Between
Death
and a New Birth
The
last time I spoke to you here, I dealt briefly with a significant phase of
human life between
death and rebirth. This phase cannot be treated as if it were of no importance
to our physical
existence. We should be clear about the fact that the forces we need for life
do not only
come from the realm of the physical body. They emanate essentially from a supersensible
world to which we belong between death and rebirth. This can be understood only
if we are able to form mental images of life between death and rebirth. Man
is mostly enveloped in a kind of dreaming-sleeping condition. Those who go through
the daily routine without thinking about the events they experience are in fact
asleep to
life, and those who concern themselves with what lies beyond material existence
are also those
who awaken to physical life. Referring to our earlier considerations, you will
remember that
spiritual science rightly understood is capable of entering fully into all
aspects of human existence.
Inasmuch as spiritual science permeates our civilization, humanity will experience an
awakening from a sleep of life. Many things that approach the human being
appear strange
and mysterious, but they represent a riddle more to the feelings than to the
dry intellect.
A mother standing by the coffin of her child, or the reverse, is such an
instance. One
has but to concern oneself thoroughly with human existence to realize how
people become
aware of the riddle of life. People who have lost a sister, a husband, or a
wife come to
me and say, “I never used to think about death, never concerned myself about
what might happen
afterwards, but since this relative has been taken from me it is as if he were
still here,
and this has led me to occupy myself with spiritual science.” Life will bring
people to spiritual
science. What happens as a result will be richly rewarding because spiritual
science can
permeate life with certain impulses that it alone can give. When
a person is no longer physically present, the riddle arises as to what happens
to him
after death. External science cannot supply the answer because it only observes
with the
eyes, and they, too, decay. The physical brain decays also, and it is clear
that it can be of
no use for what man experiences without his physical sheath. Yet the mighty
questions regarding
the beyond remain. In this connection general answers are of little avail and
it is preferable
to consider actual instances that can penetrate directly into life.
Let
us take life on earth as a starting point. Perhaps you will have come across a
person who,
through a deep inner longing, through his own soul disposition, was driven to
spiritual science,
whereas another may have become antagonistic towards it. The one became more deeply
involved in spiritual science, while his friend developed increasing enmity
towards it. The
one became more deeply involved in spiritual science, while his friend
developed increasing
enmity towards it. Life not only presents us with a maya in nature but also in
the immediacy
of our connection with others. In fact, what has just been related may be a complete
deception. He who has convinced himself that all this is nonsense may, in the
depths
of his soul of which he remains unconscious, develop a secret love for it.
In
the substrata
love can express itself as hate. One does find such cases in earthy life. When
a person
has gone through the gate of death, all the secret soul impulses and longings
that he has
suppressed during his earthly existence rise to the surface and become the
content of the
period of catharsis. We have observed people going through the gate of death
who on earth
were enemies of spiritual science and who after death developed an intense
longing for
it. Such antagonists then strive for spiritual science. Had we during their
earthly lives gone
to them with a book on spiritual science, they might have dismissed us in
anger. After death
we can do them no greater service than to read to them. Reading in thought to
the dead
can have the greatest furthering effect for them.
There
are many instances within our spiritual movement in which those connected with
a dead
person have read to him and thereby helped him. The dead receive what is given
with the
utmost gratitude, and in this way a beautiful relationship can be developed.
This shows what
spiritual science can mean quite practically. Spiritual science is not mere
theory. It must take
hold of life and tear down the wall that separates the living from the dead.
Thus can the gulf
be bridged. A great deal of good can be done by bringing spiritual science into
life with the
right attitude. No better advice can be given than to read to the dead because
it is a strange
fact that immediately after death we are incapable of making new connections. We are
forced to continue with the old ones.
The
question presents itself as to whether or not the dead are able to find
spiritual beings beyond
the threshold who could teach them. That is not possible! To begin with, one
can only
have connections with beings with whom one has had a relationship before going through
the gate of death. On encountering a being one has not known on earth, one
merely passes
him by. On earth, too, one would not recognize a great genius if he were
dressed like a
teamster. One has contact only with the individuals one has known on earth. One
might meet
many beings who could be of help, but if there has been no prior connection,
they can be
of no use to one.
Spiritual science is in its early stages and because it has
only just begun
to have an effect on human beings, the living can perform the greatest service
to the dead
by helping them in this way. This is an instance of the influence that can be
exercised
from
our world upon the other. But the opposite is also possible — the dead can work
into the
physical world. To the extent that spiritual science takes hold of life, a
cooperation between
both worlds will come about. The dead can also influence the living. People
know remarkably little about the world. At most, only what happens in the
course of
time is grasped. Many think that the rest is of no significance. But what
actually occurs is only
the smallest part of what is worth knowing. By knowing only what happens
externally, one
actually remains ignorant of life. In the morning we go to work. Probably we
consider the things
that happen there as well worth knowing. One day we leave three minutes later
than usual
and surprising events take place. If, for example, we had left home at the
right time we
might
have been run over, but we have been protected. Or perhaps we have to make a
tripand
miss the train. Then this very train is involved in a serious accident. What
can we gather from
such considerations?
There
is much that does not happen in life, and yet we should reckon such events
among
the possibilities. Does the individual know how many such possibilities he
escapes every
single day? Imagine all the things that could happen from which he is
protected! We overlook
them because for a cold, abstract view of life they are quite meaningless. But
let us consider
the effect on the soul of a person who has been saved from danger by an
apparent coincidence.
A man from Berlin intended to go to America and had already purchased his ticket.
A friend advised him not to sail on the Titanic! Picture to yourself the
feelings of this man.
He did not sail, and then he heard of the sinking of the Titanic. It had a
shattering effect on
his feelings. What impressions would arise in us if we were able to observe in
the course of
the day all the things we have been spared!
When a person begins to concern
himself with
spiritual science he develops a far greater sensitivity for the complexities of
life, for what happens
in the normal course of the day. Now
if we have acquired a sensitivity of soul and are spiritually prepared, at
moments such
as these we can receive an impression from the spiritual world, a message from
the dead
that comes as an act of grace. The gates are flung open by the dead. They can
speak to
those who have developed sensitivity. Important matters can be imparted. The
dead person,
for example, may order us to accomplish something that he has not done. So the gulf
is bridged. When spiritual science penetrates into practical life, and it will
do so in the future,
we shall be able to communicate in both directions with the dead. It will bring
the supersensible
world into the immediate present.
The
following question may arise. When we read a spiritual-scientific book in a
particular language,
can the dead understand this language? During the period of catharsis the dead understand
the language they have spoken on earth. It is only later, during the passage
into devachan,
that they can no longer understand words but only thoughts. A transformation in the
intercourse with the dead takes place after a definite period of years. If the
one who has remained
on earth is sensitive, he will feel that the one who has died is with him and
that they
think the same. This can last for years and then suddenly one loses the
connection. That
is the moment when the dead passes into devachan. During the period of
catharsis he still
remembers earthly life, he still holds onto these memories.
What
is an earthly language? Every language has meaning only for earthly life and is closely
connected with a person's organization, with the climate and with the formation
of the larynx.
In Europe we do not speak the same languages as in India. But thoughts are not formed
according to earthly conditions. The dead only understand language as long as
they are
in kamaloca. When a medium conveys a message from the dead in a particular language,
it can only come from one who has recently gone through the gate of death.
Fundamentally
we are already within the higher worlds every time we go to sleep, for in sleep
we enter unconsciously the same realm we enter after death. I
would like to pose the following question. Can someone who is not yet able to
see with
supersensible
perception nevertheless know about these things? A sleeping man, of course, does
live. He is somewhat like a plant. You may recall that a scientist, Raoul
Francé, writes that
plants are endowed with feelings and are able to admire. Yet plants do not have
a soul element.
The sleeping human organism is on par with the plant. The rays of the sun have
to fall
on the plant if it is to live. The earth is covered with plants because the sun
has called them
forth. Without the sun there are no plants and during the winter they cannot
sprout forth. When
man sleeps, where is his sun? What lies in the bed we also cannot envisage without
the sun. This sun is outside the man's ego. There the ego has to work on the sleeping
organism as the sun does on the plant. But it is not only the sun that plays a
part in bringing
forth and sustaining vegetation. The moon does also. Without the influences
from the
moon there would be no plant growth either, but the effect of lunar influences
is completely
ignored by scientists.
The
light of the moon influences the plant. The lunar forces determine the width of
the plant.
A plant that grows tall and thin is little influenced by the moon. Even the
whole cosmos is
involved in the growth of plants. The ego works into the physical and etheric
bodies as the sun
influences plant growth. Similarly, the astral body is related to the moon. The
ego is the sun
for the physical body, the astral body is spiritually its moon. Our ego creates
a replacement
for the influences of the sun, and our astral body for those of the moon. This justifies
what the initiate means when he says man has been formed as an extract of the forces
of the cosmos. As the sun is the central point of the plant world and rays
forth its light in
all directions, in the same way light must permeate the physical and etheric
bodies. The sunlight
is not only physical, it is also of a soul-spiritual nature separated from the
cosmos and
become the “I” or ego.
The human astral body contains an extract of the light
of the moon.
The greatest wisdom is contained in these matters. If
the human ego were still bound to the sun, man would only be able to alternate between
sleeping and waking like the plants. If there were only the solar influence we
would never
be able to sleep during the day. We would sleep only at night. But our whole
cultural life
depends upon an emancipation from these conditions. We carry our own sun within
us and
the ego is an extract of the solar influence. The astral body in man is an
extract of the lunar
influence. So during sleep we are not dependent in the spiritual world on the
cosmic solar
influence. Our ego does what the sun would do otherwise. We are illumined by
our own ego
and astral body.
Ancient
occult vision penetrated to this point only occasionally. Spiritual science
gives us the
following picture of the sleeping man. Above him shines the sun, his ego,
without which he
could not be as a plant during sleep. Above him shines the moon, his own astral
body. Now,
we can also picture that during the autumn when the sun's influence decreases, vegetation
withers. In a man who is awake the astral body and ego are within the physical and
ether bodies. The return into the body is to a certain extent like the setting
of the sun and
moon, and it also marks the end of the plant-like existence. The vegetative
condition that
prevails to revivify our forces during sleep is much less active during waking
life. The vegetative
growth-forces wane as man awakens. Inasmuch we are plant-like, we die every morning.
This throws considerable light on the interplay between soul and body. Some people
feel active and stimulated shortly after waking. Those are the ones who are
able to live
more strongly in the soul sphere. People who tend to live more in the bodily
nature often sense
a certain fatigue in the morning. The less tired a person is in the morning,
the more active
he can be. Yet our waking life may be compared to the dying process of the
plants in winter.
Each day we draw death forces within our organism. They accumulate and because of
this process we eventually die. The fundamental reason for death lies in the
sphere of consciousness.
From this we can gather that the conscious activity of the ego within our daily
life is the destroyer of our physical and etheric bodies. We die because we
live consciously.
Many
attempts are being made to explain the nature of sleep. Sleep is supposed to be
a condition
of exhaustion and is said to exist to dispel tiredness. But sleep is not really
a condition
of exhaustion. The small child, for instance, sleeps more than anyone. Sleep is
a part
of the whole of life. It is inserted in the rhythm of falling asleep and waking
up. Similarly, as
we see nature wither in winter, so something dies in us during our waking life. When
we go through the gate of death, we leave our physical and etheric bodies
behind and
our ego and astral body now emerge as sun and moon that have nothing to
illumine. Nevertheless,
the ego and the astral body can continue their existence in spite of the fact that
they have nothing to illumine. When they permeate the body, consciousness
arises.
In the
spiritual world also, man has to permeate something if he is to acquire
consciousness, otherwise
he would exist without consciousness. The
bodily nature was most strongly illumined during the Greco-Latin period. Then
the saying,
“Rather a beggar on earth than a king in the realm of the Shades,” had reality.
At that time
to dwell in the underworld meant to lead a miserable existence. Before the
birth of Christ
life after death was little developed. We, on the other hand, belong to an age
that is characterized
by the fact that such forces are no longer exercised on the bodily nature. Man, inasmuch
as he sleeps, is on the decline. The bodily nature has been on the downgrade since
the time of Christ. The vegetative forces were most strongly prevalent during
the Greek
epoch.
At the end of the evolution of humanity the bodily nature will be most
barren.
In
earlier epochs men were clairvoyant and the soul was highly developed. Through
the soul-spiritual
decline the bodily nature rose to its peak as expressed in the beauty of Greek art.
But as we go into the future all striving for beauty is faced with a pitfall in
that external beauty
has no future. Beauty must become an inner quality and in this way must it
reveal its character. Insofar
as this withering process increases, the inner nature of the sun and of the
moon will
become ever more glorious. Those who cultivate spirit and soul through
spiritual science have
a greater understanding of the future than those people who seek to revive the Greek games.
The more a person leaves his soul-spiritual nature in unconsciousness, the more miserable
is the destiny he will encounter between death and a new birth.
The decay of
the body
has nothing to do with life after death, but if nothing of a soul-spiritual
nature has been developed,
then there is nothing to carry over into the spiritual world. The more a person
has opened
himself to receive a spiritual content, the better he will fare after death.
Mankind will learn
increasingly to become independent of what is bound to the physical body. Spiritual
science will not keep its present form. Words can scarcely express what it wishes
to convey. In spiritual science more will depend on how things are said, rather
than on what is said. That is an international
element and can live in any language. One will accustom
oneself to listen to how things are expressed. In this way one can enter into contact
with the dweller of devachan.
Today we are gathered together and speak of
spiritual science.
We will go through the gate of death and continue to develop in a number of
future incarnations.
Then we will have thoughts independent from the earth-bound language of today.
The spirit will enter into our life and we will be able to communicate with the
dead.
External
cultural life goes to its downfall. A time will come when the skies will be
filled with
airplanes. Life on earth will wither, but the human soul will grow into the
spiritual world.
At
the end of earth evolution man will have progressed so that there will no
longer be a sharp
division between the living and the dead. The earth will do over into a
spiritual condition
again because man will have spiritualized himself. This will give you a basis
for a correct
answer when people ask, “Death and birth repeat themselves but will this always continue?”
There will not be such a difference between living and dying because for human consciousness
everything will be spiritualized. The upward development of the whole of mankind
leads to the condition that will be experienced on Jupiter. In
speaking about life between death and rebirth we open up a far-reaching realm. There,
also, everything is subject to change and transformation, including the
intercourse of the
living with the dead. We shall gradually penetrate further into the nature of
man's existence,
into the interplay between his bodily and spiritual nature.
Vienna, January 21, 1913
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