As a way to introduce myself, I share below a conversation I had with another anthroposophist regarding karma.
The Question: Does self-consciousness itself create karma?
Dear Amelia,
At our last meeting I brought up the creation of karma as something connected to the human stage of evolution. I said it was in “Occult Science” but could not find it in there. It was in a lecture cycle, published in the book “The Spiritual Hierarchies and the Physical World.” Here Rudolf Steiner describes how karma came about on old Saturn for the first time. In the end of lecture 3 “On Planetary Evolution: Saturn and Sun Stages and the Spirits of Personality (April 13, 1909, morning) we learn how the Archai left some external warmth behind which they couldn’t dissolve in the end. They compressed their inner soul warmth to an external, denser condition (by giving it form through thinking!) which they needed as a kind of resistance or as a substance different from their inner being to come to an I-consciousness of their human stage. With this lower realm of warmth which was left behind as part of their own being the Archai prepared the karma that obliged them to return; and at the same time it became also cosmic karma and was the reason for the next planetary existence, old Sun. It appears as if the price for becoming I-conscious human beings is to create karma in the first place. Later in growing beyond our ego-centered consciousness we work -while being incarnated on earth- on dissolving what we have thus created. Is this a legitimate conclusion?
The question of how we as human beings now create our karma, and how spiritual beings are connected with it is still ongoing and open for me. I appreciated our talk about it very much and would like to thank you.
The Answer: Yes!
Amelia Replies:
Thank you for your thanks!
I was able to find a copy of the lecture you refer to online at the Rudolf Steiner Archive. I have not had time to read it carefully yet, but I did skim it.
Yes, the development of consciousness (self-consciousness) does seem to depend on the creation of a duality of self versus not-self. The not-self would be what was extruded or externalized (in the case of Archai on Saturn, the externalized warmth eggs). So, the Archai developed their consciousness within the element of warmth. (Please note that a rhythmic breathing element was involved.)
Within the process of evolution/development, across all hierarchies, moments occur when a separation needs to take place where something is left behind so that other aspects can move forward. This occurs in part because there is no possibility of moving forward without leaving something behind. Typically, what is left behind can be considered in some way “retarded” beings, who then form part of a lower hierarchy. In the case of the Archai, what was left behind became a substrate for the Archangels, as I understand it. The Archai then had some responsibility towards the Archangels, a responsibility to support the processes by which the Archangels could transform whatever was “fallen” so that it was able to further evolution. This responsibility, you could say, became their “cosmic karma.”
Progress, development usually requires some resistance to allow and encourage the forward growth. Thus, the nature of progress itself involves a “leaving behind,” that can only by caught up in another cycle, with yet another aspect “left behind” and so on. So is it too, that our own spiritual development involves others who are “left behind.” Think of the Essenes, for example, who were able to prevent evil forces from entering their community. This, however, also meant that these evil forces perforce made even greater inroads into the communities surrounding the Essenes. Should the Essenes then not take responsibility for helping these other communities with the evil forces working in them? So also, musn’t we, who have had the grace to be afforded access to spiritual development, bear responsibility towards those who have not?
The processes involved in development thus create the conditions for cosmic interdependence. With the ability to progress must also come gratitude towards all beings, higher and lower, who make this progress possible.
As I understand it, in the case of human beings in the earth planetary evolution, there are many aspects that will be left behind. First, in the “war of all against all” in the far distant future, some human beings who consistently refuse to develop their humanity will be left behind. These beings might, for example, be more bestial than human, and thus might in some ways join the animal kingdom. There are also those who will join Ahrimanic and/or Luciferic hosts, and will thus join different developmental trajectories than that of the human mainstream. The Ahrimanic streams, however, also provide a resistance, from the future, towards human development, as the Luciferic streams provide a resistance from the past towards human development. Thus, in an extremely complex web, all aspects of cosmic life in their own way contribute towards evolution. This does not mean that we must not fiercely oppose all sources of evil wherever we encounter them. This opposition itself is part of the pathway towards creating a cosmos of greater human goodness. At some point, however, we must do our part in redeeming the retarded or evil elements; we must at some point help redeem Ahriman, and release him from the bonds he is under. He did, did he not, give us an aspect of the substrate for our individual human freedom, by providing the mechanisms for “dead thoughts.” Without the extrusion of thought-processes into the dead matter of our mineral nature (e.g. the salt nature of the nerves), we would not have developed the capacity of producing individual thoughts, and therefore of becoming capable of truly free human deeds. For humanity’s freedom lies first and foremost in thinking. Without passing through the experience of dead thinking, we would not be able to consciously experience the art of living thinking.
Also left behind by humanity will be the many demonic creatures that we have given birth to through our technology and creative life. Let us not presume that all of these beings will be demonic. Those beings that have been given life through egoistic impulses will show great resistance to humanity in the future. One can hope that those beings that have been given life through genuine artistic impulses and noble deeds will have a beneficient effect, perhaps even filled with gratitude. It is these elemental beings, both “good” and “bad,” created during Earth evolution, that will become humanity’s “cosmic karma.” We will be responsible for guiding these subearthly elemental creatures in their evolution, in future planetary ages. As now, in a different sense, we bear responsibility towards the animal, plant, and mineral kingdoms.
The destructive processes in the universe are as important as the constructive processes. I believe we must learn to understand the destructive processes, and even express gratitude towards them. Without the blessing of forgetting, we would be stuck in the thoughts and habits of the past. Only by letting go can we move forward. I anticipate here the Manichaean impulse of transforming evil through “breathing” it in and out, while doing so changing as much of it as we are able into impulses that will further the common good, rather than hinder it. This, too, will become part of humanity’s task.
Returning to the questions of karma, it is only through the grace of the dying processes that we are able to leave our past lives and identities behind, in order to move forward in our individual development. The hierarchies carry out many tasks of dissolving that which is no longer needed or useful, and preserving that which is necessary for future development, both personally and collectively. They preserve not only what we must work on, but also our capacities and even our thread of consciousness as an individual human being. I am very grateful that they so willingly carry out these many tasks that I am not yet able to personally oversee.
To return to the thoughts at the beginning, that which is extruded becomes the substance of resistance which enables future growth. So the Archai were able to develop on Old Saturn, and in this process, they also took on responsibility to redeem that which they left behind. In these planetary cycles, there is often a great stretch of time between this kind of extrusion and the actual redemption. This is a grand-scale version of processes that also occur on a smaller scale.
Growth comes from the creation of a polarity that is ultimately overcome through a “third” aspect, leading to a higher integration. Thus, we have self and not-self, creating consciousness. But is it not our responsibility to overcome this duality? We can realize, in consciousness, the myriad ways in which we are not just “self,” but are actually intertwined with others, and with cosmic existence as a whole. The goal now is to be able to be conscious within this interconnectedness, retaining a sense of self, a sense of compassion, and a sense of agency within the cosmic working. For example, we strive toward living thinking, that is both conscious and freely active within cosmic interconnectedness. The key here, I believe, is the “third” aspect of rhythmic activity. (“For the Christ-Will in the encircling round holds sway/ In the Rhythms of Worlds, blessing the Soul.”) The activity of living thinking is, to my understanding, possible through an oscillation (perhaps quite rapid) between self and not-self in the time-space of thought creating. So, too, I imagine that the redemption of beings left behind and of evil requires a similar rhythmic process of oscillation, in greater and lesser velocities. Then too, this reconciliation through the third or Christ principle, also leads to a further point of departure for development. That is, the process is not merely like a lemniscate or circle, but rather a 3-D lemniscate or spiral.
I sensed in your questions a deep sympathy with, and concern for, that which is left behind, for that which can only be returned to for redemption at some later point in time. This is indeed a process which involves loss and grief. One wishes one had the capacities to transmute everything that one is responsible for, so that it will serve the better good. However, we must face the fact that we are unable to do so individually. It takes not only a village, but an entire cosmos working through aeons of eternity. On the one hand, we must be humble as we realize how much we rely on other beings for our own existence. On the other hand, we must use the capacities we do currently have to transform as much as it is in our power to do so. May we develop the moral imagination needed!
There are great mysteries in the phenomenon of time, which involves cycles of change, of growth and decay, of dying and becoming, of transformation and metamorphosis. Is it not a blessing that time exists, so that we may consciously participate in all these changes? So that we ourselves may become co-creative in cosmic working?
It is important work to refine our emotional responses to the concepts we receive in spiritual science. As Prokofieff states in his booklets, it is this creation of common feeling-threads that allows angels to work productively with us in our groups. I empathize with you, in your feelings of loss and concern, for I too share in these feelings. With the help of the activity of the group, I am also reminded to consider the larger contexts of cosmic working, which can then give me more perspective on the immediate concerns at hand, and hopefully also lead me to greater feelings of gratitude for all that is.
Many blessings for your earnest heartfelt striving,
Amelia
PS. Perhaps at some later time, an opportunity will arise to discuss the differentiations between “cosmic” karma and “human” karma, karma of planetary cycles, of hierarchies, of groups of beings /nations, of individual lives, of the etheric company we keep through our thoughts, feelings, and deeds; of nature and all the kingdoms below us. One definition of karma is that it is the expression of the relationships among members (hierarchies) of the cosmos.
Do spiritual beings have karma?
Dear Amelia,
Thank you so much for your reply to my question. I printed it out and will have to read it several more times to fully understand all of your your excellent connections and thoughts. You brought up some very deep and meaningful issues for our life and esoteric path. One that clearly came out for me was that in the process of our esoteric development we come to recognize that the so-called non-self (which is everything in our environment and gives us the opportunity of our first self-consciousness) is, actually, our higher self which is united with the world. I understand it is our task to come to harmony with our higher self. That means letting go of our ego centered self consciousness which, however, is important as a starting point because if we don’t have it we cannot let go of it. Letting go of it is a death experience: when we lose our normal day consciousness we either go to sleep or we die. Normal day consciousness also includes day dreaming in our feeling life as in our sympathies and antipathies. These personal feelings hinder us from experiencing the thoughts and feelings of other creatures. Experiencing consciously another being (elemental being, human being, etc.) is only possible through empathy created out of balancing our sympathies and antipathies (or Lucifer and Ahriman) in any real life situation. This has been a long term project for me with group workshops and one-on-one sessions in counseling which I provide.
Now, I stumbled across another Rudolf Steiner statement published in his lecture cycle “True and False Paths in Spiritual Investigation.” In lecture 11 “What is the Position in Respect of Spiritual Investigation and the Understanding of Spiritual Investigation?” he says “… But mineral sulphur has no karma. Only the sulphur associated with the human body has karma, for only human beings are subject to karma…” From this I conclude that certain hierarchical beings associated with human beings only share human karma (which I know is true for the personal guardian angels). And what does this mean for Archangels, Archai in our time of Earth? I do believe karma has to do with I-consciousness (the hierarchical beings have passed beyond that stage and developed higher states of I-consciousness -Manas etc.), and that elemental beings cannot have a personal karma because they have no I-consciousness yet they become involved (chained) to our karma.
This brings me to your P.S. I would love and appreciate very much to have a conversation and wrestle with all the questions about what karma is: human karma, karma of other beings/substances through their being associated with human beings, karma of nations, etc. (just the way you brought it up in your response); how it is created, and how we can strive to fulfill our tasks with it.
Thanks again for your interest and devoting your time to this matter.
Wonderment regarding what karma really is…
Amelia Replies:
Thank you for your reply. I am so glad that you are doing work with the elementals. It is high time that we begin working cooperatively with them! Also, they, as a group, have experienced the etheric Christ before humans have, and I’m sure there is much we can learn from them. I recently read a lecture by Steiner on Elemental Beings and Human Destiny (available online), which sparked my curiosity even further. It made me wonder what kind of elemental company I keep with regard to my feeling life? More often, I have connected with elementals out in nature, rather than seeking to know those beings who accompany me personally in the etheric.
As to the question of karma, I think there are many levels at which one can understand karma.
As I read it, in the context of the lecture you derived the quote from that only human beings have karma, Steiner is speaking of karma in connection with death — karma as something that relates one human life to its next incarnation. This is indeed the most general use of the word karma.
However, we know Steiner also spoke of cosmic karma in the other lecture you referred to. In that lecture, he stated that the Archai created karma on Old Saturn by extruding warmth eggs which were not entirely breathed back in. Here it is more to do with the responsibility of one set of beings to another set of beings which they were personally involved in creating.
It is my interpretation that Steiner was using karma in two different senses in the different passages. I believe he actually uses the term “cosmic karma” in the lecture on Old Saturn. In the other lecture, he is speaking of human karma, particularly as it is associated with death.
In yet another lecture, one of the ones we will be reading, I believe Steiner refers to karma as the relationships among the hierarchies. We must strive to be flexible in our concepts!
The mineral sulphur (that has been untouched by humans) has no karma because it has not had an active will in my understanding. To me, I see a central thread that karma means a responsibility towards some other being, particularly because of one’s past deeds. Thus, the natural sulphur has no karma as it has not exerted its will on other beings. On the other hand, the human being bears some relationship to the sulphur that he has ingested, as he has imprinted aspects of his personal nature on it. Food for thought.
The question remains open for me regarding whether karma is only accrued at the stage of “I” development, or the human stage. As we will read in the karma lectures, the angels have actually split into two groups, one group that follows Michael, and another group which aligns with the other planetary spirits. These decisions on the part of the angels will surely have consequences, and thus karma. While the angels only “share” in the karma of humans (by “digesting” our thoughts, for example), they do have a karma of their own.
You mention that the elementals do not have personal karma, as they have not yet developed and been active through their “I.” I guess I agree with this. However, they, like animals too, have begun the process of individualization through their association with humans and individual geographic areas (local etheric ecosystems). They are on the path of developing more individualized relationships. We further this by developing relationships with our local elementals.
We are as food for the higher hierarchies, the substrate for their activity. From another point of view, we are their Gods (see Prokofieff book on The Cycle of the Year as a Path of Initiation). Goodness! How complex the relationships are! As you affirmed, the important aspect to keep in the forefront of our minds is that all beings in the cosmos are interconnected. We humans are going about our activity, including struggling with freedom, which is of great interest to the hierarchies. Out of our struggles we will one day have something to offer these other beings. But all beings depend on each other, and we humans certainly require the help of other beings for our existence and even just to muddle through life! What relationships have I created with the beings I have had association with? What inter-hierarchical social hygiene is required of me?
You are doing your part with elementals, and I am grateful that you are active in this work. May we all awaken to these beings and relationships, and do our part to bring our collective “house” into order.
Blessings,
Amelia
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