Cosmic Memory
GA 11
xvii. The Life of Earth
[ 1 ] In the preceding chapters has been shown how the components were successively formed which make up the so-called “lower nature of man”—the physical body, the ether body and the astral body. It has also been described how, with the appearance of a new body, the old ones must always be transformed so that they can become carriers and instruments of the one formed later. An advance of human consciousness is also associated with this progress. As long as the lower man has only a physical body, he possess merely an utterly dull consciousness, which is not equivalent even to that of dreamless sleep of the present, although for man of today this latter state of consciousness is in fact an “unconscious” one. In the time when the ether body appears, man reaches the consciousness which is his today in dreamless sleep. With the formation of the astral body a dim image consciousness makes its appearance, similar to, but not identical with the one man at present ascribes to himself while he is dreaming. The fourth, the current condition of consciousness of earth man, will now be described.
This present condition of consciousness develops in the fourth great universal era, that of earth which follows the preceding Saturn, Sun, and Moon eras.
[ 2 ] On Saturn the physical body of man was developed in several stages. At that time it could not have been the carrier of an ether body. And the latter was added only during the course of the Sun. Simultaneously, the physical body was so transformed in the successive Sun cycles that it could become the carrier of this ether body, or in other words, that the ether body could work in the physical body. During the Moon development the astral body was added, and again the physical body and the ether body were transformed in such a way that they could provide suitable carriers and instruments for the then appearing astral body. Thus, on the Moon, man is a being composed of physical body, ether body, and astral body. Through the ether body he is enabled to feel joy and pain; through the astral body he is a being with emotions, rage, hate, love and so forth.
[ 3 ] As has been shown, higher spirits actively work on the different members of his being. On the Moon the ether body received the capacity for joy and pain through the Spirits of Twilight; the emotions were implanted in the astral body by the Fire Spirits.
[ 4 ] At the same time, something else was taking place during the three great cycles on Saturn, Sun, and Moon. During the last Saturn cycle the spirit man (Atma) was formed with the help of the Spirits of Will (Thrones). During the penultimate Sun cycle, the life-spirit (Buddhi) was joined to it with the assistance of the Cherubim. During the third from the last Moon cycle, the spirit-self (Manas) united with the two others through the help of the Seraphim. Thus actually two origins of man were formed during these three great cycles: a lower man, consisting of physical body, ether body, and astral body, and a higher man, consisting of spirit man (Atma), life-spirit (Buddhi), and spirit-self (Manas). The lower and the higher nature of man followed separate paths at first.
[ 5 ] The earth development serves to bring the two separate origins of man together.
[ 6 ] But first, after the seventh small cycle, all of Moon existence enters a kind of sleeping state (Pralaya). Thereby everything becomes mixed together, so to speak, in a homogeneous mass. The Sun and the Moon too, which were separate in the last great cycle, again become fused during the last Moon cycles.
[ 7 ] When everything again emerges from the sleeping state there must first be repeated in their essentials the Saturn condition during a first small cycle, the Sun condition during a second, and the Moon cycle during a third. During this third cycle the beings on the Moon, which has again been split off from the Sun, resume approximately the same forms of existence which they already had on the Moon. There the lower man is a being intermediate between man of today and an animal; the plants stand midway between the animal and plant natures of today, and the minerals only half bear their lifeless character of today, while for the rest they are still half plants.
[ 8 ] During the second half of this third cycle something else is already in preparation. The minerals harden, the plants gradually lose the animal character of their sensibility, and out of the uniform species of animal man there develop two classes. One of these remains on the level of animality, while the other is subjected to a division of the astral body into two parts. The astral body splits into a lower part, which continues to be the carrier of the emotions, and a higher part, which attains to a certain independence, so that it can exercise a kind of mastery over the lower members, over the physical body, the ether body, and the lower astral body. Now the Spirits of Personality seize upon this higher astral body and implant in it just that independence we have mentioned, and therewith also selfishness. Only in the lower human astral body do the Fire Spirits now accomplish their work, while in the ether body the Spirits of Twilight are active, and in the physical body that power entity begins its work which one can describe as the real ancestor of man. It is the same power entity which formed the spirit man (Atma) with the help of the Thrones on Saturn, the life-spirit (Buddhi) with the assistance of the Cherubim on the Sun, and the spirit-self (Manas) together with the Seraphim on the Moon.
But now this changes. Thrones, Cherubim, and Seraphim ascend to higher spheres, and the higher man now receives the assistance of the Spirits of Wisdom, of Motion, and of Form. These are now united with spirit-self, life-spirit, and spirit-man (with Manas-Buddhi-Atma). With the assistance of these entities the human power being characterized above develops its physical body during the second half of the third earth cycle. It is the Spirits of Form which act here in the most significant way. They already form the human physical body so that it becomes a kind of precursor of the later human body of the fourth cycle (the present one, or the fourth round)
[ 9 ] In the astral body of the animal beings which have been left behind, it is exclusively the Fire Spirits which remain active, while in the ether body of the plants it is the Spirits of Twilight. 0n the other hand, the Spirits of Form participate in the transformation of the mineral realm. They make the latter hard, that is, implant rigid and fixed forms in it.
[ 10 ] One must not imagine, however, that the sphere of activity of the spirits we have mentioned was confined only to what has been characterized. Always it is only the Main directions of their activities which are meant, in a subordinate way all the spirit beings participate everywhere. Thus at the time indicated, the Spirits of Form also have certain functions to perform in the physical plant and animal bodies, and so forth.
[ 11 ] After all this has taken place, around the end of the third earth cycle all the entities—including Sun and Moon—again become fused and then pass through a shorter stage of sleep (a small Pralaya). At that time everything is again a uniform mass (a chaos), and at the end of this stage the fourth earth cycle begins in which we are at present.
[ 12 ] At first, everything which already previously had had a being in the mineral, plant, animal, and human realms, begins to separate out of the uniform mass in germinal form. First there can re-emerge as independent germs only those human ancestors on whose higher astral bodies the Spirits of Personality have worked in the preceding small cycle. All other beings of the mineral, plant, and animal realm do not yet lead an independent existence here. At this stage everything is still in that high spiritual condition which is called the “formless” or Arupa condition. At the present stage of development, only the highest human thoughts—for example, mathematical and moral ideals—are woven of that substance which was proper to all beings at the stage we are describing. That which is lower than these human ancestors can only appear as an activity in a higher being. The animals exist only as states of consciousness of the Spirits of Fire, the plants as states of consciousness of the Spirits of Twilight. The minerals have a double existence in thought. First they exist as thought germs in the human ancestors mentioned above, then as thoughts in the consciousness of the Spirits of Form. The “higher man” (spirit-man, life-spirit, spirit-self also exists in the consciousness of the Spirits of Form.
[ 13 ] By degrees a densification of everything now occurs. But at the next stage, the density as yet does not exceed the density of thoughts. At this stage, however, the animal beings which originated in the preceding cycle, can emerge. They separate out of the consciousness of the Fire Spirits and become independent thought beings. This stage is called that of the “formed” or Rupa condition. Man advances in it insofar as his previously formless, independent thought body is clothed by the Spirits of Form in a body of coarser, formed thought substance. The animals as independent beings, here consist exclusively of this substance.
[ 14 ] Now a further densification takes place. The condition which is now attained can be compared with that out of which the conceptions of the dreamlike image consciousness are woven. One calls this the “astral” stage.
The human ancestor again advances. In addition to the other two components, his being receives a body which consists of the substance just characterized. He now has the inner formless core of being, a thought body, and an astral body. The animals receive a similar astral body, and the plants emerge from the consciousness of the Spirits of Twilight as independent astral entities.
[ 15 ] In the further course of the development, the densification now advances to that condition which is called physical. At first we deal with the most refined physical condition, with that of the most refined ether. From the Spirits of Form the human ancestor receives the most refined ether body as an addition to his earlier components. He consists of a formless thought core, a formed thought body, an astral body, and an ether body. The animals have a formed thought body, an astral body, and an ether body; the plants have an astral and an ether body; the minerals first emerge here as independent ether forms. At this stage of development we are concerned with four realms: a mineral, a plant, an animal, and a human realm. Along with these however, in the course of the development up to this point three other realms have come into existence. In the time when the animals separated from the Fire Spirits at the thought stage (Rupa stage), the Spirits of Personality also separated certain entities out of themselves. These consist of indefinite thought substance which gathers together, dissolves in a cloudlike manner, and thus flows along. One cannot speak of them as of independent entities, but only of an irregular, general mass. This is the first elementary realm. At the astral stage something similar separates from the Fire Spirits. It consists of shadowy images or phantoms similar to the conceptions of the dreamlike image consciousness. They form the second elementary realm. In the beginning of the physical stage, indefinite image-like entities finally separate out of the Spirits of Twilight. They too have no independence, but they can manifest forces which are similar to the passions and emotions of men and animals. These non-independent, buzzing emotions form the third elementary realm. For beings which are endowed with a dreamlike image consciousness, or with conscious image consciousness, these creations of the third elementary realm are perceptible as a flooding light, as flakes of color, as smell, taste, as various tones and sounds, but all such perceptions must be imagined to be phantom-like.
[ 16 ] One must therefore imagine the earth, when it condenses as a refined etheric body out of its astral precursor, to be a conglomerate of an etheric mineral basic mass and of etheric plant, animal, and human beings. Filling the interstices as it were, and also permeating the other beings, are the creatures of the elementary realms.
[ 17 ] This earth is inhabited by the higher spiritual entities, which, in the most diverse ways, are active in the realms we have mentioned. They form a spirit community, so to speak, a spirit state, and their dwelling-place and workshop is the earth, which they carry with them as a snail does its shell. In all this it must be borne in mind that what today is separated from the earth as Sun and Moon, is still entirely united with the earth. Only later do both heavenly bodies separate from the earth.
[ 18 ] The “higher man” (spirit-man, life-spirit, spirit-self, Atma-Buddhi-Manas) has as yet no independence at this stage. He still constitutes a member of the spirit state, and for the time being is bound to the Spirits of Form, as a human hand is bound to a human organism as a dependent member.
[ 19 ] With this we have followed the formation of the earth to the beginning of its physical condition. In what follows, we shall show how everything in this condition develops further. The previous development will then pass over into what has already been said in preceding chapters of the Akasha Chronicle about the progress of earth.
[ 20 ] States of development such as those which have been mentioned here as a formless, a formed, an astral, and a physical condition, which thus constitute differences in a smaller cycle (a round), are called “globes” in theosophical texts. In this respect one therefore speaks of an Arupa, a Rupa, an astral and a physical globe. Some have considered such a designation incorrect. But here we shall not speak further of matters of nomenclature. Indeed, it is not names which are important, but rather the things themselves. It is better to endeavor to describe the latter as well as possible than to worry very much about names. These must after all always be incorrect in a certain sense. For to facts of the spiritual world one must give names which have come from the world of the senses, and therefore one can speak only by way of similes.
[ 21 ] The description of the development of the world of man has been brought to the point where the earth reaches the beginning of its physical densification. One should now represent to oneself the condition of development of this world of man at this stage. What later appears as sun, moon, and earth is still united in a single body. This body possesses only refined etheric matter. It is only within this matter that the beings which later will appear as men, animals, plants, and minerals have their existence, For the further progress of the development, the one heavenly body must first separate into two, of which one becomes the later sun, while the other contains the later earth and the later moon in a still united form. Only later does a process of division also take place in this latter heavenly body; that which becomes the present-day moon is extruded, and the earth alone remains as the dwelling-place of man and of his fellow-creatures.
[ 22 ] The student of ordinary theosophical literature should understand clearly that the separation of the one heavenly body into two took place in the period in which this literature places the development of the so-called second principal human race. The human ancestors of this race are described as forms with refined etheric bodies. But one must not imagine that they could have developed on our present earth after it had already separated itself from the sun and had expelled the moon. After this separation, such etheric bodies were no longer possible.
If one follows the development of mankind in that cycle to which our description has now come, and which leads us into the present, one becomes aware of a series of principal conditions, of which our current one is the fifth.
The preceding expositions from the Akasha Chronicle have already dealt with these conditions. Here we shall only repeat what is necessary for a further deepening of the discussion.
The first principal condition shows the human ancestors as highly refined etheric entities. The usual theosophical literature somewhat inexactly calls these entities the first principal race. This condition essentially continues during the second epoch, in which this literature places the second principal race. Until this stage of development sun, moon, and earth are still one heavenly body. Now the sun splits off as an independent body. It thereby takes those forces through which the human ancestors could be maintained in their etheric condition. With the splitting-off of the sun a densification of the human forms and also of the forms of man's fellow-creatures takes place. These creatures must now adapt themselves to their new dwelling-place, as it were.
[ 23 ] But it is by no means only the material forces which are taken away from this dwelling-place. Spiritual entities, of whom it has been said that they formed a spirit community on the one heavenly body we have described, also leave at the same time. Their existence remains more intimately connected with the sun then with the heavenly body which the sun has thrust out from itself. If these entities had remained united with the forces which later develop on the earth and on the moon, they themselves could not have developed further to their appropriate levels. They needed a new dwelling-place for this further development. This is provided for them by the sun after it—so to speak—has cleansed itself of the earth and moon forces. At the stage at which these beings now are, they can act on earth and moon forces only from the outside, from the sun.
[ 24 ] One can see the reason for the separation we have described. Until this time, certain entities which are higher than man have gone through their development on the one heavenly body characterized above; they now lay claim to a part of it for themselves, and leave the rest to man and his fellow-creatures.
The consequence of the splitting-off of the sun was a radical revolution in the development of man and of his fellow-creatures. They fell as it were from a higher level of existence to a lower. They had to do this, for they lost the immediate connection with those higher beings. They would have entered entirely into a blind alley in their own development if other universal events had not taken place, through which progress was stimulated anew and the development directed into quite different channels.
With the forces which at present are united in the split-off moon, and which at that time were still within the earth, further progress would have been impossible. Present-day mankind could not have been produced with these forces, but, instead, only a kind of being in which the emotions of rage, hate and so forth, developed during the third great cycle, the Moon existence, would have increased to the point of the immoderate and animal.
During a certain period, this was in fact the case. The immediate consequence of the splitting-off of the sun was the arising of the third principal condition of the ancestors of man, which in theosophical literature is designated as the third principle race, the Lemurian. Again, the designation “race” for this condition of development is not an especially fortunate one. For in a real sense, the human ancestors of that time cannot be compared with what today one designates as “race.” One must be completely clear about the fact that the evolutionary forms of the distant past as well as of the future are so entirely different from those of today that our present appellations can only serve as makeshifts, and really lose all meaning in relation to these remote epochs.
Actually, one can only begin to speak of “races” in connection with the development attained in about the second third of the third principal condition identified above (the Lemurian). Only then is formed what today one calls “races.” This “racial character” is retained in the period of the Atlantean development, and further into our time of the fifth principal condition. But already at the end of our fifth era, the word “race” will again lose all sense. In future, mankind will be divided into parts which it will be impossible to designate as “races.” In this respect, ordinary theosophical literature has caused much confusion. This has especially been done by Sinnett's Esoteric Buddhism, the book which, on the other hand, has the great merit of having been the first to popularize the theosophical world-outlook in recent times. In this book the universal development is described as if, throughout the cosmic cycles, the “races” forever repeated themselves in the same way. But this is by no means the case. That which deserves to be called “race” also comes into being and perishes. One should only use the expression “race” for a certain span in the development of mankind. Before and after this, there are evolutionary forms which are something totally different from “races.”
Only because the true deciphering of the Akasha Chronicle fully authorizes one to make such a remark have we presumed to make it here. In this the decipherer knows himself to be in complete accord with true occult spiritual investigation. Otherwise it could never occur to him to make such objections against the meritorious books of theosophical literature. He might also make the really quite superfluous remark that the inspirations of the great teachers mentioned in Esoteric Buddhism are not contradicted by what has been described here, but that the misunderstanding has only been produced by the fact that the author of that book has transposed the wisdom of these inspirations, which is difficult to express, into modern every-day human language, in his own way.
[ 25 ] The third principal condition of the development of mankind presents itself as the one in which the “races” first came into being. This event was brought about by the separation of the moon from the earth. This separation was accompanied by the originating of the two sexes. This stage of the development of mankind has been repeatedly referred to in the descriptions from the “Akasha Chronicle.” When the earth, still united with the moon, split off from the sun, a male and a female sex did not as yet exist within mankind. Each human being combined the two sexes within its still highly refined body.
It must be remembered however that these double-sexed human ancestors were on a low level of development as compared with present-day man. The lower impulses acted with immeasurable energy, and nothing of a spiritual development as yet existed. That the latter was stimulated and that thereby the lower impulses were confined within certain bounds, is connected with the fact that, at the same time at which earth and moon separated, the former came into the sphere of influence of other heavenly bodies. This extremely significant co-operation of the earth with other heavenly bodies, its meeting with foreign planets, in the time which theosophical literature calls the Lemurian, will be related in a further chapter of the “Akasha Chronicle.”
[ 26 ] The same course of development will be described once more, but from a different point of view. This is done for a quite definite reason. One can never look at the truths about the higher worlds from too many aspects. One should realize that from any one aspect it is possible to give only the poorest sketch. And when one looks at the same thing from the most diverse aspects, the impressions one receives in this way only gradually complement each each other to form an ever more animated picture. Only such pictures, not dry, schematic concepts, can help the man who wants to penetrate into the higher worlds. The more animated and colorful the pictures, the more can one hope to approach the higher reality.
It is obvious that it is just the pictures from the higher worlds which arouse mistrust in many today. A person is quite content to be given conceptual schemes and classifications—with as many names as possible—of Devachan, of the development of the planets, and so forth; but he becomes more difficult when somebody presumes to describe the supersensible worlds as a traveller describes the landscapes of South America. Yet one should realize that it is only through fresh, animated pictures that one is given something useful, not through dead schemes and names.
XVI. Das Leben der Erde
[ 1 ] Es ist in den vorangegangenen Ausführungen gezeigt worden, wie sich aufeinanderfolgend die Bestandteile bilden, welche die sogenannte «niedere Menschennatur» ausmachen: der physische Leib, der Ätherleib und der Astralleib. Auch ist beschrieben worden, wie sich mit dem Hinzukommen eines neuen Leibes die alten immer umgestalten müssen, so daß sie Träger und Werkzeuge des später gebildeten werden können. Mit diesem Fortschritt ist auch ein solcher des menschlichen Bewußtseins verbunden. Solange der niedere Mensch nur einen physischen Leib hat, eignet ihm nur ein ganz dumpfes Bewußtsein, das noch nicht einmal dem des traumlosen Schlafes der Gegenwart gleichkommt, obwohl ja für den heutigen Menschen schon dieser letztere Bewußtseinszustand eigentlich ein «unbewußter» ist. In der Zeit, in welcher der Ätherkörper auftritt, erringt dann der Mensch das Bewußtsein, das ihm heute im traumlosen Schlafe zukommt. Mit der Bildung des Astralkörpers tritt ein dämmerhaftes Bilderbewußtsein auf, ähnlich dem, aber nicht ihm gleich, welches sich gegenwärtig der Mensch zuschreibt, während er träumt. Der vierte, jetzige Bewußtseinszustand soll nunmehr als derjenige des Erdenmenschen beschrieben werden. — Er bildet sich heraus in dem vierten großen Weltenzeitalter, dem der Erde, das folgt auf die vorhergegangenen, das Saturn-, Sonnen- und Mondenzeitalter.
[ 2 ] Auf dem Saturn ist der physische Menschenleib in verschiedenen Stufen ausgebildet worden. Er hätte damals noch nicht Träger eines Ätherleibes sein können. Dieser ist auch erst während des Sonnenlaufs dazugekommen. Dabei wurde zugleich in den aufeinanderfolgenden Sonnenkreisläufen der physische Leib so umgestaltet, daß er Träger dieses Ätherleibes sein konnte, beziehungsweise daß der Ätherleib in dem physischen Leibe arbeiten konnte. Während der Mondentwickelung kam der Astralleib hinzu; und wieder wurden der physische Leib und der Ätherleib so umgestaltet, daß sie geeignete Träger und Werkzeuge abgeben konnten für den auftretenden Astralleib. Der Mensch ist somit auf dem Monde ein Wesen, zusammengesetzt aus physischem Leib, Ätherleib und Astralleib. Durch den Ätherleib ist er imstande, Lust und Leid zu empfinden, durch den Astralleib ist er ein Wesen mit Affekten, Zorn, Haß, Liebe und so weiter.
[ 3 ] An den verschiedenen Gliedern seines Wesens sind, wie gezeigt worden ist, höhere Geister tätig. So hat der Ätherleib auf dem Monde durch die Geister des Zwielichtes die Befähigung zu Lust und Leid erhalten; dem Astralleib wurden die Affekte durch die Feuergeister eingepflanzt.
[ 4 ] Gleichzeitig spielte sich während der drei großen Kreisläufe auf Saturn, Sonne und Mond noch etwas anderes ab. Während des letzten Saturnkreislaufes wurde der Geistesmensch (Atma) mit Hilfe der Geister des Willens (Throne) gebildet. Während des vorletzten Sonnenkreislaufes kam zu diesem unter Beistand der Cherubim der Lebensgeist (Buddhi) hinzu. Und während des drittletzten Mondenkreislaufes vereinigte sich mit den beiden durch Hilfe der Seraphim das Geistselbst (Manas). Es sind also eigentlich während dieser drei großen Kreisläufe zweierlei Menschenursprünge entstanden: ein niederer Mensch, bestehend aus physischem Leib, Ätherleib, Astralleib, und ein höherer Mensch, bestehend aus Geistesmensch (Atma), Lebensgeist (Buddhi) und Geistselbst (Manas). Die niedere und die höhere Menschennatur gingen zunächst getrennte Wege.
[ 5 ] Die Erdentwickelung ist dazu da, die beiden getrennten Menschenursprünge zusammenzuführen.
[ 6 ] Zunächst aber geht alles Mondendasein nach dem siebenten kleinen Kreislauf noch in eine Art von Schlafzustand (Pralaya) über. Dadurch wird sozusagen alles in eine unterschiedlose Masse durcheinandergemischt. Auch die Sonne und der Mond, welche im letzten großen Kreislauf getrennt waren, verschmelzen während der letzten Mondenkreisläufe wieder.
[ 7 ] Wenn nun aus dem Schlafzustand alles wieder hervortritt, so muß zunächst im wesentlichen während eines ersten kleinen Kreislaufes der Saturnzustand wiederholt werden, während eines zweiten der Sonnenzustand und während eines dritten der Mondkreislauf. Während dieses dritten Kreislaufes nehmen auf dem abermals von der Sonne abgespaltenen Mond die Wesen ungefähr wieder dieselben Daseinsarten an, wie sie sie schon auf dem Monde gehabt haben. Der niedere Mensch ist da ein Mittelwesen zwischen dem heutigen Menschen und dem Tiere, die Pflanzen stehen zwischen der heutigen Tier- und Pflanzennatur mitten drinnen, und die Mineralien tragen nur erst halb den heutigen leblosen Charakter, zum anderen Teile sind Sie noch halbe Pflanzen.
[ 8 ] Während der zweiten Hälfte dieses dritten Kreislaufes bereitet sich nun schon etwas anderes vor. Die Mineralien verhärten sich, die Pflanzen verlieren allmählich den tierischen Charakter der Empfindlichkeit; und aus der einheitlichen Tiermenschenart entwickeln sich zwei Klassen. Die eine bleibt auf der Stufe der Tierheit zurück, die andere dagegen erleidet eine Zweiteilung des Astral-Körpers. Dieser spaltet sich in einen niederen Teil, der auch weiterhin der Träger bleibt für die Affekte, und in einen höheren Teil, der eine gewisse Selbständigkeit erlangt, so daß er eine Art Herrschaft auszuüben vermag über die niederen Glieder, über den physischen Leib, den Ätherleib und den niederen Astralleib. Nun bemächtigen sich dieses höheren Astralleibes die Geister der Persönlichkeit, die ihm eben Selbständigkeit und damit auch Selbstsucht einpflanzen. Nur im niederen menschlichen Astralleib verrichten jetzt die Feuergeister ihre Arbeit, während im Ätherleib die Geister des Zwielichtes tätig sind, und im physischen Leib diejenige Kraftwesenheit ihre Arbeit beginnt, die man als den eigentlichen Menschenvorfahren bezeichnen kann. Dieselbe Kraftwesenheit hat ja auf dem Saturn den Geistesmenschen (Atma) mit Hilfe der Throne, auf der Sonne den Lebensgeist (Buddhi) unter Beistand der Cherubim und auf dem Monde das Geistselbst (Manas) zusammen mit den Seraphim gebildet. — nun aber ändert sich das. Throne, Cherubim und Seraphim steigen zu höheren Sphären auf; und der geistige Mensch erhält dafür den Beistand der Geister der Weisheit, der Bewegung und der Form. Diese sind nun vereinigt mit Geistselbst, Lebensgeist und Geistesmensch (mit Manas — Buddhi — Atma). Unter dem Beistand dieser Wesenheiten gestaltet während der zweiten Hälfte des dritten Erdenkreislaufes das charakterisierte Menschenkraftwesen seinen physischen Körper aus. Am bedeutsamsten wirken dabei die Geister der Form. Sie gestalten den menschlichen physischen Körper schon so aus, daß er eine Art Vorläufer wird des späteren Menschenkörpers vom vierten Kreislaufe (dem gegenwärtigen oder der vierten Runde).
[ 9 ] Im Astralkörper der zurückgebliebenen Tierwesen bleiben ausschließlich die Feuergeister tätig, im Ätherkörper der Pflanzen die Geister des Zwielichtes. Dagegen wirken die Geister der Form an der Umgestaltung des Mineralreiches mit. Sie sind es, welche es verhärten, also ihm starre, feste Formen einpflanzen.
[ 10 ] Man darf sich aber bei alledem nicht vorstellen, als ob der Wirkenskreis der genannten Geister einzig nur auf das beschränkt bliebe, was charakterisiert worden ist. Es sind dabei immer nur die Hauptrichtungen der Tätigkeiten gemeint. In untergeordneter Art wirken sämtliche Geistwesen überall mit. So haben zum Beispiel die Geister der Form auch in der angegebenen Zeit gewisse Verrichtungen am physischen Pflanzen- und Tierkörper und so weiter.
[ 11 ] Nachdem das alles geschehen ist, verschmelzen alle Wesenheiten — auch Sonne und Mond selbst — gegen das Ende des dritten Erdenkreislaufes wieder und gehen dann durch einen kürzeren Schlafzustand (kleines Pralaya) hindurch. Da ist wieder alles eine unterschiedlose Masse (ein Chaos); und am Ende desselben beginnt der vierte Erdenkreislauf, in dem wir uns gegenwärtig befinden.
[ 12 ] Zunächst beginnt alles, was schon vorher im Mineral-, Pflanzen-, Tier- und Menschenreich wesenartig war, in Keimzuständen sich herauszusondern aus der unterschiedlosen Masse. Zunächst können als selbständige Keime nur die Menschenvorfahren wieder erscheinen, an deren höherem Astralleib im vorigen kleinen Kreislauf die Geister der Persönlichkeit gearbeitet haben. Alle anderen Wesen des Mineral-, Pflanzen- und Tierreiches führen hier noch kein selbständiges Dasein. (Denn auf dieser Stufe ist alles noch in jenem hochgeistigen Zustand, den man als den «gestaltlosen» oder Arupazustand bezeichnet. Auf der gegenwärtigen Stufe der Entwickelung sind nur die höchsten menschlichen Gedanken — zum Beispiel die mathematischen und die sittlichen Ideale — aus dem Stoffe gewoben, der auf der geschilderten Stufe allen Wesen zukommt.) Was niedriger ist als diese Menschenvorfahren, kann nur als Tätigkeit an einem höheren Wesen erscheinen. So existieren die Tiere erst als Bewußtseinszustände der Geister des Feuers, die Pflanzen als Bewußtseinszutände der Geister des Zwielichts. Die Mineralien aber haben ein doppeltes Gedankendasein. Zunächst existieren sie als Gedankenkeime in den genannten Menschenvorfahren und dann als Gedanken im Bewußtsein der Geister der Form. Auch der «höhere Mensch» (Geistesmensch, Lebensgeist, Geistselbst) existiert im Bewußtsein der Geister der Form.
[ 13 ] Nun findet stufenweise eine Art Verdichtung mit allem statt. Diese Dichtigkeit ist auf der nächsten Stufe aber erst eine solche, die nicht über die Dichtigkeit der Gedanken hinausgeht. Nur können auf derselben schon die im vorhergehenden Kreislauf entstandenen Tierwesen hervortreten. Sie sondern sich aus dem Bewußtsein der Feuergeister heraus und werden selbständige Gedankenwesen. Man nennt diese Stufe diejenige des «gestalteten» oder Rupazustandes. Der Mensch schreitet da insofern weiter, als sein vorher gestaltloser selbständiger Gedankenleib von den Geistern der Form mit einem Leibe aus gröberem gestalteten Gedankenstoff umkleidet wird. Die Tiere bestehen hier als selbständige Wesen überhaupt nur aus diesem Stoff.
[ 14 ] Nun geht eine weitere Verdichtung vor sich. Der Zustand, der jetzt erreicht wird, ist mit demjenigen zu vergleichen, aus dem die Vorstellungen des traumartigen Bilderbewußtseins gewoben sind. Man nennt diese Stufe die «astrale». — der Menschenvorfahr schreitet wieder vor. Sein Wesen erhält zu den beiden übrigen Bestandteilen noch einen Leib, der aus dem gekennzeichneten Stoff besteht. Er hat somit jetzt den inneren gestaltlosen Wesenskern, einen Gedankenkörper und einen astralen Leib. Die Tiere erhalten einen ebensolchen astralen Leib; und die Pflanzen lösen sich aus dem Bewußtsein der Geister des Zwielichtes heraus als selbständige astrale Wesenheiten.
[ 15 ] Der weitere Fortschritt der Entwickelung besteht darin, daß die Verdichtung bis zu dem Zustande fortschreitet, welchen man den physischen nennt. Zunächst hat man es mit dem allerfeinsten physischen Zustand zu tun, mit dem des feinsten Äthers. Der Menschenvorfahr erhält — durch die Geister der Form — zu seinen früheren Bestandteilen noch den feinsten Ätherleib. Er besteht somit aus einem gestaltlosen Gedankenkern, einem gestalteten Gedankenleib, einem Astralleib und einem Ätherleib. Die Tiere haben einen gestalteten Gedankenleib, einen Astral- und einen Ätherleib; die Pflanzen haben Astral- und Ätherleib; die Mineralien treten hier zuerst als selbständige Äthergestalten hervor. Man hat es also auf dieser Stufe der Entwickelung mit vier Reichen zu tun: einem Mineral-, Pflanzen-, Tier- und Menschenreich. Daneben sind aber im Laufe der bisherigen Entwickelung noch drei andere Reiche entstanden. In der Zeit, als sich die Tiere auf der Gedankenstufe (Rupastufe) von den Feuergeistern loslösten, trennten auch die Geister der Persönlichkeit aus sich heraus gewisse Wesenheiten». Sie bestehen aus unbestimmtem Gedankenstoff, der sich wolkenartig ballt und wieder auflöst und so dahinflutet. Man kann von ihnen nicht als von selbständigen Wesenheiten, sondern nur von einer regellosen allgemeinen Masse sprechen. Dies ist das erste Elementarreich. Auf der astralen Stufe trennt sich etwas ähnliches von den Feuergeistern los. Es sind das schattenhafte Bilder oder Schemen ähnlich den Vorstellungen des traumhaften Bilderbewußtseins. Sie bilden das zweite Elementarreich. Im Anfange der physischen Stufe lösen sich endlich unbestimmte bildhafte Wesenheiten aus den Geistern des Zwielichtes los. Auch sie haben keine Selbständigkeit, aber sie vermögen Kräfte zu äußern, welche ähnlich sind den menschlichen und tierischen Leidenschaften und Affekten. Diese unselbständigen schwirrenden Affekte bilden das dritte Elementarreich. Für Wesen, welche mit einem traumartigen Bilderbewußtsein, oder für solche, welche mit bewußtem Bilderbewußtsein ausgestattet sind, können diese Schöpfungen des dritten Elementarreiches als flutendes Licht, Farbenflocken, als Geruch, Geschmack, als allerlei Töne und Geräusche wahrgenommen werden. Doch müssen alle solche Wahrnehmungen als gespensterhaft gedacht werden.
[ 16 ] Man hat sich also von der Erde, da, wo sie als ein feiner ätherischer Körper sich aus ihrem astralen Vorgänger verdichtet, vorzustellen, daß sie ein Konglomerat ist aus einer ätherischen mineralischen Grundmasse, aus ätherischen Pflanzen-, Tier- und Menschenwesen. Gleichsam die Zwischenräume ausfüllend und auch die anderen Wesen durchflutend, sind dann die Geschöpfe der drei Elementarreiche vorhanden.
[ 17 ] Diesen Erdenkörper bewohnen die höheren geistigen Wesenheiten, die sich in der mannigfaltigsten Art an den genannten Reichen betätigen». Sie bilden sozusagen eine Geistesgemeinschaft, einen Geistesstaat, und ihre Wohnstätte und Werkstatt ist der Erdenkörper, den sie mit sich tragen, wie eine Schnecke ihr Haus. Dabei ist zu berücksichtigen, daß mit der Erde noch völlig vereinigt ist, was jetzt als Sonne und Mond von ihr abgetrennt ist. Beide Himmelskörper trennen sich erst später von der Erde ab.
[ 18 ] Der «höhere Mensch» (Geistesmensch — Lebensgeist — Geistselbst, Atma — Buddhi — Manas) hat auf dieser Stufe noch keine Selbständigkeit. Er bildet da noch ein Glied im Geistesstaat, und zwar ist er zunächst gebunden an die Geister der Form, so wie eine menschliche Hand als ein unselbständiges Glied an einen menschlichen Organismus gebunden ist.
[ 19 ] Damit ist der Bildungsweg der Erde bis zum Beginne ihres physischen Zustandes verfolgt. Im weiteren soll gezeigt werden, wie innerhalb dieses Zustandes alles weiter fortschreitet. Es wird dann der bisherige Entwickelungsweg in das hineinlaufen, was schon in den vorhergehenden Kapiteln der Akasha-Chronik in bezug auf den Erdenfortschritt gesagt worden ist».
[ 20 ] Solche Zustände der Entwickelung, wie sie hier angeführt sind als gestaltloser, gestalteter, astraler und physischer Zustand, die also Unterschiede in einem kleineren Kreislaufe (einer Runde) bilden, werden in theosophischen Handbüchern Globen genannt». Man spricht also in dieser Beziehung von einem Arupa-, einem Rupa-, einem astralen und einem physischen Globus. Einzelne haben eine solche Bezeichnung unzutreffend gefunden. Hier soll aber weiter nicht von der Namengebung gesprochen werden. Es kommt wahrlich nicht darauf, sondern auf die Sache an. Wenn man sich bemüht, diese zu beschreiben, so gut es geht, so ist es besser, als wenn man viel um Namen sich kümmert». Diese müssen ja doch immer in einem gewissen Sinne unzutreffend sein». Denn man muß Tatsachen der geistigen Welt mit Benennungen belegen, die von der Sinnenwelt gekommen sind, kann also doch nur gleichnisweise sprechen.
[ 21 ] Es ist die Darlegung der Menschenweltentwickelung bis zu dem Punkte geführt worden, wo die Erde an den Beginn ihrer physischen Verdichtung gelangt». Man vergegenwärtige sich den Entwickelungszustand dieser Menschenwelt auf dieser Stufe. Was später als Sonne, Mond und Erde auftritt, ist da noch zu einem einzigen Körper vereinigt. Derselbe hat nur eine feine ätherische Materie». Nur innerhalb dieser Materie haben die später als Menschen, Tiere, Pflanzen und Mineralien auftretenden Wesen ihr Dasein. Zum weiteren Fortschritt der Entwickelung muß sich der eine Weltenkörper zunächst in zwei trennen, wovon der eine zur späteren Sonne, der andere zu einem solchen wird, der die spätere Erde und den späteren Mond noch vereinigt hält. Erst noch später tritt auch für diesen letzteren Weltkörper die Spaltung ein; das, was Mond wird, tritt heraus, und die Erde bleibt als Wohnplatz des Menschen und seiner Mitgeschöpfe für sich allein.
[ 22 ] Wer die gebräuchliche theosophische Literatur kennt, muß sich klar darüber werden, daß die Trennung des einen Weltkörpers in zwei in dem Zeitraume stattgefunden hat, für den diese Literatur die Entwickelung der sogenannten zweiten menschlichen Hauptrasse ansetzt. Die Menschenvorfahren dieser Rasse werden als Gestalten mit feinen ätherischen Leibern geschildert. Doch darf man sich nicht vorstellen, daß sich solche auf unserer jetzigen Erde hätten entwickeln können, nachdem diese sich schon von der Sonne losgelöst und den Mond von sich abgestoßen hatte. Nach dieser Ablösung sind solche ätherische Leiber nicht mehr möglich gewesen». — verfolgt man die Entwickelung der Menschheit in dem Kreislauf, bei dem unsere Betrachtung jetzt angelangt ist und der uns in die Gegenwart heraufführt, so wird man eine Reihe von Hauptzuständen gewahr, von denen unser jetziger der fünfte ist. — die vorhergehenden Darlegungen aus der Akasha-Chronik haben von diesen Zuständen schon gesprochen. Hier soll nur nochmals angeführt werden, was zu der weiteren Vertiefung der Ausführung nötig ist. — Der erste Hauptzustand zeigt die Menschenvorfahren als durchaus feine ätherische Wesenheiten». Etwas ungenau nennt die gebräuchliche theosophische Literatur diese Wesenheiten die erste Hauptrasse. Im wesentlichen erhält sich dieser Zustand auch noch während der zweiten Epoche, in der jene Literatur die zweite Hauptrasse ansetzt». Bis zu dieser Entwickelungsstufe sind eben Sonne, Mond und Erde noch ein Weltkörper. Nun gliedert sich die Sonne als ein selbständiger Körper ab». Sie nimmt damit der mit dem Monde noch vereinigten Erde alle die Kräfte fort, durch welche die Menschenvorfahren in ihrem ätherischen Zustande haben erhalten werden können». Mit der Abspaltung der Sonne geht eine Verdichtung der Menschenformen und auch der Formen anderer menschlicher Mitgeschöpfe vor sich». Diese Geschöpfe müssen sich jetzt gewissermaßen auf ihrem neuen Wohnplatz einrichten.
[ 23 ] Es gehen aber nicht etwa bloß die materiellen Kräfte aus diesem Wohnplatz heraus. Auch geistige Wesenheiten, von denen gesagt worden ist, daß sie in dem charakterisierten einen Weltkörper eine Geistesgemeinschaft bildeten, gehen mit fort. Ihr Dasein bleibt mit der Sonne in einem innigeren Zusammenhange als mit dem Weltkörper, den die Sonne aus sich heraus abgestoßen hat. Wären diese Wesenheiten mit den Kräften vereinigt geblieben, die sich später auf Erde und Mond entwickeln, so hätten sie selbst sich nicht zu den ihnen entsprechenden Stufen weiter entwickeln können». Sie brauchten zu dieser Weiterentwickelung einen neuen Wohnplatz. Diesen bietet ihnen die Sonne, nachdem diese sich — sozusagen — von den Erd- und Mondkräften gereinigt hat. Auf der Stufe, auf der diese Wesen jetzt stehen, können sie auf Erd- und Mondkräfte nur noch von außen, von der Sonne aus wirken.
[ 24 ] Man sieht, welches der Sinn der gekennzeichneten Abspaltung ist». Gewisse Wesenheiten, die höher sind als der Mensch, haben bis zu diesem Zeitpunkte ihre Entwickelung auf dem einen charakterisierten Weltenkörper durchgemacht; jetzt nehmen sie einen Teil desselben für sich in Anspruch und überlassen dem Menschen und seinen Mitgeschöpfen den Rest». Die Folge der Sonnenabspaltung war eine radikale Revolution in der Entwickelung des Menschen und seiner Mitgeschöpfe. Dieselben fielen gewissermaßen von einer höheren Daseinsstufe zu einer tieferen. Sie mußten das, weil ihnen die unmittelbare Verbindung mit jenen höheren Wesen verlorenging. Sie wären vollständig in eine Sackgasse ihrer eigenen Entwickelung geraten, wenn nicht andere Weltereignisse eingetreten wären, durch die der Fortschritt neu angefacht und die Entwickelung in ganz andere Bahnen gebracht worden wäre». — mit den Kräften, die gegenwärtig in dem abgesonderten Monde vereinigt sind, und die damals noch innerhalb der Erde waren, wäre ein weiterer Fortschritt unmöglich gewesen». Mit diesen Kräften hätte nicht die gegenwärtige Menschheit, sondern nur eine Wesensart entstehen können, bei der die während des dritten großen Kreislaufes, des Mondendaseins, entwickelten Affekte, Zorn, Haß und so weiter sich bis ins maßlose Tierische gesteigert hätten. -Durch einen gewissen Zeitraum hindurch war das auch der Fall. Die unmittelbare Wirkung der Sonnenabspaltung war die Entstehung des dritten Hauptzustandes der Menschenvorfahren, welcher in der theosophischen Literatur als derjenige der dritten Hauptrasse, der lemurischen, bezeichnet wird. Wieder ist die Bezeichnung «Rasse» für diesen Entwickelungszustand keine besonders glückliche. Denn mit dem, was man gegenwärtig als «Rasse» bezeichnet, können die damaligen Menschenvorfahren nur im uneigentlichen Sinne verglichen werden. Man muß sich eben durchaus klar darüber sein, daß die Entwickelungsformen sowohl in ferner Vorzeit, wie auch in der Zukunft von den gegenwärtigen so total verschieden sind, daß unsere gegenwärtigen Bezeichnungen nur als Notbehelfe dienen können und für diese entlegenen Epochen eigentlich allen Sinn verlieren. — im Grunde kann man von «Rassen» erst anfangen zu sprechen, wenn in dem gekennzeichneten dritten Hauptzustand (dem lemurischen) die Entwickelung etwa in ihrem zweiten Drittel angelangt ist. Da bildet sich erst das heraus, was man jetzt «Rassen» nennt. Es behält dann diesen «Rassencharakter» bei in der Zeit der atlantischen Entwickelung, im vierten Hauptzustand, und weiter bis in unsere Zeit des fünften Hauptzustandes». Doch schon am Ende unseres fünften Zeitalters wird das Wort «Rasse» wieder allen Sinn verlieren. Die Menschheit wird in der Zukunft in Teile gegliedert sein, die man nicht mehr wird als «Rassen» bezeichnen können. Es ist durch die gebräuchliche theosophische Literatur in dieser Beziehung viel Verwirrung angerichtet worden. Namentlich ist dies geschehen durch das Buch, welches auf der anderen Seite das große Verdienst hat, zuerst in der neueren Zeit die theosophische Weltanschauung populär gemacht zu haben, durch Sinnetts «Esoterischen Buddhismus». Da wird die Weltentwickelung so dargestellt, als ob ewig in gleicher Art durch die Weltenkreisläufe hindurch die «Rassen» sich so wiederholten». Das ist aber ganz und gar nicht der Fall. Auch das, was «Rasse» genannt zu werden verdient, entsteht und vergeht. Und man dürfte den Ausdruck «Rasse» nur für eine gewisse Strecke der Menschheitsentwickelung anwenden. Vor und nach dieser Strecke liegen Entwickelungsformen, die eben ganz etwas anderes sind als «Rassen». — nur weil das wirkliche Entziffern der Akasha-Chronik zu einer solchen Bemerkung voll berechtigt, ist sie hier gewagt worden. Der Entzifferer weiß sich dabei im vollen Einklange mit der wahren okkulten Geist-Erforschung». Es könnte ihm sonst nimmermehr beifallen, gegen die verdienstvollen Bücher der theosophischen Literatur solches einzuwenden». Auch darf er die — eigentlich ganz überflüssige — Bemerkung machen, daß die Inspirationen des im «Esoterischen Buddhismus» erwähnten großen Lehrers nicht im Widerspruche stehen mit dem hier Dargelegten, sondern daß das Mißverständnis erst dadurch entstanden ist, daß der Autor des genannten Buches die schwer ausdrückbare Weisheit jener Inspirationen in seiner Art in die jetzt übliche Menschensprache umgesetzt hat.
[ 25 ] Der dritte Hauptzustand der Menschheitsentwickelung stellt sich eben als derjenige dar, in dem die «Rassen» erst entstanden sind. Und dieses Ereignis wurde herbeigeführt durch die Abtrennung des Mondes von der Erde. Begleitet war diese Abtrennung von der Entstehung der zwei Geschlechter». Wiederholt ist auf diese Stufe der Menschheitsentwickelung in den Ausführungen aus der «Akasha-Chronik» hingewiesen worden. Als die noch mit dem Monde vereinigte Erde sich aus der Sonne herausspaltete, gab es noch nicht innerhalb der Menschheit ein männliches und weibliches Geschlecht». Jedes Menschenwesen vereinigte in dem noch ganz feinen Leib die beiden Geschlechter». — nur festgehalten muß werden, daß diese doppelgeschlechtlichen Menschenvorfahren gegenüber dem heutigen Menschen auf einer tiefen Entwickelungsstufe standen. Die niederen Triebe wirkten mit einer maßlosen Energie, und von einer geistigen Entwickelung war noch nichts vorhanden. Daß die letztere angefacht wurde und daß dadurch die niederen Triebe in gewisse Grenzen gebannt wurden, hängt damit zusammen, das in derselben Zeit, in welcher Erde und Mond sich trennten, die erstere in den Wirkungsbereich anderer Weltkörper kam». Dieses außerordentlich bedeutungsvolle Zusammenwirken der Erde mit andern Weltkörpern, ihre Begegnung mit fremden Planeten in der Zeit, welche die theosophische Literatur die lemurische nennt, soll in einem weiteren Kapitel der «Akasha-Chronik» erzählt werden».
[ 26 ] Es soll derselbe Gang der Entwickelung noch einmal von einem andern Gesichtspunkte aus dargelegt werden. Dies geschieht aus einem ganz bestimmten Grunde. Man kann nämlich niemals zu viel darinnen tun, die auf die höheren Welten bezüglichen Wahrheiten von den verschiedensten Seiten zu betrachten. Man sollte sich klar darüber sein, daß man von einer jeden Seite aus doch nur eine ganz armselige Skizze geben kann. Und erst allmählich, wenn man dieselbe Sache von den verschiedensten Seiten aus ansieht, ergänzen sich die Eindrücke, welche man so erhält, zu einem immer lebensvolleren Bilde. Nur solche Bilder aber helfen dem Menschen, der in die höheren Welten eindringen will, nicht trockene schematische Begriffe. Je lebendiger die Bilder, je farbenreicher sie sind, desto mehr kann man hoffen, sich der höheren Wirklichkeit zu nähern». — Es ist ja klar, daß gerade die Bilder aus den höheren Welten es sind, welche gegenwärtig bei vielen Zeitgenossen Mißtrauen hervorrufen. Man läßt es sich gerne gefallen, wenn man Begriffschemen, Einteilungen — mit möglichst vielen Namen — mitgeteilt erhält, von Devachan, von der Planetenentwickelung und so weiter; aber man wird schwierig, wenn jemand die übersinnlichen Welten zu schildern wagt, wie man Landschaften von Südamerika als Reisender schildert. Und doch sollte man sich sagen, daß man nur durch lebensfrische Bilder wirklich etwas Nützliches erhält, nicht durch tote Schemen und Namen.
XVI The Life of the Earth
[ 1 ] It has been shown in the previous explanations how the components that make up the so-called "lower human nature" are formed one after the other: the physical body, the etheric body and the astral body. It has also been described how, with the addition of a new body, the old ones must always be transformed so that they can become the carriers and instruments of the later formed body. This progress is also connected with the progress of human consciousness. As long as the lower man has only a physical body, he has only a very dull consciousness, which is not even equal to that of the dreamless sleep of the present, although for man today this latter state of consciousness is actually an "unconscious" one. In the time in which the etheric body appears, the human being then attains the consciousness that he has today in dreamless sleep. With the formation of the astral body, a twilight-like consciousness of images arises, similar to, but not equal to, that which the human being currently ascribes to himself while dreaming. The fourth, present state of consciousness is now to be described as that of the earth-man. - It is formed in the fourth great world age, that of the earth, which follows the previous ones, the ages of Saturn, the sun and the moon.
[ 2 ] The physical human body was formed in various stages on Saturn. It could not have been the carrier of an etheric body at that time. This was only added during the course of the sun. At the same time, in the successive solar cycles, the physical body was transformed in such a way that it could be the carrier of this etheric body, or that the etheric body could work in the physical body. During the lunar evolution the astral body was added; and again the physical body and the etheric body were so transformed that they could provide suitable carriers and tools for the emerging astral body. Thus man on the moon is a being composed of physical body, etheric body and astral body. Through the etheric body he is able to feel pleasure and suffering, through the astral body he is a being with affects, anger, hatred, love and so on.
[ 3 ] As has been shown, higher spirits are active in the various parts of his being. Thus the etheric body on the moon received the capacity for pleasure and suffering through the spirits of twilight; the affects were implanted in the astral body by the spirits of fire.
[ 4 ] At the same time, something else took place during the three great cycles on Saturn, the Sun and the Moon. During the last Saturnian cycle, the spirit man (Atma) was formed with the help of the spirits of will (thrones). During the penultimate solar cycle, the spirit of life (buddhi) was added to this with the help of the cherubim. And during the third-to-last lunar cycle, the spirit self (Manas) united with the two with the help of the seraphim. Thus, during these three great cycles, two different human origins actually came into being: a lower human being, consisting of the physical body, etheric body and astral body, and a higher human being, consisting of the spirit man (Atma), life spirit (Buddhi) and spirit self (Manas). The lower and higher human natures initially went their separate ways.
[ 5 ] Earth evolution is there to bring the two separate human origins together.
[ 6 ] After the seventh small cycle, however, all lunar existence first passes into a kind of sleep state (pralaya). As a result, everything is mixed into an indiscriminate mass, so to speak. Even the sun and the moon, which were separated in the last great cycle, merge again during the last lunar cycles.
[ 7 ] When everything emerges again from the sleep state, the Saturnian state must first be essentially repeated during a first small cycle, the solar state during a second and the lunar cycle during a third. During this third cycle, on the moon, which has once again split off from the sun, the beings again assume approximately the same modes of existence as they already had on the moon. The lower man is a middle being between today's man and the animal, the plants stand in the middle between today's animal and plant nature, and the minerals only half bear today's lifeless character, on the other hand they are still half plants.
[ 8 ] During the second half of this third cycle, something else is already being prepared. The minerals harden, the plants gradually lose the animal character of sensitivity; and two classes develop from the uniform animal-human species. The one remains on the level of animality, while the other undergoes a division of the astral body. This splits into a lower part, which remains the vehicle for the affects, and into a higher part, which acquires a certain independence, so that it is able to exercise a kind of dominion over the lower members, over the physical body, the etheric body and the lower astral body. Now the spirits of the personality take possession of this higher astral body, implanting in it independence and thus also selfishness. Only in the lower human astral body do the fire spirits now do their work, while in the etheric body the spirits of twilight are active, and in the physical body that power entity begins its work which can be described as the actual human ancestor. The same power entity has formed the spirit man (Atma) on Saturn with the help of the thrones, the life spirit (Buddhi) on the Sun with the assistance of the Cherubim and the spirit self (Manas) on the Moon together with the Seraphim. - But now this is changing. Thrones, cherubim and seraphim ascend to higher spheres; and the spiritual man receives in return the assistance of the spirits of wisdom, movement and form. These are now united with spirit-self, life-spirit and spirit-man (with Manas - Buddhi - Atma). During the second half of the third earth cycle, the characterized human being forms his physical body under the assistance of these beings. The spirits of form have the most significant effect here. They shape the human physical body in such a way that it becomes a kind of forerunner of the later human body of the fourth cycle (the present or fourth round).
[ 9 ] Only the spirits of fire remain active in the astral body of the remaining animal beings, and the spirits of twilight in the etheric body of the plants. In contrast, the spirits of form are involved in the transformation of the mineral kingdom. They are the ones who harden it, i.e. implant rigid, solid forms into it.
[ 10 ] However, one must not imagine that the sphere of activity of the spirits mentioned is limited solely to that which has been characterized. Only the main directions of activity are meant. In a subordinate way, all spirit beings are active everywhere. Thus, for example, the spirits of form also have certain activities on the physical plant and animal bodies and so on at the time indicated.
[ 11 ] After all this has happened, all entities - including the sun and moon themselves - merge again towards the end of the third earth cycle and then pass through a shorter sleep state (small pralaya). There, everything is again an indiscriminate mass (a chaos); and at the end of this, the fourth earth cycle begins, in which we currently find ourselves.
[ 12 ] First of all, everything that had already been a being in the mineral, plant, animal and human kingdoms begins to separate itself in germ states from the indiscriminate mass. At first only the human ancestors can reappear as independent germs, on whose higher astral body the spirits of personality have worked in the previous small cycle. All other beings of the mineral, plant and animal kingdoms do not yet lead an independent existence here. (For at this stage everything is still in that highly spiritual state which is called the "formless" or arupa state. At the present stage of development, only the highest human thoughts - for example, the mathematical and moral ideals - are woven from the material that belongs to all beings at the stage described). What is lower than these human ancestors can only appear as activity in a higher being. Thus the animals exist only as states of consciousness of the spirits of fire, the plants as states of consciousness of the spirits of twilight. The minerals, however, have a double thought existence. First they exist as thought germs in the aforementioned human ancestors and then as thoughts in the consciousness of the spirits of form. The "higher man" (spirit man, life spirit, spirit self) also exists in the consciousness of the spirits of form.
[ 13 ] Now a kind of condensation with everything takes place step by step. At the next stage, however, this density is only such a density that does not go beyond the density of thoughts. However, the animal beings that emerged in the previous cycle can already emerge at this stage. They emerge from the consciousness of the fire spirits and become independent thought beings. This stage is called that of the "formed" or rupa state. The human being progresses to the extent that his previously formless, independent thought body is clothed by the spirits of form with a body of more coarsely formed thought material. As independent beings, the animals here consist only of this material.
[ 14 ] Now a further condensation takes place. The state that is now reached can be compared to that from which the ideas of the dream-like consciousness of images are woven. This stage is called the "astral". - The human ancestor advances again. In addition to the two other components, his being receives a body consisting of the characterized material. He thus now has the inner shapeless core of being, a thought body and an astral body. The animals receive a similar astral body; and the plants detach themselves from the consciousness of the spirits of twilight as independent astral entities.
[ 15 ] The further progress of the development consists in the fact that the condensation advances to the state which is called the physical. At first we have to do with the very finest physical state, with that of the finest ether. The human ancestor receives - through the spirits of form - the finest etheric body in addition to his earlier components. He thus consists of a formless thought core, a formed thought body, an astral body and an etheric body. The animals have a formed thought body, an astral and an etheric body; the plants have an astral and an etheric body; the minerals emerge here first as independent etheric forms. Thus at this stage of development we are dealing with four kingdoms: a mineral, plant, animal and human kingdom. In addition to these, however, three other kingdoms have arisen in the course of development to date. At the time when the animals detached themselves from the fire spirits on the thought level (rupa level), the spirits of personality also separated certain "entities" out of themselves. They consist of indeterminate thought material that clusters like clouds and dissolves again and thus flows away. One cannot speak of them as independent entities, but only of a general mass without rules. This is the first elemental kingdom. On the astral level something similar separates itself from the fire spirits. These are shadowy images or schemes similar to the ideas of the dreamlike consciousness of images. They form the second elemental realm. Finally, at the beginning of the physical stage, indeterminate pictorial entities detach themselves from the spirits of twilight. They too have no independence, but they are capable of expressing forces similar to human and animal passions and affects. These dependent, whirring affects form the third elemental realm. For beings who are endowed with a dream-like consciousness of images, or for those who are endowed with a conscious consciousness of images, these creations of the third elemental kingdom can be perceived as a flood of light, flakes of color, as smell, taste, as all kinds of sounds and noises. However, all such perceptions must be thought of as ghostly.
[ 16 ] So one has to imagine the earth, where it condenses as a fine etheric body from its astral predecessor, to be a conglomerate of an etheric mineral ground mass, of etheric plant, animal and human beings. The creatures of the three elemental realms are then present, filling the interstices, as it were, and also flowing through the other beings.
[ 17 ] This earthly body is inhabited by the higher spiritual beings, who are "active" in the realms mentioned in the most diverse ways. They form, so to speak, a spiritual community, a spiritual state, and their dwelling place and workshop is the earthly body, which they carry with them like a snail carries its house. It should be borne in mind that what is now separated from the earth as sun and moon is still completely united with it. Both celestial bodies only separate from the earth later.
[ 18 ] The "higher man" (spirit man - life spirit - spirit self, Atma - Buddhi - Manas) does not yet have any independence at this stage. He is still a member of the spiritual state, and is initially bound to the spirits of form, just as a human hand is bound to a human organism as a dependent member.
[ 19 ] This traces the path of formation of the earth up to the beginning of its physical state. In the following it will be shown how everything progresses within this state. The previous path of development will then run into what has already been said in the previous chapters of the Akashic Chronicle with regard to the earth's progress".
[ 20 ] Such states of development as are mentioned here as formless, formed, astral and physical states, which thus form differences in a smaller cycle (a round), are called "globes" in theosophical manuals. In this respect one speaks of an arupa, a rupa, an astral and a physical globe. Some have found such a designation inaccurate. Here, however, we shall not speak of naming. It is truly not that which matters, but the thing itself. If one endeavors to describe it as well as possible, it is better than "worrying a lot about names". After all, these must always be inaccurate in a certain sense". For one must substantiate facts of the spiritual world with names that have come from the sensory world, so one can only speak in parables.
[ 21 ] The explanation of the development of the human world has been led up to the point where the earth reaches the beginning of its physical condensation". Consider the state of development of this human world at this stage. What later appears as sun, moon and earth is still united into a single body. This body has only a "fine etheric matter". Only within this matter do the beings that later appear as human beings, animals, plants and minerals have their existence. For the further progress of development, the one world body must first separate into two, one of which becomes the later sun, the other such a body that still holds the later earth and the later moon united. Only still later does the division also occur for this latter world body; that which becomes the moon emerges, and the earth remains alone as the dwelling place of man and his fellow creatures.
[ 22 ] Whoever is familiar with the usual theosophical literature must realize that the separation of the one world body into two took place in the period for which this literature assumes the development of the so-called second main human race. The human ancestors of this race are described as figures with fine ethereal bodies. But one must not imagine that such could have developed on our present earth after it had already detached itself from the sun and ejected the moon from itself. After this detachment, such etheric bodies were no longer possible. - If we follow the development of mankind in the cycle at which we have now arrived and which leads us up to the present, we become aware of a series of main states, of which our present one is the fifth. - The previous explanations from the Akashic Chronicle have already spoken of these states. Here we will only repeat what is necessary for a more detailed explanation. - The first main state shows the human ancestors as "very fine etheric beings". The common theosophical literature refers to these beings somewhat imprecisely as the first main race. In essence, this state is still maintained during the second epoch, in which that literature establishes the second main race". Up to this stage of development, the sun, moon and earth are still one world body. Now the sun "separates itself as an independent body". It thus takes away from the earth, still united with the moon, all the forces by which the human ancestors could have been preserved in their etheric state". With the splitting off of the sun, a condensation of the human forms and also of the forms of other human fellow creatures takes place". These creatures must now, so to speak, settle into their new dwelling place.
[ 23 ] But it is not only the material forces that leave this dwelling place. Also spiritual entities, of which it has been said that they formed a spiritual community in the characterized one world body, go away with it. Their existence remains in a more intimate connection with the sun than with the world body which the sun has ejected from itself. If these beings had remained united with the forces that later develop on earth and moon, they themselves would not have been able to develop further to the stages corresponding to them. They needed a new dwelling place for this further development. The sun offers them this, after it has - so to speak - purified itself of the earth and moon forces. At the level at which these beings now stand, they can only act on earth and moon forces from the outside, from the sun.
[ 24 ] You can see what the meaning of the marked separation is". Certain beings higher than man have up to this time undergone their development on the one characterized world body; now they take a part of it for themselves and leave the rest to man and his fellow creatures". The consequence of the splitting of the sun was a radical revolution in the development of man and his fellow creatures. They fell, as it were, from a higher level of existence to a lower one. They had to do this because they lost their direct connection with those higher beings. They would have completely come to a dead end in their own development if other world events had not occurred, through which progress would have been rekindled and development would have been set on a completely different course". - With the forces which are at present united in the separate moon, and which at that time were still within the earth, further progress would have been impossible". With these forces the present humanity could not have arisen, but only a type of being in which the affects, anger, hatred and so on, developed during the third great cycle, the lunar existence, would have increased to the point of excessive animalism. -This was the case for a certain period of time. The immediate effect of the splitting of the sun was the emergence of the third main state of the human ancestors, which is described in theosophical literature as that of the third main race, the Lemurian. Again, the term "race" for this state of development is not a particularly happy one. For the human ancestors of that time can only be compared with what is currently referred to as a "race" in an unreal sense. One must be quite clear about the fact that the forms of development both in the distant past and in the future are so totally different from the present that our present designations can only serve as makeshift aids and actually lose all meaning for these remote epochs. - Basically, one can only begin to speak of "races" when the development in the third main state (the Lemurian) has reached about its second third. Only then does that which is now called "races" begin to form. It then retains this "racial character" in the time of the Atlantean development, in the fourth main state, and further into our time of the fifth main state. But already at the end of our fifth age the word "race" will again lose all meaning. In the future, humanity will be divided into parts that can no longer be described as "races". Much confusion has been caused in this respect by the common theosophical literature. In particular, this has been done by the book which, on the other hand, has the great merit of having first popularized the theosophical world view in recent times, Sinnett's "Esoteric Buddhism". There the development of the world is presented as if the "races" were eternally repeating themselves in the same way through the world cycles. But this is not the case at all. Even that which deserves to be called a "race" emerges and vanishes. And the term "race" should only be used for a certain stage of human development. Before and after this stretch lie forms of development that are quite different from "races". - It is only because the actual deciphering of the Akashic Chronicle fully justifies such a remark that it has been ventured here. The decipherer knows himself to be in full agreement with the true occult spirit research". Otherwise he would never be able to object to the meritorious books of theosophical literature. He may also make the - actually quite superfluous - remark that the inspirations of the great teacher mentioned in "Esoteric Buddhism" are not in contradiction with what is explained here, but that the misunderstanding has only arisen because the author of the aforementioned book has translated the difficult-to-express wisdom of those inspirations in his own way into the now common human language.
[ 25 ] The third main state of human development presents itself as that in which the "races" first came into being. And this event was brought about by the separation of the moon from the earth. This separation was accompanied by the emergence of the "two sexes". This stage in the development of mankind has been repeatedly referred to in the "Akashic Chronicle". When the earth, still united with the moon, split from the sun, there was not yet a "male and female sex" within humanity. Every human being united the two sexes in the still very fine body". - It must only be noted that these dual-sex human ancestors were at a low stage of development compared to modern man. The lower instincts worked with boundless energy, and there was as yet no spiritual development. The fact that the latter was kindled and that the lower instincts were thereby restrained within certain limits is connected with the fact that at the same time that the earth and moon separated, the former came into the sphere of influence of other world bodies. This extraordinarily significant interaction of the earth with other world bodies, its encounter with foreign planets in the time which theosophical literature calls the Lemurian, is to be recounted in a further chapter of the "Akashic Chronicle".
[ 26 ] The same course of development is to be explained once again from a different point of view. This is done for a very specific reason. For one can never do too much in looking at the truths relating to the higher worlds from the most diverse sides. One should be aware that one can only give a very poor sketch from each side. And only gradually, when one looks at the same thing from the most diverse sides, do the impressions which one thus receives complement each other to form an ever more vivid image. But only such images help the person who wants to penetrate the higher worlds, not dry schematic concepts. The more vivid the images, the more colorful they are, the more one can hope to approach the higher reality". - It is clear that it is precisely the images from the higher worlds that are currently causing mistrust among many contemporaries. One is happy to accept it when one is told conceptual schemes, classifications - with as many names as possible - of Devachan, of planetary development and so on; but one becomes difficult when someone dares to describe the supersensible worlds, just as one describes landscapes of South America as a traveler. And yet one should say to oneself that one only really gets something useful from life-fresh pictures, not from dead schemes and names.