The Essenes = Part I

The Essenes

Jesus and Essenes image courtsey: essenespirit.com

The recent interest in this group, even though they existed a century or so before Christ, ignited, because of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the 1940's. These scrolls were found in a place, where there was known to be a strong presence of this group, and the scrolls, the work of these ascetics. They had copied the Old testament in its purest form and these documents are considered some of the most authentic copies of the same. There was also some of their own works, interpretations of the scriptures etc. They were known to be teachers and healers.

Even though they were a sect that originated from Judaisim some of their practices and way of life indicate that they had some form of contact or intimate knowledge of Jainism, Buddisim or Hinduism. The writing of historians like Pliney and Josephus have thrown more light into their life styles. The exercises that they mention, the essenes practiced, could have been Yoga. They were vegetarians. Does the fact that Kashmiri pundits consider fish vegetarian, ring a bell?

Essenes image courtsey: harmonikireland.com

Many of Christ’s teachings sound very similar to their teachings and the silence that he maintains about them, while being very critical about the other sects, Pharasies and Scribes have led people to theorise that Christ was an Essenes. Among the Gospels, gospel according to John stands out as one that is focussing more on the Spirit than any other. This is the gospel that says for the first time in the Bible that God is spirit. Some people say that he was an essene and so was John the Baptist. John is described in the Bible as the "Beloved Desciple" and maybe it is so because Jesus and John belonged to the same essenes brotherhood? Only Jesus can aswer these questions, in the mean time we humble mortals can presume, to be dissecting the infinite source of wisdom to circumscribe within the limited scope of our brains.

Essenes hypopapy image courtsey: essenes.net

It is not essential that that Jesus was an Essene, because his life and teachings were different in some salient aspects from that of the Essenes described by the aforesaid historians. Even if he was, he must have taken some of the good aspects of the Essenes teaching and given his own touch to it and that must have caught fire.

The Essenes were members of an ascetic Jewish sect of the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD. Most of them lived on the western shore of the Dead Sea. They are identified by many scholars with the Qumran community that wrote the documents popularly called the Dead Sea Scrolls. They numbered about 4,000 members. Admission required two to three years of preparation, and new candidates took an oath of piety, justice, and truthfulness.

Essenes image courtsey: thenazareneway.com

According to Philo of Alexandria and other writers of the 1st century AD,the Essenes shared their possessions, lived by agriculture and handicrafts, rejected slavery, and believed in the immortality of the soul. Their meals were solemn community affairs. The main group of Essenes opposed marriage. They had regular prayer and study sessions, especially on the Sabbath. Transgressors were excluded from the sect.

The similarity between a number of Essene and Christian concepts and practices (kingdom of God, baptism, sacred meals, the position of a central teacher, titles of officeholders, and community organization) has led some people to assume that there was a close kinship between the Essenes and the groups around John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. It is possible that after the dissolution of the Essene community some members followed John the Baptist or joined one of the early Christian communities, but any other direct connection seems unlikely.

Related Reading

• Historical Facts on Essene Culture

Comparison of Hindu and Greek Mythologies

Of Gods and Men

Greek Gods Image Courtesy : umich.edu

Mythology is the oral retelling of stories or myths of a particular group of people or culture that lived long ago. They provide us an idea about the values, culture and intellectual development of the people of those cultures and civilizations. Two of the most vibrant, advanced and complex mythologies are that of the ancient Greeks and the Hindus (Indian). Their religions were correspondingly called Hellenism and Hinduism. These two religions and cultures existed in different parts of the world and were separated by great distances. But there are some amazing similarities between their fables and myths and this post is aimed at highlighting a few of them. Readers are welcome to contribute their ideas as well.

Zeus and Indra

In Hindu mythology the Kashyapa fathered the Devas (Gods). Bear in mind that these gods does not include the triumvirate Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva who are considered superior to the Devas. The ruler of the Devas was Indra.

Indra Image Courtesy : jnanam.net

In Greek mythology the Gods were fathered by Cronus. Zeus is the ruler of Gods just as Indra is his counterpart in Hindu Mythology. Indra and the other gods reside atop Mount Kailash while Zeus and the other Greek Gods reside on top of Mount Olympus. Indra represents Thursday in the days of the week. So does Zeus. Zeus is the God of thunder and lightning. So is Indra.

Good and Evil

The Gods of Mount Olympus represents good while their antitheses are the Titans represent evil. In the same way we have the Asuras as the chief tomentors of the Devas. The interesting fact in both these mythologies is that both good and evil are fathered by one and the same being. While the Gods and the Titans were fathered by Cronus, the Devas and the Asuras were fathered by Kashyap. There is a constant struggle between the forces of Good and Evil in both mythologies. Throughout the mythologies we can see the Gods tricking their antithesis during instances when they require the Titan’s or the Asura’s help.

Devas battling the Asuras Image Courtesy : harekrsna.com

Gods, Men and Evil

While men have always worshipped and showed unfaltering devotion towards the Gods, the Gods on their part have not been as benevolent as they might lead us to believe. In fact the Gods’ attitude towards men has been quite curious to say the least, almost bordering on tyrannical. They punish them for the slightest of disrespect, putting inexplicable curses on them and even raping or seducing their women. It is ironic that the Titans and the Asuras are considered to be evil when they have done more good to men than the Gods and Devas in certain instances. Their behavior and attitude towards men is exemplified by two incidents in the mythology.

In Greek mythology there is the story of Prometheus who stole fire from the Gods and gave it to men. Men after receiving fire began to be developed and more enlightened. Zeus was so enraged by this that he punished Prometheus to be chained to a Mount Caucasus. Each day an Eagle would come and peck out his liver, which would be regenerated in the night. This cycle continued until Hercules (son of Zeus. Also known as Herakles) killed the eagle and freed Prometheus.

Prometheus giving fire to man Image Courtesy : wikipedia.org

Similarly in Hindu Mythology there is the story of the benevolent Asura king of Kerala called Mahabali. During his reign the kingdom prospered unlike in any other. There was equality and happiness among all. There was neither deceit nor corruption. Indra and the other Devas were jealous and afraid of Mahabali’s popularity and conspired with Lord Vishnu to end his reign. Vishnu came to earth as Vamana (one of his 10 incarnations) and tricked Mahabali into the depths of the underworld, but not before granting the asura king one last wish; that to visit his subjects once a year. Even today people of Kerala celebrate his day of return as the famous Onam festival.

Prophesies and their impact

Prophesies have a major role to play in these mythologies. One of the most recurring themes in these myths is that of a main character trying to avert a particular prophecy but in turn succumbing to his destiny. In both mythologies we can see this theme recurring again and again.

One such instance in the Greek mythology is that of Cronus who becomes aware of a prophecy that he will be overthrown by one of his children. In order to avert this fate Cronus begins to swallow each one of his children as soon as they are born. When the sixth child Zeus is born, Rhea (Cronus’ wife) devises a plan to save him with the help of Cronus’ mother Gaia. Rhea secretly gives birth to Zeus and arranges for him to be brought up in exile. Later a grown up Zeus comes back to free his siblings and forces Cronus to flee.

Rhea giving a childto Cronus Image Courtesy : timelessmyths.com

Similarly in Hindu mythology King Kansa is foretold that the eight son of his sister Devaki would kill him. To avert this, Kansa imprisons both Devaki and her husband Vasudeva and allows them to live on the condition that they hand over all their newborns to him. Devaki’s eighth son was Krishna (a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu) and as Kansa had killed all their previous children, they arranged for the child to be brought up in exile and presented another newborn to Kansa in his place. A grown up Krishna later returned to avenge the death of his brothers and killed Kansa.

There are many other similarities between the various mythologies in the world. It is not possible to cover all of them under the realms of a single post. But it is infinitely fascinating to learn more and more about them as they shows us how similar we all are, even though we have different cultures and are from different civilizations. Maybe we are the same no matter which part of the world we really are from.

That divisive thing called Religion

That divisive thing called Religion

The word religion evokes different emotions in different human beings. For some it brings to mind the images of worship and devotion. For some it is all about unwavering faith in the almighty. For some it is a part of their identity. Unfortunately there also those for whom it is a reason for terror.

All major religions in the world propagate the message of love and fellowship towards others. They teach us and define the moral boundaries of what is right and wrong. They inculcates in us the dire fate that will befall us if we were to stray from the right path. Mostly their canons follow a carrot and stick approach where good deeds are rewarded and evil ones punished. Some believe this judgment is given in the after life while others believe that it is given out during their lifetime hear on earth. Some religions provide an opportunity to make penance and start again with a fresh slate. The bottom line to all this comes down to a single thing – belief! And beliefs vary from person to person and from religion to religion. Some of these beliefs and customs have been in existence for centuries. What we need to realize is that the existence of all religions depends on the people’s beliefs.

The modern religions have shown adaptability in embracing the ways of the old by keeping some of the old pagan customs from which they were trying to convert people. For example during catholic marriage ceremonies in most parts of South India we have the custom of the groom tying a thali/minnu (a kind of locket) around the neck of the bride. This is a custom that is being followed in Hindu marriages even today. The point I am trying to put across here is that even though we feel that all religions are rigid in their interpretation of canons, they have been dynamic and ever changing according to the time and the social environment.

I would like to quote the immortal lines by the Malayalam poet Vyalar Rama Varma

manushyan mathangale srishtichu
mathangal daivangale srishtichu
manushyarum mathangalum daivangalum koodi
mannu pankuvachu... avar manassu panku vachu

Translated it would mean

Man created religion
Religion created Gods
Men, Religion and Gods divided earth
They divided hearts.

Is there a more universal truth than that? Even if I believe that God exists and that everything was created by him it is tough to believe that he created the plethora of religions that exists in the world. What we need to realize is that religions were created for our convenience by us. Please don’t think that I am an atheist because I do believe that there is an almighty some where that takes care of me. This is more comforting than believing that I am on my own facing all that life throws at me. Men are inherently weak beings and they need hope and faith at times when darkness engulfs them. But do we really need the structures, the rules and the divisions that religions inherently bring in. Do we really need religion to do good for others? From time immemorial to the present day there has been nothing but bloodshed in the name of religion. Don’t you think we have got it wrong somewhere?

The day people start questioning the canons of a religion it stops to exist. The problem is that nobody does this and they start questioning the existence of God if at all they do question something. The problem is not because people believe in God, divisions occur because people believe that their way of worshiping God is the correct one. Maybe someday we will have a world without the boundaries of religion.

Mata Amritananda Mayi - Kerala’s Own Saint

Mata Amritananda Mayi - Kerala’s Own Saint

Image courtsey: hinduonnet.com

Who is the most respected person of Kerala origin? The answer is simple, even a five year old child will tell “Mata Amritananda mayi of Amritapuri”. That much is the popularity of this saint lady, she has gained disciples throughout the world. The cultural, educational and spiritual contributions, she has brought to Kerala is unparalleled. This article is an attempt to unravel the enigma that is Amritananda mayi.

She was born in 1953 at Parayakadavu village in Kollam district. Her father was Sri. Sugunandan and mother Smt.Damayanthi Sugunandan. The couple had nine children of which two died young. Of the rest four were girls and three boys. Her child hood name was Sudhamony. She was a very reserved and introvert girl. Sudhamony had to stop her formal education at primary level itself due to the financial problems of her family.

Sudhamony did not get enough love from her parents and she had a very unhappy child hood. The little girl even had to play the role of domestic servant in her relative’s houses. From the very childhood when haunted by the stresses and strains of day to day life, Sudhamony depended heavily on her trust in god. Her favorite deity was Lord Sri. Krishna.

The deep religious belief was inculcated in to the child by her grand mother Smt.Madhavi. Sudhamony’s grand father Sri. Velayudhan was a pious old man of great knowledge. The strong belief in her deity developed a sort of empathy within her soul- A state where the devotee and the deity become one and the same. This phenomenon is nothing new to Hinduism.

The little girl used to sing hymns of her deity while doing house hold chores and in all activities she was engaged. While alone, she spontaneously lost herself in to a devotional dance in which she played the role of gopika (the playmate of Lord Sri. Krishna).

Most often she lost herself in meditation. As breathing came almost to a stand still during the time of meditation, her family members got frightened. The girl would either be singing hymns of god or dancing all by herself in a closed room,

These uncommon behaviors caused humiliation to her family before the neighbors. The whole family became a laughing stock and she was several times punished by her mother and elder brother for these. The rural set up of that remote village could hardly tolerate uncustomary behaviors from a girl.

One day while she was carrying cut grass bundle to feed the cattle, she heard hymns praising Sri. Krishna sung by a group of people. She could hardly resist her inner urge, placing the luggage on the road side and ran in to the middle of the group and broke out in to dance in a deep trance. This incidence attracted devotion as well as criticisms from the spectators,

However there were people in the locality who realized that there is something extra ordinary with this girl. They approached her seeking solace. There after small assemblies under her leadership were held in the shade of a nearby banyan tree. There she talked about the spiritual experiences she had felt all through her life. Her simplicity and strong devotion pulled large crowd towards her.

Image courtsey: amritamedia.org

Many of the devotees strongly vouch either about many miracles she has committed or the miracles occurred in answer to their prayers towards her. People even from out side the state started to pour in. Devotees from Tamilnadu out of their extreme devotion found the deity of Mathura Meenakshi Temple in her and insisted her to wear a crown that was offered. She had to oblige as the devotees stayed in pleading her even discarding food and water. There after she started to wear the crown during her spiritual sessions at the ashram.

The ashram of Amritananda mayi is in Vallikkavu about six kilometers south west of Oachira temple. Oachira comes at the southern tip of Alappuzha district. Visitors can alight at Vallikkavu bus stop and proceed to the ashram by foot. The distance is just one kilometer. There is the Kayamkulam Lake that has to be crossed; boats are available in plenty for transporting devotees.

By crossing the lake visitors reach the Parayakadavu village which is rectangle shaped island sandwiched between sea and lake, where poor fisher folks live a contended life in humble surroundings.

The present ashram is a well built one and it excels in aesthetics. Management of the ashram is efficient and atmosphere is conductive to fill any body’s mind with devotion.

There are no servants in the Ashram, sanyasis known as brahmacharis (those who practice celibacy) of different nationalities, who perform all sorts of services. There are very learned and persons among persons among them, who occupied high positions out side the boundaries of the Ashram.

The registration of the Ashram (Mata Amritanandamayi Math) was done on 6th May 1981.It was then former Sudhamony accepted the name “Amritanandamayi” as per the wish of her disciples. It was Sri Unnikrishnan a brahmachari who coined the name.

In the beginning there was not even a cent of land to set the Ashram. Money was also scarce. The mother and disciples had toiled a lot to get it established. Between 1975to 1985 the fame of the Ashram spread far and wide and the number of disciples (Brahmacharis) rose to about forty. It all began from the ten cents of land that was donated by her father. The land was nothing else but where her ancestral home (Edamannel) was situated. The family shifted to the nearby place leaving the land to the Ashram.

For the purpose of spreading the spread the message of the beloved mother (as Amritanandamayi was popularly called), a monthly publication by name Amritavahini was started in 1984. This was edited and published by Sri. N.M.Chandrasekhara Varier, later the publication was renamed as “Mathruvani”. Now Mathruvani is doing the job of spreading mother’s messages to people through out the world.

Gradually a full fledged ashram was taking place in that remote island. A library of spiritual books and a school for teaching the Vedas (Veda vidyalaya) also started in the Ashram compound. The books required for the library and Veda vidyalaya were all given as gift by the devotees, all over the world.

Amritanandamayi (better known as the mother of vallikkavu, or Amma in Malayalam) has strong ideas about the mission of her life. Sanyas as per her is not an excuse to lead and idle life. Even though a loving mother to the disciples she is a tough task master also.

There is at present an army of brahmacharis in the ashram, who have to lead a very hard life. The physical pleasures are strictly forbidden. Food almost eaten raw and no taste makers allowed. Her motherly love enables them to withstand any hardships in the process of over coming worldly passions. Finally they get well groomed to carry out her mission of transforming the world as per the vision of the divine mother.

Amritanada mission is one of the foremost in carrying out humanitarian, cultural, and educational activities throughout the world. The relief works under taken by it during last year when the tsunami struck coastal India was commendable.

When the government machinery was bungling with its vast resources of officials, the team led by the mother was immediately on the beaches and direct action was let loose. No resource that could be utilized was spared. The mother herself was in the fore front as a king who leads his army from the front.

Soon after the relief work, in the process of rehabilitation Amritananda mission was the first to complete the entire housing complexes for the refugees in record time. Not just in Kerala but in the eastern coast as well.

Devotees throughout the world sent money and relief materials to the ashram as a mark of solidarity. The well oiled machinery led by the hard trained and devoted brahmacharis of the ashram were set in a fire fighting mode they gained maximum outturn from each rupee spent or each material used.

When typhoon Katrina struck the coastal America; there also Amritananda mission was in the forefront in fighting the un preceded disaster. After all “Mother” belongs to the universe, America and India makes no difference for a universal phenomenon.

In the field of education and health the contribution of the ashram is tremendous. The Amrita institute of Medical Science at Ernakulam is a towering testimony to the fact that how much determination and devotion of even a poor village girl can achieve. AIMS (Amrita Institute of Medical Science) Is one of the leading institute of medical science in India, which is a deemed university and is engaged in serious research and affordable treatment to people all over India and abroad.

A girl who could hardly complete her primary education is the “boss” of several institutions those impart hi tech education. Amrita Institute of Engineering Technology, Ayurveda College, etc. are just a few among them. These institutions are not just commercial establishments; they are engaged in education that is in tune with the high standards set by the ancient “gurukula” traditions of India.

Devotees vouch her amma commits a lot of miracles. They state that when they pray to their beloved amma the prayers get addressed. As they are simple plain people they must not be lying, their statements must be from their in bourn experiences.

But no one can deny the wonders those are towering in front of their eyes with numerous names starting from “Amrita”. Institutes of healthcare and education those impart purest form of teaching with world class faculties. Most of the faculties of the Institutions and the expert doctors of Amrita hospitals are pure volunteers. They serve the patients or teach the students only as a service to the humanity and not for remuneration.

A primary school drop out, a village girl belonging to a community of fishermen, brought up in extreme poverty achieved all these! If these are not miracles, what the word miracle mean? As the old prayer goes “Mrityorma “Amritam” gamaya,

Thamasoma jyothir gamaya.
Let eternity prevail, let death perish,
Let light prevail, let darkness perish.