Our Divine Right

by

Austin Perris

Finding a spiritual practice that resonates with the seeker can be challenging. We must consult many different sources for answers. When we discover a practice that piques our curiosity, we delve deeper into its source. Using Jesus's life as a reference, we come upon two significant groups that reflect his beliefs, which happen to be Gnostics: the Essenes and the Cathars. 

The Essenes (the authors of The Dead Sea Scrolls) were Jewish people who practiced yoga and ate only a plant-based diet. They believed that women should be equal to men, that slavery should be forbidden, and that service to others should be encouraged. They also felt the physical world was the world of the devil and the spiritual world was the world of God.

Some aimed to be pure in mind, body, and spirit, even celibate. They refused warlike tendencies and worked to promote peace. They believed in being honest and trustworthy. They were also thought to have “secret knowledge” (Gnosis) that allowed them to heal the sick and demonstrate miraculous powers. Some had the gift of prophecy and could heal the mind and the soul. 

This brings us to Jesus. We can see the similarities. Jesus grew up in Northern Israel, where the Essenes had a strong influence. This area became known as Nazareth. 

Is this where Jesus received his earliest religious practices before leaving and traveling to the East? It's highly possible, but the Essenes are not mentioned in the Bible.

From other sources (Josephus or Philo), we know of three groups of Essenes: the Enochians, whose sacred text was The Book of Enoch, the Ossaens, and the Nazarenes. Jesus was sometimes referred to as “The Nazarene.”

Much later, after the Roman Empire exterminated the Essenes and crucified Jesus, the Cathars appeared in the 13th century. This pious group were Christians who incorporated Essene practices into their approach to worship. 

They strongly emphasized asceticism and self-discipline, practiced vegetarianism, and abstained from alcohol, tobacco, and sexual intercourse. They firmly believed in gender equality; many of their leaders were women. They also had a strong tradition of lay preachers; many leaders came from among ordinary people. 

By the Church’s own admission, the Cathars were devoutly religious and profoundly spiritual. So much so that the Church was threatened by them, claiming that their congregations would become confused by the teachings of the Cathars and stray from the Catholic way of worship. Also, the Cathars refused to pay the church taxes or worship in buildings. They told the Catholics they held services on hillsides…just like Jesus.

This did not set well with the Roman Catholic Church, which the Cathars believed was established by the devil, who twisted and distorted the teachings of Jesus. The Church eventually confirmed the Cathars’ claims. The Cathars, like the Essenes, were exterminated. 

It was called The Albigensian Crusade (1209-29), the most significant historical genocide against any Christian group, and it was sponsored by The Holy Mother, The Church, and executed by mercenaries. The Church’s holy order of warrior monks, the Knights Templar, refused to participate.

As we can see, the Essenes, Cathars, and Jesus had a few things in common: They didn’t fully believe in the established ways of worship. The Essenes and Jesus conflicted with the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the Cathars conflicted with the Holy Mother the Church.  

The Essenes, Cathars, and Jesus were renowned for their exceptional spirituality and extraordinary abilities. Despite this, they all met violent deaths. Some believe their understanding of their divine nature and connection to God's consciousness played a part. More significantly, all three possessed secret knowledge (Gnosis) that allowed them to transcend physical limitations and connect with the One True God within their spiritual selves.

Yoga means union, which is practiced to unite one's consciousness with God without the church's help. This was a problem for those who professed to be God’s representatives on earth. The people could not know of a practice that allowed them a direct line to their Creator. 

Science has proven that yoga stimulates changes within the physical self, transforming the practitioner's physiology and creating a chemistry that ignites a spiritual awakening. This allows the yogi to experience higher states of consciousness and extraordinary powers. 

This happens through the nervous system, referred to as the tree of life—the same tree the human race's creators strenuously worked to prevent them from accessing.

And the Lord God said, Look, the man has become like one of us, knowing good from evil; and now, what if he puts forth his hand, takes from the tree of life, and lives forever?

           Genesis 3:22

The Essenes, Cathars, and Jesus practiced yogic techniques, accessing a higher state of consciousness and oneness with God. Is yoga the secret practice we have all been searching for? Is this how we become true humans?

Jesus was sent as an example of what the rest of us should become. “Be Christ-like,” they say. Yet the spiritual practices that led to Jesus’ transformation are kept secret. We cannot become Christ-like without them. As we have learned from the Christian Cathars and the Jewish Essenes, yoga does not take away from your individual religion; in fact, it enhances it.

Reach out, take from the tree of life, claim your true divine nature, and become a true human.

 "SACRED TEACHINGS" video, click here. 

Also see "Spotlight," for Kriya Yoga Practices