The Rudolf Steiner Archive

Being, Life, and Consciousness II

[ 1 ] From what has been said about evolution and involution, we can see that we can ask about every phenomenon: What has evolved? [What has involuted?]

[ 2 ] When we look at the physical earth, we find different states of aggregation: solid, liquid, gaseous, ethereal. Physical humans [senses] can only perceive the outer side of substances; they also have an inner side, the involuted side. What is perceptible is the outer side, which is evolved.

[ 3 ] If we take fire, air, and water, we can say that they represent the three stages we have mentioned:

Fire — stage of being,
Air - stage of life,
Water — stage of consciousness.

[ 4 ] This is expressed by saying that water has some connection with consciousness, because for physical human beings, the astral represents that in which they become consciously aware.

[ 5 ] If we go to the earth, we have reached the stage of being; when he [the human being] becomes earthly, he becomes self-conscious. So these four states of aggregation represent four states in the human being:

Being, life, consciousness, and then being again.

[ 6 ] Let us return to the state in which humans were, as often described: jelly-like, gelatinous, so that at that time they had not yet reached the point of being able to consume air as such within themselves. They were water beings. It is therefore clear that at that time the organ for taking in air would have served no purpose. It was not [present], and [therefore] neither were the air animals, the birds. We are in the process of preparing for the lung-human and the animals that arose in its wake.

[ 7 ] Humans are preparing to take in air, which can only happen by ... creating an external form in which the formless can live. The lungs are nothing more than the evolution of what is involved in the air. The lungs are thus the evolution of life [of the air].

[ 8 ] Let us note: Man develops from a lungless creature to a lunged animal, he creates form for himself, and life can move into this form. The accompanying phenomenon: bird life. The gelatinous human being now becomes solid, absorbs the chaotic, formerly dust-like matter into himself, and parallel to this assimilation of matter goes that of air. Two things take place: assimilation of the dust of the earth and inhalation of the principle of life with the air. He becomes alive from within, spiritually.

[ 9 ] So we have to note this moment. The bird world is what remains as an eternal symbol of the living soul of man. Hence the phoenix, which continually renews itself and burns in the ashes.

[ 10 ] In such a process, such as the creation of a form by a principle, we must see something typical.

[ 11 ] In the past, we had the air as such as the outer shell for the life principle contained within it, and now the lungs are the outer shell for the life principle contained within the human being.

[ 12 ] Macrocosmic life and air stand in the same relationship to each other as microcosmic human life and the lungs.

[ 13 ] Thus, the Bible can be taken literally again: the joining of the dust of the earth with the living human being.

[ 14 ] If we look at the whole development, each mineral state of life is preceded by three earlier states and followed by three later ones. Let us ask ourselves: how do these seven states relate to each other? In the middle one, there is a certain relationship between being, life, and consciousness. It is roughly that of equilibrium. If we imagine that they are evenly distributed, we get the middle planet, we have a balance:

[ 15 ] Being or body [a], life or soul [b], spirit or consciousness [c]. The planet is in its middle state:

$$a = b = c$$

[ 16 ] Other relationships are also possible ( = equal, > predominant):

$$a = b > c$$ $$a > b = c$$ $$4a > b > c$$

[ 17 ] Other relationships are not possible.

[ 18 ] If being sharply predominates over the other states, so that life and consciousness are contained in embryonic form, we have the arupa state. If we allow life to arise in such a way that it contains being, we are dealing with form, rupa. If consciousness predominates... [gap], we have the astral. If they are equal, [we have] the physical.

[ 19 ] When we have the arupa state, we have evolved being, involved life and consciousness. Rupa state: evolved being and life, involved consciousness. Astral state: all three evolved, but being and life greater than consciousness. In the physical, there is an approximate balance of proportions.

[ 20 ] We have endeavored to approach things from different points of view and to keep concepts fluid, to attach them to things.

[ 21 ] To see only a shell for the essence in every form of understanding is an important occult statement. The essence must live within us. We must continually make clothes and shells for the essence of things, but be aware that these shells and clothes do not contain the essence of things at all. The moment we find a form of expression for the inner essence of things, we have made the esoteric exoteric. Therefore, the esoteric can never be communicated other than in exoteric form.

[ 22 ] Constantly create forms of understanding, but at the same time always overcome these self-created forms of understanding. First you are, second are the forms of understanding you have created, third you are again, having absorbed the forms into yourself and overcome them. That is to say: first you are being, then life in your self-created forms, and thirdly consciousness in the life forms you have assimilated. Or also: you are you and should evolve in your forms in order to then involve the evolved forms in yourself again.

[ 23 ] Thus, human comprehension is also being, life, and consciousness.

[ 24 ] It is impossible to see the ins and outs of a truth in a dogmatic teaching; dogmatism is only the second moment. Only when one has overcome it has one seen the truth of things for oneself. Hence the important statement:

[ 25 ] In order to recognize the truth, man must dogmatize, but he must never see the truth in dogma.

[ 26 ] And with that we have the life of the truth-seeking human being who can remelt dogma in the fire of the concept.

[ 27 ] Therefore, the occultist deals with dogma in the freest manner.

[ 28 ] This insight, this blow in the world of concepts and counterblow, is called dialectic, while the adherence to concepts is called logic. Dialectics is therefore the life of logic, and those who understand the spirit of dialectics will, where they touch the higher realms of knowledge, transform rigid, dead concepts into living ones, that is, distribute them among specific individuals. They transform logic into conversation. That is why Plato dialecticized logic, transforming it into conversation.

[ 29 ] Green Snake by Goethe
Gold – Wisdom
Light – Form in which wisdom expresses itself.
What is more wonderful than light? Conversation!

[ 30 ] Conclusion of Rudolf Steiner's “Mysticism.” Angelus Silesius:

Friend, that is enough. If you want to read more, go and become the scripture and the essence yourself.