108 @ The Secret Lge of Nature
consciousness, say occultists, there must exist around it a sheath of mat-
ter, however subtle, even but one atom thick.This leads to the forma-
tion of the causal body; and so a human soul is born. The monad, or
human entity, then descends to lower planes to unfold its divine po-
tentialities before working its way back---somewhat dazedly, perhaps-
up the ladder of existence.
According to the teachings of the occult doctrine the unfoldment
of the monads is one, if not the, reason why the manifested universe
comes into existence, each individual monad being considered a dif-
ferentiated aspect of the one reality,"fragrnents of the Divine Life, chil-
dren of the Most High." Hence they are called "sons," to show they
have the same status and nature as the Son or Cosmic Logos and that
there must exist "an intimate and exquisite" personal relationship be-
tween the Divine Parents and each individual soul.
Considered to be eternal, each monad is granted the potential ofbe-
coming a logos as the result of its unfoldment.This makes of the mon-
ads nlicrocosmic representations of a solar system with the same nature,
powers, and potentialities as the macrocosm or the Cosmic Logos.The
ultimate destiny of the monad is therefore to become a solar logos.
All the facts revealed in this occult doctrine point to the eternal
continuance of the monadic individuality with its uniqueness, the
whole of reality in its infinite depths or levels being' hidden in its
completeness and full splendor within each individual soul, each
monad receiving impressions from the divine mind according to the
development of its corresponding vehicle.
Basic to the occult doctrine is the subtle and essential concept that
monads must develop in freedom so that they learn to cooperate with
the &vine will not from outer compulsion but from inner choice, born
of experience and enlightenment. As Richard Leviton puts it in his bril-
liant analysis of the Steinerian philosophy, The Imagination of Pentecost:
"Spiritual beings must love; only humans can choose to."
To which Steiner adds his heartening dictum: "The more human
love there is on earth the more food there is for the gods in heaven; the
less love the more the gods go hungry."