Secret of Birth and Death

The Secret of Birth and Death is the fourth of the seven secrets of life. Since it is connected with the fourth stage of each seven-stage path of evolution, it has special significance for our Earth evolution, for our Earth is at present on its fourth stage of evolution within the seven-linked planetary chain through which our whole planetary system is passing. Within the Earth evolution itself, the secret of birth and death in turn particularly affects all states of evolution that are on the fourth stage. This applies on a large scale to the Atlantean period, but within the seven cultural epochs also to the Greco-Latin period.

„On the fourth planet, in the daytime consciousness, there is also the possibility that certain beings will not be subject to the law of elective affinity. There must come an overarching form of life. This is birth and death, which did not exist before. This could only come about through the fact that beings no longer existed in isolation, but were held together by a supersensible thread of life. The individual incarnations are strung together as if on a thread. The being now becomes manifold in time through birth and death. Before, human beings were only manifold in space. The multiplication on the third planet (the Moon) happened by cutting off, splitting, and everything lived in sympathy and antipathy to each other. Everything that reproduces by fission is materially immortal. Therefore the lowest animal living beings, monads (according to Weismann) are immortal. Death is only possible when fertilisation is added to fission. Birth and death can only be bought by continuing to split off beings and by man developing at the expense of other beings. That is why birth and death are also imposed on all other beings who have no individual karma. Man had to push down the kingdoms below him by one each.

What is connected with birth and death is man's karma. On the next planet, with the increased consciousness, man will no longer be conscious only of the effects of karma, but will be conscious in karma itself.“ (Lit.:GA 89, p. 145f)

Literature

• Rudolf Steiner: Bewußtsein Leben Form, GA 89 (2001), Berlin, 29. Oktober 1904 English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org

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