uring the Saturn evolution it was growing ripe for the reception of an
etheric body. For that purpose Saturn had eventually to pass into a
spiritual condition, and then to be reincarnated as the Sun. During the
Sun incarnation the physical body developed again to the stage it had
reached on Saturn as from a germ brought over and only then could it be
inter-penetrated by an etheric body. By means of this incorporation of an
etheric body, a change took place in the nature of the physical body; it
was raised to a second stage of perfection. A similar thing took place
during the Moon evolution. Man's ancestor, as he had developed himself
when passing from the Sun to the Moon, incorporated in himself the astral
body. As a result, the physical body was changed for the second time, and
thus raised to its third stage of perfection; at the same time the etheric
body was likewise changed, and passed to its second stage of perfection.
On the earth the ego was incorporated in man's ancestor, now composed of
the physical, etheric, and astral bodies. Thereby the physical body
reached its fourth stage of perfection, the etheric body its third, and
the astral body its second stage; the ego is only now at the first stage
of its existence.

If we give ourselves up to an unprejudiced examination of man's nature,
there will be no difficulty in acquiring a correct idea of these different
stages of perfection of his separate principles. For this purpose we have
merely to compare the physical with the astral body. It is true, the
astral body, as a psychic principle, stands on a higher level of evolution
than the physical body. And in future ages, when the former has been
perfected, it will be of very much more consequence to man's complete
being than the present physical body. Yet, in its own way, the latter has
reached a certain high degree of perfection. Consider the marvelous wisdom
with which the structure of the heart is planned, the amazing structure of
the brain--nay, even of part of a single bone, such as the upper end of the
thigh bone. In the end of this bone we find a net-work or scaffolding,
wonderfully constructed and composed of delicate spicules and lamellae. The
whole is so arranged that with the least expenditure of material the most
effective action on the joint-surfaces is obtained--hence the most
efficient distribution of friction and a proper freedom of movement. Thus
wise arrangements are found in the parts of the physical