Self-Knowledge and God-Knowledge I

GA 90a — 25 June 1904, Berlin

XXXV. Differences in the Structure of the Spirit Between the Second Rama, Krishna and Buddha

There is a tremendous difference between the mental structure of these three. We omit the first Rama, the Axe, who esoterically still belongs to the Atlantean race. This second Rama has a Buddha-mind, but it appears through Manas, wisdom.

Budhi is the source of wisdom, revelation, inspiration - no matter where it comes from. Let us imagine a drop of mercury in a beautiful geometric figure. Mercury is its figure; the way it is arranged is its form. So wisdom can be seen as a whole, but arranged in the different systems of the cosmos. One could know all one's knowledge in one sentence, then this synthetic knowledge would be Budhi and Manas (d/gap in the transcript).

Manas is Budhi in a certain arrangement.

Now, Christian esotericism calls the 'summary' 'the word' and the 'arrangement' the 'Holy Spirit'. Indian esotericism calls the Word 'Budhi' and the Holy Spirit 'Manas'.

Legend: All esotericists knew that all “knowledge” could be summarized in a 'sun of knowledge'. The esotericist has the one word in which everything is compressed - he derives everything else from this word. The inspirer on whom a religious system is based goes - according to legend - into the temple to take possession of the word. Jesus entered the temple, cut himself, took the word, hid it in his body and now practiced the word. This is an example.

Let us imagine the image of mercury. The sphere is the same as the droplets, only in arrangement. You can separate them — Budhi distributed in Manas — and also bring them together. Let us imagine that the knowledge of the cosmos has been handed over to a being as astrological knowledge, so that he is able to gain a wise insight into the world. Such a being is Rama, who received this knowledge in its synthetic unity. He was, as it were, the general of knowledge.

Let us consider someone who does not receive knowledge as a unified whole, but rather knowledge already distributed throughout the world, no longer the word, but the Holy Spirit: Krishna. With regard to the individual, Krishna also speaks in the Bhagavad Gita. Rama is not the great conqueror of the world, gently leading by the hand. Krishna is already the teacher.

Let us go a little further. Summarizing what has been scattered. The unity from above summarized from the details.

Buddhism came about by pointing to a section of the world: This and that is applicable to it. Buddhism is tailored to the spirit of the Indian people. Rama knowledge is tailored to the whole world.

These were the avatars of the fifth race. We have characterized the Budhi knowledge. Buddha is thus the Budhi teacher for Manas, for the sacred spirit. The task now is to introduce this teaching into the physical plan. [Buddha] is the teacher sent by the deity. If a teaching is to be incorporated into the physical plan, it must arise from the feelings, perceptions and kama-manasic thinking of the people themselves; for example, Zoroaster and Hermes were sent, not grown out of. At some point, a people had to have their own inspirer, and that was only possible if a chela like Jesus of Nazareth [gap in the transcript]

So we tailored the knowledge to the individual personality, which in turn becomes international again. This is the cosmic significance of Christianity. He tried to give something to man as a human being. He was therefore not only the “way” like Krishna - instruction - and not “truth” like Buddha - summary - but “life”. He therefore did not write anything down. He lived the things, independently of the national coloring that is given in the language. Exemplary life, center and focus for the new confession, which is to be sought in belonging to Him. A gathering of the confessors around the personality is necessary. Not only must I understand what He teaches, but in life one must be united in Him. We have laid our hands in His wounds.

The disciples bear witness.

This explains the mystical union of Christ with Jesus. To be united in Christ is life.

In the case of Buddha, Budhi and Manas incarnated from the very beginning, and it did not depend on the personality. In the case of Christ Jesus, the personality came into its own in mystical union.

The Christian community of incarnated Christs is also a body of personalities. According to the Indian model, the figure of Christ, who incarnated for three years, is not found on the devachan plan. There is another plan.

Behind the ecclesiastical community lies the continuously incarnated Christ, our Maitreya, not in human form, but in us. He sanctifies Christianity without knowing anything about incarnation, not as a personal avatar but by living out his life in Christendom and in all that it achieves. Maitreya – the tenth avatar – is still awaited by the Indians, and revered by Christians as their mystical brother. That is why Buddhism kills off personality; the [Buddhist] becomes an ascetic. Christianity elevates personality, fulfills what the Greeks dreamed of, the earthly paradise.

Individual Christians are like cells, hence the balance through saints who atone for criminals. Therefore the church is the substance, the body for the Maitreya Jesus of Nazareth, who understood; always incarnated to accomplish the right thing. - The Christ - the soul.

It is only in the sixth race that the Christ will really take on his outer form; all so united that the individual does not separate his good from that of the whole.

When we now consider separateness and union, we must do so in contrast to the earlier unity. The present-day unions will represent something where the individual members are - the goal is the soul.

Christianity should strive for this brotherhood. The White Lodges are advanced posts, undertaking various tasks but working together. They are the cores around which individuals group themselves. At the end of our planetary development, there will be seven such lodges, with one goal, harmonious. These cores remain, go through a pralaya and appear as the seven leading spirits of future development. These are called by the Hebrew teaching 'Elohim', and one is Jahve - Lord of the Form.

Thus, in Christianity, not a national deity is embodied, but a unifying one that leads to the new development. It indicates the turning point, down into physical development and back up again - therefore has a cosmic significance -, contains the teachings of the others all, but can only be understood in its connection with the cosmos.