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Theosophy and Rosicrucianism
GA 100

21 June 1907, Kassel

Translator Unknown

VI. Man's Decent into an Earthly Incarnation

When, as we saw yesterday, man has reached the stage in the spiritual world in which he has, so to speak, transformed everything which he possessed in the form of capacities and talents acquired during his earthly life, then the time has come for him to prepare for a new incarnation. But we must realise that two things should be dealt with in that which comes towards us from the human being. One thing is that which reproduces itself in the course of physical heredity, and the other is that which the human being brings along into the world from his earlier lives on earth.

To-day we shall have to describe man's descent into the world, but you need not object to the word “descent”, for it is not a spatial descent, but a gradual process of development whereby man comes out of the world which is round about us and enters into the physical world.

Yesterday we saw that the spiritual world should not be sought in a “Beyond”, but that it is also round about us; modern man, however, is not able to perceive this spiritual world.

Out of this spiritual world develops that which we designate as a new embodiment. We saw that from his former life man retains an essence of his etheric and of his astral body, a survey of his experiences, and that he also took with him into the spiritual world that part of his astral body which he had been able to transmute, casting off the unrefined part.

It will be easier to form an idea of reincarnation if we bear in mind a few other things concerning the life after death. We saw that immediately after his physical death man lives for about three and a half days within his etheric body and that his past life rises up before him in these three and a half days like a kind of picture. The etheric body dissolves and then comes the Kamaloka time; this is the time of purification, in which the astrality still requiring purification is cleaned and purged.

But now I must mention another experience. When this memory picture arises immediately after death, man has a significant experience. He has the experience as if he suddenly grew in size, quickly breaking through his own surface and growing out into space. This feeling does not vanish until he is born again. Man feels that he is as large as the whole world to which he belongs, as large as the whole space of the universe. This will enable you to realise that man can look upon his body and experience it as something which does not belong to him, for he sees his passions as if they were outside his body. He has the strange feeling of being spread out over the whole universe.

Then comes something which is more difficult to understand. During the whole time of Kamaloka man feels as if he were really split up into space. You may understand this better if you bear in mind the following: During the time of Kamaloka, when man lives through his life backwards as far as his childhood, in the manner described, he passes through all his experiences as if they were reflected in a mirror. If he once slapped someone's face it is he who now feels the slap, for he feels that he is a part of the world once occupied by the other person. For example, if you died here in Kassel and the other person whom you slapped lives in Paris, then you feel as if one part of your being were in Paris. Thus you feel as if you were split up over, the whole world; parts of you live, so to speak, wherever you have to look for something. But you should understand this in such away that you cannot feel anything in the space between Kassel and Paris. If you thus bear in mind all the events of your life, you really feel split up into many many places during your passage through the period after death.

The following may serve you as a simile: A wasp. consists of two parts, a front and a back part, with a very thin connection. Now imagine that the back part were completely severed, but that the wasp nevertheless, drags it along with it. This is more or less the way in which you can picture to yourself what I have just described: You feel that you consist of single parts and that there is no connection between them. But when the human being enters Devachan, he once more feels as he did immediately after death, namely as if he filled up the whole space of the universe.

Now, when in Devachan man has transformed all his dispositions into talents and capacities, the Ego once more feels attracted towards the physical earth and endeavors to descend to the earth in a physical incarnation. First of all the Ego surrounds itself with an astral body. This process takes place through the fact that Ego attracts everything astral; the astral substance comes shooting towards it, as it were. It is just as if you were holding a magnet in front of iron filings; even as these filings are attracted in definite forms, so the Ego attracts the astral substance. But while passing through the soul and spirit realms the Ego has gained impressions through its experiences and all these form the fundamental forces which help to build up the new astral body. The new astral body thus takes along with it everything that the human being has experienced during his former life and in Kamaloka. All the impressions which he has had there, have a definite influence upon the way in which the new astral body enters into him.

The human being has now acquired an astral body; but he must also have the other members. The astral body has only been formed through its own forces of attraction. Before conception, man is enfolded only by this astral body. The seer therefore continually sees these astral germs of human beings waiting to be born—that is to say, waiting to be conceived. He sees them flying about with a tremendous speed; bell-like shapes move about. through space with enormous speed; distances play no part whatever; they move so rapidly that distances play no part at all.

Now comes the enfolding with an etheric body; but that a process in which the human being does not become enfolded with his own forces alone. His own forces, which lie in him, can no longer care for the etheric body; for that purpose, man needs the help, of certain spiritual Beings who must cooperate in this.

You may have an idea of these Beings if you bear in mind that you sometimes use words which you do not generally connect with any definite thought; for instance, the word Folk-spirit, Folk-soul. To-day we have no definite idea in connection with this word, but only something quite abstract. But the clairvoyant seer connects with it something quite different. There really are Beings of a higher nature, who exist even as we ourselves exist, but who never incarnate in the flesh, and these beings are the souls, or the souls of tribes and races. We do not use a vague expression when speaking of the Folk-soul: The Folk-soul is a real being, except that it does not possess a physical body, for its lowest member is the etheric body. Then the Folk-soul has an astral body, the Ego, Manas, Budhi, Atma, and a still higher member which man does not attain and which Christian Esoterisism calls the Holy Spirit, and which Theosophy generally designates as the Logos.

The clairvoyant seer may therefore address the Folk-Soul even as he addresses other human beings. To-day we have no real conception of such things and believe that this word designates characteristics of single nations. But this is not true—a reality is connected with it. The understanding for such things was necessarily lost through the materialistic conception, but it will be reached again. To-day men are inclined to dissolve such things into empty concepts. This had to come. For this same reason a book had to be published in our modern epoch which constitutes, so to speak, the very opposite of a theosophical conception. This book had to appear and has been greatly admired. It is Fritz Mauthner's “Kritik der Sprache” (The Critique of Language). Mauthner is a thinker who dissolves everything which lies beyond sensory things. Only a radical thinker who had been abandoned by every good spirit, could have the courage to write as Mauthner did, breaking with everything that is spiritual and real. In centuries to come, men will turn to this very book when they wish to know how people used to think at the beginning of the 20th century.

The Folk-Soul is a reality; it spreads out like a mass of fog, and in it are embedded all the etheric bodes of the individual human beings belonging to a definite nation and its forces stream into the etheric bodies of individual men.

Now there are spiritual beings having the rank of these Folk-souls, who cooperate in the building up of the etheric body of the new soul. These spiritual beings bring about the fact that the human being is led towards the nation which is most suited to him. The etheric body does not always fit quite perfectly; all the disharmonies which you often encounter in life often depend upon the fact that man is unable to build up his etheric body through his own forces. A complete harmony will only be reached upon a much later stage of development of the earth.

The enfolding with the etheric body takes place with great rapidity—a speed which you cannot conceive of if you compare it with physical conditions. Still higher spiritual beings then lead man towards the parents who are able to supply him with the substance which he needs for his physical body.

The modern materialist who sees that the son resembles his parents, will not be able to believe that something else is also connected with the body inherited from the parents. Of course, as regards our body we resemble our ancestors, but this does not contradict the facts explained above.

Let us observe a definite case—the family of Bach In the course of two hundred and fifty years, over 29 more or less significant musicians have come out of that family. Materialists will say: This clearly proves that there is such a thing as heredity!—In the same way the family Bernoulli produced eight mathematicians in a short time. How can we explain this? We can understand this best of all if we bear in mind hereditary conditions. As this is easier to grasp in the case of a musician lot us observe the family of Bach.

Let us suppose that a young Bach had lived in Rome during his former incarnation, that he had elaborated his dispositions and was ready to reincarnate. Supposing he had brought with him, as the result of his former incarnations, the greatest musical gifts; he could do nothing with these gifts if he were not able to find a well developed ear. Without such a well developed ear, he would be just as helpless as a great artist without an instrument. Necessarily such an individuality would have to incarnate in a body supplying a good organ for his dispositions. But the external form of the inner and outer organs is hereditary and if this individuality wished to become a musician, a well developed ear would be essential! Where can he most easily acquire such an organ? In a family of musicians. So he is led towards a family where he can find the best organ for his further development and the unfolding of the talents reposing in him. At that time, the best which could be found in that direction were the parents of Johann Sebastian Bach.

And how do matters stand with the brothers Bernoulli? Mathematical thought does not depend upon the structure of the brain (for mathematical logic does not differ from any other), but the mathematical gift is based upon the specially exact development in the structure of the three semicircular canals. This is an organ not larger that a pea, embedded in the middle of the ear and consisting of three semicircular canals, exactly corresponding to the three-dimensional space. If one canal lies exactly horizontally, then the second one stretches from right to left, and the third one from the front to the back.1In regard to the human head, and the directions “above, below”, “right and left”, “in front and at the back”, the organ as a whole stands like a cubus poised on its point. They all face one another in an angle of 90 degrees The essential thing is therefore this exact position: The more exact the right angle is, the better does the organ function. If the organ is in any way injured, giddiness arises; you can no longer orientate yourself in space. The mathematical talent, that is to say, the possibility of using it, is based upon a specially fine elaboration of these canals. And this organ is inherited in the same way as, the musical ear.

The brain forms thoughts concerning space in exactly the same way in which it forms thoughts on philosophy. But the fact of having an understanding for the forms in space depends upon these three semicircular canals. Thus an individuality with highly developed mathematical gifts will incarnate in a family in which this organ has reached the most perfect development and this was the case in the family Bernoulli.

A suitable instrument is also needed in order to be morally efficient. An individuality with a high morality therefore seeks parents who promise to supply the best instrument for this purpose. The proverb, which is often used so superficially and trivially: “one cannot be too careful in the choice of one's parents”, is true in the deepest and most earnest sense, for a child chooses its own parents, so to speak.

Many people might object to this and ask: How can we explain mother-love, if that is so? For mother-love depends on the fact that the mother knows that the child is part of her own self. But viewed in the right light, mother-love does not suffer in any way—on the contrary, we learn to know it better.

Why is a child born to a certain mother? Because its spiritual qualities lead it to a mother who is spiritually related to it, and the child loves its mother even before it is conceived; mother-love is, as it were, the counter-part of this primary love and attraction. Consequently this insight even deepens the idea of mother-love.

Now the occasion for incarnate is essentially dependent on the qualities of father and mother; and there, father and mother work differently. When a human being descends to a new birth, the Ego, which possesses more volitional forces, feels more attracted by the father, and the more astral forces by the mother. The father has a greater influence upon the Ego, the will and character, and the mother has more influence upon the astral body—that is to say, more in the direction of thought. Of course, it is best of all if both parents are suited to the individuality seeking to incarnate.

When man descends, those forces are also active which were impressed upon him when he ascended to the spiritual worlds. All this develops forces of attraction and he is drawn into the sphere which was related to him from the very beginning. He is consequently led towards those human beings with whom he was already connected before.

Let me give you an example based on real fact. It once happened that a man was sentenced to death by a vehmgericht of four or five judges and executed. The former life of these six men was investigated through spiritual science and it appeared that they had formerly all been together on earth, but that the executed man had been their chieftain and that the others had been sentenced to death by him. The last execution was therefore a kind of atonement. This case in particular brings into clear evidence the law of Karma.

Thus the various forces which man attracted during his former life exercise a determining influence when he is born again, both in regard to the structure of his body and the place of birth, and in regard to his later destiny. Disharmonies appear in the physical body even more strongly than in the etheric body.

All these things show how man becomes enfolded by the three bodies when he is born again. And in every incarnation one Ego works upon the astral body, the etheric body and the physical body. Later on we shall see how man ascends to this high degree of perfection, for he transforms the astral body and the etheric body more and more. Out of the purified astral body develops Manas, out of the purified etheric body Budhi, and out of the purified physical body Atma. We are therefore able to imagine the ever growing perfection of man from incarnation to incarnation.

This appears most beautifully in the Lord's Prayer. But we can only understand it in the right way if we grasp it in the truly Christian meaning, as it was grasped in the Occult School of St. Paul. In this School the Lord's Prayer was explained according to its true Christian meaning, and the pupils were told: Imagine the higher members of human nature, which develop, through the fact that man more and more refines his three lower members. Early Christianity used to look upon these three higher members (Manas, Budhi, Atma) as man's higher nature. By developing the three higher members more and more, man gradually approaches the Godhead. From this standpoint, the esoteric Christians of the past used to call the three highest members the Divine Nature, and they called the highest Atma, i.e. the Father. This is the deepest divine essence in man: the Father in Heaven.

The Father is the essence towards which all men develop. He is the centre of the world's creation. The creation in the Christian meaning, can be best imagined if we bear in mind the sacrifice. Think of your mirrored-image, and assume that you could be just as selfless as this mirrored image, to the point of being able to sacrifice your own life. This is how we must think of a selfless creative activity: We ourselves must become completely one with the created object.

Now imagine the Father as the centre of a reflecting hollow sphere: The Father's image will in that case be reflected a thousand-fold. The esoteric Christian of olden times said to himself: Look at the world: All the Beings in it are, after all, the reflected images of God. And in their esoterisism they used to call this reflection of the Godhead's own image “the Kingdom”, that is to say: God, reflecting Himself everywhere.

“Continue now to develop your feelings,” was the instruction given to the pupil of esoteric Christianity in olden times, “continue to develop, your feelings. and if you can perceive God in everything, if you have dissolved the Godhead in an infinite number of single objects, and if you wish to distinguish these objects you must give each a name. This name: must be sanctified, it must be hallowed, for every single creature is a mirrored image of' the Godhead.”

In the course of his development, aiming at the attainment of God, man enters into these three elements. But you must not think that man becomes God. Take a drop out of the ocean: In its essence it is akin to the ocean, but it is not the ocean. In the same way the drop of divine nature within us is akin to God, to be sure, but it is not “the Godhead.” By developing the three highest members more and more, man gradually becomes united with the Kingdom; for the spiritual world comes down to him.

Here you have the three first entreaties in the Lord's Prayer: the first place, the appeal to the Father; in the second place, the entreaty that the Kingdom should come to us; in the third place, the Hallowing of the Name.

If we develop those three highest members within us, we shall always endeavour to avoid acting in a way which is not in harmony with the Spirit of the Father, from Whom we descend and to Whom we go in our development.

In contrast to the three higher members esoteric Christianity then considers the four lower members of man which must also become more and more perfect.

The physical body consists of the same substances which are also to be found outside in Nature, and these substances continually go in and out of our physical body. Indeed, if the physical body is to remain healthy, they must continually go in and out.

The etheric body has forces which are inter-related with the whole Folk-soul, even as the physical body's forces are inter-related with the whole of Nature. If the physical body is to remain sound, physical substances must go in and out of it day by day. If the etheric body is to remain sound, it must not develop upon an individual basis, but enter into harmony with the whole Folk-soul and with all the higher Beings.

The word “trespasses” is connected with the word “debts.” Debts clearly show that you do not stand there isolated, but that you live within social connection with your fellow-men.

That which brings disorder into the astral body of man was considered in early Christian esotericism as something connected with man's inclinations, passions, impulses and desires. Everything which can bring disorder into these is expressed by the word “temptation”. “Trespasses” are something which brings man into connection with the social community, whereas “temptation” is something into which every man may fall, in so far as he is an individual being.

If physical substances did not go in and out of our physical body, this body would come into disorder. Hence, we pray: this day our daily bread.

If the etheric body did not enter into a harmonious relationship with the Folk-soul, that is to say, if it did not insert itself harmoniously into the whole social structure, this body too would come into disorder. Hence we pray: Forgive us our trespasses.

If man fell into the error of giving way to every temptation which approaches him, this would bring disorder into his astral body. Hence we pray: Lead us not into temptation.

The Ego can commit errors which we designate as “evil”. Everything which transforms a normal, sound self-consciousness
into to evil, that is to say, into selfishness, belongs to these errors of the Ego (which is our own Self). To these errors belong all the aberrations of selfishness and egoism. Hence we pray: Deliver us from evil.

The physical body can thus develop soundly if we nourish it in the right way with daily bread.

The etheric body can develop soundly, if we bring it into a right harmony with the social structure in which we live.

The astral body can develop soundly, that is to say, it can be purged and purified, if we overcome all temptations.

The Ego can develop soundly, if we endeavour to transform every form of egoism into altruism, every form of selfishness to selflessness. Thus we may see in the Lord's Prayer a prayer encompassing the whole development of man.

Someone might now object—and you will often come across this objection: The Lord' s Prayer is one that was given by Christ Jesus for every man. Of what use are explanations such as the above, since the majority of men knows nothing about them?

The naive' person need not know anything about them. Look at the rose. The greatest wisdom has built up the rose, and yet even the simplest man may rejoice in it! It is not necessary to know anything of the wisdom contained, in the rose. It is the same with the Lord' s prayer. A power goes out from it and influences the human soul, even if the soul in its simplicity does not know this . But the Lord's Prayer could never contain this force had it not been drawn out of the deepest wisdom. Every great prayer, such as this greatest of all prayers, has been drawn out of the deepest wisdom, and the power of such prayers is based upon this fact. If you think that this is simply a thought-out explanation, you will be wrong, for the Being Who gave us the Lord' s Prayer laid into it this deep power.

You may therefore see that only with the help of spiritual science can we understand that which we practice daily the power of which has been experienced by mankind for nearly two thousand years.

Now we have reached a stage in the development of humanity where it is no longer possible to proceed without such a deepening of our understanding. Formerly, that is to say, up to that moment, humanity was able to feel the spiritual forces contained in this prayer without knowing its deeper meaning. But now humanity has progressed so far in its development that it must ask after this meaning, and an answer has to be given now.

The Christian religion will not lose any of its value thereby, but it will, on the contrary, manifest itself in its whole depth. Religious truths will be gained anew through the greatest wisdom. The esoteric explanation of the Lord's Prayer is an example of this. (See Rudolf Steiner's booklet: The Lord's Prayer) It shows us the path which man must tread through many incarnations. If he walks in the spirit of the four petitions referring to the four lower members, they will help him to fulfil the work leading to the development of his higher members, as expressed in the first three petitions of the Lord's Prayer.

Sechster Vortrag

[ 1 ] Wenn der Mensch innerhalb jenes geistigen Gebietes, das wir gestern besprochen haben, so weit ist, daß er sozusagen alles das, was er an Fähigkeiten und Talenten hatte, die er sich während des Erdenlebens erwarb, umgewandelt hat, dann kommt die Zeit, wo er sich anschickt zu einer neuen Verkörperung. Wir müssen uns darüber klar sein, daß wir in dem, was uns am Menschen entgegentritt, zweierlei vor uns haben. Das eine ist das, was sich im Laufe der physischen Vererbung fortpflanzt, das andere ist das, was er aus seinen früheren Lebensläufen mitbringt in diese Welt.

[ 2 ] Wir werden zu beschreiben haben den Herunterstieg des Menschen in diese Weit, wobei Sie sich an dem Wort «Herunterstieg» nicht stoßen dürfen, denn es ist nicht ein räumliches Heruntersteigen, sondern ein Sich-Herausbilden aus der Welt um uns herum. Wir haben gestern gesehen, wie diese geistige Welt nicht etwa in einem Jenseits zu suchen ist, sondern wie sie auch hier rings um uns herum ist, nur daß dem heutigen Menschen die Möglichkeit fehlt, diese geistige Welt wahrzunehmen. Aus dieser geistigen Welt heraus entwickelt sich das, was man eine neue Verkörperung nennt. Wir haben gesehen, daß der Mensch sowohl von seinem Äther- als auch vom Astralleib eine Essenz zurückbehalten hat aus seinem früheren Leben, eine Übersicht seiner Erlebnisse; und was er innerhalb seines Astralleibes bereits veredelt hat, das alles hat er mitgenommen in die geistige Welt. Nur das Unveredelte ist abgefallen.

[ 3 ] Wir werden eine leichtere Vorstellung gewinnen über die Wiederverkörperung, wenn wir uns noch einiges vom Leben nach dem Tode klarmachen. Wir haben gesehen, daß der Mensch direkt nach dem Eintritt des physischen Todes noch etwa dreieinhalb Tage in seinem Ätherleib lebt, daß in diesen dreieinhalb Tagen das verflossene Leben wie in einer Art von Tableau vor ihm aufsteigt. Dann löst sich der Ätherleib auf, und daran schließt sich dann die Kamalokazeit: das ist die Zeit der Läuterung und Reinigung von aller läuterungsbedürftigen und reinigungsbedürftigen Astralität.

[ 4 ] Nun muß ich aber noch ein Erlebnis anführen. In dem Moment, wo dies Erinnerungsbild unmittelbar nach dem Tode auftritt, hat der Mensch ein bedeutsames Erlebnis. Der Mensch hat da die Empfindung, wie wenn er plötzlich größer würde, wie wenn er rasch durchbrechen würde seine Oberfläche und hinauswachsen würde in den Raum. Dieses Gefühl schwindet nicht wieder bis zur neuen Geburt. Der Mensch fühlt sich so groß wie die Welt, zu der er gehört, so groß wie der ganze Weltenraum. Daher können Sie auch eine Vorstellung davon gewinnen, wie es möglich ist, daß der Mensch seinen Leib wie etwas Fremdes sieht und empfindet, denn er sieht seine Leidenschaften gleichsam außerhalb seines Körpers. Es ist ein eigenartiges Gefühl, dieses Ausgebreitetsein durch den Weltenraum.

[ 5 ] Dann kommt etwas noch schwerer zu Verstehendes hinzu. Während dieser ganzen Kamalokazeit fühlt sich der Mensch so, wie wenn er richtig im Raume aufgeteilt wäre. Sie werden das besser so begreifen: Wenn der Mensch während der Kamalokazeit, wie ich Ihnen geschildert habe, sein Leben zurücklebt bis zur Kindheit, fühlt er alles, was er erlebt hatte, wie im Spiegelbild. So fühlt der Mensch richtig die Ohrfeige, die er damals jemandem gegeben hat; er fühlt sich richtig als Stück von dem Ort, den der andere eingenommen hat. Wenn Sie zum Beispiel hier in Kassel gestorben sind und der andere Mensch, dem Sie damals die Ohrfeige gegeben haben, in Paris lebt, dann fühlen Sie sich wie mit einem Stück von Ihnen dort. Und so fühlen Sie sich wie aufgeteilt im Weltenraum; Sie fühlen sich stückweise überall da, wo Sie sozusagen etwas zu suchen haben. Das ist nun so zu verstehen, daß Sie in dem Zwischenraum von Paris und Kassel nichts fühlen. So daß, wenn Sie alle Ereignisse Ihres Lebens in dieser Weise in Betracht ziehen, Sie sich während des ganzen Durchgehens durch den Zeitraum nach dem Tode förmlich zerstückelt fühlen.

[ 6 ] Als Gleichnis möge folgendes dienen: Eine Wespe besteht aus zwei Teilen, einem Vorderteil und einem durch einen ganz dünnen Spannfaden verbundenen Hinterteil. Denken Sie sich diesen Hinterteil ganz abgetrennt, und trotzdem schleppe die Wespe diesen Teil mit sich. So etwa können Sie sich von der obigen Schilderung eine Vorstellung machen: Sie fühlen sich bestehend aus einzelnen Stücken, und es findet sich keine Verbindung zwischen diesen Stücken. Wenn der Mensch aber in das Devachan kommt, fühlt er sich wieder so wie unmittelbar nach dem Tode, als ob er den ganzen Weltenraum einnähme.

[ 7 ] Wenn aber nun der Mensch im Devachan all seine Veranlagungen zu Talenten und Fähigkeiten umgewandelt hat, dann fühlt das Ich wieder eine Anziehung zur physischen Erde, strebt danach, wieder herunterzusteigen auf die Erde zu einer physischen Verkörperung. Zuerst umgibt sich das Ich mit einem Astralleib. Das geht so vor sich, daß es alles Astrale an sich heranzieht: es ist wie ein Zusammenschießen. Es ist, als ob Sie zu Eisenfeilspänen einen Magneten halten: wie sich da die Eisenfeilspäne in bestimmten Figuren anziehen, so zieht das Ich das Astrale an sich. Es hat aber Eindrücke erhalten von all den Erlebnissen, die es gehabt hat beim Durchgang durch das Seelen- und Geisterland, und alles das bildet die Grundkräfte, die mitwirken beim Aufbau des neuen Astralleibes. So nimmt also dieser neue Astralleib alles mit, was der Mensch in früheren Leben und im Kamaloka durchgemacht hat. Alle Eindrücke, die er da gehabt hat, wirken bestimmend auf seine Eingliederung in seinen neuen Astralleib.

[ 8 ] Jetzt hat der Mensch erst den Astralleib; er muß nun aber auch die übrigen Glieder haben. Der Astralleib ist lediglich durch die eigenen Anziehungskräfte gebildet worden. Vor der Empfängnis ist der Mensch nur mit diesem Astralleib umkleidet. Der Seher sieht daher fortwährend diese astralen Menschenkeime, die auf ihre Geburt beziehungsweise ihre Empfängnis warten. Er sieht sie mit einer riesigen Geschwindigkeit herumfliegen: glockenförmige Gebilde bewegen sich mit riesiger Geschwindigkeit durch den Raum. Entfernungen spielen gar keine Rolle; sie bewegen sich so schnell, daß eben Entfernungen keine Rolle spielen.

[ 9 ] Nun kommt die Umkleidung mit einem Ätherleib; das ist aber etwas, womit der Mensch nicht mehr durch seine eigenen Kräfte allein umkleidet wird. Für den Ätherleib können nicht mehr die in ihm liegenden eigenen Kräfte sorgen, sondern dazu bedarf der Mensch der Mithilfe gewisser geistiger Wesenheiten, die dabei mitwirken müssen. Sie bekommen eine Vorstellung von diesen Wesenheiten, wenn Sie daran denken, daß Sie zuweilen Worte gebrauchen, womit Sie gewöhnlich keine Vorstellung verbinden, zum Beispiel mit dem Wort Volksseele, Volksgeist. Heute stellt man sich, wenn man diese Worte ausspricht, darunter gar nichts vor, oder denkt sich etwas ganz Abstraktes. Der Seher hat aber eine andere Vorstellung davon. 'Tatsächlich gibt es ebenso wahr, wie wir selber wahr sind — Wesenheiten höherer Art, die aber nicht zu einer Verkörperung im Fleische kommen, und die nichts anderes sind als Volks- oder Stammesseelen. Es ist nicht nur eine vage Bezeichnung, wenn man vom Volksgeist spricht; die Volksseele ist ein wirkliches Wesen, nur hat sie keinen physischen Leib, sondern ihr niederstes Glied ist der Ätherleib. Dann hat dieser Volksgeist einen Astralleib, Ich, Manas, Buddhi, Atma, und dann noch ein höheres Glied, zu dem es der Mensch nicht bringt, das die christliche Esoterik den Heiligen Geist nennt und die Theosophie gewohnt ist, den Logos zu nennen.

[ 10 ] So kann der Seher den Volksgeist ansprechen, wie er den andern Menschen anspricht. Heute hat man ja keine richtige Vorstellung von solchen Dingen und glaubt nur, dies Wort bezeichne eine Zusammenfassung der Merkmale der einzelnen Völker; das ist aber nicht wahr, es hat eine reale Wirklichkeit. Durch die materialistische Gesinnung mußte das Verständnis für solche Dinge verlorengehen, aber es wird wieder errungen werden. Heute neigt die Menschheit dazu, solche Dinge als leere Begriffe zu verflüchtigen. Aber das mußte so kommen. Und so mußte in unserer Zeit auch ein Buch geschrieben werden, das sozusagen das Gegenteil von theosophischer Anschauung ist. Dies Buch mußte geschrieben werden, und wird auch viel bewundert, das ist: «Die Kritik der Sprache» von Fritz Mauthner. Fritz Mauthner ist ein Geist, der alles auflöst, was über dem Sinnlichen liegt. Nur ein von allen guten Geistern verlassener radikaler Denker konnte so schreiben, der den Mut hatte, mit allem zu brechen, was Geist und Wirklichkeit ist. Künftige Jahrhunderte werden gerade zu diesem Buche greifen müssen, wenn sie wissen wollen, wie an der Wende dieses Jahrhunderts gedacht wurde.

[ 11 ] Die Volksseele ist reale Wirklichkeit: wie eine Nebelmasse breitet sie sich aus, und alle Ätherleiber der einzelnen Menschen des jeweiligen Volkes sind in sie eingebettet, und ihre Kräfte strömen ein in die Ätherleiber der einzelnen Menschen.

[ 12 ] Nun gibt es Geister gerade von diesem Rang der Volksseele, welche mitwirken bei der Zusammenstellung des Ätherleibes der neuen Seele. Diese Wesenheit bewirkt, daß der Mensch zu einem bestimmten Volke hingeleitet wird, welches gerade für ihn am besten paßt. Da paßt dieser Ätherleib nun schon nicht immer ganz genau; und alles, was Sie an Disharmonien im Leben finden, das rührt sehr häufig davon her, daß der Mensch sich nicht aus eigenen Kräften allein seinen Ätherleib machen kann. Dieses Voll-Übereinstimmen wird erst auf einer viel späteren Entwickelungsstufe der Erde stattfinden.

[ 13 ] Dieses Umkleiden mit dem Ätherleib geschieht mit einer rasenden Geschwindigkeit, wie Sie sich diese aus physischen Verhältnissen gar nicht vorstellen können. Und dann wird von noch höheren Wesenheiten der Mensch hingeführt zu jenem Elternpaar, welches ihm den geeigneten Stoff zu seinem physischen Leibe geben kann.

[ 14 ] Der heutige materialistische Mensch, der da sieht, wie der Sohn den Eltern ähnlich ist, wird nicht glauben können, daß sich mit diesem von den Eltern ererbten Körper noch etwas anderes verbindet. Gewiß, wir sehen unseren Ahnen durch den Körper ähnlich, aber das widerspricht dem Gesagten gar nicht. Betrachten wir gleich einen speziellen Fall: die Familie Bach. Im Verlaufe von zweihundertfünfzig Jahren sind mehr als neunundzwanzig mehr oder weniger bedeutende Musiker aus dieser Familie hervorgegangen. Da wird der Materialist sagen: Da sieht man es ja, daß das vererbt ist! — So hat die Familie Bernoulli in kurzer Zeit acht Mathematiker hervorgebracht. Wie ist das? Das verstehen wir am besten, wenn wir gerade die Vererbungsverhältnisse ins Auge fassen. Da dies beim Musiker leichter verständlich ist, wollen wir einmal die Familie Bach betrachten. Also nehmen wir an, ein junger Bach wäre in seiner früheren Verkörperung etwa in Rom gewesen, hätte seine Anlagen verarbeitet und wollte sich wiederverkörpern. Angenommen, er hätte die größten musikalischen Anlagen mitgebracht als Ergebnis seiner früheren Verkörperungen: wenn er nicht ein gut ausgebildetes Ohr fände, so könnte er mit allen seinen Anlagen nichts anfangen; er wäre ohne ein gut ausgebildetes Ohr genauso hilflos wie ein Virtuose ohne Instrument. Ganz notwendig mußte diese Individualität sich einem solchen Körper eingliedern, der ein gutes Organ für diese mitgebrachten Anlagen hat. Nun ist aber die äußere Form der inneren und äußeren Organe erblich, und diese Individualität mußte, wenn sie ein Musiker werden wollte, für das kommende Leben ein gut ausgebildetes Gehörorgan haben, Wo kann sie es am leichtesten bekommen? In einer Musikerfamilie. So wird sie also dahin geführt, wo sie das beste Organ zur weiteren Ausbildung der in ihr veranlagten Talente finden kann, und das war damals gerade das Elternpaar des Johann Sebastian Bach.

[ 15 ] Wie ist es nun bei den Brüdern Bernoulli? Das mathematische Denken beruht nicht auf der Beschaffenheit des Gehirns, denn die mathematische Logik ist nichts anderes als die übrige Logik, sondern das mathematische Talent beruht auf der ganz besonders exakt ausgebildeten Organisation der drei halbzirkelförmigen Kanäle. Das ist ein Organ, nicht viel größer als eine Erbse, das mitten im Felsenbein eingebettet ist, und das aus drei halbkreisförmigen Kanälen besteht, die genau dem dreidimensionalen Raum entsprechen. Wenn der eine Kanal also genau vertikal liegt, so liegt der zweite von rechts nach links, der dritte von vorn nach hinten. Alle stehen also zueinander senkrecht in einem Winkel von genau neunzig Grad. Auf diese genaue Einstellung zueinander kommt es also an: je genauer der rechte Winkel stimmt, um so besser funktioniert das Organ. Wenn das Organ in irgendeiner Weise verletzt wird, tritt Schwindel ein und Sie können sich nicht mehr im Raum orientieren. Und auf einer ganz besonders feinen Ausbildung dieser Kanäle beruht das mathematische Talent, respektive die Möglichkeit, das mathematische Talent ausüben zu können. Und dieses Organ ererbt man genauso wie das musikalische Ohr.

[ 16 ] Das Gehirn denkt genau so über den Raum nach, wie zum Beispiel über die Philosophie; aber daß einer Sinn hat für die Raumformen, das hängt von diesen drei halbzirkelförmigen Kanälen ab. Also eine mit hohen mathematischen Talenten begabte Individualität wird sich in eine Familie verkörpern, in der dieses Organ am besten ausgebildet ist, und das war der Fall in der Familie Bernoulli.

[ 17 ] Auch um moralisch tüchtig sein zu können, gehört ein richtiges Instrument dazu. Eine Individualität, die eine hohe Moralität hat, sucht sich deshalb dasjenige Elternpaar, das ihr hierfür das beste Instrument zu geben verspricht. So ist das oft in oberflächlich trivialer Weise gebrauchte Sprichwort: Man kann nicht vorsichtig genug sein in der Wahl seiner Eltern - im tiefsten, ernstesten Sinne wahr, denn es wählt sich sozusagen das Kind seine Eltern. Da wenden nun manche ein: Wohin kommen wir denn da mit der Mutterliebe? Denn die kommt doch daher, daß die Mutter weiß, das Kind sei ein Stück von ihr selbst. - Im richtigen Lichte betrachtet, leidet die Mutterliebe in keiner Weise, im Gegenteil, man lernt sie dadurch nur noch tiefer verstehen. Warum wird das Kind gerade von der und der Mutter geboren? Weil es durch seine geistigen Eigenschaften zu der ihm geistig gleichartigen Mutter hingeführt wird, und es liebt ja die Mutter sogar schon vor der Empfängnis; die Mutterliebe ist sozusagen die Gegenliebe dieser primären Zuneigung. Eine solche Einsicht ist also sogar noch eine Vertiefung dieses Begriffes.

[ 18 ] Nun hängt es im wesentlichen von den Eigenschaften von Vater und Mutter ab, wie sie die Gelegenheit geben zu einer Verkörperung; und da wirken Vater und Mutter verschieden. Wenn der Mensch zu einer neuen Geburt herunterkommt, so hat das Ich, das mehr Willenskräfte hat, mehr Anziehung zum Vater, und das, was mehr astrale Kräfte hat, zur Mutter. Der Vater hat also mehr Einfluß auf das Ich, den Willen und Charakter, die Mutter hat mehr Einfluß auf den Astralleib, also dem Vorstellungsvermögen nach. Am besten ist es natürlich, wenn beide Eltern passen zu der Individualität, die sich verkörpern will.

[ 19 ] Beim Heruntersteigen wirken aber auch diejenigen Kräfte mit, die dem Menschen eingeprägt sind beim Aufstieg. All das bildet Anziehungskräfte, und er wird in die Sphäre gezogen werden, die mit ihm von jeher verwandt war. Er wird also zu denjenigen Menschen hingeführt, mit denen er früher schon etwas zu tun gehabt hat. Ich will Ihnen ein Beispiel anführen, das auf einen realen Fall begründet ist. Es war einmal der Fall, daß bei einem Femgericht jemand von vier bis fünf Richtern zum Tode verurteilt und hingerichtet wurde. Nun ging man geisteswissenschaftlich vor und untersuchte das Vorleben dieser sechs Menschen, und da stellte sich heraus, daß alle diese Männer im Leben vorher zusammen auf der Erde waren, aber so, daß der Hingerichtete ihr Häuptling war, und daß die andern von ihm hingerichtet wurden. So war also die letzte Hinrichtung eine Art Ausgleich. Gerade dieser Fall macht das Gesetz vom Karma ganz besonders anschaulich. So wirken die verschiedenen Kräfte zusammen, die der Mensch in seinem früheren Leben an sich gezogen hat; sie bestimmen bei der Wiederverkörperung sowohl die Verfassung seines Leibes als auch den Ort, an dem er geboren wird, als auch sein späteres Schicksal. Noch mehr als beim Ätherleib zeigen sich oft die Dissonanzen beim physischen Leibe.

[ 20 ] Das alles sind Dinge, die da zeigen, wie der Mensch bei seiner Wiederverkörperung mit den drei Leibern umkleidet wird, und bei jeder Verkörperung arbeitet das Ich am Astralleib, Ätherleib und physischen Leib. Wie er zu dieser hohen Vollkommenbheit steigt, das werden wir später hören. Aber immer mehr wird der Astralleib und Ätherleib umgebildet, und immer mehr wird aus dem veredelten Astralleibe Manas, aus dem veredelten Ätherleibe Buddhi, aus dem veredelten physischen Leibe Atma. So kann man sich die immer höhere Vervollkommnung des Menschen von Inkarnation zu Inkarnation vorstellen.

[ 21 ] Dieses kommt am schönsten im Vaterunser zum Ausdruck, das man aber nur in der rechten Weise versteht, wenn man es eben im echt christlichen Sinne auffaßt, wie es aufgefaßt wurde von der Geheimschule des Paulus. Diese Schule war es, die das Vaterunser im echt christlichen Sinne so erklärt hat. Sie sagte ihren Schülern etwa: Stellt euch die höheren Glieder der Menschennatur vor, die dadurch zur Entwickelung kommen, daß der Mensch seine drei untersten Glieder immer mehr veredelt. - Nun sah das früheste Christentum diese drei höheren Glieder — Manas, Buddhi, Atma - als die göttliche Natur des Menschen an. Dadurch, daß der Mensch nun diese drei höheren Glieder immer mehr entwickelt, nähert er sich immer mehr der Gottheit. Von diesem Gesichtspunkt aus nannten die alten esoterischen Christen die drei höchsten Glieder die Göttliche Natur, und sie nannten das Höchste Atma: den Vater. Dies ist das Tiefste der Göttlichkeit im Menschen: der Vater im Himmel. Dieser Vater ist das, wozu alle Menschen sich hinentwikkeln, es ist der Mittelpunkt der Weltenschöpfung. Man stellt sich am besten die Schöpfung im christlichen Sinne so vor, wenn man sich das Opfer klarmacht. Denken Sie sich Ihr Spiegelbild, und nehmen Sie an, Sie könnten so selbstlos sein, an das Spiegelbild Ihr Leben abzugeben. So muß man sich das selbstlose Schaffen vorstellen, daß man selbst in dem Geschaffenen aufgeht. Denken Sie sich den Vatergeist in der Mitte einer sich spiegelnden Hohlkugel, dann tritt Ihnen in tausendfacher Weise das Bild Gottes entgegen. So sagte der alte esoterische Christ: Sieh dir die Welt an: alle Wesen, was sind sie, als Spiegelbilder Gottes! — Und diese sich spiegelnde Gottheit nannten sie in ihrer Esoterik «das Reich», das ist: der sich überall spiegelnde Gott. - Nun entwickelt euer Gefühl weiter. Seht ihr in allem den Gott, dann habt ihr in ungeheuer viel Einzelheiten die Gottheit aufgelöst, und wollt ihr sie unterscheiden, dann müßt ihr jedem einzelnen einen Namen geben. Dieser Name muß geheiligt werden, denn jedes einzelne Geschöpf ist ja ein Spiegelbild der Gottheit.

[ 22 ] In diese drei hinein entwickelt sich der Mensch zu Gott. Sie dürfen aber nicht glauben, der Mensch würde der Gott. Nehmen Sie einen Tropfen aus dem Meere: der ist wesensgleich dem Meere, er ist aber nicht das Meer. So auch ist der Tropfen der Göttlichkeit in uns wohl wesensgleich der Gottheit, ist aber nicht die Gottheit. Indem der Mensch also die drei höchsten Glieder immer mehr entwickelt, wird er immer mehr eins mit dem Reich, da die geistige Welt zu ihm herunterkommt. Da haben Sie die drei ersten Bitten des Vaterunser: erstens im Anrufen des Vaters, zweitens im Flehen, daß das Reich zu uns kommen soll, drittens in der Heiligung des Namens. Dann werden wir immer bestrebt sein, keine Handlung zu vollbringen, die nicht in Harmonie steht mit dem Vatergeiste, aus dem wir entsprungen sind und zu dem wir uns entwickeln, wenn wir eben die drei höchsten Glieder in uns ausbilden. Und im Gegensatze zu den drei höheren Gliedern betrachtet nun das esoterische Christentum die vier niederen Glieder des Menschen, die auch immer vollkommener werden müssen.

[ 23 ] Der physische Leib besteht aus denselben Stoffen wie die äußere Natur, die ja auch in diesem physischen Leibe fortwährend ein- und auswandern. Und sie müssen ja fortwährend ein- und auswandern, wenn der physische Leib gesund bleiben soll.

[ 24 ] Der Ätherleib hat Kräfte, die, so wie der physische Leib mit der ganzen äußeren Natur in Wechselbeziehung steht, ebenso in Wechselbeziehung stehen mit der ganzen Volksseele. Soll der physische Leib in Ordnung sein, so müssen physische Stoffe täglich in ihm ein- und auswandern. Soll der Ätherleib in Ordnung sein, so darf er sich nicht als Einzelnes entwickeln, sondern er muß sich in Harmonie bringen mit der ganzen Volksseele und allen höheren Wesenheiten.

[ 25 ] Das Wort «Schuld» hängt zusammen mit dem Wort Schulden. Schulden sind etwas, was Ihnen so recht zeigt, daß Sie nicht einzeln dastehen, sondern daß Sie einen sozialen Zusammenhang haben, daß Sie Ihren Mitmenschen etwas schulden. Das, was den menschlichen Astralleib nun in Unordnung bringen kann, das sah die ursprüngliche christliche Esoterik an als etwas, was seine Neigungen und Leidenschaften, Triebe und Begierden betraf; und alles, was diese in Unordnung bringen kann, das drückt das Wort «Versuchung» aus. Schuld ist also etwas, was den Menschen in eine Beziehung bringt zu der sozialen Gemeinschaft, während Versuchung etwas ist, worein jeder Mensch als individuelles Wesen fallen kann.

[ 26 ] Würden nicht in unserem physischen Körper physische Stoffe einund ausgehen, so würde dieser physische Körper in Unordnung kommen: «Gib uns unser täglich Brot.» Würde der Ätherleib sich nicht in harmonische Wechselbeziehung bringen zum Volksseelenhaften, das heißt, würde er sich nicht harmonisch dem ganzen sozialen Gefüge eingliedern, dann würde er ebenfalls in Unordnung kommen: «Vergib uns unsere Schuld.» Würde der Mensch in den Fehler verfallen, einer jeden an ihn herantretenden Versuchung zu unterliegen, dann würde dadurch sein Astralleib in Unordnung kommen: «Führe uns nicht in Versuchung.»

[ 27 ] Das Ich kann in jene Fehler verfallen, die man mit «Übel» bezeichnet. Zu diesen Verfehlungen des Ich — das ist ja unser Selbst — gehört alles, was ein normales und gesundes Selbstgefühl zum Bösen wandelt, das heißt also in Selbstsucht. Dahin gehören also alle Ausschreitungen der Selbstsucht, des Egoismus: «Erlöse uns von dem Übel.»

[ 28 ] Der physische Leib kann sich also in gesunder Weise entwickeln, wenn wir ihm das tägliche Brot in der rechten Weise zukommen lassen. Der Ätherleib kann sich in gesunder Weise entwickeln, wenn wir uns in der richtigen Weise in Harmonie bringen mit dem sozialen Körper, in dem wir leben. Der Astralleib kann sich in gesunder Weise entwikkeln, das heißt, zur Läuterung und Reinigung gebracht werden, wenn wir alle Versuchungen überwinden. Das Ich kann sich in gesunder Weise entwickeln, wenn wir uns Mühe geben, allen Egoismus in Altruismus, alle Selbstsucht in Selbstlosigkeit umzuwandeln.

[ 29 ] So sehen wir in dem Vaterunser ein Gebet, das die Entwickelung des ganzen Menschen umfaßt.

[ 1 ] Nun könnte jemand einwenden — und diesem Einwand werden Sie sogar häufig begegnen: Das Vaterunser ist doch ein Gebet, das von dem Christus Jesus als ein Gebet für jedermann gegeben ist. Was nützt da eine solche Auslegung, von der doch die meisten Menschen nichts wissen?

[ 30 ] Der naive Mensch braucht auch nichts davon zu wissen. Sehen Sie sich die Rose an. Die höchste Weisheit hat die Rose aufgebaut, und doch kann sich der naivste Mensch darüber freuen. Das Wissen von dieser Weisheit ist nicht notwendig. Und so ist es auch mit dem Vaterunser. Es hat seine Kraft auf das menschliche Gemüt, auch wenn das naive Gemüt nichts davon weiß. Aber nie würde das Vaterunser diese Kraft haben, wenn es nicht aus dieser tiefsten Weisheit geschöpft wäre. Alle die großen Gebetsformen sind, wie diese größte Form, aus der tiefsten Weisheit geschaffen, und die Gewalt dieser Gebetsformen beruht nur darauf. Wenn Sie auch denken, das sei eine ergrübelte Sache, so ist das nicht wahr, sondern die Wesenheit, die uns das Vaterunser gegeben hat, die hat die tiefe Kraft hineingelegt.

[ 31 ] So sehen Sie, wie man erst mit Hilfe der Geisteswissenschaft das versteht, was man täglich übt, und dessen Kraft die Menschheit seit zwei Jahrtausenden erfahren hat.

[ 32 ] Jetzt aber ist der Zeitpunkt gekommen in der Menschheitsentwickelung, wo es nicht mehr weitergeht ohne diese Vertiefung des Verständnisses. Früher, das heißt bis dahin konnte die Menschheit die geistigen Kräfte, die gerade in diesem Gebet liegen, fühlen, ohne ihren tieferen Sinn zu kennen. Jetzt aber ist die Menschheit so weit in ihrer Entwickelung vorgeschritten, daß sie fragen muß, und deshalb muß ihr jetzt die Antwort gegeben werden.

[ 33 ] Die christliche Religion wird nicht dadurch an Wert verlieren, sondern im Gegenteil erst in ihrer ganzen Tiefe sich offenbaren. Durch die größte Weisheit werden die religiösen Inhalte wieder neu erobert werden. Ein Beispiel dafür ist die esoterische Auslegung des Vaterunser. Sie zeigt uns den Weg, den der Mensch durch seine vielen Verkörperungen hindurch beschreiten muß. Die vier niederen Bitten, wenn er in ihrem Sinn wandelt, helfen ihm die Arbeit vollbringen, die zur Gestaltung seiner höheren Wesensglieder führt, so wie sie in den drei ersten Bitten ausgedrückt sind.

Sixth Lecture

[ 1 ] When a person, within the spiritual realm that we discussed yesterday, has come so far that they have, so to speak, transformed all the abilities and talents that they acquired during their life on earth, then the time comes when they are ready for a new embodiment. We must realize that in what confronts us in a human being, we have two things before us. One is what reproduces itself in the course of physical inheritance, and the other is what he brings with him into this world from his previous lives.

[ 2 ] We will have to describe man's descent into this world, although you must not be put off by the word 'descent', because it is not a spatial descent, but an evolution out of the world around us. Yesterday we saw how this spiritual world is not to be sought in some other world, but how it is also here around us, only that today's man lacks the ability to perceive this spiritual world. Out of this spiritual world develops what is called a new embodiment. We have seen that man has retained from his previous life an essence of both his etheric and astral bodies, an overview of his experiences; and what he has already ennobled within his astral body, he has taken with him into the spiritual world. Only what has not been ennobled has fallen away.

[ 3 ] We will gain a better understanding of reincarnation if we also consider some aspects of life after death. We have seen that immediately after the onset of physical death, the human being still lives in his etheric body for about three and a half days, and that during these three and a half days, the past life arises before him as in a kind of tableau. Then the etheric body dissolves, and then the time of the Kamaloka begins: this is the time of purification and cleansing of all astrality in need of purification and cleansing.

[ 4 ] But now I must still mention one more experience. The moment this image of remembrance arises immediately after death, the person has a significant experience. The person has the sensation of suddenly becoming larger, as if he were quickly breaking through his surface and growing out into space. This feeling does not fade away again until the new birth. Man feels as big as the world to which he belongs, as big as the whole universe. Therefore you can also get an idea of how it is possible that man sees and feels his body as something alien, because he sees his passions as it were outside his body. It is a strange feeling, this being spread out through space.

[ 5 ] Then something even more difficult to understand comes into it. During this entire Kamaloka period, man feels as if he were really divided up in space. It is easier to understand it this way: During the Kamaloka period, as I have described it, when a person relives their life back to childhood, they feel everything they have experienced as if in a mirror image. In this way, a person really feels the slap they gave someone at the time; they really feel as if they are part of the space that the other person occupied. If, for example, you died here in Kassel and the other person whom you slapped at the time lives in Paris, then you feel as if a piece of you is there. And so you feel as if you are divided up in space; you feel as if you are in pieces everywhere where you have something to look for, so to speak. This is to be understood in such a way that you feel nothing in the space between Paris and Kassel. So that when you consider all the events of your life in this way, you feel literally fragmented throughout the entire passage through the period after death.

[ 6 ] The following may serve as an analogy: a wasp consists of two parts, a front part and a rear part connected by a very thin thread. Imagine this hind part as being completely severed, and yet the wasp drags it along with it. This is roughly how you can visualize the above description: you feel as if you consist of individual pieces, and there is no connection between these pieces. But when a person enters devachan, he feels the same way as immediately after death, as if he occupied the whole universe.

[ 7 ] But when a person in devachan has transformed all his predispositions into talents and abilities, then the ego feels an attraction to the physical earth again and strives to descend to a physical embodiment on earth again. First, the ego surrounds itself with an astral body. This happens in such a way that it draws everything astral to itself: it is like a contraction. It is as if you hold a magnet to iron filings: just as the iron filings are attracted to each other in certain figures, so the ego attracts the astral to itself. But it has received impressions from all the experiences it has had during its passage through the realm of souls and spirits, and all these form the basic forces that contribute to the construction of the new astral body. So this new astral body takes with it everything that the person has gone through in previous lives and in Kamaloka. All the impressions he has had there have a decisive influence on his integration into his new astral body.

[ 8 ] Now the human being has only the astral body; but now he must also have the other members. The astral body has been formed solely by its own attractive powers. Before conception, the human being is clothed only with this astral body. The seer therefore constantly sees these astral human germs waiting for their birth or conception. He sees them flying around at a tremendous speed: bell-shaped forms move through space at a tremendous speed. Distances do not play any role at all; they move so fast that distances do not play a role.

[ 9 ] Now comes the clothing with an etheric body; but this is something with which man is no longer clothed by his own powers alone. The inherent powers of the etheric body can no longer take care of it, but for this, man needs the help of certain spiritual beings to assist him. You get an idea of these entities when you think about the fact that you sometimes use words that you usually do not associate with any idea, for example, the words 'national soul' or 'national spirit'. Today, when you pronounce these words, you do not imagine anything or you think of something very abstract. But the seer has a different idea about it. 'In fact, there are beings as true as we ourselves are true — higher entities that do not come to embodiment in the flesh and that are nothing other than the souls of a people or tribe. It is not just a vague term when one speaks of the national spirit; the national soul is a real being, only it has no physical body, but its lowest link is the etheric body. Then this national spirit has an astral body, I, Manas, Buddhi, Atma, and then a still higher link, which man does not achieve, which Christian esotericism calls the Holy Spirit and which Theosophy is accustomed to calling the Logos.

[ 10 ] Thus the seer can address the spirit of the people as he addresses other men. Today one has no real conception of such things and only believes that this word designates a summary of the characteristics of the individual peoples; but this is not true, it has a real reality. Due to the materialistic attitude, the understanding of such things had to be lost, but it will be regained. Today, humanity tends to dismiss such things as empty concepts. But it was bound to come to this. And so a book had to be written in our time that is, so to speak, the opposite of the theosophical view. This book had to be written, and it is also much admired: it is 'The Critique of Language' by Fritz Mauthner. Fritz Mauthner is a spirit that dissolves everything that lies above the sensual. Only a radical thinker abandoned by all good spirits could write like this, who had the courage to break with everything that is spirit and reality. Future centuries will have to turn to this book in particular if they want to know how people thought at the turn of this century.

[ 11 ] The soul of the people is real reality: it spreads out like a mass of fog, and all the etheric bodies of the individual people of the respective nation are embedded in it, and their forces flow into the etheric bodies of the individual people.

[ 12 ] Now there are spirits precisely of this rank of the folk soul that help to put together the etheric body of the new soul. This being ensures that the person is guided to a particular nation that is best suited for them. Now this etheric body does not always fit perfectly, and the disharmony you find in life very often stems from the fact that the human being cannot make his etheric body through his own efforts alone. This complete harmony will only take place at a much later stage of the earth's development.

[ 13 ] This transformation with the etheric body takes place at a tremendous speed, which you cannot even imagine from a physical point of view. And then the human being is led by even higher beings to that pair of parents who can give him the appropriate material for his physical body.

[ 14 ] Today's materialistic man, who sees how the son resembles his parents, will not be able to believe that something else connects with this body inherited from the parents. Of course we resemble our ancestors through the body, but that does not contradict what has been said. Let us consider a special case: the Bach family. In the course of two hundred and fifty years, more than twenty-nine musicians of greater or lesser importance emerged from this family. The materialist will say: “There you have it, that's what is inherited!” The Bernoulli family produced eight mathematicians in a short period of time. How is that? We understand this best when we consider the inheritance conditions. Since this is easier to understand with musicians, let us look at the Bach family. Let us assume that a young Bach, in his earlier incarnation, had been in Rome, had developed his abilities and wanted to re-incarnate. Let us assume that he had brought with him the greatest musical abilities as a result of his previous incarnations: if he did not find a well-trained ear, he would not be able to make use of all his abilities; without a well-trained ear, he would be just as helpless as a virtuoso without an instrument. It was absolutely necessary for this individuality to incorporate itself into such a body, which has a good organ for these inherited talents. But the outer form of the inner and outer organs is hereditary, and this individuality, if it wanted to become a musician, had to have a well-developed organ of hearing for the coming life. Where can it get it most easily? In a family of musicians. So she is led to where she can find the best organ for the further development of her talents, and that was precisely the parental couple of Johann Sebastian Bach at the time.

[ 15 ] What about the Bernoulli brothers? Mathematical thinking is not based on the structure of the brain, because mathematical logic is no different from other logic. Rather, mathematical talent is based on the particularly precisely developed organization of the three semi-circular canals. This is an organ, not much larger than a pea, embedded in the middle of the rock bone, and it consists of three semicircular canals that correspond exactly to the three-dimensional space. So if one canal is exactly vertical, the second is from right to left, and the third from front to back. All three are therefore perpendicular to each other at an angle of exactly ninety degrees. This precise alignment is what matters: the more accurate the right angle, the better the organ works. If the organ is damaged in any way, dizziness occurs and you can no longer orient yourself in space. And mathematical talent, or the ability to exercise mathematical talent, is based on a particularly fine formation of these channels. And this organ is inherited in the same way as the musical ear.

[ 16 ] The brain thinks about space in the same way as it thinks about philosophy, for example; but whether someone has a sense for spatial forms depends on these three semi-circular channels. Thus, an individuality gifted with great mathematical talent will embody itself in a family in which this organ is best developed, and that was the case in the Bernoulli family.

[ 17 ] To be morally capable, too, requires the right instrument. An individual with a high sense of morality will therefore seek out those parents who promise to give their child the best instrument for this. The adage that is often used in a superficially trivial way, “You cannot be too careful in choosing your parents”, is true in the deepest, most serious sense, for the child, so to speak, chooses its parents. Now some people might object: Where does that leave us with motherly love? After all, it comes from the fact that the mother knows that the child is a part of herself. Seen in the right light, motherly love does not suffer in any way. On the contrary, it is only understood more deeply. Why is the child born of this particular mother? Because it is led by its spiritual qualities to the spiritually similar mother, and it loves the mother even before conception; the mother's love is, so to speak, the requited love of this primary affection. Such an insight is therefore even a deepening of this concept.

[ 18 ] Now it depends essentially on the qualities of the father and mother how they provide the opportunity for an embodiment; and here the father and mother work differently. When the person comes down to a new birth, the ego, which has more willpower, is more attracted to the father, and what has more astral powers is more attracted to the mother. The father therefore has more influence on the ego, the will and the character, and the mother has more influence on the astral body, that is, on the power of imagination. It is best, of course, when both parents are a good match for the individuality that wants to embody itself.

[ 19 ] But in the descent, those forces also come into play that are imprinted on the human being during the ascent. All this forms forces of attraction, and he will be drawn into the sphere that has always been related to him. He will therefore be led to those people with whom he has had something to do in the past. I will give you an example based on a real case. There was once a case in which four or five judges of a court passed death sentences on one person, who was then executed. Now spiritual science was applied and the past lives of these six people were investigated, and it turned out that all these men had been together on earth before, but in such a way that the executed man was their chief and the others were executed by him. So the last execution was a kind of compensation. This case in particular illustrates the law of karma very clearly. Thus the various forces that man has attracted to himself in his previous life work together; at re-embodiment they determine not only the condition of his body but also the place where he is born and his later fate. Even more than with the etheric body, dissonances often appear in the physical body.

[ 20 ] These are all things that show how the human being is clothed with the three bodies in his re-embodiment, and in each embodiment the I works on the astral body, ether body and physical body. How he rises to this high perfection, we will hear later. But the astral and etheric bodies are transformed more and more, and more and more becomes manas from the refined astral body, buddhi from the refined etheric body, and atma from the refined physical body. This is how one can imagine the ever-increasing perfection of man from incarnation to incarnation.

[ 21 ] This is most beautifully expressed in the Lord's Prayer, which can only be rightly understood if it is understood in the genuine Christian sense, as it was understood by Paul's secret school. It was this school that explained the Lord's Prayer in the genuine Christian sense. It said to its pupils: Imagine the higher members of human nature, which come into development through man's ever-increasing ennoblement of his three lowest members. Now, early Christianity regarded these three higher members — manas, buddhi, atma — as man's divine nature. By developing these three higher parts more and more, man approaches the Godhead. From this point of view, the early esoteric Christians called the three highest parts the Divine Nature, and they called the Highest Atma: the Father. This is the lowest part of the Divinity in man: the Father in Heaven. This Father is what all people develop into; it is the center of the creation of the world. It is best to imagine creation in the Christian sense by visualizing sacrifice. Imagine your mirror image and assume that you could be so unselfish as to give your life to the reflection in the mirror. That is how one must imagine selfless creation: that one is absorbed in what has been created. Imagine the Father-Spirit in the center of a reflecting hollow sphere, and then the image of God will appear to you in a thousandfold way. Thus the old esoteric Christian said: Look at the world: all beings, what are they but the mirror images of God! And in their esoteric lore they called this reflecting Divinity “the Kingdom,” that is, God reflecting everywhere. Now develop your feeling further. When you see God in everything, then you have dissolved the Godhead into an enormous number of details, and if you want to distinguish them, then you have to give each one a name. This name must be hallowed, because every single creature is, after all, a reflection of the Godhead.

[ 22 ] In these three, man develops into God. But you must not believe that man becomes God. Take a drop from the sea: it is of the same essence as the sea, but it is not the sea. So too, the drop of divinity within us is of the same essence as the divinity, but it is not the divinity. By developing the three highest members more and more, man becomes more and more one with the kingdom, for the spiritual world comes down to him. There you have the first three petitions of the Lord's Prayer: firstly, in calling upon the Father, secondly, in imploring that the kingdom should come to us, and thirdly, in sanctifying the name. Then we will always strive not to perform any action that is not in harmony with the Father-Spirit from which we have sprung and to which we are developing when we develop the three higher members within us. And in contrast to the three higher members, esoteric Christianity now considers the four lower members of man, which must also become more and more perfect.

[ 23 ] The physical body consists of the same substances as the outer nature, which also continually migrate in and out of this physical body. And they must continually migrate in and out if the physical body is to remain healthy.

[ 24 ] The etheric body has powers that, just as the physical body is interrelated with all of external nature, are likewise interrelated with the collective soul of the people. If the physical body is to be in order, then physical substances must daily enter and leave it. If the etheric body is to be in order, it must not develop as an individual, but must bring itself into harmony with the whole national soul and all higher beings.

[ 25 ] The word “guilt” is related to the word “debt”. Debts are something that shows you quite clearly that you do not stand alone, but that you have a social context, that you owe something to your fellow human beings. What can now bring disorder into the human astral body, that was seen by the original Christian esotericism as something that affects its inclinations and passions, drives and desires; and everything that can bring these into disorder is expressed by the word “temptation”. Guilt, then, is something that brings a person into relationship with the social community, while temptation is something that any person can fall into as an individual being.

[ 26 ] If physical substances did not enter and leave our physical body, that physical body would come into disorder: “Give us our daily bread.” If the etheric body did not harmonize with the soul of the people, that is, if it did not harmonize with the whole social structure, then it would also come into disorder: “Forgive us our debts.” If man were to fall into the error of succumbing to every temptation that approaches him, then his astral body would be thrown into disorder: “Do not lead us into temptation.”

[ 27 ] The ego can fall into those errors that are called “evil”. These transgressions of the I – that is, our self – include everything that a normal and healthy sense of self transforms into evil, that is, into selfishness. Thus all excesses of selfishness, of egoism, belong there: “Deliver us from evil.”

[ 28 ] The physical body can develop in a healthy way if we provide it with the daily bread in the right way. The etheric body can develop in a healthy way if we bring ourselves into harmony with the social body in which we live in the right way. The astral body can develop in a healthy way, that is, it can be purified and cleansed if we overcome all temptations. The I can develop in a healthy way if we make an effort to transform all egoism into altruism, all selfishness into selflessness.

[ 29 ] Thus we see in the Lord's Prayer a prayer that encompasses the development of the whole human being.

[ 1 ] Now someone might object – and you will even often encounter this objection: The Lord's Prayer is a prayer given by Christ Jesus as a prayer for everyone. What use is such an interpretation, of which most people know nothing?

[ 30 ] The naive person does not need to know anything about it either. Look at the rose. The highest wisdom has built the rose, and yet the most naive person can enjoy it. Knowledge of this wisdom is not necessary. And so it is with the Lord's Prayer. It has its power on the human mind, even if the naive mind knows nothing about it. But the Lord's Prayer would never have this power if it had not been drawn from this deepest wisdom. All the great forms of prayer are, like this greatest form, created out of the deepest wisdom, and the power of these forms of prayer is based on this alone. If you think that it is a matter of speculation, then that is not true. Rather, the Being that gave us the Lord's Prayer has placed this deep power within it.

[ 31 ] So you see how only with the help of spiritual science can one understand what one practices daily, and the power of which humanity has been experiencing for two millennia.

[ 32 ] But now the time has come in the evolution of humanity when it can no longer progress without this deepening of understanding. In the past, that is to say until now, humanity could feel the spiritual forces that lie in this prayer without knowing its deeper meaning. But now humanity has progressed so far in its development that it must ask, and therefore the answer must now be given to it.

[ 33 ] The Christian religion will not lose value as a result, but on the contrary will reveal itself in all its depth for the first time. Through the greatest wisdom, the religious contents will be conquered anew. One example of this is the esoteric interpretation of the Lord's Prayer. It shows us the path that man must follow through his many embodiments. The four lower petitions, when he walks in their meaning, help him to accomplish the work that leads to the formation of his higher members of being, as expressed in the first three petitions.