The Sevenfold Peace E-Book

Jörg Berchem

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 121

Beschreibung

How can one find inner and outer peace in a world without peace? This book presents seven peace meditations based on the writings of the Essenes, as found in the Essene Gospel of Peace. The author also provides insight into the worldview of the Essenes, their teachings, and spiritual practices.

Leseprobe

May the Sevenfold Peace Of the Heavenly Father Be with you always.

for Sabine

CONTENT

Preface

Introduction

PART I THE TEACHINGS OF THE ESSENES

1. Peace

2. Love

3. Who is Happy

4. The Sevenfold Peace

4.1. Relationship to the Realm of Mother Earth

4.2. Relationship to the Consciousness

4.3. Relationship to the Body

4.4. Relationship to Humankind

4.5. Relationship to All Cultures

4.6. Relationship to the Family

4.7. Relationship to the Realm of the Heavenly Father

PART II THE PEACE CONTEMPLATIONS IN DETAIL

5. Parameters

5.1. Implementation

5.2. Days of the Week an Temporal Assignment

5.3. Connection to the Chakras

6. The Contemplation Process

6.1. The Ringing-In

6.2. The Sevenfold Vow

6.3. The Blessing

6.4. The Peace Declaration

6.5. The Internalization

6.6. The Mantra

6.7. The ॐ Tone

7. The Peace Contemplations at Noon

7.1. Peace with the Realm of Mother Earth (Sunday)

7.2. Peace with the Consciousness (Monday)

7.3. Peace with the Body (Tuesday)

7.4. Peace with Humankind (Wednesday)

7.5. Peace with All Cultures (Thursday)

7.6. Peace with the Family (Friday)

7.7. Peace with the Realm of the Heavenly Father (Saturday)

APPENDIX

Blessing

Prayers of the Son of Man

Grace Before Meals

Credo of the International Biogenic Society

The Joyful-Life Community

Further Reading

Bibliography

I want to speak to you about Peace.

Peace is what the world longs for the most.

It is the absence of Peace that brings empires into the most trouble, even when they are not at war. For violence and the art of war can rule in an empire even when the sound of clashing swords is not heard. Even if there are no armies marching against each other, there is still no Peace if the sons of men do not walk with the angels of God. Truly I tell you, there are many who do not know Peace; for they are at war with their own body; they are at war with their own thoughts; they have no Peace with their fathers and mothers, nor with their children; they have no Peace with their friends and neighbours; they do not know the beauty of the Holy Scriptures; they do not work during the day in the realm of their Earthly Mother; and they do not sleep at night in the arms of the Heavenly Father.

Peace does not reign in them, for they always thirst for what ultimately only brings misery and pain; even the traps of wealth and fame seduce them, and they live in ignorance of the Law, even the Holy Law, by which they live.

The Gospel of Love and Peace

PREFACE

In the book “Meditations of the Children of Light,” we have described the morning and evening meditations of the Essenes. In this volume, the spiritual daily routine is completed by focusing on the midday contemplations. These are all dedicated to Peace - the individual Peace of each person with themselves and the world around them. The core of these contemplations is seven relationships, which are brought into harmony and Peace through contemplation, i.e., a short, focused meditation dedicated to a specific theme.

In the writings handed down by Edmond Bordeaux Székely, this is referred to as the Sevenfold Peace. Together with the morning and evening meditations, one can engage with the forces and relationships that determine or should determine our lives in a spiritually relaxed manner with just a few minutes each day. In doing so, one essentially creates a daily consecration for oneself, giving Life meaning, significance, and support.

It is not necessary, but highly recommended, to familiarize oneself with the writings translated by Edmond Bordeaux Székely (“The Essene Gospel of Love and Peace”), if this has not already been done. However, this is not necessary for the contemplations described in this book, as they speak for themselves.

When Edmond Bordeaux Székely published his books on the ancient writings he had found, the texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls were still unknown. In the decades following the publication of his “Essene Gospel of Peace,” much was written and speculated about “the Essenes” and the texts of Qumran. However, while these publications refer to the Essenes of Qumran, a fairly dogmatic and ascetic community, the texts of Edmond Bordeaux Székely refer to other communities. The name similarity, confusion, and longing for mysterious revealing texts have led to a real popularity of Essene myths, resulting in a chaos of mainly speculative assessments and esoteric fan communities. Some of these communities attempt to resolve the ignorance and confusion by employing “spiritual mediums” who supposedly establish direct contact with “the Essenes" or their memories through a process called “channeling,” attempting to fill the knowledge gaps. The result is usually a mix of utopian yearning fantasies of a perfect society.

We strictly adhere to the texts of Edmond Bordeaux Székely in all our publications and exclusively refer to them, as the International Biogenic Society founded by him has always done and the Joyful-Life Community, which sees itself as a successor organization, continues to do.

Again: Székely's books do not refer to the Essenes who lived on the shores of the Dead Sea. The term “Essenes” has been and is used for many different spiritual communities in the Middle East dedicated to a spiritual Life and the coming of the Messiah.

When Edmond Bordeaux Székely, one of the first modern authors to use this term, spoke of “Essenes,” he referred to two specific communities: one in Egypt, the therapeutae, who lived in Alexandria on the Lake of Mareotis, and another that lived on Mount Carmel in the former kingdom of Israel (not Judah).

The therapeutae, the Essenes of the Lake of Mareotis, were known for their healing arts, and it is reported that it was to them that Mary and Joseph fled with the baby Jesus to escape the massacre of children and where Jesus was educated.

The Essenes of Mount Carmel were Nazarenes. They belonged to the “School of Prophets,” which called themselves Beni-Amen, meaning “Sons of God.” They did not live in celibacy, women were equal to men, and their social structure and way of Life differed significantly from the community in Qumran, also referred to as “Essenes.”

Among these Nazarenes on Mount Carmel, Yahuwshua-ha-Masshiach, Jesus the Messiah, appeared. It was the main branch of the Essenes in the “Holy Land,” whose elders and teachers lived close to nature in tents and caves, near Elijah's Cave, which is still found on Mount Carmel.

However, “the Essenes” as a specific community never existed, and almost nothing was known about the spiritual communities so named today when Székely wrote his books. The famous Dead Sea Scrolls, attributed to a group known as the Essenes and partially displayed in Israel, had not yet been found.

When Székely wrote his books, the confusion regarding the designation “Essenes” did not yet exist. Today, after numerous scholarly, esoteric, and speculative discussions, as well as the publication of the famous scrolls and their translation, the term “Essenes” is mainly associated with the community in Qumran. Therefore, it might be appropriate to avoid the term for our work and the books of Edmond Bordeaux Székely. But how to do this? And what alternative might be considered?

The Greek θεραπευτής [therapeutés], originally meaning “Worshipper of God,” might be the best choice. This term was used by Philo of Alexandria in the first half of the first century in his writing “De Vita contemplativa” ("On the Contemplative Life"). Philo praised the therapeutae for their healing art, thus creating the modern meaning of the term.

Indeed, it is difficult to avoid the term “Essenes”, especially since it has become ingrained in the readers of his books.

Regarding the original texts and whereabouts of the writings Székely claimed to have translated, we know almost nothing. Therefore, we cannot use any originals as a reference to check translations in cases of uncertainty. We rely solely on Székely's work. No specific text references are made in his interpretation and description of the Life of the Essenes. Thus, we cannot always be sure what is interpretation, what reflects his imagination regarding the texts, and what are historical facts.

Other sources are also of little help, as they mostly refer to completely different communities and text sources. Many ancient found scrolls consist more of gaps than readable text.

But is it significant whether we can trace the origins of Székely's texts? For historians, such facts may be important, and the lack of details of the original writings may unsettle them. For us, who see the spiritual beauty and deep meaning in Székely's work, such criticism is insignificant, even less so when considering his Life's work and dedication.

His writings and books can enrich our lives more than mere revelations. They reconnect us with who we truly are, especially regarding mysticism and connection with nature.

According to Edmond Bordeaux Székely, the Peace contemplations, like the communions with the angels (see my book “Meditations of the Children of Light”), were each performed on a specific day, thus daily on a specific theme in a rhythm of seven days.

The exact sequence is, of course, a pattern of social agreement and thus arbitrary. While a year, a month, and a day are astrological time units, a week has no reference to any natural phenomenon. Combining seven days into a week is a symbolic procedure that possibly originates in the very meditation and prayer practices we describe in our books about the Essenes.

As we do not live in the same cultural context, it is appropriate to detach the communions and contemplations from the original weekdays and to shift that of the original weekly holiday (Sabbath, i.e., Saturday) to our weekly holiday (i.e., Sunday). Of course, every user may find their own scheme; we propose one that connects all these practices with meaningful references to the weekdays. Thus, a holistic calendar is created, which we illustrate several times in the book.

May the seven Peace contemplations enable the reader to reflect on their relationships in the world and, through regular meditative moments, possibly in connection with the meditations of the Children of Light, serve spiritual experience and ultimately the Sevenfold Peace.

Dr. Jörg Berchem between Heaven and Earth October 2016 and June 2021

INTRODUCTION

Studying and practising the teachings of the Essenes means awakening in every person's heart an intuitive knowledge, an ancient, deep knowledge hidden within each individual and the world, capable of solving personal and global problems.

Elements of this ancient knowledge can be found in many old cultures and religious beliefs. However, the essence of this wisdom is most clearly articulated in the teachings of the Essenes, made accessible to us by Edmond Bordeaux Székely.

The Essenes lived on the shores of lakes and rivers, away from cities and towns, and practised a communal lifestyle where they shared everything equally. They were primarily farmers and arborists, with extensive knowledge of plants, soil, and climatic conditions, enabling them to grow a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in relatively desert-like areas. They had no servants or slaves and are believed to have been the first people to condemn slavery both in theory and practice. Likewise, they saw both wealth and poverty as deviations from the Law. Furthermore, they established their own economic system based entirely on the universal law, demonstrating that all human needs for food and material could be met peacefully through understanding the Law.

They spent much time studying ancient scriptures and specific branches of learning such as pedagogy, medicine, and astronomy. They were skilled in prophecy, preparing for it through long fasting. Not only that, but they were also adept at using plants and herbs for healing humans and animals.

Their Life was simple and regular, rising with the sun each day for study and communion with natural forces, bathing in cold water as a ritual, and donning white garments. After their daily work in the fields, they took their meals in silence, ending with a prayer. They were strictly vegetarian and abstained from meat and fermented beverages. Their evenings were devoted to study and communion with celestial forces.

Accounts of the Essenes' lifestyle come from writings of their contemporaries. Pliny, the Roman naturalist; Philo, the Alexandrian philosopher; Josephus, the Jewish historian and soldier; Solanius, and others spoke of them as "a race by themselves, more remarkable than any other in the world," "the oldest of the initiates, receiving their teachings from Central Asia," "a doctrine perpetuated through an immense space of ages," "constant and unchangeable holiness."

Their central world-view is known as the World Parents myth, unadulterated only in indigenous cultures. Mother Earth and Father Heaven are the central divine forces, with the Tree of Life sustaining the known and unknown earthly world. Cosmic forces (here: angels) maintain this world, which knows only existence and Peace when the harmony required by the one universal law is maintained and nurtured.

Early Christian ideas, John the Baptist, and Jesus Christ are prophets of this teaching, distinguishing it from contemporary surrounding religions and the resulting church missions. Then, as now, the Essene doctrine explains the world and the role of humans in it. It shows how human deviations from this cosmic order are the cause of all difficulties and provides solutions for individuals and humanity to escape their dilemma.

A central feature of the Essene view of humanity is the perception of an active physical body, an emotional body, and a spiritual body, forming a unity on Earth, which we call human. The Essenes referred to this as the Son of Man or Child of Humanity, metaphorically describing humans as children of Mother Earth and Father Heaven.

Their language is very picturesque and memorable, with enchanting beauty.

The practice of the Sevenfold Peace is a form of initiation and ritual repetition, serving to maintain cosmic order and inner Peace through nurturing relationships.

It can be performed daily with minimal effort as prayer, focused meditation, or contemplation.

Part I

The Teachings of the Essenes

1. Peace

How can there be Peace when everyone seeks their own advantage and sells their soul into slavery?

He who has found Peace with the brotherhood of man has made himself a coworker of God.

The Gospel of Love and Peace