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The Rudolf Steiner Archive

a project of Steiner Online Library, a public charity

Awareness - Life - Form
GA 89

Part II: 9. About the Logoi

Private instruction, Berlin-Schlachtensee, probably in 1904

The first, from which all else arose, was godhead unmanifest. From it the second then arose, which is life, or also unmanifest creative substance. This life then went through the most manifold variety of forms and was named akasha or mahat in the forms. This akasha or mahat contains everything that there is in the world by way of forms of life. All the hierarchies—Thrones, Cherubim, Seraphim, Kyriotetes, Dynamis, Powers, Powers of Origin, Archangels and Angels came forth through life and created the forms under which this one life appears.

The first power, unmanifest godhead, is also called the Father; the second power is the Son, being at the same time life and creative substance; and the third power is the Spirit. Together these powers of origin thus appear as Father, Son and Spirit, as conscious awareness, life and form. The power of life is under the guidance of Michael, the one who belongs to the Sun; the power of form is under the guidance of Samael, who belongs to Vulcan, where all life will have been transformed into living forms. The power of conscious awareness is under the guidance of Anael, who encompasses everything there is. Thus the upper three are:

Three Logoi
Fig. 29

These three are reflected in the higher triad of the human being

spiritual human being
atman
life spirit
budhi
Spirit Self
manas

Atman is the part of the human being he must reach through evolution. In it, life spirit is reflected in two reflections in his spirit—as rational soul and sentient soul. And the Spirit Self is reflected in his soul in the astral as sentient body and ether double body. Finally atman is reflected in him as his physical body.

A reflection of the highest three is also in the human being, but as the element which goes below the actual physical level, his lower nature, in him.

Triangle pointed downward
Fig. 30

The descent of man really went down as far as the fourth planet, the fourth round, the fourth globe and the fourth root race. Then humanity had descended so far into form that the right moment had come for ascent, to bring ascending evolution to expression as well in the form. But the human physical body went beyond this lowest point of descent, and the development which came after this time in the physical human being was really below the level of the actual physical human being. These are the lower forces, which drag the human being down and prevent him from moving forward. These powers, ruling in man as the lower triad, do, however, contain the reflection of the highest triad, but their use does take one on the path of black magic. These are the forces that took the original Turanians954th Atlantean sub race. See Cosmic Memory (note 11), chapter on our Atlantean forebears. to perdition. They are also beginning to be known again in our time, taking people on the black path. A white magician only uses such higher powers as the human being has in his head. Through the seven gates in his head he is connected with the seven reflections of cosmic forces, [right and left eye, right and left ear, right and left nostril, mouth = 7]. Through an organ up in the top of the head, which has not yet been opened, the human being is connected with atman; through the right eye, life spirit, budhi, flows into him; through the left eye, Spirit Self, manas, flows into him.

Budhi is reflected in his spirit as rational and sentient soul. With the right ear he is connected with everything which flows through the world as thought; through the left ear, the sensations of the world flow into him. Manas is reflected in his soul as sentient body and ether double body.

Through the right nostril, he is connected with the nutrient powers of cosmic life, which flow into his sentient body; through the left nostril he is connected with the powers of growth in the world, which flow into his ether double body. Through his mouth, the human being is connected with the spirit human being—atman. Through his mouth, the highest which is in him comes to expression. Because of this, words should be sacred to human beings, and they should not talk to no purpose but only when they want to express thoughts. They must get used to a chastity of words.

If the human being enters inwardly into the significance of his sense organs, he can connect with the cosmic powers through his sense organs. Everything which is below the level of physical evolution must be cast off. The real human being is the one who lives in his head and is connected with the powers of the cosmos through the seven gates of his head.