The Rudolf Steiner Archive

1. A Special Case of Evolution: Cardinal Nikolaus Cusanus

[ 1 ] First, I must preface this with something that is important for understanding evolution and reincarnation. Every personality, every individuality, must live out its life in Devachan, in the Arupa sphere, in order to maintain the unifying thread. A personality as exalted as Nicholas of Cusa already exerts an influence from the Arupa sphere even in ordinary life. Although every human being acts from within the Arupa sphere, only a few are aware of it. The higher a person has risen into the Arupa sphere during the interval between two earthly lives, the more the Divine breaks through within them.

[ 2 ] Cusanus wrote a work on ignorance arising from higher knowledge [“De docta ignorantia”]. “Ignorantia” means “non-knowledge,” and non-knowledge here is synonymous with higher contemplation. In his books, he also stated the following: There is a core of truth in all religions; we need only look deep enough into them. He had also already stated that the Earth revolves around the Sun. He expressed this as an intuition.

[ 3 ] Copernicus did not live until the sixteenth century, whereas Cusanus lived as early as the fifteenth century. An incarnation such as that of Cusanus must be viewed in context. It is possible that the memory of earlier incarnations is lost during one incarnation, only to be reawakened later—perhaps after one or even many incarnations. One can only make use of the resources of the causal body once one has awakened on the plane above the causal sphere. Every being must be drawn back down from Devachan into the physical sphere by a force—specifically, by forces with which they have not yet become acquainted. In the highest Arupa stage, the human being becomes acquainted with these forces and thereby gains influence over their subsequent incarnation. To a certain extent, they also had control over their own life.

[ 4 ] Cusanus refers, on the one hand, to theosophy and, on the other hand, to modern natural science. Cusanus also had an influence on his subsequent incarnation. It was Nicholas of Cusa who experienced reincarnation in such a way that he reappeared as Copernicus.

[ 5 ] However, an incarnation does not depend solely on one’s own development, but also on its benefit and significance for the entire process of evolution. An example of regular development. The succession of personalities of higher individualities is no longer irregular. Among the less developed, there is no regular development. Among highly developed individualities, however, distinctive characteristics will emerge. These include

First: a sincere turning toward the Higher,
Second: a serene love for God,
Third: becoming one with God.

[ 6 ] We can view this as the regular development of individuality

First: Philo, a contemporary of Jesus,
Second: Spinoza,
Third: Fichte.

[ 7 ] Three personalities—one individuality. If one reads Fichte without knowledge of these events, one understands very little. With this knowledge, however, one finds that the words of these personalities are written in fiery letters. These great minds had to undergo a regular evolution themselves.

[ 8 ] In Eastern esotericism, there is a concept that is difficult to grasp: The being need not be entirely absorbed in its manifestations. A personality can act on one plane without immersing its entire being in that plane. The being need not be identified with the upadhis. The desire to help is the thread of power that establishes the connection with the sphere in question.