In Thus Spake Zarathustra, early on in the piece, Nietzsche introduces the concept of the ‘Three Metamorphoses’.
“Three metamorphoses of the spirit do I designate to you: how the spirit becometh a camel, the camel a lion, and the lion at last a child.”
Thus Spake Zarathustra
The Three Metamorphoses outline the steps one must take to achieve spiritual actualization.
The Camel
The spiritual journey begins with the individual as a camel. The camel, a beast of burden, carries the load of the spirit, but more, bears the load of the knowledge borne down upon on by its predecessors. The camel bears its load without question, for it does not know how to question: indeed, the camel lacks the knowledge to question.
Much like the religious person who listens to a sermon and accepts the sermon as truth, so too the camel must accept and carry this knowledge for itself. Only when the camel bears its load off into the wilderness – for it is the nature of the camel to traverse the wilderness with its load – can the second metamorphosis take place.
The Lion
Here the individual questions the load he has borne. Here Nietsche likens this questioning of the status-quo to a struggle against a great dragon. The dragon – a metaphor for organized religion – says “THOU MUST!”. The spirit of the lion, however, says in response: “I WILL!”. This “I will” is not in acquiescence to the edict of the Dragon. No, rather, it is an affirmation of the will which resides in the heart of the lion. It is the “I will” of self-actualization, of self-knowledge. It is the “I will” of power.
The lion, having shrugged off the burden of conformity can now create its own values, its own morality, its own freedom. But the lion is not the final stage, for the lion, in all its freedom and power, is still susceptible to its own dogma. The lion is the revolutionary, sometimes violent, always radical. The lion serves its purpose, but the aggression is impossible to sustain.
The Child
For the cycle to be complete, a return to innocence is necessary. The lion must transform into a child in order to complete its spiritual journey. With the eyes of the child, old knowledge can be viewed with fresh eyes and an open heart.
And thus the cycle begins again.
