Dictionary of all Scriptures & Myths

SOUL AND BODY

Symbolic of spirit and matter in relation to the Divine process of manifestation,--Involution and then Evolution.

"As it is said thus: Which is created before, the soul or the body? And Auharmazd said that the soul is created before, and the body after, for him who was created; it is given into the body that it may produce activity, and the body is created only for activity; hence the conclusion is this,-that the soul is created before, and the body after." - The Bundahis, XV. 4. S. B. of E.

The question resolves itself into :— Which is first of all brought into existence, the Involutionary or the Evolutionary process? And in answer, the voice of Eternal Truth affirms that the former must first go forth, in-asmuch as unless the organised World-soul were first produced to provide means of experience and expression for the spiritual egos, no evolution would be possible, no redemption or transmutation attainable. The Life of the World-soul is the means where-by the form is thrilled into activity. Hence it is,-that Spirit pre-exists, and Matter subsists.

See Also

AHURA-MAZDA
ARCHETYPAL MAN
CREATION
EVOLUTION
EXPERIENCE
FORMS
REDEMPTION
TRANSMUTATION
VESTURES