. It is owing to the modern predominating interest in mysticism that many people find themselves drawn towards the Indian Spiritual Science, or Method of Contemplation. Hence it is, that the most essential and deeply significant aspects of Zarathustranism—in fact, its very essence—hardly appear in the spiritual life of our time, although there is abundant evidence of the nature of Zarathustra’s concepts and his methods of thought. But all that lies at the very base, and is absolutely vital to his doctrine, is in a sense lost to our age.

When once we realize that in Zarathustranism is contained the spiritual prototype of so many things which we have rediscovered in the domain of physical research (numerous examples of which might be quoted), and of others that will be rediscovered later, then will a fundamental chord in our culture give place to one which will be founded upon the old Zarathustran teachings. It is remarkable that the profound attention which Zarathustranism paid to macrocosmic phenomena caused the world to recede, as it were, or appear of less moment; while in nearly all other beliefs with which a flood of mystical culture is associated, the outer world plays an important part, this is also the case in our materialism.

That great fundamental concept concerning two opposing basic qualities, and which recurs again and again throughout the religious doctrines of the world, we regard in the following manner; we consider it as symbolized by the antithesis of the sexes—the male and the female—so that in the old religious systems which were founded upon mysticism, the Gods and Goddesses were in reality, antithetical symbols of two opposing currents which flow throughout the universe. It is amazing that the teachings of Zarathustra should rise above these conceptions, and picture the origin of spiritual activity in so different a manner, portraying the good, as the resplendent, and the evil as the shadows.

Hence, the chaste beauty of Zarathustranism and its nobility, which transcends all those petty ideas which play so ugly a part in our time, when any endeavour is made to deepen man’s conception of spiritual life. Where the Greek writers state that the Supreme Deity in order to create Ormuzd, must also create Ahriman, so that He should obtain an antithesis; then, since Ahriman opposed Ormuzd, we have an example of how one primordial force is conceived as set against another. This same idea finds expression in the Hebrew, where evil comes upon the world through the woman—Eve—but we find nothing in Zarathustranism concerning ills that the world suffered through the antithesis of the sexes.

All those hateful ideas which are disseminated throughout our daily literature, pervading our very thoughts and feelings, distorting the true significance of the phenomena of disease and health, while failing to comprehend the intrinsic facts of life, will disappear, when that wholly different concept, the antithesis exhibited by Ormuzd and Ahriman—a conception so lofty and so powerful when compared with present-day paltry notions—is once more voiced in the words of Zarathustra, and enters to permeate and influence our modern culture. In this world, all things pursue their appointed course, and nothing can hinder the ultimate triumph of Zarathustran conceptions, which will, little by little, insinuate themselves into the life of the people.

When we look upon Zarathustra in this way, we realize that he was indeed a Spirit, who in bygone times brought potent impulses to bear upon human culture. That such was the case becomes evident, if we but follow the course of subsequent events which took place in Asia Minor, and later among the people of Assyria and Babylonia, on down to the Egyptian period, and further even to the time of the spreading of Christianity. Everywhere we find in different lines of thought something which may be traced back, and shown to have its origin in that Great Light, which Zarathustra set blazing for humanity.

We can now understand how it was that a certain Greek writer (who wished to emphasize the fact that some among the Leaders had always given their people instruction in matters that they would only require at a later period in their culture) should have stated, that while Pythagoras had obtained all the knowledge that he could from the Egyptians concerning the methods of Geometry, from the Phænicians concerning Arithmetic, and from the Chaldeans concerning Astronomy—he was forced to turn to the successors of Zarathustra, in order to learn the secret teachings regarding the relation of humanity to the Spirit-World, and to obtain a true understanding of the proper conduct of life. The writer who made these statements regarding Pythagoras further asserts that the Zarathustran method for the conduct of life leads us beyond antitheses, and that all antitheses can be considered as culminating in the one great contrast of Good and Evil, which opposing condition can be finally absorbed, only by the purging away of all evil, falsehood and deceit. For instance, the worst enemy of Ormuzd is regarded as that one which bears the name of Calumny, and Calumny is one of the outstanding characteristics of Ahriman. The same writer states that Pythagoras failed to find the purest and most ideal ethical practice, namely, the one directed toward the moral purification of man, among either the Egyptians, the Phænicians, or the Chaldeans; and that he had again to turn to Zarathustra’s successors, in order to acquire that lofty conception of the universe which leads mankind to the earnest belief that through self-purification alone may evil be overcome. Thus did the great nobility and oneness of Zarathustra’s teachings become recognized among the ancients.

We would here mention that the statements made in this lecture are supported in every case by independent historical research; and we should carefully weigh all assertions coming from the representatives of other sciences, and judge for ourselves, whether or no they are in accord with our fundamental concepts. For instance, take the case of Plutarch, when he said that in the sense of Zarathustranism, the essence of Light as it affects the earth, is regarded as of supreme loveliness, and that its spiritual counterpart is Truth. Here is a definite statement made by an ancient historian, which is in complete agreement with all that has been said. We shall also find as we proceed that many historical events become clear and understandable when we take into consideration the various factors to which we have drawn attention.

Let us now go back to the ancient Vedantic conception; this was based upon the mystical merging of man within his very being; but before he can attain to the inner Light of Brahma, he must meet with, and pass through, those passions and desires which are induced by wild semi-human impulses that are within him, and which are opposed to that mystical withdrawal within the spirit-soul, and into the eternal inner being. The Indian came to the conclusion that this could only be accomplished, if pending his mystic merging in Brahma, he could successfully eliminate all that we experience in the perceptual world which stimulates sensuous desires, and allures through colours and through sounds. Just so long as these play a part during our meditations, so long do we keep within us, an enemy opposed to our mystical attainment to perfection.

The Indian teacher said:—‘Put away from yourselves all that can enter the soul through the powers that are external; merge yourselves solely within your very being—descend to the Devas—and when you have vanquished the lower Devas, then will you find yourselves within the kingdom of the Deva of Brahma; but shun the realm of the Asuras, whence come those malignant ones who would thrust themselves upon you from the outer world of Maya; from all such you must turn away, whatsoever may befall.’

Zarathustra, on the other hand, spoke to his disciples after this fashion:—‘Those who follow the leaders among the people of the South can make no advance along the path which they have chosen, because of the different order of their search after those things which are of the Spirit; in such manner can no nation make headway. The call is not alone to mystic contemplation and to dreaming, but to live in a world which provides freely of all that is needful—man’s mission lies with the art of agriculture, and the promotion of civilization. You must not regard all things as merely Maya, but you must penetrate that veil of colours, and of sounds, which is spread around you; and avoid everything that may be of the nature of the Devas, and which because of your inner egoism, would hold you in its grasp. The region wherein abide the lower Asuras must be traversed, through this you must force your way, even up to the highest; but since your being has been especially organized and adapted to this intent, you must ever shun the dark realms of the Devas.’

In India, the teaching of the Rishis was otherwise, for they said to their followers:—‘Your beings are not suitably organized to seek that which lies within the Kingdom of the Asuras—therefore avoid this region and descend to that of the Devas.’

Such was the difference between the Indian and Persian culture. The Indian peoples were taught that they must shun the Asuras and regard them as evil spirits; this was because through the method of their culture they were only aware of the lower Asuras; the Persians, on the other hand, who found only low types of Devas in the Devas regions were adjured by their leaders thus:—‘Enter the Kingdom of the Asuras, for you are so constituted that you may attain even unto the highest of them.’

There lay within the impulse that Zarathustra gave to mankind a great fervour, which found expression when he said:—‘I have a gift to bestow upon humanity which shall endure and live throughout the ages, and will smooth the upward path, overcoming all false doctrines, which are but obstacles diverting man from his struggle toward the attainment of perfection.’ Thus did Zarathustra feel himself to be the servant of Ahura Mazdao, and as such he experienced personally the opposition of Ahriman, over whose principles his teachings should enable mankind to achieve a sweeping victory. This conviction he expressed in impressive and beautiful words, to which reference is found in ancient documents. These, however, were necessarily inscribed at a later date; but what Spiritual Science tells us concerning Zarathustra and his pronouncements comes from other sources. Throughout all his telling adjurations there rings forth the inner impulse of his mission, and we feel the power of that great passion which overcame him, when, as the opponent of Ahriman and the Principle of Darkness, he said:—‘I will speak! draw nigh and listen unto me, ye that come with longing from afar, and ye from near at hand—mark my words!—No more shall he, the Evil One, this false teacher, conquer the Spirit of Good. Too long hath his vile breath bemingled human voice and human speech. But now I will denounce him in the words which The Highest—The First One—has put into my mouth, the words which Ahura Mazdao has spoken. To him who will not harken unto my words, and who will not heed that which I say unto you—to him will come evil—and that, ere ever the world hath ended its cycles.’

Thus spoke Zarathustra, and we can but feel that he had something to impart to humanity, which would leave its impress throughout all later cultural periods. Those among us who have understanding and will but pay attention to that which persists in our time, even if only dimly apparent, who will note with spiritual discernment the tenor of our culture, can even yet, after thousands of years, recognize the echo of the Zarathustran teachings. Hence it is that we number Zarathustra among Great Leaders such as Hermes, Buddha, Moses, and others, about whom we shall have much to say in subsequent lectures. The spiritual gifts possessed by these Great Ones, and the position which they occupied among men, are indicated, and fitly expressed in the following words:—

‘God sends us Spirits that shine as stars,
From the spheres of eternal love.
May we behold that glorious light,
They reflect from the realms above.’3Es leuchten gleich Sternen
Am Himmel des ewigen Seins
Die gottgesandten Geister.
Gelingen möge es alien Menschenseelen,
Im Reiche des Erdenseins
Zu schauen ihrer Flammen Licht!

Zarathustra

Unter den Feststellungen der Geisteswissenschaft, auf die im Verlaufe der bereits stattgefundenen Vorträge dieses Zyklus hingewiesen werden durfte, findet sich vor allen Dingen die Idee der wiederholten Erdenleben, das heißt jene heute ja wenig beliebte und verstandene Idee davon, daß sich die menschliche Individualität immer wieder und wieder in einer einzelnen menschlichen Persönlichkeit im Laufe der Menschheitsentwickelung der Erde auszuleben hat. Wir haben gesehen und werden noch sehen, wie sich mancherlei Fragen an diese Idee knüpfen. Unter diesen Fragen wird aber eine sein, die sich bezieht auf die Bedeutung dieser wiederholten Erdenleben. Man könnte nämlich fragen: Was hat es denn für eine Bedeutung, daß die menschliche Individualität nicht nur einmal dieses Leben zwischen Geburt und Tod durchläuft, sondern immer wieder und wieder? Wenn man aber auf der anderen Seite die menschliche Erdenentwickelung im Sinne der Geisteswissenschaft betrachtet und findet, daß in dieser menschlichen Entwickelung ein fortschreitender Sinn enthalten ist, daß jede Epoche, jedes neue Zeitalter in einer gewissen Beziehung doch einen andern Inhalt darbietet und die Menschenentwickelung in einer aufsteigenden Linie ist, — so erscheint es einem bedeutungsvoll, daß diese mannigfaltigen Möglichkeiten des Lebens, diese vielen Inhalte des Lebens, die auf uns einströmen können im Laufe der Menschheitsentwickelung, eben wirklich von dem menschlichen Wesenskern auch immer wieder und wieder in sich aufgenommen werden. Das aber ist nur möglich, wenn der Mensch mit alledem, was er wesenhaft ist, nicht bloß einmal, sondern viele Male mit dem lebendigen Strome der ErdentwickeJlung verknüpft ist. Wenn wir so diese ganze menschliche Entwickelung der Erdenmenschheit als ein sinnvolles Fortschreiten mit Herauskehrung eines immer neuen Inhaltes betrachten, erscheinen uns erst diejenigen geistigen Größen in ihrer rechten Bedeutung, welche in den verschiedenen Epochen als die tonangebenden, als die eigentlich führenden zu gelten haben, als diejenigen, von denen in einer gewissen Beziehung neuer Inhalt, neue Impulse für die fortschreitende Entwickelung der Menschheit ausgehen. Mit einer Anzahl von solchen führenden Wesenheiten der Menschheitsentwickelung wollen wir uns im Zusammenhange mit anderen Fragen in diesem Winterzyklus beschäftigen. Heute sei die Aufgabe gestellt, auf eine solche führende Menschheitsindividualität hinzuweisen, die in einer gewissen Weise ganz besonders rätselhaft für die äußere Geschichtsforschung dasteht, sich auch für dieselbe in einem grauen, nicht mehr durch äußere Dokumente erreichbaren Altertum verliert: auf die viel besprochene, aber heute noch wenig erkannte Persönlichkeit des Zarathustra.

Gerade an einer solchen Persönlichkeit, wie Zarathustra es war, die in allem, was sie der Menschheit gegeben hat, was von ihr erhalten ist, das heutige Zeitalter schon so fremdartig anmutet, kann man sehen, wie groß die Unterschiede werden in bezug auf die ganze menschliche Wesenheit, wenn wir die verschiedenen Zeitalter der Menschheit in Betracht ziehen. Ein kurzsichtiger Blick mag sich leicht denken: wie der Mensch heute ist, wie er heute denkt, empfindet, vorstellt, wie er heute moralisch fühlt, so hat er im wesentlichen gefühlt, solange er Mensch ist. Die Geisteswissenschaft aber zeigt uns — das geht schon aus den bisher gehaltenen Vorträgen hervor und wird auch aus den folgenden hervorgehen —, daß gerade das menschliche Seelenleben, die Art des Empfindens, Fühlens und Wollens im Laufe der Menschheitsentwickelung großen, bedeutungsvollen Veränderungen unterworfen ist, daß das menschliche Bewußtsein in alten Zeiten ganz anders war, und daß wir Grund zu der Annahme haben, daß in der Zukunft wieder andere Stufen dieses Bewußtseins erreicht werden, als die ist, auf der heute die normale Menschheit lebt.

Wenn wir nun den Blick auf Zarathustra lenken, so ist es im Grunde genommen eine weite, weite Zeitstrecke, die wir von unserem Zeitpunkt aus zurückblicken müssen. Allerdings machen zwar gewisse neuere Forschungen den Zarathustra zu einem Zeitgenossen des Buddha, so daß er also etwa sechs oder sechseinhalb Jahrhunderte vor der Erscheinung des Christentums auf die Erde zu versetzen wäre. Allein hier ist die bemerkenswerte Tatsache zu verzeichnen, daß die Forschung auch in den letzten Jahren, indem sie aufmerksam alles verfolgt hat, was an Überlieferungen über Zarathustra vorhanden ist, darauf hat hinweisen müssen, daß doch diejenige Persönlichkeit, die sich hinter dem Namen des Zarathustra, des alten persischen Religionsstifters, verbirgt, viele, viele Jahrhunderte vor den Buddha zu setzen ist. Griechische Geschichtsschreiber weisen immer wieder und wieder darauf hin, daß man Zarathustra hinaufzuversetzen hat weit — etwa fünf- bis sechstausend Jahre weit in die Zeit vor den Trojanischen Krieg. Man kann schon aus dem, was die äußere Forschung auf vielen Gebieten erfahren hat, den Schluß ziehen: die äußere Geschichtsforschung wird sich zwar schwer dazu entschließen, wird aber doch zuletzt — auch durch die Dokumente — genötigt sein dasjenige anzuerkennen, was die griechische Wissenschaft, die griechische Überlieferung aufbewahrt hat über das weite Zurückliegen des Zeitalters des Zarathustra. Die Geisteswissenschaft muß aus ihren Voraussetzungen heraus tatsächlich auch das Leben des persischen Religionsstifters, des Zarathustra, so weit zurückverlegen, als dies griechische Schriftsteller schon im Altertum getan haben. Dann aber haben wir ein Recht, darauf hinzuweisen, wie Zarathustra, wenn er Jahrtausende vor dem Eintritt des Christentums in der Welt gelebt hat, vor einer ganz andern Art des menschlichen Bewußtseins gestanden haben mag.

Nun ist schon öfters darauf hingewiesen worden und wird noch weiter ausgeführt werden, daß die Entwickelung des menschlichen Bewußtseins so geschehen ist, daß traumhafte, hellseherische - das Wort soll hier nicht so mißbraucht werden, wie es auf vielen Gebieten heute der Fall ist — Zustände in alten Zeiten die Bewußtseinszustände des eigentlichen normalen Menschen waren, so daß der Mensch nicht so die Welt in Begriffen und Ideen, in streng umgrenzten sinnlichen Wahrnehmungen gesehen hat, wie er sie heute sieht. Man bekommt am besten ein Bild davon, wie der Mensch in Urzeiten die Welt um sich herum in sein Bewußtsein aufgenommen hat, wenn man an die letzten Reste des alten Urbewußtseins denkt: an das Traumbewußtsein. Jedem sind die auf- und abwogenden, heute zum größten Teil für das menschliche Bewußtsein sinnlosen Traumbilder bekannt, die oft nur Reminiszenzen der äußeren Welt sind, obwohl auch höhere Bewußtseinsarten hineinragen können, die aber der heutige Mensch schwer zu deuten versteht. Das Traumbewußtsein — können wir sagen — verläuft bildhaft, in schnell wechselnden Bildern, aber zu gleicher Zeit symbolisch. Wer würde nicht erfahren haben, wie der Eindruck, das ganze Ereignis eines Feuers sich sinnbildlich im Traume offenbart? Lenken Sie einmal den Blick auf dieses andersartige Bewußtsein, auf diesen andersartigen Bewußtseinshorizont, wie er im Traume vorhanden ist; so wie er da vorhanden ist, ist er nur der letzte Rest eines uralten Menschheitsbewußtseins. Aber dieses uralte Bewußtsein war so, daß der Mensch in der Tat in einer Art von Bildern lebte. Diese Bilder bezogen sich nicht auf Unbestimmtes oder auf nichts, sondern auf eine reale Außenwelt. Es gab in den Bewußtseinszuständen der alten Menschheit zwischen Wachen und Schlafen Zwischenzustände, und in diesen Zwischenzuständen lebte der Mensch gegenüber der geistigen Welt. Diese geistige Welt kam herein in sein Bewußtsein. Heute ist das Tor der geistigen Welt gegenüber dem normalen Menschenbewußtsein verschlossen. In alten Zeiten war dies nicht so. Da hatte der Mensch die Zwischenzustände zwischen Wachen und Schlafen; dann sah er in Bildern, die zwar den Traumbildern ähnlich waren, aber eindeutig geistiges Wesen und geistiges Weben darstellten, wie es hinter der physisch-sinnlichen Welt ist. So daß der Mensch in alten Zeiten wirklich — wenn auch zu Zarathustras Zeiten schon ziemlich undeutlich und unbestimmt — dennoch aber eine unmittelbare Beobachtung und Erfahrung der geistigen Welt hatte und sagen konnte: Ebenso wie ich die äußere physische Welt und das sinnliche Leben sehe, ebenso weiß ich, daß es Erfahrungen und Beobachtungen eines anderen Bewußtseinszustandes gibt, daß eine andere Welt, eine geistige, dem Sinnlichen zugrunde liegt.

Der Sinn der Menschheitsentwickelung besteht darin, daß von Epoche zu Epoche immer geringer und geringer die Fähigkeit des Menschen wurde, hineinzuschauen in die geistige Welt, weil sich die Fähigkeiten so entwickeln, daß immer die eine auf Kosten der anderen erkauft werden muß. Unser heutiges exaktes Denken, unser Vorstellungsvermögen, unsere Logik, alles, was wir als die wichtigsten Triebräder unserer Kultur bezeichnen, war damals nicht vorhanden. Das mußte sich der Mensch erst in jener Epoche, die auch schon die unsrige ist, auf Kosten des alten hellseherischen Bewußtseinszustandes erkaufen. Das hat der Mensch heute auszubilden. Und in der zukünftigen Menschheitsentwickelung wird dann zu dem rein physischen Bewußtsein mit der Intellektualität und der Logik wieder hinzukommen der alte Hellseherzustand. Ein Abstieg und ein Aufstieg ist also in bezug auf das menschliche Bewußtsein zu unterscheiden. Ein tiefer Sinn liegt in der Entwickelung, wenn wir sagen: Der Mensch lebte erst mit seinem ganzen Seelenleben noch in einer geistigen Welt drinnen, stieg dann herunter in die physische Welt und mußte dazu das alte hellseherische Bewußtsein aufgeben, damit er sich in Anlehnung an die physische Welt — erzogen durch die rein physische Welt — die Intellektualität, die Logik aneignen konnte, um dann in der Zukunft wieder hinaufzusteigen in die geistige Welt.

Nun liegt allerdings das, was die Menschen geschichtlich innerhalb ihres alten, eben geschilderten Bewußtseinszustandes durchgemacht haben, vor den Zeiten, aus denen äußere geschichtliche Nachrichten vorhanden sind. Aber Zarathustra fällt auch in die Zeit, in welche noch nicht geschichtliche Nachrichten hinaufreichen, und Zarathustra ist eine der großen führenden Persönlichkeiten, welche die Anregungen für die großen Kulturfortschritte der Menschheit gegeben haben. Solche führenden Persönlichkeiten müssen immer, ob das normale Menschheitsbewußtsein auf dieser oder jener Stufe steht, aus dem schöpfen, was man die Erleuchtung, die Einweihung in die höheren Geheimnisse der Welt nennen kann. Und zu jenen Persönlichkeiten, die wir im Laufe dieser Vorträge betrachten werden — Hermes, Buddha, Moses — gehört nun auch Zarathustra. Er steht jedenfalls mindestens achttausend Jahre vor unserem jetzigen Zeitpunkt in der Menschheitsentwickelung, und was er an Großem, Gewaltigem aus einem erleuchteten Geiste heraus der Menschheit gegeben hat, ist lange Zeit unter den allerwirksamsten Kulturgütern der Menschheit deutlich vernehmbar gewesen. Das kann auch heute noch derjenige wahrnehmen, der die geheimeren Strömungen in der ganzen Menschheitsentwickelung beachtet. Zarathustra gehört wesenhaft zu denen, die in ihrer Seele Wahrheiten, Weistümer, Anschauungen zu erleben hatten, die weit über das normale Menschheitsbewußtsein ihrer Zeit hinausgingen. Wahrheiten also aus den übersinnlichen Welten, aus jenen Gebieten der übersinnlichen Welten, die weit hinaus liegen über alles, was das normale Menschenbewußtsein seiner Zeit schauen konnte, hatte Zarathustra seinen Mitmenschen in jenem Lande, wo sich später das persische Reich ausbreitete, zu verkünden.

Wenn man nun verstehen will, was Zarathustra für die Menschheit bedeutet, muß man sich darüber klar sein, daß er einem gewissen Teil der Menschheit, einem ganz bestimmten Bruchteile der Menschen eine gewisse Art von Weltanschauung, von Weltverstehen zu überliefern hatte, während in der Tat andere Menschenströmungen, andere Völker, andere Menschheitsgebiete eine andere Art von Weltanschauung sozusagen in das Gesamtgebiet der Menschheitskultur hineinzutragen hatten. Und Zarathustras Persönlichkeit ist uns deshalb so interessant, weil er innerhalb eines Völkergebietes lebte, das nach Süden hin unmittelbar an ein anderes Volksgebiet anstieß, das in ganz anderer Weise geistige Güter, geistige Strömungen der Menschheit zu schenken hatte. Da haben wir, indem wir in jene alten Zeiten hinaufblicken, auf dem Boden des alten Indiens diejenigen Völker, deren Nachkommen später die Vedensänger unter sich gesehen haben. Und nordwärts von diesem Gebiet, auf dem sich die große Brahman-Lehre ausgebreitet hatte, haben wir dasjenige Volksgebiet zu suchen, das durchströmt war von dem mächtigen Impuls des Zarathustra. Aber in einer gewissen Weise grundverschieden war das, was Zarathustra der Welt zu geben hatte, von dem, was die Lehrer, die großen führenden Persönlichkeiten den alten Indern zu geben hatten, was dann aufbewahrt ist in den hinreißenden Gesängen der Veden, in der tiefgründigen Vedanta-Philosophie, und was noch nachklingt wie in einem letzten großen Aufleuchten in der Offenbarung des großen Buddha.

Nun versteht man nur den Unterschied zwischen dem, was von der Strömung des alten Indien und was von der Strömung des Zarathustrismus ausging, wenn man ins Auge faßt, daß der Mensch von zwei Seiten her in das Gebiet der übersinnlichen Welt kommen kann. Es ist im Laufe dieser Vorträge über die Frage gesprochen worden, wie der Mensch in eine geistige Welt kommt. Es gibt nun zwei Möglichkeiten, durch die der Mensch die Kräfte seiner Seele, die Fähigkeiten seines Inneren so über den normalen Zustand hinaufheben kann, daß er aus der sinnlichen Welt in die übersinnliche Welt hinaufgelangen kann. Man kann den einen Weg als den bezeichnen, durch welchen der Mensch immer mehr und mehr in die eigene Seele hineinsteigt, sich vertieft in seine eigene Seele; den anderen kann man so darstellen, daß man sagt, er führt den Menschen über das, was als der Teppich der physisch-sinnlichen Welt um uns herum ausgebreitet ist, führt ihn hinter diesen Teppich der physischen Welt. Man kommt auf beiden Wegen in das übersinnliche Gebiet. Wenn wir in einem intimen inneren Erleben alles, was wir in der Seele an inneren Gefühlswerten, an Vorstellungs- und Ideenwerten, kurz, an Impulsen in der Seele haben, vertiefen — sozusagen in uns selber immer mehr und mehr hineinschlüpfen, so daß die Kräfte unseres Innern immer stärker und stärker werden —, dann können wir gleichsam mystisch in uns untertauchen und durch das, was in uns selber der physischen Welt angehört, zu dem durchdringen, was unser eigentlicher geistig-seelischer Wesenskern ist, der von Verkörperung zu Verkörperung geht und gegenüber dem Vergänglichen ein Unvergängliches ist. Wir dringen dann in die geistige Welt unseres eigenen Inneren ein. Indem wir den Schleier unseres eigenen Inneren durchdringen, indem wir das, was an Begierden, Leidenschaften und inneren Seelenerlebnissen in uns lebt und uns nur dadurch eigen ist, daß wir in dieser physischen Welt in einem physischen Leibe verkörpert sind, durchdringen und in unser Ewiges untertauchen, gelangen wir in eine geistige Welt. Aber auch wenn wir auf der anderen Seite diejenigen Kräfte entwickeln, die nicht nur auf die äußere Welt hinschauen und Farben sehen, Töne hören, äußere Wärme- oder Kälteeindrücke empfangen, sondern wenn wir unsere geistigen Kräfte so machtvoll machen, daß sie hinter die Farben, hinter den Ton, hinter Wärme und Kälte und die andern Sinneseindrücke dringen können, die sich wie ein Teppich um uns herum ausbreiten, dann dringen die Kräfte, die in unserer Seele verstärkt sind, hinter den Schleier der Außenwelt in das übersinnliche Reich, das sich ins Unendliche, man möchte sagen, in unendliche Fernen ausbreitet.

So gibt es einen Weg, den wir den mystischen nennen können, und so gibt es einen Weg, der durchdringend den Schleier des Sinnlichen in die Weiten des Kosmos führt, den wir den eigentlich geisteswissenschafllichen nennen können. Auf diesen zwei Wegen sind alle die großen geistigen Persönlichkeiten zu Wahrheiten und Offenbarungen gekommen, die sie den Menschen als Kulturfortschritte einzuimpfen hatten. Nur war in uralten Zeiten die Entwickelung der Menschen so, daß immer einem bestimmten Volkstum nur auf einem dieser Wege die großen Offenbarungen zukommen konnten. Erst von dem Zeitalter an, in welchem die Griechen gelebt haben, in das dann auch der Aufgang, die Entstehung des Christentums hineinfällt, rinnen gleichsam die beiden Strömungen zusammen und wurden immer mehr und mehr eine Kulturströmung. Wenn wir heute reden von dem Betreten der höheren Welten, reden wir so, daß der, welcher zu den übersinnlichen Welten hinaufdringen will, gewissermaßen beide Kräftearten in seiner Seele entwickelt, sowohl die Kräfte für den mystischen Weg in das eigene Innere, wie auch für den geisteswissenschaftlichen Weg in die Außenwelt. Heute werden die beiden Wege nicht mehr streng voneinander geschieden, denn es liegt im Sinne der Menschheitsentwickelung, daß ungefähr um die Epoche, die durch das Griechenvolk bezeichnet wird, diese beiden Ströme zusammenfließen: der, welcher seine Offenbarungen empfängt durch die mystische Versenkung in das eigene Innere, und der, welcher seine Offenbarungen empfängt durch Stärkung der geistigen Kräfte hinausführend in den großen Kosmos. In der vorgriechischen oder in der vorchristlichen Zeit aber war es so, daß diese beiden Möglichkeiten auf verschiedene Volkstümer verteilt waren, und sie treten uns — räumlich eng zusammengestellt — in uralten vorgriechischen und vorchristlichen Zeiten entgegen in der indischen Kultur, die in den Veden ihren Ausdruck gefunden hat, und in der ZarathustraKultur mehr im Norden. Denn alles, was wir in der indischen Kultur bewundern, was auch noch in Buddha zum Ausdruck gekommen ist, ist erlangt durch innere Versenkung, durch Hinwegwendung des Blickes von der äußeren Welt, durch Abtötung des Auges für die sinnlichen Farben, des Ohres für die sinnlichen Töne, der äußeren Organe für den Sinnesteppich überhaupt und durch Stärkung der inneren Seelenkräfte, um herunterzudringen zu Brahman, in dem sich der Mensch eins fühlt mit dem, was für alle Zeit webt als das Innere der Welt. Daraus sind die Lehren der alten heiligen Rishis entsprungen, die in den Veden dichterisch weiterleben, die in der Vedanta-Philosophie und im Buddhismus weiterleben. Aus der anderen Art ist der Zarathustrismus entsprungen.

Zarathustra hatte seinen Schülern namentlich das Geheimnis davon überliefert, wie man die Erkenntniskräfte des Menschen stärkt, damit sie den Schleier der äußeren Sinneswelt durchdringen. Nicht lehrte Zarathustra wie die Lehrer Indiens: Wendet den Blick ab von den Farben, von den Tönen, von den äußeren Sinneseindrücken und suchet den Weg zum Geistigen lediglich durch Versenkung in euer Seeleninneres! — sondern er sagte: Stärkt die Erkenntniskräfte so, daß ihr hinausschauen könnt auf alles, was als Pflanze und Tier, was in Luft und Wasser lebt, auf Bergeshöhen und in Talestiefen! Schaut hin auf diese Welt! — Wie wir wissen, war diese Welt für den Schüler der indischen Mystik doch nur Maja, um den Blick dorthin zu wenden, wo man Brahman findet. Zarathustra lehrte seine Schüler, daß sie den Blick nicht abwenden von dieser Welt, sondern sie durchdringen, daß sie sich sagen: Überall, wo wir in der äußeren Welt sinnlich-physische Offenbarungen sehen, ist dahinter — außer uns — wirkend und webend Geistiges! — Das ist der andere Weg. Merkwürdig kommen in der griechischen Zeit die beiden Wege zusammen. Und weil in der Erkenntnis, die wahrhaftig in bezug auf Geistiges tiefer ging als in unserer Zeit, die es so herrlich weit gebracht haben will, alles ausgedrückt wird durch Bilder, die in die Mythen übergegangen sind, so finden wir auch, wie die beiden Strömungen — die eine, die mystische in das eigene Innere, und die andere nach außen in den Kosmos — in der griechischen Kultur zusammengekommen sind, sich getroffen haben und gleichzeitig gepflegt worden sind. Das kommt darin zum Ausdruck, wie man den einen Weg auf den Namen des Dionysos, des geheimnisvollen Gottes getauft hat, der gefunden werden kann, wenn der Mensch immer tiefer und tiefer in sein Inneres untertaucht und dort jenes fragliche Untermenschliche findet, das er früher nicht gehabt hat, aus dem er sich erst heraufentwickelt hat zum Menschen. Es ist das, was da noch ungeläutert, noch halb tierisch ist, getauft auf den Namen des Dionysos. Das aber, was uns entgegentritt, wenn wir die Welt durchschauen, wenn wir das, was uns physisch für die Sinne entgegentritt, geistig schauen, ist getauft auf den Namen des Apollo. Daher treten uns in der Apollo-Strömung die ZarathustraLehre und in der Dionysos-Strömung die Lehre der mystischen Versenkung im Griechentum nebeneinander entgegen. Da vereinigen sie sich, da strömen sie zusammen, der Zarathustrismus und die mystische Lehre, die uns auf ihren Höhen im alten Indertum entgegenkommt. So waren die alten Zeiten dazu berufen, sozusagen zwei Ströme nebeneinanderlaufen zu lassen, und im apollinischen und im dionysischen Glaubenskreise Griechenlands strömten beide zusammen, um dann einheitlich weiterzufließen, so daß sie in unserer Kultur, wenn wir uns zum Geistigen erheben, einheitlich weiterleben.

Es ist ganz merkwürdig — und das gehört zu den vieJlen Rätseln, die dem Denker aufgegeben werden —, daß Nietzsche davon eine Ahnung hatte — allerdings nicht mehr — und in seiner ersten Schrift «Die Geburt der Tragödie aus dem Geiste der Musik» begründete, daß dieser dionysische und apollinische Glaubenskreis Griechenlands sich als die geisteswissenschaftliche und als die mystische Strömung begegnen.

Nun ist es interessant zu sehen, wie in der Tat Zarathustra in allen Einzelheiten seine Schüler und damit die ganze Kultur, die von ihm den Ausgangspunkt nahm, lehrte, hinter allem Sinnlichen den Geist zu sehen. Da handelt es sich darum, daß es nicht genügt, wenn man sagt: Vor uns breitet sich die Sinneswelt aus, und dahinter webt das Geistig-Göttliche. Man fühlt sich dabei vielleicht ganz besonders bedeutend, arbeitet aber damit nur auf einen allgemeinen Pantheismus hin. Man denkt, daß man schon etwas getan hat, wenn man sagt: Hinter allem Sinnlichen webt ein Göttliches — das heißt ein verschwommenes, nebuloses Geistiges hinter allen physischen Erscheinungen im allgemeinen zugibt. In einer solchen abstrakten verschwommenen und nebulosen Weise sprach ein Mensch wie Zarathustra, der wirklich in eine geistige Welt hinaufgestiegen war, nicht zu seinen Schülern und zu seinem Volke; sondern er wies darauf hin: so wie sich die einzelnen sinnlichen Erscheinungen unterscheiden, wie die eine bedeutender, die andere unbedeutender ist, so ist auch das Geistige, das dahinter ist, entsprechend den einzelnen Erscheinungen bald bedeutender, bald unbedeutender. Da wies er dann darauf hin, daß hinter dem Physischen der Sonne, die — rein in bezug auf die physische Anschauung unseres Weltsystems — zum Beispiel den Ursprung alles Lebens, aller Erscheinungen und Tätigkeiten enthält, sich verbirgt der Mittelpunkt des geistigen Lebens, insofern uns dieses geistige Leben zunächst angeht.

Es sagte Zarathustra, wenn wir etwa das, was er in eindringlichen Lehren seinen Schülern klarmachen wollte, in einfache Worte fassen: Seht, wie der Mensch, der vor uns steht, nicht allein der physische Leib ist, denn der ist nur der äußere Ausdruck des Geistes. Aber wie der physische Leib nur die Offenbarung, die Kristallisation des geistigen Menschen ist, so ist die Sonne, die uns als physischer Lichtkörper erscheint, insofern sie ein solcher physischer Lichtkörper ist, nur der äußere Körper eines Geistigen, gleichsam einer Geistessonne. — Und wie man das, was der Geistesmensch gegenüber dem physischen Menschen ist, als seine Aura bezeichnen kann — als Aura oder Ahura, wenn man den alten Ausdruck gebrauchen will —, so kann man das, was hinter der physischen Sonne ist, als «große Aura», als eine umfassende Aura bezeichnen, wogegen das, was hinter dem physischen Menschen als Geistiges ist, die «kleine Aura» ist! Deshalb nannte Zarathustra das, was hinter der physischen Sonne ist, die «Große Aura», Auramazda oder Ahura Mazdao. Das war das Geistige hinter der Sonne, dasjenige, was uns in bezug auf alle geistigen Ereignisse, alle geistigen Seinszustände ebenso angeht wie die physische Sonne in bezug auf das Gedeihen der Pflanzen, Tiere und alles Lebens auf der Erde. Hinter der physischen Sonne der geistige Herr und Schöpfer, Ahura Mazdao, Auramazda! Daraus wurde dann der Name Ormuzd oder «Geist des Lichtes». Während also die Inder mystisch in ihr Inneres hineinblickten, um so zu Brahman, zu dem Ewigen zu kommen, das wie in einem Punkte aus dem Inneren des Menschen herausleuchtet, wies Zarathustra seine Schüler hin auf die große Peripherie des Daseins und zeigte, wie in dem Sonnenleib der große Geist der Sonne, Ahura Mazdao, der Geist des Lichtes vorhanden ist. Und wie im Menschen sein eigentlicher Geistesmensch hinaufstrebt zur Vervollkommnung, aber gegen sich die niederen Leidenschaften und Begierden hat, die Möglichkeit, den Trugbildern der Lüge und Unwahrheit ausgesetzt zu sein, — wie der Mensch so den Gegner der eigenen Vervollkommnungsimpulse in sich hat,so hat Ahura Mazdao sich gegenüber den Gegner,denGeist der Finsternis; Angro-Mainyush, Ahriman.

Da sehen wir, wie sich des großen Zarathustra Anschauung auch umwandeln konnte aus einer Lehre in einen Empfindungs- und Gefühlsinhalt. Dadurch konnte er seine Schüler so weit bringen, daß er ihnen klarmachen konnte: Da steht ihr als Menschen mit einem Vervollkommnungsprinzip im Innern, das euch sagt: wie ich auch jetzt sein mag — das Prinzip zur Vervollkommnung in mir wird so wirken, daß der Mensch immer höher und höher kommen kann. Aber in diesem Innern arbeiten die zum Unvollkommenen führenden Neigungen und Triebe, Lug und Trug. Was so im Menschen ist, das ist ausgebreitet, expansiert als das Prinzip der Vervollkommnung, das immer höhere und höhere, immer weisere und weisere Vervollkommnungszustände in die Welt bringen muß: das Prinzip von Ahura Mazdao. Dieses Prinzip wird zunächst überall draußen in der Welt von dem bekämpft, was Unvollkommenheit, was das Böse, was den Schatten in das Licht hineinbringt: von Angro-Mainyush, von Ahriman!-So sahen und fühlten die Zarathustra-Schüler wirklich in dem einzelnen Menschen ein Abbild dessen, was die Welt draußen darstellt. Wir müssen das eigentlich Bedeutungsvolle einer solchen Lehre nicht in ihren Theorien, nicht in ihren Begriffen und Ideen suchen, sondern in dem lebendigen Gefühl und in der Empfindung, die sie durchdringt, wenn durch sie der Mensch so zum Weltall steht, daß er sich sagt: Ich stehe hier, bin’ eine kleine Welt, bin aber als kleine Welt wie ein Abdruck einer großen Welt. Wie wir hier als Menschen in uns ein Prinzip zum Guten haben und etwas, was diesem entgegenarbeitet, so stehen sich in der großen Welt gegenüber Ormuzd und Ahriman. Die ganze Welt ist gleichsam ein ausgebreiteter Mensch, und die besten Kräfte sind die, welche wir als Ahura Mazdao bezeichnen, denen dann entgegenarbeiten die Kräfte des Angro-Mainyush.

So wie der Mensch, der nur das Sinnliche ins Auge faßt, mit seinen physischen Vorgängen sich in den ganzen Weltenprozeß hineingestellt findet und — selbst wenn er materialistisch denkt, aber nur zu fühlen beginnt — eine heilige Scheu haben kann, wenn er zum Beispiel durch die Spektralanalyse erfährt: dieselben Stoffe, die hier auf der Erde sind, existieren auf den fernsten Sternen, — so fühlte sich der Mensch im Sinne des Zarathustrismus mit seinem geistigen Teil in den Geist der ganzen Welt hineinversenkt, fühlte sich aus ihm herausgeboren. Und darin liegt das Bedeutungsvolle einer solchen geistigen Lehre.

Nun blieb aber diese Lehre durchaus nicht etwas Abstraktes, im Gegenteil, sie wurde etwas ganz Konkretes. Es ist für das heutige Zeitalter, selbst wenn die Menschen ein gewisses Gefühl für das Geistige haben, das hinter dem Sinnlichen steht, schon recht schwer begreiflich zu machen, wie eine wirklich geisteswissenschaftliche Weltanschauung nicht nur eine einheitliche zentrale Geistesmacht braucht. Wie wir aber die einzelnen Naturkräfte unterscheiden müssen — Wärme, Licht, chemische Kräfte und so weiter —, so müssen wir auch in der Welt des Geistigen nicht bloß einen einheitlichen Geist unterscheiden, der wahrhaftig dadurch nicht geleugnet wird, sondern geistige Unterkräfte, geistige «Hilfskräfte», deren Gebiet dann enger umgrenzt ist als das Gebiet des allumfassenden Geistes. So unterschied denn auch Zarathustra von diesem allumfassenden Ormuzd sozusagen die Diener, die dienenden geistigen Wesenheiten des Ormuzd. Bevor wir aber zu diesen dienenden geistigen Wesenheiten heruntersteigen, wollen wir noch auf eines aufmerksam machen, darauf nämlich, daß diese Zarathustra-Anschauung nicht etwa ein bloßer Dualismus ist, eine bloße Zwei-Welten-Lehre, eine Lehre von der Welt des Ormuzd und der Welt des Ahriman; sondern sie ist schon eine Lehre davon, daß diesen zwei Weltenströmungen etwas Einheitliches zugrunde liegt, eine einheitliche Macht, aus der wieder hervorgeht sowohl das Reich des Lichtes wie das Reich des Schattens, das Reich des Ormuzd wie das des Ahriman. Es ist nun sehr schwierig, einen Begriff davon hervorzurufen, was Zarathustra als das Einheitliche hinter Ormuzd und Ahriman ansah, von dem uns schon die griechischen Schriftsteller sagten, daß die alten Perser es als das in Einheitlichkeit Lebende verehrten, und was Zarathustra nannte «Zeruane akarene», das ist, was hinter dem Licht steht. Wodurch können wir uns einen Begriff für das schaffen, was Zarathustra und die Zarathustra-Lehre unter «Zeruane akarene» oder «Zaruana akarana» versteht?

Denken wir uns einmal den Verlauf der Entwickelung. Wir müssen uns vorstellen, daß die Entwickelung gegen die Zukunft hin so verläuft, daß die Wesen immer vollkommener und vollkommener werden, so daß wir, wenn wir in die Zukunft blicken, immer mehr und mehr den Schein des Lichtreiches, des Ormuzd, sehen. Wenn wir in die Vergangenheit den Blick richten, sehen wir, wie da die Kräfte liegen, welche mit der Zeit völlig aufhören müssen, die besiegt werden müssen, so daß wir da in die dem Ormuzd gegnerischen Kräfte, in die ahrimanischen Kräfte hereinblicken. Nun hat man sich vorzustellen, daß dieser Blick sowohl in die Zukunft wie in die Vergangenheit zu demselben Punkte führt. Das ist eine Vorstellung, die für den heutigen Menschen außerordentlich schwer zu vollziehen ist. Denken wir uns dazu einen Kreis: wenn wir von dem untersten Punkte nach der einen Seite gehen, kommen wir zu dem gegenüberliegenden Punkte oben; wenn wir nach der andern Seite gehen, kommen wir ebenfalls zu demselben Punkte. Nehmen wir den Kreis größer, so müssen wir einen weiteren Weg machen, und der Bogen wird dadurch flacher und flacher. Nun können wir den Kreis immer größer und größer machen, dann ist das Ende, daß die Kreislinie zuJetzt eine Gerade wird: dann geht der Weg nach der einen Seite in die Unendlichkeit und nach der anderen Seite auch. Aber kurz vorher, wenn wir nicht so weit gehen, wenn wir den Kreis nicht so groß machten, dann würden wir, wenn wir nach der einen Seite wie nach der andern Seite gingen, zu einem und demselben Punkte kommen. Warum sollte nun, wenn der Kreis so flach wird, daß seine Linie eine Gerade wird, nicht dasselbe gelten? Dann muß der eine Punkt in der Unendlichkeit der gleiche sein wie der auf der anderen Seite. Und wenn man nur lange genug den Atem halten könnte, müßte man nach der einen Seite gehen können und auf der andern Seite zurückkommen. Das heißt: es liegt für eine die Unendlichkeit ergreifende Vorstellung eine Linie zugrunde, die nach beiden Seiten ins Unendliche verläuft, die aber eigentlich eine Kreislinie ist.

Was ich Ihnen jetzt als eine Abstraktion vor Augen geführt habe, das liegt in der Zarathustra-Anschauung dem zugrunde, was er mit Zaruana akarana meinte. Wir blicken auf der einen Seite — der Zeit nach — in die Zukunft hinein, auf der andern Seite in die Vergangenheit; aber die Zeit schließt sich zum Kreise, nur liegt dieser Zusammenschluß erst in der Unendlichkeit. Und dieser sich selbst findenden Schlange der Ewigkeit — die dargestellt werden kann durch die Schlange, die sich selbst in ihren Schwanz beißt — ist sowohl die Kraft des Lichtes einverwoben, die uns immer heller und heller leuchtet, wenn wir nach der einen Seite blicken, wie auch die Kraft der Finsternis, die uns nach der andern Seite immer dunkler und dunkler scheint. Und wenn wir selbst mitten drinnen stehen, haben wir selbst Licht und Schatten — Ormuzd und Ahriman — durcheinandergemischt. Alles ist einverwoben dem sich selbst findenden, unendlichen Strome der Zeit: Zaruana akarana.

Es ist nun etwas weiteres für eine solche alte Weltanschauung dies, daß sie die Sache ernst nahm, von der sie ausging, daß sie nicht bloß nebulos hinstellte: da draußen ist hinter den Dingen der Sinneswelt, die auf unsere Augen, Ohren und anderen Sinne Eindruck machen, Geist, sondern daß sie in der Tat in dem, was sie sah, etwas wie die Schriftzeichen des Geistes oder der geistigen Welten erblickte. Wir nehmen zum Beispiel irgendein Blatt, sehen darauf die Buchstaben und setzen sie zu Worten zusammen; wenn wir aber das wollen, müssen wir erst etwas gelernt haben, nämlich lesen. Wer das nicht kann, kann nie Zarathustra lesen, sondern sieht nur gewisse Zeichen, denen er mit dem Blicke nachlaufen kann. Zarathustra aber kann er erst lesen, wenn er diese Zeichen gemäß dem, was er in seiner Seele trägt, zu verbinden versteht. Nun sah Zarathustra hinter dem, was in der Sinneswelt ist, besonders in der Art, wie sich die Sterne innerhalb des Weltenraumes zu Gruppen zusammenfügen, eine solche Zeichenschrift. Wie wir auf dem Papier die Buchstaben haben, so sah er in dem, was uns als die Sternenwelt im Raume umgibt, etwas wie die Buchstaben von den geistigen Welten, die zu uns sprechen. Und es bestand die Kunst, einzudringen in die geistige Welt und die Zeichen, die uns durch die Anordnung der Sterne gegeben sind, zu lesen, zu deuten, an der Bewegung und Anordnung der Sternenwelten die Art zu entziffern, wie die Geister draußen ihre Taten des GeistErschaffens in den Raum schreiben. Das wurde für Zarathustra und seine Schüler dasjenige, worauf es ihnen ankam. So war ihnen besonders ein wichtiges Schriftzeichen dies: daß Ahura Mazdao seine Schöpfungen, seine Offenbarungen in der Welt dadurch vollbringt, daß er scheinbar im Sinne unserer Astronomie einen Kreis im Himmelsraum zu beschreiben hat. Dieses Beschreiben eines Kreises wurde der Ausdruck für ein Schriftzeichen, das Ahura Mazdao oder Ormuzd den Menschen kundgibt, um zu zeigen, wie er wirkt, wie er seine Taten in den ganzen Weltenzusammenhang stellt. Da war es wichtig, daß Zarathustra darauf hinweisen konnte: Es ist der Tierkreis, der Zodiakus, eine in sich selbst zurückkehrende Linie, ein Ausdruck für die in sich selbst zurückkehrende Zeit. Im höchsten Sinne des Wortes geht der eine Ast der Zeit nach der Zukunft, nach vorwärts, der andere in die Vergangenheit, nach rückwärts. Was später der Tierkreis wurde, ist Zaruana akarana: die in sich selbst sich findende Zeitlinie, welche Ormuzd beschreibt, der Geist des Lichtes. Das ist der Ausdruck für die geistige Tätigkeit des Ormuzd. Die Bahn der Sonne durch die Tierkreisbilder ist der Ausdruck der Tätigkeit des Ormuzd, und Zaruana akarana hat sein Symbol im Tierkreis. Im Grunde genommen sind «Zaruana akarana» und «Zodiakus» dasselbe Wort so wie «Ormuzd» und «Ahura Mazdao». Einverwoben ist zweierlei in dem «Gehen durch den Tierkreis»: einmal ein gewisser Gang der Sonne im Hellen, wo sie im Sommer ihre vollen Kräfte als Lichtkräfte auf die Erde sendet, — aber auch ihre geistigen Kräfte schickt sie uns aus dem Lichtreich des Ormuzd. Derjenige Teil des Tierkreises also, den Ormuzd während des Tages oder während des Sommers durchläuft, zeigt uns, wie Ormuzd unbehindert von Ahriman wirkt; diejenigen Tierkreisbilder dagegen, die unter dem Horizont liegen, symbolisieren das Reich des Schattens, das sozusagen Ahriman durchläuft. Wodurch drückt nun sowohl Ormuzd, der gedacht ist als der helle Teil des Tierkreises, des Zaruana akarana, und wodurch drückt Ahriman, der dunkle Teil des Tierkreises, die Art aus, wie sic auf die Erde wirken?

Anders wirkt die Sonne des Morgens, anders am Mittag. Indem sie hinaufsteigt vom Widder bis zum Stier, indem sie wieder hinuntersteigt, wirken ihre Strahlen immer anders; anders wirken sie im Winter, anders im Sommer, von jedem Sternbild aus verschieden. So werden für Zarathustra die Wirkungen des Ormuzd von den verschiedenen Richtungen, die symbolisiert werden durch das Stehen der Sonne in den verschiedenen Sternbildern, das heißt die verschiedenen Richtungen der Ormuzd-Wirkungen, zum Ausdruck derjenigen geistigen Wesenheiten, die gleichsam die Diener, die Söhne des Ormuzd sind, die das ausführen, was er anordnet: das sind die «Amshaspands» oder «Amesha-Spentas», die gleichsam unterhalb des Ormuzd stehen und ihre Spezialtätigkeit haben. Während Ormuzd die ganze Tätigkeit des Lichtreiches hat, haben die Amshaspands die Spezialtätigkeiten, die ausgedrückt werden durch das Herleuchten der Sonne aus dem Widder, aus dem Stier, dem Krebs und so weiter. Die Ormuzd-Wirksamkeit kommt durch das volle Leuchten der Sonne durch alle hellen Tierkreisbilder — vom Widder bis zur Waage oder zum Skorpion — zum Ausdruck. So können wir weiter im Sinne des Zarathustra sagen: Ahriman wirkt gleichsam wie durch die Erde hindurch aus dem Finstern und hat da seine Diener, seine Amshaspands, die Gegner sind der guten Genien, welche dem Ormuzd zur Seite stehen. Zarathustra hat so in der Tat zwölf verschiedene geistige Wesenheiten unterschieden, welche die Diener sind — auf der einen Seite sechs beziehungsweise sieben des Ormuzd, auf der andern Seite sechs beziehungsweise fünf des Ahriman, die dann symbolisiert werden als gute oder böse Genien oder Untergeister, Amesha-Spentas, je nachdem die Sonne von den hellen oder von den dunklen Tierkreisbildern strahlt. Diese dienenden Geister des Ormuzd meinte zum Beispiel auch Goethe, als er im Anfang des «Faust», im «Prolog im Himmel» sagte:

Doch ihr, die echten Göttersöhne,
Erfreut euch der lebendig reichen Schöne!
Das Werdende, das ewig wirkt und lebt,
Umfass’ euch mit der Liebe holden Schranken,
Und was in schwankender Erscheinung schwebt,
Befestiget mit dauernden Gedanken.

An dasselbe noch, an was Zarathustra bei seinen Amshaspands dachte, dachte Goethe bei seinen «echten Göttersöhnen», welche die Diener sind der höchsten göttlichen Macht. Zwölf solcher Genien haben wir zu verzeichnen, die wir als die Amshaspands zu nennen haben. Unter diesen stehen wieder andere geistige Mächte oder Kräfte, und zwar unterscheidet man gewöhnlich als unter ihnen stehend im Zarathustrismus achtundzwanzig. Aber die Zahl ist nie so ganz bestimmt; man könnte sagen vierundzwanzig bis achtundzwanzig oder einunddreißig «Yazatas» oder «Izeds». Was sind dies für Wesenheiten? Wenn wir uns die großen Kräfte, die durch den Raum wirken, in der Zwölfzahl denken als die Amshaspands, dann sind wieder die dienenden Kräfte, die hinter den niederen Naturwirkungen stehen, die Kräfte der Izeds, achtundzwanzig bis einunddreißig etwa. Und als eine dritte Gattung solcher geistiger Kräfte oder Mächte nennt dann der Zarathustrismus die «Fravashis». Diese Kräfte sind sozusagen die in unserem Sinne am wenigsten in die körperliche Welt eingreifenden. Während wir uns vorzustellen haben, daß in alledem, was physische Lichtwirkungen auf unserer Erde sind, die zwölf Kräfte wirksam sind, hinter denen die Amshaspands stehen, und wir uns hinter den Izeds Kräfte zu denken haben, die ins Tierreich hineinwirken, haben wir uns unter den Fravashis nur solche geistigen Wesenheiten vorzustellen, welche die Gruppenseelen der Tiere lenken. So sieht der Zarathustrismus ein spezialisiertes Reich hinter der Sinneswelt als übersinnliches Reich.

Was Zarathustra so—nicht in einer allgemeinen, abstrakten Weise, sondern ganz konkret — als die Welt durchorganisierend denkt: Ormuzd und Ahriman, hinter ihnen Zaruana akarana, dann die Amshaspands, die guten und die bösen, dann die Izeds, die Fravashis — was sind sie? Sie sind das, was die große Welt, den Makrokosmos, durchgeistigt, was hinter allen sinnlich-physischen Wirkungen steht, was das Wesenhafte ist hinter dem, was uns scheinbar bloß als äußeres Sinnliches erscheint. Der Mensch aber, wie er dasteht in der Welt, ist ein Abbild dieser großen Welt. Und in ihm muß sich daher alles finden, was die große Welt durchkraftet. Wie wir in den nach Vollkommenheit strebenden Kräften den Ausdruck des Ormuzd im Menschen, in den ungeläuterten Kräften den Ausdruck des Ahriman im Menschen gefunden haben, so werden wir auch für die anderen geistigen Wesenheiten, gleichsam für die Untergenien, den Ausdruck finden. Jetzt muß ich allerdings etwas sagen, was in unserer heutigen Zeit bei dem gegenwärtigen Stande unserer Weltanschauungen geeignet ist, unendliches Ärgernis zu erregen. Aber es wird sich schon in einer gar nicht so weiten Zukunft auch für die äußere Wissenschaft zeigen, daß hinter allem Physischen ein Übersinnliches, hinter allem Sinnlichen ein Geistiges steht. Dann wird sich auch zeigen, daß der physische Leib des Menschen in den gröbsten Teilen ein Abdruck ist von dem, was die ganze Welt durchwebt und durchlebt und in den physischen Leib des Menschen hereinströmt, um sich gleichsam im Menschen zu verdichten. Und wenn wir uns jetzt auf die Zarathustra-Vorstellung berufen, die der geisteswissenschaftlichen sehr nahe steht, so können wir sagen: Draußen wirken Ormuzd und Ahriman; sie wirken herein in den Menschen — und zwar Ormuzd als die Impulse zum Vollkommenen, Ahriman als alles, was diese aufhält. Aber auch die Amshaspands wirken herein, schicken herein ihre geistige Wirksamkeit. Denken wir uns diese im Menschen gleichsam verdichtet, so müßten sie sich nachweisen lassen bis in die physische Wirksamkeit hinein.

Zur Zeit Zarathustras gab es noch keine Anatomie im heutigen Sinne. Da sahen Zarathustra und seine Schüler durch ihre geistige Anschauung die Strömungen wirklich, von denen wir heute gesprochen haben, die als zwölf Ströme von der großen Welt auf den Menschen zufließen und sich in den Menschen hinein fortsetzen, so daß uns in der Tat das menschliche Haupt als der Ausdruck dessen erscheint, daß in den Menschen hereinströmen die Kräfte der sieben guten und der fünf bösen Amshaspands-Strömungen. Da drinnen im Menschen sind die Fortsetzungen der Ströme der Amshaspands. Wie geben sie sich heute kund einer viel späteren Zeit? Heute deckt der Anatom zwölf Hauptpaare von Gehirnnerven auf, die vom Gehirn aus in den Leib gehen. Das sind die physischen Gegenbilder, gleichsam die zwölf gefrorenen Strömungen der Amshaspands, zwölf Nervenpaare für die höchste menschliche Tätigkeit, durch die der Mensch zu den höchsten Vollkommenheiten wie auch zum ärgsten Bösen kommen kann. Da sehen wir, wie in unserm Zeitalter — materialistisch umgestaltet — das wiedererscheint, was Zarathustra seinen Schülern aus der geistigen Welt heraus gesagt hat. Das ist das Argerliche, und leicht wird es für einen heutigen Menschen, zu sagen: Da predigt die Geisteswissenschaft das ganz Phantastische, daß Zarathustra mit den zwölf Amshaspands etwas gemeint habe, was mit den zwölf Nervenpaaren im menschlichen Kopfe zusammenhängen soll! Aber die Welt wird noch etwas ganz anderes erfahren: sie wird erfahren, wie sich in den Menschen hinein fortsetzt, was die ganze Welt durchwebt und durchlebt. In unserer Physiologie steht der alte Zarathustrismus wieder auf! Und wie die achtundzwanzig bis einunddreißig Izeds unter den Amshaspands stehen, so stehen die achtundzwanzig Rückenmarksnervenpaare unter den Gehirnnerven. In den Rückenmarksnerven, die das niedere Seelenleben des Menschen anregen, schaffen die Izeds, die als geistige Strömungen draußen vorhanden sind; sie wirken in uns herein, kristallisieren sich gleichsam in den achtundzwanzig Rückenmarksnerven, denn in denselben haben wir die verdichteten Izeds-Strömungen. Und in dem, was nicht mehr Nerv ist, was uns zur Persönlichkeit abrundet, haben wir das, was nun nicht mehr in einer äußeren Strömung, in einer äußeren Richtung sich auslebt: was die Fravashis sind, das sind in uns die Gedanken, die sich über das bloße Gedankenund Gehirnleben erheben.

Es ist damit in der Tat in einer ganz eigenartigen Weise unsere Zeit wieder verknüpft mit dem, was Zarathustra — allerdings in seinem geistigen Urbilde — den Menschen hat geben können als eine Strömung nach dem, was hinter dem Teppich der Sinneswelt ausgebreitet liegt. Das ist nun das ganz Bedeutsame der Zarathustra-Lehre. Nachdem sie eine lange Zeit hindurch durch diese oder jene Kulturfermente sich immer wieder und wieder in die weiterstrebenden Menschen hineinergossen hat und dann eine Weile zurückgegangen ist, ist es so gekommen, daß es in der Tat — wie man immer, nachdem im Griechentum sich die beiden Wege in die geistige Welt vereinigt hatten, eine Vorliebe für die mystische oder für die geisteswissenschaftliche Strömung hatte — heute wieder eine Vorliebe für eine mystische Strömung gibt. Daher die Vorliebe mancher für eine indische Geisteswissenschaft oder Vertiefung. Diese Tatsache hat es mitsich gebracht, daß dasWesentlichste, das Tiefbedeutsamste des Zarathustrismus — sein eigentlicher Lebensnerv — heute in unserem ganzen Geistesleben kaum bemerkt wird. Vieles von zarathustrischer Anschauungsweise und zarathustrischem Denken wird sich ja auch heute in unserem Geistesleben finden. Aber etwas, was als ein Grundnerv, als das Gesündeste in ihm liegt, ist in einer gewissen Weise unserem Zeitalter verlorengegangen. Und wenn man wieder verstehen wird, wie der Zarathustrismus das geistige Urbild ist für alles, was wir auf dem Gebiete der physischen Forschung - Unzähliges könnte von ihr angeführt werden — wiederfinden und was sich weiter einleben wird, dann wird ein Grundton in unserer Kultur glücklich überwunden werden durch einen anderen, der sich eben im Zarathustrismus findet.

Es ist merkwürdig, wie im Zarathustrismus durch seine Hingebung an die großen Erscheinungen des Makrokosmischen, der äußeren Welt, etwas zurücktritt, was fast in allen anderen, sich mehr an die Mystik anschließenden Kulturströmungen eine bedeutende Rolle spielt, auch in unserm Materialismus. Man faßte den großen Gegensatz, der in der Welt doch immer wieder vorhanden war, so auf, daß man als Symbol dafür den Gegensatz des Geschlechtlichen — des Männlichen und des Weiblichen — nahm: so zum Beispiel indem man in den alten Religionssystemen, die auf mystischem Boden fußen, den Göttern Göttinnen entgegenstellte für das, was als ein Gegensatz die Welt durchströmt. Im Zarathustrismus haben wir das Wunderbare, daß er sich erhebt über diese Anschauung, um die Urgründe der geistigen Wirksamkeit in einem andern Bilde sich zu denken: in dem Bilde des Guten, des Lichtvollen und des Bösen, des Schattenhaften. Daher die ungeheure Keuschheit des Zarathustrismus, die Erhabenheit, das Hinausgehen über alle die Vorstellungen und Anschauungen, die wieder in unserer Zeit eine so häßliche Rolle spielen, wenn man glaubt, die Anschauung des Menschen über das geistige Leben vertiefen zu können. Wenn auch selbst noch die griechischen Schriftsteller sagen: es mußte die höchste Gottheit, um Ormuzd zu schaffen, auch Ahriman schaffen, damit er einen Gegensatz hätte, so ist doch, indem Ahriman sich dem Ormuzd entgegenstellt, damit etwas gegeben, wie sich eine Urkraft der anderen entgegenstellt; was selbst noch im Hebräischen zum Ausdruck kommt, indem das Böse durch das Weib — durch Eva — in die Welt getreten ist. Nichts von dem, was die Welt durchlebt als das Böse, das durch einen Geschlechtsgegensatz in die Welt kommt, ist im Zarathustrismus zu finden. Was heute so häßlich bis in die Tagesliteratur unser ganzes Denken und Fühlen durchströmt, was vieles so verhäßlicht in bezug auf den Hauptwert bei Krankheits- und Gesundheitserscheinungen und was doch nicht die Hauptsachen des Lebens enthält, das wird überwunden werden, wenn der Gegensatz von Ormuzd und Ahriman, der ein ganz anderer — ein heroischer gegenüber dem spießbürgerlichen ist, sich einmal als ein Ferment mit den Worten des Zarathustrismus in unsere Kultur einleben wird. Die Dinge gehen in der Welt ihren Weg — und nichts wird den Siegeslauf der Zarathustra-Anschauung aufhalten, die sich ja nach und nach auch einleben wird.

Wenn wir Zarathustra so betrachten, sehen wir in ihm in der Tat einen Geist, der in einer längst vergangenen Zeit der Menschheitskultur mächtige Impulse gegeben hat. Denn man braucht nur das, was erlebt worden ist in Vorderasien in den späteren Zeiten der Völker der Assyrer, Babylonier bis in die ägyptische Zeit, ja bis in die Zeit, wo sich das Christentum ausgebreitet hat, zu verfolgen: überall wird man etwas an Vorstellungen finden, das sich zurückverfolgen und in seinem Ursprung sich aufweisen läßt in den großen Lichtern, die Zarathustra der Menschheit angesteckt hat. Wir werden es begreiflich finden, wenn der griechische Schriftsteller, der ausdrücken wollte, wie einzelne Führer ihren Völkerschaften immer den späteren Anteil gegeben haben, den diese Völker an der Kultur brauchen, darauf hinwies: als Pythagoras von den Vorfahren lernte, was auf ihn übergehen konnte — von den Ägyptern die Geometrie, von den Phöniziern die Arithmetik, von den Chaldäern die Astronomie —, da mußte er zu den Nachfolgern des Zarathustra gehen, um von ihnen die geheimnisvollen Lehren des Verhältnisses der Menschheit zur geistigen Welt und einer wahren Lebensführung zu lernen. Damit ist von dem Schriftsteller, der uns das von Pythagoras sagt, konstatiert, daß die Zarathustra-Lebensführung über alle anderen Gegensätze hinausführt und alle die anderen Gegensätze gipfeln läßt in dem einen Gegensatz von Gut und Böse, — ein Gegensatz, welcher nur seine Überbrückung in der Läuterung von dem Bösen, von Lug und Trug findet. Es wird zum Beispiel als schlimmster Gegner des Ormuzd derjenige angesehen, der mit dem Namen «Verleumdung» bezeichnet wird: das ist eine der wichtigsten Eigenschaften des Ahriman. Damit wird von dem griechischen Schriftsteller darauf hingewiesen, wie Pythagoras das reinste Sittenideal, das Ideal für die moralische Läuterung des Menschen, weder finden konnte bei den Ägyptern, von denen er die Geometrie lernen konnte, noch bei den Phöniziern, von denen er die Arithmetik lernen konnte, und auch nicht bei den Chaldäern, von denen er die Astronomie lernen konnte, sondern wie er zu den Nachfolgern des Zarathustra gehen mußte, um eine heroische Weltanschauung zu haben, die ernst anerkennt die Überwindung des Bösen in der Läuterung. Damit war also der hohe Adel und die Einzigkeit des Zarathustrismus schon im Altertum anerkannt

Alles, was jetzt gesagt worden ist, könnte auch durch Aussprüche aus der äußeren Geschichte belegt werden. So sollten die Menschen nachdenken, ob es stimmt, was die Vertreter der äußeren Wissenschaft sagen, wenn zum Beispiel Plutarch erwähnt, daß es im Sinne des Zarathustrismus liegt, als Leiblichkeit für die höchste für die Erde in Betracht kommende Wesenheit das Licht anzusehen, und daß ihr Geistiges als die Wahrheit erscheint. Da gibt einer der alten Schriftsteller eine Definition, die ganz genau mit dem übereinstimmt, was jetzt ausgedrückt ist. Aber auch die historischen Erscheinungen werden klar werden, wenn wir in Betracht ziehen, was jetzt charakterisiert worden ist.

Sehen wir da noch einmal auf die altvedische Anschauung. Sie beruhte auf einem mystischen Hinuntertauchen in das eigene Innere. Bevor der Mensch zum inneren Licht des Brahman kommt, trifft er auf das, was innerlich an Begierden, Leidenschaften, an wilden, halbmenschlichen Impulsen entgegensteht der Vertiefung in das eigentliche Geistig-Seelische, in das ewig Innere. Durch das muß der Mensch durch. Der Inder kam zu der Anschauung, daß er nur zu dem inneren Licht kommt, wenn es ihm wirklich in der mystischen Versenkung gelingt, mit Brahman alles auszulöschen, was man in der Sinneswelt erlebt, was uns in den Farben und Tönen reizt und sinnliche Begierden erregt. Solange das noch in unsere Meditation hereinspielt, solange haben wir den Gegner unserer mystischen Vervollkommnung in uns. Werft alles heraus, so hätte der indische Lehrer gesagt, was aus den äußeren Mächten in die Seele hereinkommen kann, vertieft euch nur in das Innere der Seele, steigt zu den Devas herunter; da werdet ihr, wenn ihr auch die niederen Devas zu überwinden habt, im Reiche der Devas Brahman finden. Aber meidet das Reich der Asuras, der Wesenheiten, die aus der Welt der Maja, der äußeren Welt, an euch herandringen. Das muß unter allen Umständen gemieden werden! — Zarathustra dagegen mußte seinen Schülern sagen: Auf dem Wege, auf dem im Süden die Anhänger eines anderen Volkstumes durch ihre andersgeartete Organisation das Geistige suchen, kann ein Volk nicht vorwärtskommen, das nicht bloß zum übersinnlichen Brüten und Träumen berufen ist, sondern zum Leben in einer Welt, die reichlich alles, was zum Lebensunterhalt nötig ist, hergibt, — das dazu berufen ist, der Menschheit die Künste des Ackerbaues und die Überwindung der Unkultur zu geben. Ihr dürft nicht bloß das Außere als Maja ansehen, sondern durch den Teppich, der sich in Farben und Tönen und so weiter um uns ausbreitet, müßt ihr durch! Alles daher, was in eurem Innern euch selbst in eurem Egoismus halten will, alles, was Deva-Charakter hat, das meidet! Ihr müßt durch das Reich der niederen Asuras bis zu den höchsten Asuras empordringen. Und da ihr dazu organisiert seid, durch die niederen Asuras hindurch zu den höheren Asuras zu kommen, so müßt ihr das Reich der Devas meiden! - In Indien dagegen war die Lehre der Rishis: Ihr seid nicht dazu organisiert, das zu suchen, was in den Reichen der Asuras ist; meidet das Reich der Asuras; in das Reich der Devas müßt ihr hinunterkommen!» So ist der Gegensatz zwischen der indischen und der persischen Kultur: bei den Indern der Hinweis darauf, wie man die Asuras zu meiden hat, wie dies böse Geister sind, denn man kannte nur vermöge der indischen Organisation die niederen Asuras. Bei dem persischen Volke dagegen, wo man nur die niederen Devas im Reiche der Devas finden konnte, sagte man: Geht in das Reich der Asuras. Ihr seid so organisiert, daß ihr die Höchsten der Asuras finden könnt! — Es lag in dem, was Zarathustra als Impuls seiner Menschheit gab, die Stimmung: Ich habe der Menschheit etwas zu geben, was fortwirken muß durch alle Zeiten, was der Menschheit den Weg nach oben ebnet und alle Irrlehre überwindet, die ein Hindernis ist und die Menschen abzieht von dem Vollkommenheitsstreben! — Daher empfand sich Zarathustra als der Diener des Ahura Mazdao und empfand selber als solcher Diener des Ahura Mazdao die Gegnerschaft des Ahriman. Seine Lehre aber sollte der Menschheit dazu dienen, zur heroischen Überwindung alles Ahriman-Prinzips zu kommen. Das sprach Zarathustra mit den bedeutungsvollen Worten aus, die wir dann auch noch in den späteren Schriften finden, denn alles Schriftliche ist ja erst später aufgezeichnet, — was die Geisteswissenschaft aber zu sagen hat, hat sie aus andern Quellen —, sprach er aus mit dem schönen Wort, aus dem uns der ganze innere Impuls seiner Mission herausklingt; die ganze Leidenschaft aber auch klingt uns da heraus, mit der er sich als Gegner des Ahriman- oder Finsternis-Prinzipes fühlte, wenn er sagt: «Ich will reden! Nun kommt und hört mir zu, ihr, die ihr von fern — ihr, die ihr von nah darnach Verlangen tragt, und merket alles genau. Denn nicht mehr soll besiegen er, der böse Feind und Irrlehrer, den guten Geist; solange hat er schon durchdrungen mit seinem schlimmen Hauch des Menschen Stimme und Rede. Ich aber will reden ihm entgegen im Sinne dessen, was das Höchste, das Erste mir sagt, was Ahura Mazdao mir sagt. Und wer nicht hören will meine Worte, wie ich sie sage, wie ich sie meine, der wird Schlimmes erfahren, bevor der Erdenzyklen Ende gekommen ist!»

So spricht Zarathustra. Und wir wollen darin empfinden, daß er der Menschheit etwas sagen konnte, was wirklich gespürt und empfunden werden kann durch alle späteren Kulturepochen. Und wer einen Sinn hat, hinzuhorchen auf das, was in unserer Zeit lebt, wenn auch nur schwach wahrnehmbar, wer mit geistigem Sinne unsere Kultur belauscht, dem wird noch immer der Nachklang dessen wahrnehmbar sein, was vor Jahrtausenden Zarathustra der Menschheit gesagt hat. Und so wird er einer von denjenigen sein, denen gegenüber das, was wir — auch in bezug auf vieles noch, was wir über Hermes, Buddha, Moses und andere große Führer noch hören werden — über die Gaben dieser großen Führer für die Menschheit und ihre Stellung innerhalb der Menschheit sagen können, sich zusammenfassen läßt in die Worte:

Es leuchten gleich Sternen
Am Himmel des ewigen Seins
Die gottgesandten Geister.
Gelingen mög’ es allen Menschenseelen,
Im Reich des Erdenseins
Zu schauen ihrer Flammen Licht!

Zarathustra

Among the findings of spiritual science that have been pointed out in the course of the lectures already given in this cycle, there is above all the idea of repeated earthly lives, that is, the idea, which is not very popular or understood today, that human individuality has to live out again and again in a single human personality in the course of human development on earth. We have seen and will continue to see how various questions are connected with this idea. Among these questions, however, there will be one that relates to the meaning of these repeated earthly lives. One might ask: What is the significance of human individuality going through this life between birth and death not just once, but again and again? On the other hand, if we consider human development on Earth from the perspective of spiritual science and find that there is a progressive meaning in this human development, that each epoch, each new age, offers a different content in a certain sense, and that human development is on an upward trajectory, — then it seems meaningful that these manifold possibilities of life, these many contents of life that can flow into us in the course of human development, are indeed taken up again and again by the human core of being. But this is only possible if human beings, with all that they essentially are, are connected not just once, but many times, with the living stream of earthly development. If we view the entire human development of the Earth's humanity as a meaningful progression with the emergence of ever new content, then only those spiritual figures appear to us in their true significance who are to be regarded as the leading figures in the various epochs, as those from whom, in a certain sense, new content and new impulses for the progressive development of humanity emanate. We will deal with a number of such leading entities in human development in connection with other questions in this winter cycle. Today, the task is to point to one such leading human individuality who, in a certain way, stands out as particularly enigmatic for external historical research, lost to it in a gray antiquity no longer accessible through external documents: the much-discussed but still little-recognized personality of Zarathustra.

It is precisely in a personality such as Zarathustra, who in everything he gave to humanity, everything that has been preserved of him, seems so strange to the present age, that we can see how great the differences are in relation to the whole human being when we consider the different ages of humanity. A short-sighted view might easily think: as human beings are today, as they think, feel, imagine, and feel morally today, so they have essentially felt as long as they have been human beings. Spiritual science, however, shows us — as is already evident from the lectures given so far and will also become apparent from the following ones — that the human soul life, the way of feeling, sensing, and willing, has undergone great and significant changes in the course of human development, that human consciousness was quite different in ancient times, and that we have reason to believe that in the future other stages of this consciousness will be reached, different from the one in which normal humanity lives today.

When we now turn our attention to Zarathustra, we must look back over a very long period of time from our present moment. However, certain recent research has made Zarathustra a contemporary of Buddha, so that he can be placed on earth about six or six and a half centuries before the appearance of Christianity. Here, however, it is noteworthy that research in recent years, having carefully traced all available traditions about Zarathustra, has had to point out that the personality behind the name of Zarathustra, the ancient Persian religious founder, must be placed many, many centuries before the Buddha. Greek historians repeatedly point out that Zarathustra must be placed far back in time — about five to six thousand years before the Trojan War. From what external research has discovered in many fields, one can already conclude that although external historical research will find it difficult to come to this decision, it will ultimately be compelled — also by the documents — to acknowledge what Greek science and Greek tradition have preserved about the distant past of the age of Zarathustra. Based on its premises, spiritual science must indeed postpone the life of the Persian religious founder, Zarathustra, as far back as Greek writers did in ancient times. But then we have a right to point out how Zarathustra, having lived thousands of years before the advent of Christianity in the world, may have faced a completely different kind of human consciousness.

It has already been pointed out on several occasions, and will be further elaborated upon, that the development of human consciousness has taken place in such a way that dreamlike, clairvoyant—the word should not be misused here, as is the case in many fields today — states in ancient times were the states of consciousness of the actual normal human being, so that humans did not see the world in terms of concepts and ideas, in strictly defined sensory perceptions, as they see it today. The best way to get a picture of how humans in primeval times took in the world around them in their consciousness is to think of the last remnants of the old primal consciousness: dream consciousness. Everyone is familiar with the fluctuating dream images, which today are largely meaningless to human consciousness and are often only reminiscences of the outer world, although higher types of consciousness can also intrude into them, which modern humans find difficult to interpret. Dream consciousness, we might say, proceeds pictorially, in rapidly changing images, but at the same time symbolically. Who has not experienced how the impression, the whole event of a fire, reveals itself symbolically in a dream? Turn your attention for a moment to this different kind of consciousness, to this different horizon of consciousness as it exists in dreams; as it exists there, it is only the last remnant of an ancient human consciousness. But this ancient consciousness was such that human beings actually lived in a kind of imagery. These images did not refer to something vague or to nothing, but to a real outside world. In the states of consciousness of ancient humanity, there were intermediate states between waking and sleeping, and in these intermediate states, human beings lived in relation to the spiritual world. This spiritual world entered their consciousness. Today, the gate to the spiritual world is closed to normal human consciousness. In ancient times, this was not so. Human beings had intermediate states between waking and sleeping; then they saw images that were similar to dream images, but clearly represented spiritual beings and spiritual weaving, as it is behind the physical-sensory world. So that in ancient times, humans really had — even if already quite indistinct and vague in Zarathustra's time — nevertheless a direct observation and experience of the spiritual world and could say: Just as I see the outer physical world and sensory life, so I know that there are experiences and observations of another state of consciousness, that another world, a spiritual one, underlies the sensory world.

The meaning of human development is that, from epoch to epoch, the ability of human beings to look into the spiritual world has become less and less, because abilities develop in such a way that one must always be gained at the expense of another. Our present-day precise thinking, our powers of imagination, our logic, everything we call the most important driving forces of our culture, did not exist at that time. Human beings first had to acquire these abilities in the epoch that is now our own, at the expense of the old clairvoyant state of consciousness. Human beings today have to develop these abilities. And in the future development of humanity, the old clairvoyant state will be added to the purely physical consciousness with its intellectuality and logic. A descent and an ascent must therefore be distinguished in relation to human consciousness. There is a deeper meaning in this development when we say: Man first lived with his entire soul life still within a spiritual world, then descended into the physical world and had to give up the old clairvoyant consciousness in order to acquire intellectuality and logic, educated by the purely physical world, so that he could then ascend again in the future into the spiritual world. — educated by the purely physical world — in order to then ascend again in the future into the spiritual world.

Now, however, what humans have historically gone through within their old state of consciousness, as just described, predates the times for which external historical records are available. But Zarathustra also falls into a time for which historical records do not yet exist, and Zarathustra is one of the great leading personalities who provided the inspiration for the great cultural advances of humanity. Such leading personalities must always, whether normal human consciousness is at this or that stage, draw from what can be called enlightenment, initiation into the higher mysteries of the world. And Zarathustra now belongs to those personalities whom we will consider in the course of these lectures — Hermes, Buddha, Moses. He stands at least eight thousand years before our present time in human development, and what he gave to humanity from an enlightened spirit, great and powerful, has long been clearly audible among the most effective cultural assets of humanity. Even today, this can still be perceived by those who pay attention to the more secret currents in the whole of human development. Zarathustra essentially belongs to those who had to experience truths, wisdom, and insights in their souls that went far beyond the normal human consciousness of their time. Zarathustra had truths from the supersensible worlds, from those areas of the supersensible worlds that lie far beyond anything that the normal human consciousness of his time could see, to proclaim to his fellow human beings in that country where the Persian Empire later spread.

If one wants to understand what Zarathustra means for humanity, one must be clear that he had to convey a certain kind of worldview, of understanding of the world, to a certain part of humanity, to a very specific fraction of people, while in fact other human currents, other peoples, other areas of humanity had to bring a different kind of worldview, so to speak, into the overall area of human culture. And Zarathustra's personality is so interesting to us because he lived within an area of peoples that bordered directly to the south on another area of peoples that had to offer spiritual goods, spiritual currents of humanity in a completely different way. Looking back to those ancient times, we find on the soil of ancient India those peoples whose descendants later saw the Vedic singers among themselves. And north of this area, where the great Brahman teachings had spread, we must seek the area of the people who were permeated by the powerful impulse of Zarathustra. But in a certain way, what Zarathustra had to give to the world was fundamentally different from what the teachers, the great leading personalities, had to give to the ancient Indians, which is then preserved in the ravishing songs of the Vedas, in the profound Vedanta philosophy, and which still echoes like a last great flash of light in the revelation of the great Buddha.

Now, one can only understand the difference between what emanated from the current of ancient India and what emanated from the current of Zarathustrianism if one considers that human beings can enter the realm of the supersensible world from two sides. In the course of these lectures, the question of how human beings enter a spiritual world has been discussed. There are now two ways in which human beings can raise the powers of their souls, the abilities of their inner beings, above the normal state, so that they can ascend from the sensory world into the supersensible world. One path can be described as that through which human beings descend more and more into their own souls, deepening their connection with their own souls; the other can be described as leading human beings beyond what is spread out around us as the tapestry of the physical-sensory world, leading them behind this tapestry of the physical world. Both paths lead to the supersensible realm. When, in an intimate inner experience, we deepen everything we have in our soul in terms of inner feelings, ideas, and impulses — in short, when we slip more and more into ourselves, so to speak, so that the forces within us become stronger and stronger — then we can, as it were, mystically submerge ourselves within ourselves and, through what in ourselves belongs to the physical world, penetrate to what is our actual spiritual-soul core, which passes from incarnation to incarnation and is imperishable in contrast to the transitory. We then penetrate into the spiritual world of our own inner being. By penetrating the veil of our own inner being, by penetrating what lives in us in terms of desires, passions, and inner soul experiences, and which is unique to us only because we are embodied in a physical body in this physical world, and by immersing ourselves in our eternal being, we enter a spiritual world. But even if, on the other hand, we develop those powers that do not only look at the outer world and see colors, hear sounds, receive external impressions of warmth or cold, but if we make our spiritual powers so powerful that they can penetrate behind the colors, behind the sound, behind warmth and cold and the other sensory impressions that spread around us like a carpet, then the powers that are strengthened in our soul penetrate behind the veil of the outer world into the supersensible realm, which spreads out into infinity, one might say, into infinite distances.

So there is a path that we can call mystical, and there is a path that penetrates the veil of the sensory into the vastness of the cosmos, which we can call spiritual science. It is on these two paths that all the great spiritual personalities have arrived at the truths and revelations that they had to instill in people as cultural progress. Only in ancient times, the development of humanity was such that only one of these paths could bring great revelations to a particular people. It was only from the age in which the Greeks lived, which also saw the rise and emergence of Christianity, that the two currents began to converge, so to speak, and increasingly became one cultural current. When we speak today of entering the higher worlds, we speak in such a way that those who want to ascend to the supersensible worlds develop, as it were, both kinds of forces in their souls: both the forces for the mystical path into their own inner being and for the spiritual-scientific path into the outer world. Today, the two paths are no longer strictly separated, for it is in the nature of human development that around the epoch marked by the Greek people, these two streams flow together: those who receive their revelations through mystical immersion in their own inner being, and those who receive their revelations through the strengthening of spiritual forces leading out into the great cosmos. In pre-Greek or pre-Christian times, however, these two possibilities were distributed among different peoples, and they appear to us — closely grouped together geographically — in ancient pre-Greek and pre-Christian times in Indian culture, which found its expression in the Vedas, and in the Zarathustra culture further north. For everything we admire in Indian culture, which also found expression in Buddha, is attained through inner contemplation, by turning away from the outer world, by mortifying the eye for sensual colors, of the ear for sensual sounds, of the external organs for the sensory tapestry in general, and by strengthening the inner powers of the soul in order to descend to Brahman, in which man feels at one with that which weaves for all time as the innermost core of the world. From this arose the teachings of the ancient holy rishis, which live on poetically in the Vedas, and which live on in Vedanta philosophy and Buddhism. Zarathustrianism arose from the other kind.

Zarathustra had passed on to his disciples the secret of how to strengthen the powers of human knowledge so that they could penetrate the veil of the outer sensory world. Zarathustra did not teach as the teachers of India did: Turn your gaze away from colors, sounds, and external sensory impressions, and seek the path to the spiritual solely through contemplation within your soul! — but he said: Strengthen your powers of cognition so that you can look out upon everything that lives as plants and animals, in the air and water, on mountain heights and in valley depths! Look at this world! — As we know, for the student of Indian mysticism, this world was only Maya, in order to turn one's gaze to where Brahman is found. Zarathustra taught his disciples not to turn their gaze away from this world, but to penetrate it, to say to themselves: Everywhere we see sensual-physical manifestations in the outer world, behind them — except for us — is the spiritual, working and weaving! — That is the other way. Strangely, in Greek times, the two ways come together. And because in the knowledge that truly went deeper in relation to the spiritual than in our time, which wants to have achieved so much, everything is expressed through images that have passed into myths, we also find how the two currents — one mystical, inward, and the other outward, into the cosmos — came together in Greek culture, met, and were cultivated simultaneously. This is expressed in how one path was named after Dionysus, the mysterious god who can be found when a person delves deeper and deeper into their inner self and finds there that subhuman element that they did not have before, from which they first developed into a human being. It is that which is still unpurified, still half-animal, christened with the name of Dionysus. But that which confronts us when we see through the world, when we see spiritually what confronts us physically for the senses, is christened with the name of Apollo. Therefore, in the Apollo stream, we encounter the teachings of Zarathustra, and in the Dionysus stream, the teachings of mystical contemplation in Greek culture. There they unite, there they flow together, Zarathustrianism and the mystical teachings that meet us at their heights in ancient India. Thus, the ancient times were called upon to allow two currents to run side by side, so to speak, and in the Apollonian and Dionysian circles of belief in Greece, both flowed together in order to then continue flowing uniformly, so that in our culture, when we rise to the spiritual, they continue to live on uniformly.

It is quite remarkable — and this is one of the many riddles posed to the thinker — that Nietzsche had an inkling of this — but no more — and in his first work “The Birth of Tragedy from the Spirit of Music,” that these two Greek belief systems, Dionysian and Apollonian, meet as the spiritual-scientific and the mystical currents.

Now it is interesting to see how Zarathustra, in fact, taught his disciples and thus the entire culture that took its starting point from him to see the spirit behind all that is sensual. The point is that it is not enough to say: the sensory world spreads out before us, and behind it weaves the spiritual-divine. One may feel particularly significant in doing so, but one is only working toward a general pantheism. One thinks that one has already done something when one says: Behind everything sensual, a divine weaves — that is, one admits a vague, nebulous spiritual behind all physical phenomena in general. A man like Zarathustra, who had truly ascended into a spiritual world, did not speak to his disciples and his people in such an abstract, vague, and nebulous way; rather, he pointed out: just as the individual sensory phenomena differ, some being more significant and others less significant, so too is the spiritual behind them, depending on the individual phenomena, sometimes more significant and sometimes less significant. He then pointed out that behind the physical sun, which — purely in terms of the physical view of our world system — contains, for example, the origin of all life, all phenomena, and all activities, lies the center of spiritual life, insofar as this spiritual life concerns us in the first place.

Zarathustra said, if we were to put into simple words what he wanted to make clear to his disciples in his powerful teachings: See how the human being who stands before us is not only the physical body, for that is only the outer expression of the spirit. But just as the physical body is only the revelation, the crystallization of the spiritual human being, so the sun, which appears to us as a physical body of light, is, insofar as it is such a physical body of light, only the outer body of a spiritual being, a spiritual sun, as it were. — And just as what the spiritual human being is in relation to the physical human being can be described as his aura — as aura or ahura, if one wants to use the old expression — so what lies behind the physical sun can be called the “great aura,” a comprehensive aura, whereas what lies behind the physical human being as spiritual is the “small aura”! That is why Zarathustra called what lies behind the physical sun the “Great Aura,” Auramazda or Ahura Mazdao. This was the spiritual behind the sun, that which concerns us in relation to all spiritual events, all spiritual states of being, just as the physical sun concerns us in relation to the flourishing of plants, animals, and all life on earth. Behind the physical sun is the spiritual lord and creator, Ahura Mazdao, Auramazda! This then became the name Ormuzd or “Spirit of Light.” . So while the Indians looked mystically into their inner selves in order to reach Brahman, the Eternal One, who shines out from within the human being as if from a point, Zarathustra pointed his disciples to the great periphery of existence and showed how the great spirit of the sun, Ahura Mazdao, the spirit of light, is present in the body of the sun. And just as in human beings, their true spiritual being strives for perfection, but is opposed by the lower passions and desires, the possibility of being exposed to the illusions of lies and untruths — just as human beings have within themselves the enemy of their own impulses toward perfection, so Ahura Mazdao has his enemy, the spirit of darkness; Angro-Mainyush, Ahriman.

Here we see how the great Zarathustra's view could also be transformed from a teaching into a content of feeling and emotion. This enabled him to bring his disciples to the point where he could make it clear to them: You stand there as human beings with a principle of perfection within you that tells you: however I may be now — the principle of perfection within me will work in such a way that human beings can rise higher and higher. But within this inner self, there are tendencies and impulses that lead to imperfection, deceit and falsehood. What is within the human being is spread out, expanded as the principle of perfection, which must bring ever higher and higher, ever wiser and wiser states of perfection into the world: the principle of Ahura Mazdao. This principle is initially fought everywhere in the world by that which brings imperfection, evil, and shadow into the light: by Angro-Mainyush, by Ahriman! Thus, the disciples of Zarathustra truly saw and felt in the individual human being a reflection of what the world outside represents. We must not seek the true meaning of such a teaching in its theories, concepts, and ideas, but in the living feeling and sensation that permeates it, when through it the human being stands in such a way to the universe that he says to himself: I stand here, I am a small world, but as a small world I am like an imprint of a large world. Just as we as human beings have within us a principle of good and something that works against it, so in the great world Ormuzd and Ahriman stand opposite each other. The whole world is, as it were, an extended human being, and the best forces are those we call Ahura Mazdao, which are then opposed by the forces of Angro-Mainyush.

Just as the human being who only perceives the sensual finds himself involved in the whole world process with his physical processes and — even if he thinks materialistically, but only begins to feel — can have a sacred awe when he learns, for example, through spectral analysis: the same substances that are here on earth exist on the most distant stars — so, in the spirit of Zoroastrianism, man felt himself immersed with his spiritual part in the spirit of the whole world, felt himself born out of it. And therein lies the significance of such a spiritual teaching.

However, this teaching did not remain something abstract; on the contrary, it became something very concrete. Even if people today have a certain feeling for the spiritual that lies behind the sensory, it is quite difficult to make them understand how a truly spiritual scientific worldview requires more than just a unified central spiritual power. But just as we must distinguish between the individual forces of nature — heat, light, chemical forces, and so on — so too in the spiritual world we must distinguish not only a unified spirit, which is certainly not denied, but also spiritual sub-forces, spiritual “auxiliary forces,” whose domain is then more narrowly defined than the domain of the all-encompassing spirit. Thus, Zarathustra also distinguished from this all-encompassing Ormuzd, so to speak, the servants, the serving spiritual beings of Ormuzd. But before we descend to these serving spiritual beings, let us draw attention to one thing, namely that this view of Zarathustra is not merely a dualism, a mere two-world doctrine, a doctrine of the world of Ormuzd and the world of Ahriman; but rather a teaching that these two world currents are based on something unified, a unified power from which both the realm of light and the realm of shadow, the realm of Ormuzd and that of Ahriman, emerge. It is now very difficult to form a concept of what Zarathustra regarded as the unity behind Ormuzd and Ahriman, which Greek writers already told us the ancient Persians worshipped as living in unity, and what Zarathustra called “Zeruane akarene,” that is, what stands behind the light. How can we form a concept of what Zarathustra and the Zarathustra doctrine understand by “Zeruane akarene” or “Zaruana akarana”?

Let us consider the course of development. We must imagine that development proceeds toward the future in such a way that beings become more and more perfect, so that when we look into the future, we see more and more of the light of the kingdom of light, of Ormuzd. When we look into the past, we see the forces that must eventually cease to exist, that must be defeated, so that we see the forces opposed to Ormuzd, the Ahrimanic forces. Now we must imagine that this view leads to the same point both in the future and in the past. This is an idea that is extremely difficult for people today to grasp. Let us imagine a circle: if we go from the lowest point to one side, we come to the opposite point at the top; if we go to the other side, we also come to the same point. If we make the circle larger, we have to travel further, and the arc becomes flatter and flatter. Now we can make the circle larger and larger, until finally the circle line becomes a straight line: then the path goes to infinity on one side and on the other side as well. But shortly before that, if we did not go so far, if we did not make the circle so large, then if we went to one side and to the other, we would arrive at one and the same point. Why should the same not apply when the circle becomes so flat that its line becomes a straight line? Then the one point in infinity must be the same as the one on the other side. And if one could only hold one's breath long enough, one would have to be able to go to one side and come back to the other. That is to say: an idea that grasps infinity is based on a line that runs to infinity on both sides, but which is actually a circular line.

What I have now presented to you as an abstraction is based on Zarathustra's view of what he meant by Zaruana akarana. On one side — looking toward time — we look into the future, on the other side into the past; but time closes in a circle, only this connection lies in infinity. And this self-finding serpent of eternity — which can be represented by the serpent biting its own tail — is interwoven with both the power of light, which shines ever brighter and brighter when we look to one side, and the power of darkness, which seems ever darker and darker when we look to the other side. And when we ourselves stand in the middle, we ourselves have light and shadow — Ormuzd and Ahriman — mixed together. Everything is interwoven with the self-finding, infinite stream of time: Zaruana akarana.

Another feature of such an ancient worldview is that it took the matter from which it proceeded seriously, that it did not merely present it in a nebulous way: out there, behind the things of the sensory world that impress our eyes, ears, and other senses, there is spirit, but that it actually saw in what it saw something like the characters of the spirit or the spiritual worlds. For example, we take any sheet of paper, see the letters on it, and put them together to form words; but if we want to do that, we must first have learned something, namely reading. Those who cannot do this can never read Zarathustra, but only see certain signs that they can follow with their eyes. But they can only read Zarathustra if they know how to connect these signs according to what they carry in their souls. Now Zarathustra saw such a sign language behind what is in the sensory world, especially in the way the stars form groups within the universe. Just as we have letters on paper, he saw in what surrounds us as the world of stars in space something like the letters of the spiritual worlds that speak to us. And there was the art of penetrating the spiritual world and reading and interpreting the signs given to us by the arrangement of the stars, of deciphering from the movement and arrangement of the starry worlds the way in which the spirits outside write their acts of spiritual creation into space. This became the most important thing for Zarathustra and his disciples. Thus, one character was particularly important to them: that Ahura Mazdao accomplishes his creations, his revelations in the world, by seemingly describing a circle in the heavens in the sense of our astronomy. This description of a circle became the expression of a character that Ahura Mazdao or Ormuzd reveals to humans in order to show how he works, how he places his deeds in the whole context of the world. It was important that Zarathustra was able to point this out: it is the zodiac, the Zodiakus, a line returning to itself, an expression of time returning to itself. In the highest sense of the word, one branch of time goes toward the future, forward, the other into the past, backward. What later became the zodiac is Zaruana akarana: the timeline found within itself, which describes Ormuzd, the spirit of light. This is the expression of Ormuzd's spiritual activity. The path of the sun through the signs of the zodiac is the expression of Ormuzd's activity, and Zaruana akarana has its symbol in the zodiac. Basically, “Zaruana akarana” and “Zodiac” are the same word, just as ‘Ormuzd’ and “Ahura Mazdao” are. Two things are interwoven in the “passing through the zodiac”: on the one hand, a certain course of the sun in the light, where it sends its full powers as light forces to the earth in summer — but it also sends us its spiritual powers from the light realm of Ormuzd. The part of the zodiac that Ormuzd passes through during the day or during the summer shows us how Ormuzd works unhindered by Ahriman; the zodiac signs below the horizon, on the other hand, symbolize the realm of shadows that Ahriman passes through, so to speak. How does Ormuzd, who is thought of as the bright part of the zodiac, the Zaruana akarana, express himself, and how does Ahriman, the dark part of the zodiac, express himself in the way they work on Earth?

The sun has a different effect in the morning than at noon. As it rises from Aries to Taurus and then descends again, its rays always have a different effect; they have a different effect in winter than in summer, and differ from each constellation. Thus, for Zarathustra, the effects of Ormuzd from the different directions, symbolized by the position of the sun in the different constellations, that is, the different directions of Ormuzd's effects, are expressed by those spiritual beings who are, as it were, the servants, the sons of Ormuzd, who carry out what he commands: these are the “Amshaspands” or “Amesha-Spentas,” who are, as it were, subordinate to Ormuzd and have their own special activities. While Ormuzd has the entire activity of the realm of light, the Amshaspands have the special activities that are expressed by the shining of the sun from Aries, Taurus, Cancer, and so on. The power of Ormuzd is expressed through the full radiance of the sun through all the bright signs of the zodiac — from Aries to Libra or Scorpio. So we can say, in the spirit of Zarathustra: Ahriman works, as it were, through the earth from the darkness and has his servants there, his Amshaspands, who are the opponents of the good genies who stand by Ormuzd. Zarathustra distinguished twelve different spiritual beings who are the servants — on the one hand, six or seven of Ormuzd, on the other hand, six or five of Ahriman, who are then symbolized as good or evil genies or sub-spirits, Amesha-Spentas, depending on whether the sun shines from the bright or dark signs of the zodiac. Goethe also referred to these serving spirits of Ormuzd, for example, when he said at the beginning of “Faust,” in the “Prologue in Heaven”:

But you, the true sons of the gods,
Rejoice in the richly living beauty!
The becoming, which eternally works and lives,
Encompass yourselves with the sweet barriers of love,
And what floats in fluctuating appearance,
Fortify with lasting thoughts.

Goethe thought of the same thing that Zarathustra thought of his Amshaspands when he spoke of his “true sons of God,” who are the servants of the highest divine power. We have twelve such geniuses to record, whom we must call the Amshaspands. Below these are other spiritual powers or forces, and in Zoroastrianism twenty-eight are usually distinguished as standing below them. But the number is never quite certain; one could say twenty-four to twenty-eight or thirty-one “Yazatas” or “Izeds.” What are these beings? If we think of the great forces that work through space in the number twelve as the Amshaspands, then there are again the serving forces that stand behind the lower natural effects, the forces of the Izeds, twenty-eight to thirty-one or so. And as a third type of such spiritual forces or powers, Zoroastrianism names the “Fravashis.” These forces are, so to speak, the least involved in the physical world in our sense. While we have to imagine that in all physical light effects on our earth, the twelve forces behind the Amshaspands are at work, and we have to think of forces behind the Izeds that influence the animal kingdom, we have to imagine the Fravashis as spiritual beings that guide the group souls of animals. Thus, Zoroastrianism sees a specialized realm behind the sensory world as a supersensible realm.

What Zarathustra thinks of as organizing the world—not in a general, abstract way, but quite concretely—Ormuzd and Ahriman, behind them Zaruana akarana, then the Amshaspands, the good and the evil, then the Izeds, the Fravashis—what are they? They are what spiritualizes the great world, the macrocosm, what stands behind all sensory-physical effects, what is the essence behind what appears to us to be merely external sensory phenomena. But human beings, as they stand in the world, are an image of this great world. And therefore everything that permeates the great world must be found in him. Just as we have found in the forces striving for perfection the expression of Ormuzd in man, and in the unpurified forces the expression of Ahriman in man, so we will also find the expression for the other spiritual beings, for the subgenies, as it were. Now, however, I must say something that, given the current state of our worldviews, is likely to cause infinite annoyance in our time. But in the not-too-distant future, even external science will show that behind everything physical there is something supersensible, and behind everything sensory there is something spiritual. Then it will also become apparent that the physical body of the human being, in its grossest parts, is an imprint of what permeates and animates the whole world and flows into the physical body of the human being in order to condense, as it were, in the human being. And if we now refer to the concept of Zarathustra, which is very close to spiritual science, we can say: Ormuzd and Ahriman work outside; they work within human beings — Ormuzd as the impulses toward perfection, Ahriman as everything that hinders them. But the Amshaspands also work within, sending in their spiritual activity. If we imagine these to be condensed within human beings, so to speak, then they should be detectable in their physical activity.

At the time of Zarathustra, anatomy as we know it today did not yet exist. Through their spiritual insight, Zarathustra and his disciples truly saw the currents we have spoken of today, which flow from the great world to human beings as twelve currents and continue into human beings, so that the human head indeed appears to us as the expression of the forces of the seven good and five evil Amshaspands flowing into human beings. Inside human beings are the continuations of the currents of the Amshaspands. How do they manifest themselves today, in a much later time? Today, anatomists have discovered twelve main pairs of cranial nerves that extend from the brain into the body. These are the physical counterparts, as it were, of the twelve frozen currents of the Amshaspands, twelve pairs of nerves for the highest human activity, through which human beings can attain the highest perfection as well as the worst evil. Here we see how what Zarathustra told his disciples from the spiritual world reappears in our age, transformed into materialism. That is the annoying thing, and it is easy for a person today to say: Spiritual science preaches the completely fantastic idea that Zarathustra meant something with the twelve Amshaspands that is supposed to be connected with the twelve pairs of nerves in the human head! But the world will learn something quite different: it will learn how what permeates and animates the whole world continues within human beings. In our physiology, the ancient Zarathustrianism is rising again! And just as the twenty-eight to thirty-one Izeds stand beneath the Amshaspands, so the twenty-eight pairs of spinal nerves stand beneath the cranial nerves. In the spinal nerves, which stimulate the lower soul life of human beings, the Izeds, which exist outside as spiritual currents, create; they work within us, crystallizing, as it were, in the twenty-eight spinal nerves, for in them we have the condensed Ized currents. And in what is no longer nerve, what rounds us off as personality, we have what is no longer lived out in an outer stream, in an outer direction: what the Fravashis are, are in us the thoughts that rise above mere thought and brain life.

In this way, our time is indeed linked in a very peculiar way with what Zarathustra — albeit in his spiritual archetype — was able to give to human beings as a stream toward what lies spread out behind the tapestry of the sensory world. This is now the very significance of the Zarathustra teaching. After it had poured itself again and again into the more ambitious people through this or that cultural ferment for a long time, and then receded for a while, it has come to pass that — as has always been the case after the two paths into the spiritual world had united in Greek culture, there was a preference for the mystical or spiritual-scientific current — today there is once again a preference for a mystical current. Hence the preference of many for Indian spiritual science or deepening. This fact has meant that the most essential, the most profoundly significant aspect of Zarathustrianism — its very lifeblood — is hardly noticed in our entire spiritual life today. Much of the Zarathustrian worldview and Zarathustrian thinking can still be found in our spiritual life today. But something that lies at its core, as its healthiest element, has in a certain sense been lost to our age. And when we understand again how Zoroastrianism is the spiritual archetype for everything we find in the field of physical research — countless examples could be cited — and what will continue to take root, then a fundamental tone in our culture will be happily overcome by another that is found in Zoroastrianism.

It is remarkable how, in Zarathustrianism, through its devotion to the great phenomena of the macrocosm, the outer world, something recedes that plays an important role in almost all other cultural currents more closely connected with mysticism, including our materialism. The great contrast that has always existed in the world was understood in such a way that the contrast between the sexes — male and female — was taken as a symbol for it: for example, in the ancient religious systems based on mysticism, goddesses were set against gods to represent the contrast that pervades the world. In Zoroastrianism, we have the wonderful thing that it rises above this view in order to conceive of the primordial grounds of spiritual activity in another image: in the image of the good, the light, and the evil, the shadow. Hence the tremendous purity of Zoroastrianism, its sublimity, its transcendence of all the ideas and views that play such an ugly role in our time when people believe they can deepen their understanding of spiritual life. Even if the Greek writers themselves say: the highest deity, in order to create Ormuzd, also had to create Ahriman, so that he would have an opposite, yet in Ahriman opposing Ormuzd, something is given, as one primal force opposes another; which is even expressed in Hebrew, in that evil entered the world through woman — through Eve. Nothing that the world experiences as evil, which comes into the world through a sexual opposition, is to be found in Zoroastrianism. What today flows so ugly through our entire thinking and feeling, even in everyday literature, what makes so much hateful in relation to the main value in symptoms of illness and health, and what does not contain the main things in life, will be overcome when the opposition between Ormuzd and Ahriman, which is quite different — a heroic one as opposed to a petty bourgeois one — once takes root in our culture as a ferment with the words of Zarathustrianism. Things take their course in the world — and nothing will stop the triumphal march of the Zarathustrian view, which will gradually take root as well.

When we look at Zarathustra in this way, we see in him a spirit that gave powerful impulses to human culture in a long-past era. For one need only follow what was experienced in the Near East in the later times of the Assyrian and Babylonian peoples, up to the Egyptian era, and even up to the time when Christianity spread: everywhere we find ideas that can be traced back and shown to have their origin in the great lights that Zarathustra kindled in humanity. We will find it understandable when the Greek writer, who wanted to express how individual leaders always gave their peoples the later share that these peoples needed in culture, pointed out: When Pythagoras learned from his ancestors what could be passed on to him—geometry from the Egyptians, arithmetic from the Phoenicians, astronomy from the Chaldeans—he had to go to the followers of Zarathustra to learn from them the mysterious teachings of humanity's relationship to the spiritual world and a true way of life. The writer who tells us this about Pythagoras thus states that the Zarathustra way of life transcends all other opposites and allows all other opposites to culminate in the one opposition of good and evil — an opposition that can only be bridged by purification from evil, from lies and deceit. For example, the worst enemy of Ormuzd is considered to be the one called “slander”: this is one of the most important characteristics of Ahriman. The Greek writer thus points out how Pythagoras could not find the purest moral ideal, the ideal for the moral purification of man, either among the Egyptians, from whom he could learn geometry, or among the Phoenicians, from whom he could learn arithmetic, nor among the Chaldeans, from whom he could learn astronomy, but how he had to go to the followers of Zarathustra in order to have a heroic worldview that seriously recognizes the overcoming of evil in purification. Thus, the high nobility and uniqueness of Zarathustrianism was already recognized in ancient times.

Everything that has now been said could also be substantiated by statements from external history. People should therefore consider whether what the representatives of external science say is true, when, for example, Plutarch mentions that it is in the spirit of Zoroastrianism to regard light as the highest entity on earth in terms of physicality, and that its spirituality appears as truth. One of the ancient writers gives a definition that corresponds exactly to what has now been expressed. But historical phenomena will also become clear when we consider what has now been characterized.

Let us look once more at the ancient Vedic view. It was based on a mystical descent into one's own inner being. Before a person reaches the inner light of Brahman, they encounter what stands in the way of deepening into the actual spiritual-soul realm, into the eternal inner realm: inner desires, passions, wild, semi-human impulses. A person must go through this. The Indian came to the view that he can only reach the inner light if, in mystical contemplation, he truly succeeds in extinguishing with Brahman everything that is experienced in the sensory world, everything that stimulates us in colors and sounds and arouses sensual desires. As long as this still plays into our meditation, we still have the enemy of our mystical perfection within us. Cast out everything, the Indian teacher would have said, that can enter the soul from external forces, immerse yourselves only in the inner soul, descend to the Devas; there, even if you have to overcome the lower Devas, you will find Brahman in the realm of the Devas. But avoid the realm of the Asuras, the beings who approach you from the world of Maya, the outer world. This must be avoided at all costs! — Zarathustra, on the other hand, had to say to his disciples: On the path taken in the south by the followers of another people, who seek the spiritual through their different organization, a people cannot advance that is called not only to supernatural brooding and dreaming, but to life in a world that provides abundantly all that is necessary for sustenance, — a people that is called upon to give humanity the arts of agriculture and the overcoming of barbarism. You must not regard only the external as Maya, but you must pass through the carpet that spreads out around us in colors and tones and so forth! Therefore, avoid everything within you that wants to keep you in your egoism, everything that has a Deva character! You must penetrate through the realm of the lower Asuras to the highest Asuras. And since you are organized to pass through the lower Asuras to the higher Asuras, you must avoid the realm of the Devas! In India, on the other hand, the teaching of the Rishis was: You are not organized to seek what is in the realms of the Asuras; avoid the realm of the Asuras; you must descend into the realm of the Devas! Such is the contrast between Indian and Persian culture: among the Indians, the emphasis was on how to avoid the Asuras, as if they were evil spirits, for only the lower Asuras were known by virtue of the Indian organization. Among the Persian people, on the other hand, where only the lower Devas could be found in the realm of the Devas, it was said: Go into the realm of the Asuras. You are organized in such a way that you can find the highest of the Asuras! — In what Zarathustra gave as an impulse to his humanity lay the sentiment: I have something to give to humanity that must continue to have an effect throughout all ages, that paves the way upward for humanity and overcomes all false teachings that are an obstacle and draw people away from the striving for perfection! — Therefore, Zarathustra felt himself to be the servant of Ahura Mazdao and, as such, felt the opposition of Ahriman. But his teaching was intended to serve humanity in its heroic overcoming of all Ahriman principles. Zarathustra expressed this in the meaningful words that we also find in later writings, for everything written down was recorded later — but what spiritual science has to say comes from other sources — he expressed it in the beautiful words from which we can hear the whole inner impulse of his mission; but we also hear the whole passion with which he felt himself to be an opponent of the Ahriman or darkness principle when he says: "I will speak! Now come and listen to me, you who are far away — you who are close by and long for it, and take note of everything carefully. For no longer shall he, the evil enemy and false teacher, defeat the good spirit; for so long has he already permeated the voice and speech of human beings with his evil breath. But I will speak against him in the spirit of what the Highest, the First tells me, what Ahura Mazdao tells me. And whoever does not want to hear my words as I say them, as I mean them, will experience evil before the end of the earth's cycle!"

Thus speaks Zarathustra. And we want to feel in this that he was able to say something to humanity that can truly be felt and sensed by all later cultural epochs. And whoever has a sense of listening to what lives in our time, even if only faintly perceptible, whoever listens to our culture with spiritual sense, will still be able to perceive the echo of what Zarathustra said to humanity thousands of years ago. And so he will be one of those to whom what we can say about the gifts of these great leaders to humanity and their position within humanity—including much of what we will still hear about Hermes, Buddha, Moses, and other great leaders—can be summed up in the words:

They shine like stars
In the sky of eternal being
The spirits sent by God.
May all human souls succeed
In the realm of earthly existence
In seeing the light of their flames!