“Spirit in the highest degree of development combines the male and the female aspect. There is no separateness. I have also mentioned this at the beginning of this lecture. That man and woman exist on earth as separate entities is, as you will readily understand now, a result of this splitting. Therefore, each being has its counterpart. Man’s urge to find the right partner is nothing else but the deep longing for reunion with the separated other part.

“Every being passes certain incarnations with his true double, or counterpart, because through the thus resulting happiness this entails, lies a duty to fulfill something. And certain other incarnations have to be gone through without this counterpart. In that, also lies fulfillment of a different sort. However, the latter does not mean necessarily to lead a life of celibacy. There may be other partners with whom not only great happiness can be built but with whom other duties may be fulfilled, karmas paid off, and so on. So if you pass an incarnation without your true double but have another partner with whom you have something to fulfill, do not think that your counterpart in the spirit world will be hurt or jealous because of the love you may give to your present partner. Oh no, things do not work out in this way in absolute reality. If you learn to give love, you come a step nearer to God, to your fulfillment, to your liberation, and thus also to your counterpart, no matter how you learn it. Sex — the urge for this kind of love — is, in short, the longing for union with your counterpart so as to become whole again. It only depends upon how you direct this force.” (PL #20)