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

Ajanta Caves

Ajanta Caves - 30 Caves Where History Prevailed While Time Slept.

Image courtsey: indiaplaces.com

Not scarred by time.

Believed to be built between 2^nd century B.C. and 4^th Century A.D., Ajanta caves are located about 100 kilometers from Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state in India. The rich carvings, murals and sculptures of these caves offer real surprise to the visitors who flock to these caves in large numbers. Primarily built as a Buddhist monastery Ajanta is the premium tourist location in India not only for the rare sculptures it offers but also for the unique preservations of a culture that once prevailed. In a sense Ajanta caves preserved India’s history by placing it in its lap and protected it from predators of all hues for sixteen long centuries.

(By“predators” it is meant about the tribal-thugs from the neighboring Afghanistan and surrounding areas who come on horse-back with weapons and get engaged in loot and kill spree in which destroying the invaluable works of art was done just for pleasure. The precious materials generally stored in places of worship acted as a lure for these barbaric tribes. Gazni, Ghori etc were well known aggressors who routinely looted Indian temples and destroyed the sculptures by routine).

Captain John Smith finds his place in Indian history.

Image courtsey: apva.org

It seems strange that these wonderful caves were lying un-noticed for centuries surrounded by tall mountains, thick forests and a river that glides and occasionally jumps down through a series of water falls. The Ajanta caves were discovered by Capt. John Smith a British soldier who happened to be there on course of an expedition. Mr. John Smith was lucky enough to enter in to the pages of Indian history through the discovery of this treasure cove. That was in 1819 long, long after the disappearance of Buddhism from this part of the land, and India was being ruled by the “British East India Company”.

A Buddhist education center.

Image courtsey: indiaplaces.com

These caves altogether 30 in number are located in the shape of a horse-shoe and contain all the characteristics of Buddhist architecture. They were intended to be monastery and contain “Chaitya” (prayer-hall) and “Viharas” (residential facilities for monks). Cave numbers 9, 10, 19, 26, and 29 belongs to the “chaitya” prayer-hall sections and 1, 2, 16, and 17 are “vihara” or monasteries.

A work which took more than four centuries.

As the construction of these caves took four long centuries the change in the architecture style that occurred between these long periods is visible in the 1^st and 2^nd phases of construction. The first phase built in the Mahayana period of Buddhism is rich with flourishing works of art esp. interior paintings. The antechamber of the door-way is adorned with finely etched “Bodhi-Satvas” are known as “Padmapani” (bears flower in hands. Padma = lotus, pani = hand) and “Vajra-pani” (which bears diamond in hands vajra = diamond).

Buddha in all postures.

Image courtsey: arizonahandbook.com

The Mahayana phase is rich with religious imageries of supernatural beings where as the other phase the “Hinayana” is devoid of such beauties. Some characters and events of the “Jataka” tales appear on the walls of these caves. Buddha in most of the postures appears in these sculptures. Caves 9, 10, 12, and 15 come within the Hinayana phase.

A touch of surrealism.

Image courtsey: members.tripod.com

The sculptures and the murals well depict the way of life that existed in that time. Numerous sculptures of Yakshas, Kinnaras, Gandharvas, Apsaras (all mythological characters with supernatural powers believed to visit world from heaven and interacted with human beings) etc add some add some touch of surrealism to the entire atmosphere.

River Wagura knows more!

Want to know more about the life that existed in that bygone era ask it to the numerous water falls in the Wagura River that murmur while passing nearby the caves they could tell a thousand stories, no historians or archaeologists can.