Akasha

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Akasha (Sanskrit: आकाश ākāśa, from kash "to shine, radiate, shine, be visible") means, according to the ancient Indian view, as much as heaven, ether or space. Especially according to the Indian elemental theory of Vaisheshika, Akasha is equated with the ether and thus corresponds to the quintessence of Aristotle. Strictly speaking, the Akasha substance is the subtle primordial substance from which everything is formed and in which thought can directly express itself. As such, it also forms the basis for the world memory, the so-called Akasha chronicle.

To the question: "Is the Akasha substance etheric or astral?" Rudolf Steiner answered:

„The astral substance is the higher substance. The Akasha substance stands between physical and astral matter. It is the finest physical matter, the very finest matter in which thought can directly express itself.“ (Lit.:GA 53, p. 230)

In another place Steiner states:

„The whole earth was formerly in a much finer, thinner etheric state. Akasha is the finest form in which, before primeval times, everything was in the etheric state that now confronts us on earth as solid, liquid and so on. The solid granite of our primeval mountains, all metals, all salts, all types of lime, everything that is on our earth today - also all vegetable and animal forms - were present at that time in this fine Akasha. Akasha is the finest form of matter.

The human body that man has today is composed of all the substances of the earth. All kinds of matter are found in some chemical composition in the human body. At that time all these substances were in the Akasha state and the spiritual being of man incarnated into this Akasha matter. It was a completely different form from the human being of today. In this Akasha matter everything was still undifferentiated that later became differentiated. It contained everything that later became mineral, plant and animal forms. In that in which the pure divine human being incarnated, in this Akasha matter, all animal forms were still contained, as well as everything that later became human form.“ (Lit.:GA 53, p. 217)

Space or ether, even heaven, is that in which movement takes place. By space, however, is meant not only the outer sensually perceptible three-dimensional space, but a sequence of multidimensional spaces of consciousness, of which the sensually perceptible space is only the lowest level, and also the movement is not merely an outer one, but also includes all soul and spiritual movements. Behind these, however, stands Prana as the spiritual principle of all movements, the living breath, the sounding rhythm of the whole cosmos, which, according to Rudolf Steiner, ultimately points to the life ether, in which the formative world word, the Christ himself, expresses himself. What lives creatively as movement in Prana is held in forms in Akasha. Thus Akasha becomes the basis of the world memory, the Akasha chronicle, in which the traces of the process of creation are preserved. Prana is in this sense the forming principle, Akasha is that which is formed, similar to what Aristotle later indicated by the two principles of substance and form. Akasha is life manifested in form:

"The first, from which everything else emerged, is the unmanifested divinity. From this then came forth the second, the life or also the unmanifested creative substance. This life then passes through the most manifold forms and is named in the forms Akasha or Mahat. This Akasha or Mahat contains all the forms of life that exist in the world. The whole hierarchy of thrones, cherubim, seraphim, powers, elemental forces, archangels and angels came forth through life and form the forms under which this one life appears.

The first power, the unmanifested Godhead, is also called the Father; the second power is the Son, who is both life and creative substance, and the third power is the Spirit. Together, then, these three primordial forces appear as Father, Son and Spirit, as Consciousness, Life and Form. The power of life is under the direction of Michael, who belongs to the sun, the power of form is under the direction of Samael, who belongs to the volcano, where all life will be transformed into living forms. The power of consciousness is under the direction of Anael, who embraces all that is there. So the top three are:

Unmanifested Deity
Father
[Consciousness]
Unmanifested
Creative Substance
Life
Son		 Manifested life
Akasha. Mahat
form

(Lit.: GA 89, p. 255)


Literature
References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated.
Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com.
Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books
A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works
Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English.
Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold
steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA)
Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF.
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