The Rudolf Steiner Archive

20. On the Fall of Man

[ 1 ] Today we will discuss the development of the causal body. We maintain that, on average, reincarnations occur in such a way that centuries elapse between two incarnations. The causal body is initially at a lower level, then [after further incarnations] at a higher level, and continues to rise higher and higher. The first incarnation of the human being—and thus the formation of the causal body—took place during the third root race of our Earth cycle. Before that, the immortal human spirits had not yet incarnated in the bodies we now inhabit, nor in bodies similar to them. We will speak further about these earlier states.

[ 2 ] I would now like to show how this development takes place. You can get an idea of the regular sequence of stages in this development by looking at the Indian and European cultural epochs. The European subrace is neither at a higher nor at a lower stage than the Indian—the Indian subrace is more spiritual, the European is more intellectual. The same content that the Indian subrace receives through spirituality, we receive through intellectuality. We can grasp the spiritual today if we were previously incarnated in a spiritual race. What we perceived spiritually back then, in the times when the Genesis of the Old Testament was written, we can more easily grasp intellectually today. The fact that we are able to understand today what the causal body created in earlier centuries is because we were still more spiritual as human beings back then; we were still able to perceive higher truths directly at that time. When we look at the Indians and also the Jews of ancient times, we see that they grasped the truths spiritually; today the Jews, too, have lost the spiritual, and the Indians have also become more materialistic. In the past, it was not customary to present truths in an intellectual form, as we do today, but rather everything was conveyed figuratively; and what was originally conveyed in a figurative manner is the spiritual truth. Those who know the symbols can understand the spiritual.

[ 3 ] Scholars disagree about the biblical account of the seven days of creation and the myth of the Fall. However, the myth of the Fall describes nothing other than what happened in the third root race, during the Lemurian epoch: there was the transition from the asexual to the bisexual. Kama-Manas and the bisexuality of human beings belong together; Kama-Manas appears as the active intellect—that is one pole; the other pole is bisexuality. The separation into two sexes and the entry of the mind into Kama-Manas—this is what the Fall myth in the Bible depicts. Each of these facts must have been vividly present in the minds of those who created this myth. The facts were recounted in lofty mythical language. In the Bible, they are rendered somewhat distorted; to the connoisseur, it is clear where the content of this myth is distorted and what it must have originally been. |

[ 4 ] We want to see how the myth came into being back when humanity was still more spiritual. Step by step, we can examine the myth of the Fall, and we will come to recognize the profound wisdom contained within it.

The serpent was more cunning than any of the wild animals that the Lord God had made, and he said to the woman: ...

[ 5 ] The symbol of the serpent stands everywhere for the Initiate. One who is initiated in a certain way and, through that initiation, brings a message to humanity was called a “serpent.” The serpent is the symbol of one who is capable of guiding humanity through Kama-Manas. Everything Manasic within the dense Earth was less “cunning,” which is why the serpent said to the woman:

... Yes, did God say:
“You must not eat from any of the trees in the garden”? (Genesis 3:1)

[ 6 ] The trees symbolize what humans should cultivate with Kama-Manas, through which they should advance within the earth, within physical matter. This refers to the culture of the mind, which is meant to cultivate what grows and flourishes within the earth.

Then the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden. But God has said, ‘You must not eat the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor touch it, or you will die.’” (Genesis 3:2–3)

[ 7 ] As long as the human spirit had not incarnated, there was neither death nor reproduction as we know it today. Reproduction among earlier human races took place in a different way: one body gave way to another. It was a differentiation without fertilization. There was no birth and no death; there was only an attraction and repulsion based on elective affinity. The serpent, the master of Kama-Manas, could say: If you acquire Kama-Manas, if you eat from the tree, then you will undergo a development. - That planetary spirit named Jehovah, who once guided humanity alone, knew what would happen if, through the serpent, Manas mingled with Kama. When that happened, then humans too had to die.

Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will by no means die, but God knows that on the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4–5)

[ 8 ] You will by no means die, but your eyes will be opened—that is to say, you will have to develop the Manas through Kama. You will have to see everything through your eyes and then gain knowledge. — Before that, people did not know what was good and evil, for they were guided from above.

And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise; and she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, ...

[ 9 ] Then the human beings entered their bodies and were able to perceive the world through their senses.

... and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. (Genesis 3:6–7)

[ 10 ] In the past, they were unable to perceive this; only now have they become “naked.” Physical matter reveals the nature associated with Kama-Manas, and the “clothing” of physical matter is the result of Kama-Manas. In the past, human beings possessed a higher, finer form of matter, so they had no need to feel ashamed. They first had to adapt physical matter to their higher nature. God did not create Kama, but Manas. Yet human beings felt ashamed and made themselves clothing.

And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden as the cool of the day came. (Genesis 3:8)

[ 11 ] Up to that point, the planetary spirit had guided humanity. Jehovah is the god of physical nature; in the “Esoteric Doctrine,” he is the god of procreation, a moon god. People resented Madame Blavatsky for correctly characterizing Jehovah. Through Jehovah, humanity receives sexuality from the cosmos.

And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

And the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:8–10)

[ 12 ] In the past, people could not hide at all because Jehovah guided them. Kabbalah states this much more clearly. In the original times, the secret teaching was given only figuratively. “Adam Kadmon” is the name of the genderless Adam. Now the intellectual nature is within man; in the past, it was outside. Now man hides it within his inner nature; he hides it from external wisdom.

And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

Then Adam said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” (Genesis 3:11–12)

[ 13 ] The single-sex being has become a dual-sex being. It was this that first enabled the serpent to lead humans onto the path of Kama-Manas.

Then the Lord God said to the woman, “Why have you done this?”

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed above all livestock and all wild animals.” (Genesis 3:13–14)

[ 14 ] “Cursed above all livestock and above all animals of the field”—this means nothing other than: Animals have evolved to a certain limit, in a manner still appropriate to their entire kama; they follow the path laid out for them. Human kama has been released from its bonds; man must decide for himself. The lion is cruel because it lies in his kama. Man, however, must purify his instinct toward morality; his instinct has been set free. You have been cast out with your kama-manas and left to your own devices. You are not like the animals—that is what these words mean. Those who know the “Secret Doctrine” will know how, in one of the Dzyan stanzas, the highest planetary spirits are spoken of; there are actually eight of them, but only seven are mentioned, for the one who brought the light has been cast out. Thus Kama-Manas has also been cast out.

You will crawl on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life. (Genesis 3:14) |

[ 15 ] Crawling on one's belly and eating dirt means nothing other than: everything that is to be attained through Kama-Manas, a person can attain within the course of earthly development.

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. (Genesis 3:15)

[ 16 ] From the middle of the second race to the middle of the sixth race, the polarity between the seed and the mind is taken over by animal sexuality. The mind can never desire what sexuality desires.

He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel. (Genesis 3:15) |

[ 17 ] Hostile forces are said to be coming from here and there. One pole consists of the kama-manasic forces, the other of the kamic forces. A new sense of unease has arisen that was not there before, and it is kamic.

And to the woman he said, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth; in pain you shall bring forth children; yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” (Genesis 3:16)

[ 18 ] This means, then, that a new kamic current is emerging. Desire and aversion are essentially the nature of the kamic. In esoteric language, man and woman always signify the two forces: the man represents the outer force, the woman the inner soul. ‘Man and woman thus signify outer energy and inner, spiritual emotional strength. As long as the human being is engaged on this physical path, the spiritual human must submit to the physical human. Consciousness must submit to the laws of physical development; that is, “he shall be your master.”

And to Adam he said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat from it’—cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.” (Genesis 3:17)

[ 19 ] You shall eat your bread with sorrow —: Jehovah is the planetary spirit whose dominion extends only as far as Kama-Manas. There a new order takes hold. That is why Jehovah cannot bear to see Kama-Manas enter into the process of development. He therefore says, I must create a cosmic counterpole, because you obeyed the voice of your wife, the consciousness that has become filled with Kama-Manas, and ate of the knowledge of Kama-Manas, of the tree from which I commanded you not to eat. Thus shall the ground be cursed because of you—: that is, the physical earth. At that time, it was given to man as a natural gift, and now he must conquer it piece by piece. Formerly, that which animates man was more dissolved. “Cursed” means: made independent, brought down. He could no longer see the finer matter. Sorrow: that is a new disinclination.

It will yield thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.

By the sweat of your face you shall eat your bread until you return to the ground, from which you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you shall return. (Genesis 3:18–19)

[ 20 ] But he must become spirit. He must continue to work in the physical realm until he has spiritualized himself once more.

And Adam named his wife Eve, because she is the mother of all the living. (Genesis 3:20)

[ 21 ] And from that moment on, Adam called his consciousness Eve, the mother of all that humanity creates on Earth, the mother of all that humanity has developed along this path of evolution. And that will be the kama-manasic Eve.

And the Lord God made tunics of skins for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. (Genesis 3:21)

[ 22 ] He provided the physical-spiritual human beings with what they needed from the outside to make progress.

And the Lord God said, “Behold, Adam has become like one of us, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:22)

[ 23 ] Remember the image I used, where the light source is in the center and the spheres around it reflect the light. Now the spheres themselves are glowing, and God says: Before, you were merely a reflection of me; you were merely the thought I sent out; now you have become independent beings—living, detached, independent beings.

But now, lest he stretch out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—therefore the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. (Genesis 3:22–23)

[ 24 ] Adam was driven out of the Garden of Eden. He was no longer allowed to remain there; he was no longer allowed to eat from the Tree of Immortality as he had done before; he had to find another source of sustenance. The Manasic does not pass through the gate of birth and death. Disembodied wisdom represents the Tree of Life. Now man has become kamamanasic, and now he must pass through birth and death. There are two different trees in Paradise; he was allowed to eat from one. Now, after the Fall, he was no longer allowed to do so. With Kama-Manas, he has lost the ability to partake of this immortality.

Then the Lord God banished Adam and stationed the cherubim at the entrance to the Garden of Eden, with a flaming sword that turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:24)

[ 25 ] The Cherub is the planetary spirit that signifies Manas, immortal life; it does not signify knowledge through Kama-Manas. The Cherub, who stands at Jehovah’s side, was placed before the Garden of Eden so that man might not enter this garden, where truth in its primal form can be attained.

[ 26 ] Now imagine the development of humanity before the time of the third root race. It was the Dzyan-Chohan who guided them. Because they were guided by him, they had access to wisdom. Humanity was guided spiritually in a direct manner, not through the eyes, ears, or internal organs. But now, when humanity had become Kama-Manas, the Cherub stood before humanity and did not allow it to approach the Tree of Life. Humanity must first pass through all manner of births. This will remain the case until it has regained its original immortality.

[ 27 ] The people of the third, fourth, and even the fifth race still possessed a certain spiritual life; today we are primarily kama-manasic beings, endowed with only a slight spiritual influence. But we have already reached the lowest point, and Theosophy, the Theosophical Movement, is meant to restore the influence of spirituality. In the past, truths could not be taught in intellectual terms; instead, everything was conveyed through images; then higher knowledge dawned upon people. Those who still retain something of that earlier spirituality are difficult to understand today; they express many things in sentences that are hard to grasp. One must guess what the guide intends to say, for everything is expressed only figuratively. Yet it is the same truth that is to find expression in Theosophy today. We could not interpret the Fall in such a spiritual way if we did not possess this wisdom from another source. In the past, it was acquired through myth; today, it dawns upon us through the more advanced development of our causal body. In later stages of development, it will dawn on you as manasic wisdom.