Definitions and Concepts
Definitions and concepts concerning fundamental Essenic ideas and esoteric functions and philosophies.

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Age: an existence or cycle of indefinite period. 

Ahimsa, Sanskrit, the Hindu and Buddhist doctrine of refraining from harming any living thing.

Angels: The personification of the various vibrations and energies that naturally exist throughout the cosmos.

Arcane: known or knowable only to the initiate : secret <the arcane rites of a mystery sect>; broadly : Mysterious, Obscure.

Ascetic: practicing strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline. 2 : austere in appearance, manner, or attitude.

Atheism: The doctrine by which man can never know the nature of his ultimate reality.

Babylon, ancient city of Babylonia. A city devoted to materialism and sensual pleasure. 

Blessing: The manifestation or the realization of an auspicious event which was generated by a prior thought, word or deed.

Budda: Neither a god, a divine incarnation, or a prophet bearing a message of divine revelation, but a human being who by his own striving and intelligence has reached the highest spiritual attainment of which man is capable- perfect wisdom, full enlightenment and complete purification of mind. His function in relation to humanity is that of a teacher who, out of compassion, points out to others the way to Nirvana, the final release from suffering. His teaching, known as the Dhamma, offers a body of instructions explaining the true nature of existence and showing the path that leads to liberation. Free from all dogmas and inscrutable claims to authority, the Dhamma is founded solidly upon the bedrock of the Buddha's own clear comprehension of reality, and it leads the one who practices it to that same understanding--the knowledge which extricates the roots of suffering.

Christianity: The state religion of Rome. Developed by St. Paul and later adopted by Constantine. Usurps some of its teachings from Yeshua and the Nazarenes, but as a basis only.

Death: The inherent nature of any living being; the disassociation of a compound entity.

Delusion (see Ignorance) a belief in something that contradicts reality. The lack of awareness required to understand the true nature of existence. b: Consciousness attached to physical or material senses which results in decisions of error.

Desire: attachment to objects of pleasure. Non-attachment is freedom from longing for all objects of desire, either earthly or traditional, either here or hereafter.

Devout: 1 : devoted to religion or to religious duties or exercises 
2 : expressing devotion or piety <a devout attitude> 
3 : devoted to a spiritual pursuit, belief, or mode of behavior 

Dogma: a doctrine or body of doctrines concerning faith or morals formally stated and authoritatively proclaimed by a church b : something held as an established opinion; especially : a definite authoritative tenet c : a code of such tenets <pedagogical dogma> d : a point of view or tenet put forth as authoritative without adequate grounds. 

Esoteric a : designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone  b : of or relating to knowledge that is restricted to a small select group c : limited to a small circle <esoteric pursuits>

Exoteric a : suitable to be imparted to the public <the exoteric teachings> — compare ESOTERIC b : belonging to the outer or less initiate circle : relating to the outside :

Fallacy:  Deceitful, from fallere to deceive. 1 a: GUILE, TRICKERY b : deceptive appearance : DECEPTION 2 a : a false or mistaken idea <popular fallacies> b : erroneous character : ERRONEOUSNESS 3 : an often plausible argument using false or invalid inference.

Five Precepts: (1) not to take the life of any living thing, (2) not to produce falsehoods, (3) not to take what is not given (4) not to engage in immoral sexual conduct (5) not to partake of intoxicants.

GEHENNA: denotes extinction, everlasting death (not eternal life in death). 

Heaven: as used for the Pleroma, Fullness of God. 

Hell: the complete absence of God.

Heresy: from the Greek hairesis meaning choice. a : adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma. b : deviation from a mandated theory, opinion, or practice.

Human Being:  a question which is destined to return to its source as an answer.

Individual: the innermost Spirit which resides in every person or manifestation. 

Karma: the physical manifestation of the law of balance and harmony which binds you to anything that you accept until you understand it. 

Maya: (Sanskrit) The manifold phenomena of the sense-world which conceals the unity of absolute being; broadly: ILLUSION

Materialism The mode by which an individual denies himself the experiences of a spiritual path.

Memory: the holding on to that which has been known.

Mendicant: a Beggar. 2: often capitalized : a member of a religious order (as the Franciscans) combining monastic life and outside religious activity. Originally, the owning of nothing material, neither personal nor community property : FRIAR 

Miracle: An unseen event, described by someone to whom it was told, by someone who did not see it.

Nazarene: A sect of Essenes who lived west of Galilee near Mt. Carmel.

Nazareth: A city established by the Catholic Church in the late third Century. (was not in existence at the time of Jesus.)

Oblate: a layman living in a monastery under a modified rule.

Orthodox: a : conforming to established doctrine, especially in religion, as interpreted by authoritative law or code which dictates principles and regulations. 2 : capitalized : of, relating to, or constituting any of various conservative religious or political groups: 

Pantheism: A doctrine that equates God with the forces and laws of the universe. 2: the worship of all gods of different creeds, cults, or peoples indifferently; also: toleration of worship of all gods.

Personification: 1 : attribution of personal qualities; especially the representation or abstraction as a person or by the human form 
2 : a divinity or imaginary being representing a thing or abstraction. The giving to an inanimate object the attributes of a living rational being.

Proselytize 1 : to induce or influence someone to convert to one's faith 2 : to recruit someone to join a church, institution, or religion: to recruit or convert especially to a new faith, institution, or religion.

Sublime: Exalted in thought, expression, or manner : of outstanding spiritual, intellectual, or moral worth : tending to inspire awe usually because of elevated quality or transcendent excellence.

Taoism  «TOW ihz uhm or DOW ihz uhm», is a philosophy that began in China, probably during the 300's B.C.  The word tao (also spelled dao) originally meant road or The Way. The Tao, or Way, represents the characteristics or behavior that makes each thing in the universe what it is. The word is also used to mean reality as a whole, which consists of all the individual "ways."

The Four Sufferings: The four universal sufferings: birth, sickness, old age and death. (The Buddha's quest for enlightenment is said to have been motivated by the desire to find a solution to the four sufferings.)

The Way: The teaching of Yeshua and the Nazarene Essenes. Not a religion or belief system, but a Way of life or state of being. Its lessons are understood not through authoritative doctrine, but through experience.

The Three Poisons: Greed, anger and delusion. (Sometimes translated as avarice, anger and ignorance)

Usurp:  a: to seize or exercise authority or possession wrongfully or without legal claim. b : to take or make use of without right <usurped the rights to his life story> c : to seize and hold (as office, place, or powers) in possession by force or without right <usurp a throne>

Veil: The phenomena that obstructs the mind from the realization of truth. Usually created and enforced by thoughts and emotions such as anger, lust, ego and greed.

Yeshua: (Aramaic) Yeshua Ben Yosef; the actual name of Jesus the Nazarene.

Yin and Yang The ideal state of all things in the physical universe is the state of harmony represented by the balance of Yin and Yang.

Yoga: means union and the purpose is to teach the practitioner of Yoga, called the Yogi, how to achieve Union or Spiritual Absorption into the Supreme Absolute or God. Yoga teaches us that our true self is the soul and that our self identity is an illusion to be overcome. 

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And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 
~John 8:32

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