AHMSTA KEBZEH: THE SCIENCE OF UNIVERSAL AWE
Volume I
MURAT YAGAN
Kebzeh Publications Vernon
Copyright © 2003, 2005 by Murat Yagan Published 2005 Paperback Edition Printed in Canada
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. Kebzeh Publications is committed to making available the teachings of Ahmsta Kebzeh to humans everywhere who wish to make this planet a peaceful, harmonious and loving place for all to live in abundance, in keeping with our human potential. The Kebzeh Foundation and the Kebzeh Foundation (U.S.) Inc. were created to promote and guide the study and application of the teachings of Ahmsta Kebzeh, the ancient spiritual tradition of the Caucasus Mountain peoples, in ways appropriate to our contemporary world. MURAT YAGAN is gratefully acknowledged as Elder and as point of contact with the teachings of Ahmsta Kebzeh. Kebzeh Foundation and Kebzeh Foundation (U.S.) Inc. www.kebzeh.org National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Yagan, Murat Ahmsta Kebzeh : The Science of Universal Awe / by Murat Yagan.
Includes index. ISBN 1-895841-01-1 (v. 1 : bound).—ISBN 1-895841-35-6 (v. 1 : pbk.)
1. Sufism. I. Title. BP189.Y33 2002
297.4
C2002-904337-9
Other publications authored or translated by Murat Yagan:
I Come From Behind Kaf Mountain The Abkhasian Book of Longevity and Well-being (out of print booklet) The Caucasian Book of Longevity and Well-being (out of print) Gaïbi – The Gathering The Mystical Poetry of a Sufi Master of Melâmet The Teachings of Kebzeh – Essentials of Sufism from the Caucasus Mountains I Wrapped Myself in Flesh and Bones and I Appeared as Yunus (Selected Poems of Yunus Emre) The Abkhazian Book of Longevity and Well-being (Revised Edition) Ahmsta Kebzeh: The Science of Universal Awe, Volume I (Limited First Edition)
Acknowledgements (from the Limited First Edition) The Kebzeh Foundation (U.S.) Inc. gratefully acknowledges the assistance, commitment and dedication received from the One Foundation, the Attar Supporting Organization and Marz Attar towards the publication of this book. The Foundation also recognizes, with appreciation, Loreena McKennitt’s donation towards the publication of this book. We also acknowledge, with thanks, the financial contributions received from Jane Lipman, Richard Madlener and Leslie Taylor. Our thanks are also extended to Patricia Johnston for her painting of the wounded lioness which appears on the front cover of the dust-jacket, and to Mary Anne Kingsmill for her illustrations and for her dust-jacket and cover design.
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For their contributions to the production of this book, the following are acknowledged: Editing and Production: Sharron Allen, Judy Chilton Text Layout and Design: Really Small Vernon Press, Vernon, BC Assistance with Index: Lisa Talesnick, Robert Wilson Proof-reading: Elizabeth Krahn, Joan McIntyre, Jerry Reitman, Sharon Rose, Robert Wilson, Wayne Wilson
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Humbly Presented to All Members of the Source and to All Lightholders of our Planet, and dedicated to All Seekers with a Spiritual Quest. M.Y.
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Review by Dr. Viacheslav Chirikba This new book by Murat Yagan presents an ancient tradition with roots hidden in the remote past of the world’s true and natural Museum of Mankind, the Caucasus — home of the Circassian peoples, including the author whose country of origin is Abkhazia. The tradition is Ahmsta Kebzeh, and now this ancient oral tradition is being brought forth from the ‘Museum’ and made widely available to our modern world. Speaking about the roots of Ahmsta Kebzeh, it is impossible to overestimate its one essential component: mysticism. The same mystical element is the quintessence of the traditional Abkhazian religion which is highly ‘esoteric’ by character, defined by Murat as “inwardly hidden, discernable by the initiate.” The Abkhazians believe in Antswa (in Murat’s writings, Antcheh), the “all-encompassing God, one and unique, and the cause and essence of every existing thing.” Instead of gathering at churches or temples, Abkhazians gather for worship at ‘the places’, usually beautiful locations on mountainsides or hilltops, as in the Celtic tradition of the Druids, who are none other than the oracles of the ancient tradition we are talking about. The Abkhazian religion teaches of the close but hidden interconnectedness among things, humans, nature and events. Linguists have discovered ancient genetic connections between the languages and traditions of Circassians with those of the ancient Hattians, predecessors and teachers of the Indo-European Hittites. Is it not deeply symbolic that it is through Murat Yagan, born in the Caucasus but raised in the Circassian tradition in Anatolia, homeland of the ancient Hattians, that the teaching of Ahmsta Kebzeh is returning to its homeland in the Causcasus, thus making the spiritual connection complete? Is it not also symbolic that the first President of Ahbkazia, Vladislav Ardzinba, is one of the world’s leading specialists in the ancient culture of the Hattians and Hittites? As a member of the last Soviet parliament, where he represented the rights of ethnic minorities, Ardzinba addressed the Soviets with the Hattic ritual phrase: Put a good stone at the foundation of the new building; do not put an evil stone at the foundation of the new building. And we cannot help but acknowledge the symbolism in the fact that during a recent difficult period in Ahbkazia’s history, President Ardzinba visited Ahbkazia’s chief pagan shrine of Dydrypsh-Nykha to communicate with the Eternal Energy of Creative Power, which we call God. This spiritual vi
connection between the past and the present gave him and his small but spiritually-driven people the moral strength and stamina to win the un-winnable war with Georgia in 1993. Murat’s initial spiritual upbringing in the Circassian tradition, followed by close encounters with Islam and Christianity, inevitably brought him back to his ancient ancestral teaching, the spiritual heritage accumulated and preserved throughout millennia by the peoples of the Circassian cultural tradition. This alchemy has found in Murat a perfect body, a perfect mind, and a perfect mouthpiece for the tradition of Ahmsta Kebzeh of which he is Master and Elder, although he regards himself only as a mediator, a channel, a codifier, of what comes through him and via him. Is this ancient tradition a religion? “No,” says Murat Yagan, “but religions can be made out of it.” Ahmsta Kebzeh is a mystical science dealing with the connections between the soul and the body, the eternal and something as short as human life, the divine and the human. Kebzeh teaches that the source of hope for humans on our planet does not lie in the instruments of science and technology, but in the mind of completed Human. This book will open hidden doors in our knowledge of the spiritual universe in which we abide, often without noticing its presence. There is an ever-growing interest in the teachings of Kebzeh from those who seek truth and are in search of answers. The world has become very small, and we witness the connection of people from different cultures, backgrounds and beliefs, united by the tradition of Ahmsta Kebzeh — this is globalization, the Kebzeh way. As Murat emphasizes, “... the ways and means of reaching it may be many, all leading to the same source. This source is the mind of the attained and completed Human; it does not matter through which discipline a particular Human has attained, provided that he is attained.” Written by a great thinker of our time, Ahmsta Kebzeh: The Science of Universal Awe brings us closer to the eternal mystery of humankind and the mystery of Spirit. Dr. Viacheslav Chirikba, Leiden University 2002
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Table of Contents Acknowledgements
iv
Dedication
v
Review by Dr. Viacheslav Chirikba
vi viii
Cover Image List of Illustrations
xi
Note by the Editor
xiii
Foreword
xv
Author’s Preface
xix
Map of the Caucasus
xxii
Introduction to Ahmsta Kebzeh
xxiii
PART ONE — PRESENTATION OF THE ESSENTIALS OF THE TEACHING 3
CHAPTER I
God and Its Creation and the Place of Human in It
CHAPTER II
Communication of Human with God
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CHAPTER III
The Nature of Human according to Ahmsta Kebzeh and Introduction to Inner Body Exercises
21
PART TWO — TRANSFORMATION OF HUMAN CHAPTER IV
Processing of Human
31
CHAPTER V
The Law of Cause-Effect and Effect-Cause
53
CHAPTER VI
The Phenomenon of Cumulative Effect
57
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Table of Contents (con’t) CHAPTER VII
Conscience The Art of Speaking to the Conscience – Prayer
61
CHAPTER VIII
Essence and Personality
71
CHAPTER IX
Preparation for Advanced Spiritual Exercises
79
CHAPTER X
Contentment (Kanaat in Sufi Expression)
99
CHAPTER XI
Sexual Energy and Community Where Sexual Energy Starts Building Up A Kebzeh Community
105
PART THREE — INNER BODY WORK CHAPTER XII
Summing Up – The General Picture
203
CHAPTER XIII
Breathing
215
CHAPTER XIV
Meditation
221
CHAPTER XV
Further on Meditation
243
CHAPTER XVI
Contemplation
269
CHAPTER XVII
Further on Contemplation Life in the Abode
297
CHAPTER XVIII While in the Abode
313
CHAPTER XIX
333
Will, Will of God, Will of Human The Completion and the Completing Phases of Evolution
GLOSSARY
341
INDEX
363
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Illustrations Figure 1
Sun Breath
23
Figure 2
Positions and Functions of the Nests
28
Figure 3
Chart of Transformation of Human* (Ascension in the Subtleties of Mind)
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Figure 4
Claiming your Birthright
52
Figure 5
Dance of Invocation
172
Figure 6
The Three Abdominal Diaphragms
219
Figure 7
Orbit in Applied Contemplation
309
Figure 8
The Nests
310
Figure 9
The Pineal and Pituitary Glands in the Brain
311
______ * Referred to in the text as Chart of Transformation xi
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Note by the Editor It has been both an honour and a challenge to work with Murat Yagan on this volume, and an experience for which I will ever be grateful. As the author says, he has attempted the impossible—putting into words (in a language that he learnt only in his forties) that which is inexpressible, ineffable. The tradition of Ahmsta Kebzeh was always taught orally and by example, never through the written word, with the emphasis on being it, rather than just knowing it. There are three points which I think would be useful to bring to the reader’s attention. First, the literary style in which the book is written is very much Murat Yagan’s own, including the deliberate use of repetition. According to the author, his repetitions should be considered like the chorus of a song. My goal has been to retain his rhythm and unique vibration. Second, the author has used the masculine pronoun throughout the book, with one or two exceptions. “He”, “his”, etc. should be understood to include both genders, as Mr. Yagan points out in his Introduction. Third, the word “human” is used by the author in place of the more usual “Man” or “mankind”. (See also Glossary definition.) The Glossary (on pages 341-62) will be an essential guide to readers as they progress through the book. Some words in the Glossary have a somewhat different, and deeper, meaning in Kebzeh language from the normal usage. I would highly recommend reading through the Glossary before beginning the book, as well as referring to it as often as possible while reading. Judy Chilton
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Forewor d It is probably true to say that most of the world has only heard of the Abkhazians because of the war that was waged on their territory between 14 August 1992 and 30 September 1993 as a result of a foolhardy military adventure undertaken by Eduard Shevardnadze, President of the Republic of Georgia. The Abkhazians won, and their land has remained de facto independent of Georgia ever since. Abkhazia nestles in a sub-tropical zone enclosed by the Black Sea and the main range of the mighty Caucasian mountains to the north-west of Georgia; the River Ingur demarcates their common border. The Abkhazians speak a language totally unrelated to Georgian or the other South Caucasian, or Kartvelian, tongues (namely, Mingrelian, Svan and Laz). Abkhaz belongs to the small North West Caucasian family, whose other two members are Circassian and Ubykh. Ubykh was historically spoken to the north-west of Abkhaz, just over the mountains, in settlements around what is today the Russian resort-city of Sochi. Covering a large area to the north of the Ubykhs and inland between the River Kuban and the north-west foothills of the Caucasus, lived the different Circassian tribes. A divergent dialect of Abkhaz, Abaza, is spoken by perhaps 35,000 people in the Teberda valley on the northern slopes of the Caucasus, their ancestors having moved there over the mountains from Abkhazia in the 14th Century. This distribution of peoples and languages can be assumed to have existed since well before the dawn of recorded history, for neither historical sources nor the archaeological record speak otherwise. This centuries-old equilibrium was fated to change from the moment that imperial Russia set its sights on gaining control of what many have styled the natural fortress of the Caucasus mountains. In 1864 the Great Caucasian War, that had lasted for most of the 19th Century, came to an end. Rather than submit to Russian domination that would see the mountain settlements emptied and their populations resettled on the plains, from where they could cause their new masters few problems, most Abkhazians, most Circassians and all the Ubykhs preferrred to take their chances in Ottoman lands. Ottoman influence along this coast had from the 16th Century introduced a veneer of Islam amongst many of the locals. Thus was born the little-known Caucasian diaspora, as a result of which villages peopled by North West Caucasian exiles could, until recent upheavals in Yugoslavia, be found all the way xv
from the Balkans through what is today Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Israel. In fact, the bulk of Circassians and Abkhazians today are to be found not in the Caucasus but in Turkey. Migrations from the Caucasus (including from regions other than the North West) continued until the Soviet regime was established in the area, halting such opportunities to leave. Today there are not more than 150,000 Abkhaz-Abazas in Abkhazia and the former Soviet Union in general, whilst in Turkey anecdotal evidence suggests a population of half a million. The author of the present book, though born in the Caucasus in 1915, was taken to Turkey in 1917 by his grandfather, who, being a man of some standing, led 15,000 of his fellow-countrymen to a new life over the sea. Despite being reared in a foreign land, he was educated according to the ancient traditions of his people, and it is this body of inherited wisdom and custom rather than allegiance to any formal religion that infuses and defines Abkhazian culture to this day, summed up in the native term Apswara, which may be translated as ‘the sense of what it means to be an Abkhazian; Abkhazianness’. The Abkhaz equivalent of ‘customary law; adat’ is Akyabz, or in phonetic transcription for this phonetically challenging language, [Ak jabz ], whilst ‘behaviour; way of behaving’ the Abkhazians render as Alayshwa, phonetically [alejshwa ]. It is everything subsumed under these twin concepts that Murat Yagan has been teaching to a group of students since 1975 in Canada, where he eventually settled in 1963, and which this book makes available to all interested in understanding more of the Abkhazian philosophy of life. The group founded in 1992 a non-profit-making organization, The Kebzeh Foundation, to preserve this oral transmitted code for living. Since the author’s forebears belonged to the higher strata of Abkhazian society, and as the Abkhaz word for one type of nobleman is [aamysta] or [ahmysta], the code for that particular stratum is designated [aamysta /ahmysta kiabz ], or Ahmsta Kebzeh in the rendering adopted by the author. Westerners who managed to visit, and spend time with, the North West Caucasian peoples before the fateful year of 1864 often spoke of the harmony in which they lived with their natural surroundings. This was based on an understanding of their environment, which those who moved in to their vacated hamlets did not possess, as a consequence of which what had once been fertile gardens or farmsteads soon became desolated. After the migrations, or Great Exile as it has come to be known, the elders of one of the tribes, the Uybkhs, decided that their language was of no use to their children in the new territories, and so they stopped teaching it to them. The inevitable finally happened in the autumn of 1992 when the last fully competent speaker, Tevfik Esenc, died at the age of 87. Though back in the Caucasus Abkhaz, Åbaza, West Circassian and East Circassian all have literary status, the weak demographic position of xvi
the Abkhazians in Abkhazia and of the Abazas and the West Circassians in their North Caucasian administrative territories and the greater fluency of many in Russian mean that the long-term future of these peoples and their cultures can hardly be deemed to be secure—the position of the East Circassian dialect, Kabardian, is somewhat brighter. Amongst the diaspora communities, only in Jordan and the two villages in Israel where (Shapsugh) Circassians live is the language taught to any extent. One might reasonably conclude that by the end of the present century Ubykh will not be the only North West Caucasian variety of speech to have ceased to exist. The 1992-93 Georgian-Abkhazian war brought home to the Abkhazians an acute awareness of the precarious state of their language and culture—they were, of course, fighting for the right to control their own destiny, which in part meant the right to safeguard their language and culture from the threat of suppression. Those wishing to understand more about this unique part of the world and about a way of life that is in danger of disappearing should be well served by the present volume. Note: Some commentators use the term ‘Cherkess’ as a synonym for ‘Circassian’. And in Turkey ‘Cherkess’ is used not just as a cover term for the various North West Caucasians but for North Caucasians in general, even including the non-indigenous, Turkic-speaking peoples, such as the Karachays and Balkars. Murat Yagan sometimes uses ‘Circassian’ in such non-specific ways, though at other times he employs it in specific reference to the Circassians as described above. Also, whilst some philologists have sought to locate the original Indo-European homeland somewhere in the vicinity of the Caucasus, even they would not (necessarily) take the further step of seeking a genetic relationship between Indo-European speakers and Caucasians in the sense perhaps implicit in the now widespread anthropological usage of ‘Caucasian’ to refer to the world’s white races. George Hewitt (Professor of Caucasian Languages, SOAS, London University) 2002
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Author’s Preface In a little booklet written in October 1992, entitled Introduction to Ahmsta Kebzeh, I wrote, on page 4, paragraph 2, “To cover the whole teaching [of Ahmsta Kebzeh] many, many books, in various sizes have to follow to complete the intellectual part of its teaching only.” This is one of those books. Since that little booklet is only some eight pages long, I chose to insert it altogether here, as an introduction to this book. I further decided that this same introduction should be inserted at the beginning of every book which will come to publication as a practical aid to the reader to determine the ground on which he is standing. We are currently encountering a growing interest in the Kebzeh teaching from the seeking public, and the question most frequently asked during seminars and gatherings is about the origin or source of Ahmsta Kebzeh. I believe it is appropriate to try to explain this aspect in as effable a way as possible. The source of Ahmsta Kebzeh can be discovered and grasped only by a human being who is developed and attained in the tradition as a result of many generations of psychic growth, to the extent of making his contact to become one with Cosmic Mind, the ultimate reach of mental evolution of Homo Sapiens. In other words, the source of Ahmsta Kebzeh cannot be told, but can be found by each seeker as he grows to the level of completed Man in the teaching and practice of Ahmsta Kebzeh or any valid spiritual discipline to which he can open and dedicate himself and whereby he attains omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence. Hence the reality of there being only one truth, although the ways and means of reaching it may be many, all leading to the same source. This source is the mind of the attained and completed Human; it does not matter through which discipline a particular Human has attained, provided that he is attained. In a nutshell, Ahmsta Kebzeh is the spiritual discipline which processes and produces the attained or completed Human. It was applied in various forms, as it ramified in the course of time throughout the world, provided that it kept its original accuracy, truth and effectiveness without being adulterated by alien ingredients, and can still be, provided such conditions exist. The starting point, the origins of Ahmsta Kebzeh, can be traced through a series of corroborative events in the Caucasus Mountains as follows: xix
1. Recent advances in archaeology, anthropology, and geology point to the likelihood that roughly fifty to sixty thousand years ago a major global transformation took place. This would be what is known traditionally as the Flood of Noah. 2. More and more archaeologists and explorers are uncovering new support for the belief that the Ark of Noah landed on Mount Ararat, a comparatively bleak land in the vicinity of the Caucasus mountains, which overlook it from a great height. 3. In the old epics—the legends of Narts of the Caucasus Mountains— there are songs depicting the Flood of Noah that are still sung today. 4. The Caucasus, taken altogether, with its mountain ranges, valleys, rivers and climate varying from tropical to high mountain glacial, is the closest on our globe to an optimal area for survival of the human race. The restoration of the planet after the flood, and mankind with it, took place in that region. As a result, subsequent evolutionary development in its material and mental aspects happened there and spread outwards from there. It was the womb of gestation and birth of the phenomenon of being One, not necessarily the only such womb, but the one known to me. The same or similar teaching can be found in every spiritual tradition throughout the Earth, but all can be traced back to the Caucasus where the original tradition remained uncorrupted and unadulterated. 5. One thing should be very carefully clarified here, and that is that the Caucasus Mountains are not the source of the teaching. The source is the mind of the attained Human, but the Caucasus happened to be the place where it was preserved unadulterated until recently, because of the favourable protective characteristics of its mountains and the faithfulness and stamina of its inhabitants. The latest branching out from the original place happened to be its form applied to the infrastructure of Islam under the name of Sufism in the 10th century (the 3rd century of Islam). Ahmsta Kebzeh is a scientific discipline based on the study of Human, who is the highest and closest-to-perfect reflector of the Eternal Spirit of Creative and Sustaining Energy of the Universal Creation—shortly and concisely called God. Its foundation has nothing to do with a belief system or faith of any kind, such as blind faith or faith acquired as a result of practical past experiences; its foundation is ‘Gnosis plus nothing’. (Gnosis, in this context, means esoteric knowledge, which belongs to the seventh level of acquisition of knowledge according to the traditional teaching of Kebzeh, while ‘esoteric’ means clear and obvious only to the Initiate.) xx
The precise definition of Ahmsta Kebzeh is as follows: Ahmsta Kebzeh, the ancient spiritual discipline of the Caucasus Mountains, is the teaching and exercising of the process of awakening and developing latent human faculties under divine grace and guidance.
Murat Yagan Vernon, B.C., 2002
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Introduction to Ahmsta Kebzeh Ahmsta Kebzeh, also called by Western explorers Caucasian Yoga, is a tradition peculiar to the mountaineers of the Caucasus, generally known to Europeans as Circassians. This tradition, which until recently was preserved mainly in the higher inhabited mountainous parts of the Caucasus, began to fade away at the beginning of the 20th Century as a result of the Russian invasion of the region. Today it is very difficult to find anything but traces of it in communities and very rarely possible to meet some aged old-timer who can manifest some knowledge about it. It is one anthropological issue which has virtually passed out of history; it is rarely written about in anthropological studies and is at best relegated to the dusty archives of museums. I happen to be one of those rare Circassian elders who lived and was trained in the tradition up to a certain extent and who is still alive today. Seeing that in the West within the last three or four decades there developed an interest in ancient traditions of mankind, wherever they might be on the earth, and that a group of seekers was forming a circle around me, I started to transfer to them whatever I had. This process began in 1975, and since then transcripts of talks, seminars, workshops and evening classes have altogether formed some five thousand typed pages. These seekers started their own publishing company, having decided to activate and promote the teachings of Ahmsta Kebzeh to prevent its dying away, lost to the world at a time when the planet needs so much an awakening to and attainment of human potential, to enable human beings to live an abundant life on a globe which is in the process of losing its resources to support its growing population. To cover the whole teaching many, many books in various sizes have to follow to complete the intellectual part of its teaching alone. As for the applied part of it, personal involvement in it will be needed, as is the case in any experiential and processal learning such as learning how to swim, how to play an instrument of music, how to ride a bike. No matter how much you study the intellectual, theoretical part of it, unless you get involved also physically and personally in doing it, you cannot learn it. Ahmsta Kebzeh is a science of living abundantly, using all human faculties as a whole, fully and wholistically. It is peculiar to the Circassian people of the Caucasus, but in the past five millennia had also its effects on other peoples living in the Greater Caucasus, and also the xxiii
Transcaucasus on the southern slopes of the great Sierra. Circassians are composed mainly of nineteen different tribes and I belong to the one which is called Abkhazian. Although Ahmsta Kebzeh belongs in general to all Circassians and is quite the same throughout the Caucasus in principle, it displays some differences from tribe to tribe, mostly due to variation in altitude, to the effect that among tribes at higher altitudes it was better preserved throughout millennia compared with those tribes living closer to heavier traffic. Since the languages of Circassian tribes also differ from each other, some original words used in the teaching and versions of the topics I am relating here, are expressed according to their use in the Abkhazian version to which I belong. Furthermore, because I belong to a high mountain group, the Abazas, that is my point of reference and my source. To be more precise, I am an Abkhazian from the group called Abazas who live on the Caucasian Sierra at the place called Ashkhara between Mount Elbruz and Mount Kazbek.
The Content of Kebzeh Kebzeh consists of three levels of teaching and application. Starting from the bottom up, they are: 1. Aleishweh; 2. Kebzeh; 3. Ahmsta Kebzeh. 1.
Aleishweh (Etiquette, Civility)
This comprises the conventional rules of social behavior, the level of edification that regulates social propriety. It contains the rules and habits about personal relationships, rules about everything that is part of daily life, including work, dressing, horseback riding, greeting each other, meeting people at social occasions, dancing, ceremonial rules regulating weddings, funerals, paying visits to each other, observing special occasions, protocols, etc. 2.
Kebzeh (Moral, spiritual and social concepts of the Tradition)
This is the level of edification which regulates the knowledge necessary for the administration of the community. As the social system in the Caucasus was feudal, there was a strictly established caste classification expressed in five main categories: rulers; administrators; nobles; people; serfs. The administrators executed the ruling of the ruler. The discipline of Kebzeh was given to this, the administrative class. It consisted of all the education necessary to cultivate this class so that they could perform the function of administering efficiently. xxiv
The third class, that of the nobles, was the class from which the administrators and rulers were recruited when there was a shortage. The training in these two categories was done by intellectual teaching and application in the field of action. The family and the community in which a child lived from birth to death was the milieu that embraced him, providing him with everything he needed to exist, to grow and to be raised and edified. The homogeneity of concepts and values is the most efficient teacher, trainer and coach in the community. The whole community with its living rooms, dining tables, farming fields, gathering and dancing grounds, sporting, riding rings, martial arts grounds, workshops, fireside conversations, hunting parties, festivity meetings, toasting ceremonies, wedding parties, funerals, prayer meetings and all sorts of possible social activities becomes a huge and unlimited class-room for a growing child and human. The teaching and training received from the community develops further when the individual gets involved in public office and grows in it, backed up by the same common teacher. 3.
Ahmsta Kebzeh (Tradition of the Elite)
This is the part of Kebzeh the explorers from the West, starting from early 15th century, called Caucasian Yoga. The teaching and training of Ahmsta Kebzeh was given exclusively to the children of the ruling class and in exceptional cases to anybody who was deemed by the source of the teaching to be ready in human evolution to receive it.
What is Ahmsta Kebzeh? Ahmsta Kebzeh is the science of processing the human being to the level of enabling him to activate and use his highest human faculties without limit. Every human subjected to this processing in the right way and under the right coaching can reach a certain level of attainment according to his ability, effort, perseverance and hereditary aptitude and come much closer to enjoying abundant life as long as he lives on this planet. According to the teachings, tenets and principles of Ahmsta Kebzeh, life in this Universe came into existence as a reflection of a creative power which is the source of everything, and which exists without beginning and without end. This power is electromagnetic by nature with an intelligence and will of its own. Because it is electromagnetic by nature, it manifests itself in vibrations. Every single thing or form of life in existence exists in an entity of vibration in the frequency and length of wave that is peculiar to it. This particular vibration makes its determination in Cosmic Mind and its manifestation in the material universe at the same time, simultaneously, and remains constant. This creative power, electromagxxv
netic by nature, establishes its connection and relationships with all existing entities through a phenomenon that is electrochemical by nature, which we call DNA. Once an entity comes into existence with a vibration peculiar to the potential manifestation of Self, it enters the world of Creation and starts its cycle of evolution. Every entity which comes into existence in Creation evolves until ultimately at the end of its evolution it becomes one with the blueprint it originated from, and completes its cycle. Evolution takes place in two areas of existence: 1) The material area; 2) The mental area. It completes itself in the material area first, in a comparatively short time, namely some two or three million or billion* years, after which the mental part of evolution continues in the case of humans until becoming one with Cosmic Mind or, in other words, Cosmic Intelligence, and gains the consciousness of Absolute Being. This consciousness has a Will** of its own, and reflects that will up to the level and the approximation to the likeness of Cosmic Will that the ability of the subject allows. This cycle of evolution is taking place in everything existing in the World, but from this point on, I shall take into consideration only Man, and whenever I use the word Man, I mean human being: that is, man and/or woman, gender free. Therefore I shall beg to be understood as such. Man completed his material evolution some one million years ago, although while he was in the process of this evolution in matter, his mental evolution was also processing. Evolution of the human body to its highest material manifestation was completed, and for the last one million years he has been in the process of evolving in consciousness. When speaking of Cosmic Consciousness we are, by definition, speaking of the infinite, and consequently, since the destination of the evolution of human consciousness is ultimately Cosmic Consciousness (Christ Consciousness), there is no limit to it. This is exactly what Paul meant when speaking of the predestination of Man in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians in the New Testament (Eph.1:3-12). The human body, having completed its evolution, becomes a perfect home for Cosmic Mind—the human nervous system altogether becoming the very living room of it, workshop of it, classroom of it and creative studio of it; it shall have a chance to be revealed and reflected if the ______ * From anthropological studies the reports differ between millions and billions. Maybe the safest way is to call it zillions. ** Will means the faculty of making decisions. xxvi
necessary edification and culture for that is deliberated. It is exactly this deliberation that is the science called Ahmsta Kebzeh. The application of Ahmsta Kebzeh consists of a long series of physical and mental exercises having for their aim developing the human nervous system as a better home for the Mind, which is Cosmic in essence. It goes without saying that we cannot cover the content in its full comprehensiveness. Suffice it to say that Ahmsta Kebzeh is an applied science in all its magnitude and can only be known and learned by entering into it in full commitment; through studies it is possible only to know about it, but not know it. There is one question frequently and unanimously asked: Is Ahmsta Kebzeh a religion? I thought it might be useful to answer this question just in case it arose. The answer is: No, Ahmsta Kebzeh is not a religion and does not interfere with any existing religion. It is an applied science; it is the art of living as a human being fully exercising human faculties wholistically as applied to life. But religions may be made out of it.
Murat Yagan Vernon, B.C., 2002
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PART ONE
PRESENTATION OF THE ESSENTIALS OF THE TEACHING
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God and Its Creation and the Place of Human in It Today, because of some degree of agreement, sharing and co-operation between mystics and scientists, we are at a better vantage point to understand and appreciate the realities of Ahmsta Kebzeh and all the ancient spiritual teachings that are closely related to it. That is why seekers of truth are turning their attention to these teachings.
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o be able to understand the studies of Ahmsta Kebzeh it is imperative to grasp the definitions and characteristics of three essential elements of the tradition, three colossal, gigantic agents that constitute the fundamental foundation of its institution. These are: God, Human and Creation. The definition, explanation, experience and application to everyday life of these three elements are all simple, clear, authentic and productive, but mankind’s conditioning throughout aeons of time has put us into such a brain-washed state that it has become virtually impossible to emancipate our thoughts, to enter into this knowledge and to develop it to the level of spontaneity. God, Human and Creation have been presented and defined by an infinite number of religions throughout human history. Whether a person is outwardly religious, pious or totally indifferent, he is conditioned by how the religions of his time are presented to him, no matter what the religion. Even if he is not a temple or church-goer, he develops an idea about God which becomes acceptable, to be rejected, or just represents nonsense to him. No doubt all the true prophets were humans who had attained the absolute truth concerning the existence of our world and the facts about our lives. Whatever they had received concerning the art of living this life abundantly they put in the form of teaching in the Holy Books, respective to the discipline they instituted. Some of them related it at the level they considered the people of their time could understand, at least sufficiently for them to establish a discipline to harness their lives and to make those lives worthwhile. Others expressed it in a more refined and sophisticated way, using implicit, parabolic means to leave flexibility for expansion into wider and deeper meanings through wiser interpretations. But unfortunately there is one unshakeable, indestructible law of Nature: The mediocrity always makes the majority. Wiser interpretations al3
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ways come from superior attainment, and superior attainment is the rarity. Interpreters of the Holy Books were mostly mediocrities who swarmed upon them to tinker with the holy message. Furthermore, they developed a monopoly on the teaching, and in the process managed to make the divine message less and less attractive to an elite who were advanced in refinement, possessing greater sense and a higher truth than they, the interpreters, could convey. As I mentioned above, nonsensical tenets of religious teachings as they developed in the hands of teachers who were neither qualified nor competent, were over time confronted with educated, refined people, and no longer had the same persuasive effects they had enjoyed on previous unedified, ignorant generations. As these generations began to die out, so religions, whose only strength was the belief system they shared with more primitive people, began to collapse. New generations endowed with a more developed intellect were unable to find persuasive answers to their questions in those teachings, nor could they discover the truth with their intellectual reasoning alone. And while they only cultivated their intellect, instead of being developed wholistically in the fullness of education and edification of their mental faculty and having thereby reached wisdom, they fell short of the task. For them there was only one truth, the one that could be reached through positive science. And this positive science was Cartesian science, which was based on intellectual achievement and very much confined to arithmetic, the tools of which are reason and figures, and the field of which is the table of multiplication. Because the most highly developed minds of some three to four hundred years ago were those of Cartesian scientists, they could not reach the realities of subtler creative levels of mind in the fields of mysticism, spirituality, and art, which needed empirical pursuit and cultivation. And so an antagonism developed between scientists and mystics until the time (1921) when the fourth dimension of mind was brought into positive science by Albert Einstein and his colleagues. Today, because of some degree of agreement, sharing and co-operation between mystics and scientists, we are at a better vantage point to understand and appreciate the realities of Ahmsta Kebzeh and all the ancient spiritual teachings that are closely related to it. That is why seekers of truth are turning their attention to these teachings. Here begins another hardship in the task—where and how to find this authentic, unadulterated ancient tradition. It is very difficult, if not impossible. As I admitted in the beginning of the introduction to this book, Ahmsta Kebzeh has been gradually disappearing over the last five hundred years or more. On the mainland of the Caucasus it started being affected by the introduction of Byzantine Christianity as early as the 3rd Century AD. Then, in the 10th Century, Islam entered from East of the Caucasian Sierra, namely Dagestan, and kept advancing westward through Chechenia. After that, in 4
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the 19th Century, a second wave of Islam from the Ottoman Empire—a different denomination from the earlier one—came from the West, through the Crimea. However, these religious tides had little influence compared with the Russian invasion that started at the beginning of the 16th Century and has continued on a disastrous and bloody course for the last five hundred years. Some traces of the teaching were kept in the high mountain area thanks to its isolation and impenetrability. Today, however, it is extremely rare to encounter anyone, whatever their age, who can manifest any of it. Although this situation is very grave and is an important factor in the loss of human values, and in the salvation of our planet, nevertheless it is not the end of all hope for making the globe a peaceful place to live in abundance and harmony. Although the Caucasus was the last place on Earth where the science of Ahmsta Kebzeh was preserved better and for a longer time than anywhere else, it wasn’t the source of the teaching. The real eternal Source of it is the Mind of perfected Human, as we will see as we advance in learning its essence. Furthermore, as we advance we will find out that we have two means, two possibilities open to us for reaching the Source. One is that there is a technical, scientific knowledge that can be learned— a positive possibility to become a completed, perfected human. This possibility, though highly conditional, is nevertheless a possibility and therefore a hope. The other is that we are living at a time when positive science is open to mystical truth, and as a result every positive scientist has become a little bit of a mystic and every mystic a little bit of a scientist. No one man can have a life span long enough to be an accomplished mystic and scientist at the same time, but an accomplished individual in one field may co-operate with an equally accomplished person in the other field, and the two of them make a fully accomplished mind, which will solve every imaginable problem. There is no limit to the progress and accomplishment of human mind up to the point when it becomes one with Cosmic Mind and therefore the Source. This phenomenon of reconciliation of mystical science with positive science I call “New Age.” This is the greatest marriage of our time. Its offspring will be the source of abundance on the globe. Ahmsta Kebzeh will tell us how and why.
God When I was 17 years old, the God defined and presented by our prevailing religions became the very catalyst to turn me off religion, because that God, like a colossal human being sitting up in the sky and shouting out orders, commandments and a bunch of do’s and don’ts that usually did not make sense, was totally unacceptable, incomprehensible to me. I absolutely needed tangible proof to believe that such an entity existed, and since such proofs 5
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had never been provided to me by way of religions that were based solely on belief and faith systems, I walked away from all religious institutions. While I was seeking a persuasive approach to truth through religions, in the country where I lived there were two main religions accessible to me: Islam and Christianity. There could be found no tangible proof in the teachings practised by either of these. Their only attempt to prove God’s existence was to believe in God. If I approached a Moslem scholar he would start by telling me: “Kal Allahu Taala fi Kitabi-hi-l kerim”; if I approached a Christian scholar he would start by telling me: “God says in His Holy Book ...,” both of them meaning exactly the same thing. As a teenager of 16 or 17, I would look at their faces stupefied, wondering whether there was any brain behind them. Here is a human-looking creature who talks about the book of someone whose very existence we are questioning, I would think. This is clearly a vicious circle or even a vicious spiral. Coming from the Caucasus Mountains I was identified by these people as being of a pagan background, which I admitted. I sought to become somebody better than I was, and they thought they had something to offer me, but their presentation did not make sense. Not only my search for the existence of what they called God, but also many other questions teeming in my mind were left unanswered. Denying and rejecting religions was an easy and natural decision, but it didn’t solve the problem. I remained hugely confused. How had such senseless institutions as these religions prospered and survived for thousands of years? The answer to this question came easily and promptly: Because mediocrity makes the majority, so is nonsense supported by nonsensical minds. But this answer didn’t stand up for long, because I knew of some distinctly superior brains, representing undeniable attainments in human values, who had found truth in religions. That created a long-lasting enigma in my quest. The only explanation I could find eventually dawned on me and took full shape and clarity. It was the likelihood that those intelligent and educationally-attained people had also attained spiritually to subtler levels of mental consciousness, way above the intellect, to the level of wisdom. Having reached a different and deeper interpretation of the Holy Books and having discovered a different definition of God and Its creation, instead of just believing in It, they had reached knowing It. In other words, it was likely that they had made personal contact with the prophets themselves. This very likelihood brought me back to my ancestral Ahmsta Kebzeh teachings, as we shall see in the course of our progress in the book. Furthermore we shall see how Ahmsta Kebzeh guided me to become reconciled with Christianity, if not with Christendom, through personal contact with Jesus Christ, who I consider to be the greatest master of Ahmsta Kebzeh. So what exactly is the matter with religions? Let us consider religion as just another field of knowledge concerning human life, or even a science that explores, studies, discovers and can be applied to practical-everyday6
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life, with various departments co-operating in their fields for the same mutual concern and achievement—a field of knowledge such as mathematics, with its branches or departments of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus and so on, which all together comprise mathematics; or physics, with elementary physics, quantum physics, theoretical physics comprising physics; likewise for chemistry, biology, anatomy, physiology and so on. Religion also has its departments of divinity, spirituality, theology, social order, morality, and psychology, which altogether can be summed up as the art and skill of successful living. Each of these can be considered a knowledge, a science, a means of progress in life for humans. To proceed in our survey, consider any science the way it started in human history, developing as science applied to human life for bettering the knowledge, the skill of the human being and consequently bettering life wherever it was applied. As it was applied as an acquired knowledge to human life and as it developed further and progressed in every aspect of its efficiency, more discoveries were made, more advancements achieved. None of the sciences remained at the level of efficiency and refinement they had at the time they had started. More sources of energy, more methods of harnessing these energies, more applications in life were developed until the globe and life on it came to the point we are at today. Advancements in agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, communications, medicine, electronics and so many other fields surround us in our daily lives. What kind of further development have we achieved in the religious field compared to what we had at the beginning? Advancing backwards rather than forwards is the only thing we have achieved. If we look at the biblical story, instead of progressing we regressed until we came to what is known as ‘The Fall of Man,’ and from there on we continued regressing until today. We could well ask: “Where are we now? How far away are we from claiming our birthright?”(which means claiming Christhood according to Ephesians 1:3-12, if we understand rightly what is meant in those verses by the predestination of human). But there is no reason to be discouraged. The trend has turned around. There is no more regression. From 1921, to be exact, there will always be progress. This is when the fourth dimension was introduced to positive science—the dimension of the observer, the dimension of the scientist. The introduction of the scientist into the science now makes him a part of science; he is no longer just the maker of science looking at it from outside. In the dimension of creativity, the human is the steward, the representative of the Great Maker if he knows how to claim and reach his birthright. Scientific truth is relative to the level of creativity and attainment of the scientist, meaning his attainment in the wholeness of mind. This level is a yardstick that determines the level of truth as a percentage of probability rather than by arithmetical exactitude and certainty. Consequently the degree of scien7
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tific truth reached, parallels and is proportionate to the scientist’s degree of attainment in creativity, human creativity being the product of the superconscious mind, a far higher level of subtlety of mind than the level of intellect. It is spiritualized mind, which vibrates with love rather than reason. It belongs to man’s mystical faculty, operating when the mystic and the scientist co-operate in the task of reaching the truth, the Absolute Truth, with that wholeness of mind that is the Cosmic Mind fully reflected in the human nervous system. When this occurs it will bring a different impetus to both positive science and the mystical faculty which will reflect on human consciousness and awareness both in general and in particular. What we understand about religion will undergo a transformation and a fresh new concept of religion will dawn. What will happen to existing institutionalized religions on earth will depend on how intelligently their leaders behave; they will either prosper or disappear as a result of that behaviour. Now it is time to open a window from the vantage point of Ahmsta Kebzeh to have a close look at God, Its Creation and the Human within it. Ahmsta Kebzeh says simply: God is a form of Energy, electromagnetic by nature, consciousness by kind. Like any form of energy it engenders matter, according to Albert Einstein’s formula: E = mc2, and this matter is matter imbued with consciousness because the kind of energy is consciousness. When this matter is engendered by the electromagnetic Energy of Consciousness, it comes into existence as matter that is electrochemical by nature and is consciousness-bearing by kind. So every existing creature, object, plant or animal is a living battery (battery being a word which means a source of electrochemical energy as opposed to magneto, meaning a source of electromagnetic energy). We know that a battery has a consciousness in its form of memory, and one form of consciousness is convertible into many other forms of consciousness through very complicated and complex biochemical reactions, either in Nature or through laboratory work. This last paragraph summarizes the very thing known to all mystically attained humans of antiquity but which was so ineffable it was impossible to reveal, simply because positive science had not developed far enough to describe or make it sufficiently effable. As a result the nature and the truth of God and the way It works in Creation had to be left in such a cloud of mystery that it became ‘gobbledygook’. And somewhat allegoric, symbolic, and parabolic ways to say it were concocted, which made parts of the Holy Books into virtual myths. But it is no longer supposed to be that way. It is time now to clarify urgently all misty, confusing and nonsensical presentations of the divine phenomenon and its reflections in Creation, so that humans can become efficient agencies for the betterment of life on this beautiful planet, which is dubbed the Garden of Eden of the solar galaxy by all the Holy Books presented throughout human history. If we interpret correctly the Bible’s account of it we can see that this 8
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positive truth is quite clearly expressed in the first verse of the Gospel of St. John (John 1:1), which says: “In the beginning there was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” If we turn our attention only to this verse, what can be understood from it is that the beginning mentioned here means the beginning relative to human. The Eternal Spirit of Creative Energy is eternal, without beginning, without end and without discontinuity in between, but it has a beginning as far as the discovery of it by humans is concerned. Such is the case with many other forms of energy, such as steam energy, electrical energy, explosive energy, hydro energy—these forms of energy existed without beginning, without end and without discontinuity in between. But they had a beginning for humans when they were discovered and harnessed, and consequently their energy was activated and channeled. Because electrical currents were harnessed by Ohm in the 1840’s we cannot say that electricity started only some 150 years ago. In this first verse, when we hear the beginning mentioned we understand that what is being referred to is the time when the human had reached, in the process of his evolution of consciousness, the level at which he could pronounce the Word. This level qualifies the human as a creature distinct and superior to the level of animal, because humans are the only creatures to utter the word. Uttering the word was the first evidence of a higher consciousness in the Universe with the human as its reflector. And this consciousness would be called God. And to exist and manifest in the material World It would always need the participation and co-operation of Human, so much so that they would make one unit to function together. So if we look at the teaching of Ahmsta Kebzeh more straightforwardly and go more deeply into its presentation of God, Creation, Human and the whole phenomenon of Life as a huge drama—or comedy, depending on how you choose to look at it—played by this trio, we shall discover a totally different reality. God is the Creative Energy from which everything existing in the Universe emanates and comes to existence and continues manifesting life, always in connection with this Creative Energy, in connection and in co-operation, and without discontinuity except in the case of a human when a discontinuity may be exercised by the individual himself before the natural maturing time of his life cycle. This we call committing suicide. This happens only in the human’s physical life cycle, because only the human evolves to the level of a being endowed with WILL, which gives him the faculty of making his own decisions. Thus the human becomes the only creature who is conscious of being conscious and able to make conscious communication with the Eternal Energy of Creative Power to the extent of being one with It—in other words, being It (John 1:1, “... and the Word was God”.) So God is an Energy of Consciousness without beginning, without end, 9
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and without discontinuity in between. Like every form of energy It emanates, generates, engenders matter which constitutes what we call life, as a result of Its ‘isness’ according to the law of physics E=mc2, just because It cannot help it. The advanced human mind in all its majesty, capability, and knowledge in the huge scientific field, can study, discover, explain and bring into the light of day all Its work and join forces with It in wonders of divine majesty, beauty and awe, and accomplish the wholeness of Its work and finish it, or in other words, complete it (John 4:34).
Creation As I said above, God is the Creative Energy from which everything existing in the Universe emanates, comes into existence and continues manifesting life always in connection and co-operation with God, without discontinuity. Now I shall try to tell you as clearly as possible how the whole of Creation came into existence and reached the stage we see today. This is of course according to the teaching of the tradition of Kebzeh. Creation takes place in five phases: Determination; Manifestation; Evolution; Completion; Completing.
Determination Kebzeh says everything existing in the Universe, everything that makes what we call Creation, is originally determined to the most minute details of its characteristics in the Cosmic Mind, which is electromagnetic by nature and expresses itself according to electromagnetic phenomena as discovered, explained and formulated under unchangeable theorems and laws in the science of physics. Every atom making the substance of every existing thing, whether inanimate, plant, animate, or material or ethereal, carries an electrical charge under the names of proton and electron which expresses electrical energy in equal positive and negative charges. By these poles it is connected to the electromagnetic field of the life-generating and life-giving Eternal Energy of Creative Power, which we simply call God, we Englishspeaking peoples. Other peoples have their own words for the same thing. What is meant by ‘determined in Cosmic Mind’ is to be understood properly and correctly. Here I shall go into some clarification to avoid any misunderstanding. What we call God is a form of energy, electromagnetic by nature, consciousness by kind. In other words, it is the original energy in its kind of consciousness—original Energy of Consciousness. It exists eternally without beginning, without end and without discontinuity in between. It generates matter like any form of energy as a result of being a form of energy under favourable conditions, and it cannot help doing that whether it wants 10
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it or not. The matter created by Cosmic Energy is manifested originally in four essential elements: Fire, Air, Earth and Water. Each one of these elements is constituted of components making up the whole chemical corpus currently existing and which will exist in Nature at any time when necessary conditions are established, either as a result of deliberate provocation or natural circumstances. When all those myriad constituents function together in the form of teams, each team has a determined function according to its chemical, physical, physiological, biological, psychological, metabolic characteristics, which are unchangeable and specific to each element. These unchangeable aspects come together as a result of their joining each other to make composites. Every composite which has its own mode of manifestation and function created by the team-work generated by the co-operation of the physical and chemical characteristics of its components, behaves in a predetermined way in the course of its life and procreates itself according to the predetermined consequences of their propensity, and cannot do otherwise unless under pathological circumstances. What should be understood by the doctrine of predestination in theological teachings, has to be known under the light of this unchangeable establishment of elemental characteristics of the components of all the items that together make up life. For example, a free molecule of O2 and a free molecule of H2 will always be attracted to each other and will form according to prevailing conditions a composite of H2O or H2O2. An acid will always exhibit the characteristics of an acid and a base the characteristics of a base, and the consequences of these characteristics will determine their functions in the natural pursuit of life: they cannot help it, and that is why it is called predetermination or predestination. Every single possible composition of elements that make up a chemical body was determined in Cosmic Mind in eternity by the mere fact of them all having a predictable constant or determined way of behaving when having found each other on the stage of the Universe, according to the various conditions of their meeting each other, and this is inevitable. The number of possible ways of their meeting each other, to form how many possible composites, cannot be known, simply because it is infinite. Starting from four essential elements and the chemical bodies composing them we can assume that we are facing the spectrum of the Creation. From this spectrum everything comes into existence by being composed from minute quanta of this spectrum. Components are determined in quantity and quality, therefore finite and known, but composites are infinite and without limit and cannot be predicted and known by foresight. Let me refer to an illustration to bring some clarity to the phenomenon I am talking about. Let us consider the spectrum of colour, the spectrum of light, the spectrum of sound, the spectrum of numbers.... If we pick up any one of them— the spectrum of numbers, let us say—this spectrum has ten numerals: 0, 1, 11
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2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. These numerals can be composed in infinite ways by being put together to form arithmetical numbers, and there is no end to it; it is infinite. We can keep composing numbers from this spectrum for millennia and keep doing it from generation to generation for innumerable generations and still we will never come to the end of it. The spectrum of sound has seven musical notes, each one having its fractions, determined and final, but the music that can be composed from them is infinite. If musicians from all the world composed music for innumerable millennia, still no end of it would be found or reached. The Creation of the Worlds also follows the same pattern and principles. No components making up any composite come together at random; they obey predetermined characteristics which are innately incorporated in their nature of being. There is no divine power interfering with every triviality to play whimsical games or so-called karma through a reward and punishment system established by a power outside and beyond human control. The Eternal Spirit of Creative Energy is powerful, generous, abundant and supreme beyond and above the highest imagination, and grants, arranges and establishes the elemental order of everything to function, operate and manifest itself in solid order. That is why the Master Jesus taught, in the prayer he gave to his disciples to say: “Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.” Because in heaven there is no agency which exercises a will awkwardly and ignorantly to interfere with divine order. Only humans on Earth condemn themselves to live in self-made hells and punish themselves. The law of karma is not God-given but man-concocted. According to divine plan and order the predestination of Man is clearly expressed in the New Testament, in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians, verses 3-12; it does not require very great wisdom to refer to it and come to know that truth. The divine plan and its manifestation is a positive science like any other positive science; it has to be studied, understood, learned and applied. It has its set of natural laws, which when learned and applied develop as a knowledge through which the natural laws of the divine plan can be used to harness the Eternal Energy of Creative Power, and add another field of abundance to human life directly and to all other related chapters of life in this Universe indirectly, as does knowledge of any positive science. If you put sulphur, oxygen, and hydrogen together under certain conditions of quantity, pressure, temperature and order, what is called sulfuric acid is formed, which may cause very harmful effects on anything it touches, including human skin. This is the predestined characteristic of sulphuric acid, according to the laws of Nature. It is predetermined in Cosmic Mind as a first step in the phenomenon of Creation, but this does not mean that it is predestined by the Creator and cannot be helped or avoided. Human will and reason can direct its manifestation. 12
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Our religions interpret ‘Predestination’ as a fateful condemnation from God that cannot be changed, helped or eliminated—something that has to be submitted to with a gullible obedience. The Eternal Spirit of Creative Power, which for short we call God, creates the essence of Creation, but not the details. It is up to the human as the completing agency of God’s plan to compose the essence in forming composites to make God’s plan work for goodness and bring to Earth the Kingdom of Goodness or, in other words, the Kingdom of God. For instance, the essence of sound is given in the musical scale of seven notes as the spectrum of sound: do, re, me, fa, sol, la, ti. It is up to Man to make mediocre or sublime music from it.
Manifestation The whole blueprint of creation having been determined in the Cosmic Mind, then comes the stage of Manifestation. The electrochemical characteristics of the primordial fundamental four elements—Fire, Air, Earth, and Water—contain all the actual and potential chemical elements. By actual and potential is meant all the chemical elements discovered and known so far by the science of chemistry and those which may be discovered in future. There are many more chemical elements in Nature we do not know yet, but because we do not know them, it does not mean that they do not exist. They existed, they continue to exist and they will exist throughout time, as electricity existed at all times but relative to our knowledge it has only existed for 150 years. The derivatives of these four fundamental elements constitute the vast, immense, colossal complex we call Creation, these four elements forming its spectrum exactly like the musical scale of seven notes produces the derivative we call music, which is infinite, through a myriad of combinations in innumerable orders. And these combinations and orders are determined in the Cosmic Mind to form the species. And nothing happens at random. And lastly, the agency that generates the very matter of this Creation is ENERGY OF CONSCIOUSNESS, which becomes the Architect of Creation. You can call it anything you want; no matter what you call it, it is there.
Evolution As soon as manifestation starts, even in its smallest form, life and evolution begin simultaneously with the first signs of life. Whatever the life form, it develops in growth and in metamorphosis and works in the direction of materializing its final form according to determination in eternity. Every life form ends up maturing into the final species it is determined to be and thereafter never changes. Which means a life form that is determined to be a monkey does not end up by being a man, a gorilla or some other animal. 13
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It remains faithful to eternal determination, no matter how many millions or more years it evolves. This is the main tenet of the Kebzeh tradition that contradicts the Darwinian theory of evolution. Earthly life starts with the phase of Manifestation and together with it evolution begins. Evolution takes place in two very distinct phases: physical and mental (consciousness). Physical evolution consists of the morphological development of the species; it takes a couple of million years for it to take the final form of its physical body and come to a point of development where it virtually stops. After that point very little change takes place. The evolution of consciousness keeps continuing indefinitely until eternity and never comes to an end, because there is no end; it is infinite. This phase of evolution can be encouraged and furthered through particular exercises in Kebzeh practices which are the very substance and task of the teaching. They are called Inner Body Exercises and are the topic of Part Three. The Completion and Completing phases of evolution will be dealt with in Chapter XIX, because some preparatory basics have to be explained and learned before tackling them.
Human From what was said so far it becomes clear that Human is the finest and the highest manifestation of Creation and its evolution has no limit. HUMAN IS INFINITE. Human at its highest point of evolution—Christhood—is able to reflect all the attributes of the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power or God and can be the integral representative of it—in other words, the heir or SON. And as an accomplished heir such a Human can assume the responsibility of completing the work of His Father (John 4:34). In the next chapter we shall have more to say about this, and in Chapter XIX.
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CHAPTER II
Communication of Human with God Every living entity has this Life-force incarnated in it and reflects and manifests it up to the capacity of its faculty as reflector, from a singlecell life form to the human vehicle, where this reflection finds its highest quality and quantity.
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an’s* communication with God takes place in two ways: unconscious communication (physical), and conscious communication (mental).
Unconscious Communication This is the way Man communicates with God, in other words, with the source of the life-giving force, in a physiological, anatomical, briefly a physical way, a way in which the will of Man is not involved, and which is similar to that manifested by any other living entity, plant, animal or object. Every living thing manifests this communication unawares. It exists in eternity, in the Cosmic Mind in the stage that is called DETERMINATION. There is no beginning and no end of Cosmic Mind. If we call any phenomenon a beginning or an end, it is valid only relative to our awareness of it: that is to say, we call it a beginning because we realized it for the first time. It does not mean that it has factually started at that particular time; it was there all the time. To summarize what is meant when we talk about beginning or end: We call the beginning of a phenomenon the time we, as observers, realize the fact of it for the first time. If we are to understand Creation intellectually, we have to grasp firmly that it has no beginning or end; in truth it is eternal; we are dealing with the infinite. How can we talk about the beginning or end of a concept that is infinite when by definition it is infinite? The phenomenon called DETERMINATION is the plan or project, planned to the minutest details in the Cosmic Mind, or in other words the _____ * Whenever the word Man is used it should be understood to mean man and/or woman, gender-free, or simply, human. My intention is to establish the word human in our language to replace the word mankind, or man, and I have endeavoured to do this gradually throughout the book. 15
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Mind of God, the eternal creative force that has no beginning and no end. This Cosmic Mind was discovered first by Man, and the highest manifestation of it was revealed as expressed in Word. Cosmic Mind manifested in its highest expression in the nervous system of the vehicle of Man, who was endowed with the faculty of uttering word, a sound with a meaning which can be understood by speaker and listener alike, and can be written and read. This was the first sign of the existence of a creative force with an intelligence and will of its own. That is why the Gospel of John in the New Testament starts with the verse: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” (John 1:1). Again, as expressed above, the beginning mentioned here is not the beginning of God, but the time of Its being noticed by Man, and is indeed a beginning relative to Man, just as electricity, which existed in Nature all the time, began existing relative to Man when Man discovered it. After the chapter of DETERMINATION, the chapter of MANIFESTATION began, which is when everything determined in Cosmic Mind started coming into existence on the physical level on Earth, starting at the level of a single-cell life form. At that stage, together with the chapter of MANIFESTATION, the chapter of EVOLUTION started. Every living thing coming to MANIFESTATION entered into the cycle of EVOLUTION. Every single-cell formation intrinsically carried the seal of DETERMINATION with it, discovered by human beings millennia later and called DNA. And with DNA, it was determined that each single-cell formation would evolve into physical manifestation, starting with a single cell carrying the seal of Man and evolving into the vehicle of Man over two or three billion years, and then completing its cycle in matter at the point where it reached the level of being a suitable reflector and vehicle for the spirit of Homo Sapiens or the HUMAN SOUL, a particle of the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power, the very life-giving force in matter, incarnated in the material vehicle. Every living entity has this Life-force incarnated in it and reflects and manifests it up to the capacity of its faculty as reflector, from a single-cell life form to the human vehicle, where this reflection finds its highest quality and quantity. Thus every living entity maintains its physical communication with the creative force—or God—unconsciously, and that is how it keeps itself alive and perpetuates its procreative cycles. If this communication is cut off, it dies. Different from the rest of manifestation, Human, as completed reflector of the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power and possessing Its every faculty, including intelligence and will, can exercise his faculties to enter into another phase of communication with God which is “conscious communication.”
Conscious Communication The Eternal Spirit of Creative Power that we call God is a universal force, 16
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electromagnetic by nature and functioning according to the electromagnetic laws of nature as studied and explained by the science of physics. The only difference from an ordinary electromagnetic energy is that God has an Intelligence and Will of Its own that comes into the field of action only in connection with the World of Manifestation and finds its highest level of expression in conjunction with the human being. It is this Universal Intelligence and will that are the very things that make It an awesome and majestic might, full of love, compassion, mercy, generosity, tenderness and justice. For a spiritually attained person or even a human being who is advancing towards attainment and therefore entitled to kinship with It, it is impossible not to fall in love with God because of the common thing they now share and exchange. Everything stems from and comes to existence from the very nature of Its creative energy as a natural product of Its ISNESS, without It willing it and without It being able to help it, just like a mother giving birth. Let us take electricity as a metaphor for God. Apart from certain manifestations in Nature such as lightning, it could not by itself exhibit the manifold and sophisticated manifestations that the intervention of Man has made possible. Man has attributed certain characteristics to electricity such as conductivity, receptivity and polarity. These designations are not likely to be the last word about electricity, but they have allowed Man to be in touch with that energy. There may be other possibilities in electricity that have not yet been tapped because the conditions for these possibilities have not yet been discovered by Man. In a way, Man becomes more in touch with electricity as his knowledge about that power increases. In the same way, the Creative Energy we call God, Is. However, It cannot without Man’s intervention participate directly in the creation of the numerous material manifestations that man has produced and will produce. Man has similarly attributed characteristics to God that represent the highest level of veneration and awe of which he can conceive. In all the spiritual traditions it is believed that cultivation of qualities such as love, intelligence, will, compassion, mercy and justice will enable Man to communicate with his Creator. As in the case of electricity it is unlikely that Man has discovered the last word about God, and his ability to get in touch with It will evolve as our species evolves. Just as Man’s ability to tap into and harness the power and might of electricity increases, so his ability to harness the power and light of the Creator will increase as he learns more evolved methods of communicating with It. As Man evolves he will probably attribute other characteristics to the Creator. As a result of the ISNESS of the creative power of God, Manifestation started taking shape by the formation of four fundamental elements: Fire, Air, Earth, Water. Through the unconscious communication of the elements with the electromagnetic field that produced an attraction by its polarity, an 17
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electrochemical milieu started to form in the World of Matter, and by physiochemical communication of the Electromagnetic Energy with Electrochemical Energy, the physiological activity we call LIFE was manifested. This made possible only the unconscious manifestation in every living thing, including Man. Now Man, in his turn, could enter into conscious communication with God, because of being endowed with Will.* There are many ways Man can conduct his conscious communication with God; the fundamental ones are through: 1 – Ecology 2 – Sexuality 3 – Singing 4 – Dancing 5 – Prayer and Worship 6 – Praising 7 – Fine arts 8 – Meditation 9 – Contemplation 10 – Participation in God’s plan Or through the combination and ramification of some or all of these. Infinite development of conscious communication of Man with God takes place as a result of the phenomenon of cumulative effect, which is an amazing game of memory. This phenomenon of cumulative effect develops through extremely complex varieties of electrochemical reactions in the immense realm of Mind into what is called mystical experience. It is so intricate, complicated and complex that in every corner of the world, throughout millennia of human history, it was called SECRET, unknowable, inexpressible, ineffable. Many people, who were fascinated by the beauty of mystical experience, were attracted and captivated by it in a strictly mesmerized way; they got stuck with it all their lives without understanding it and simply called it a love affair. They even went so far as to call LOVE what some others called God. And some others rejected it simply as farce, as a result of millennia of cultivation of the human intellect alone—the intellect whose tool, instrument and means are reason—to the neglect of the rest of the faculties of Mind extending to the realm of the subconscious or superconscious. ____ * In the context of this teaching Will has to be understood as the faculty of making decisions independently, with freedom of choice. 18
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Of course it is impossible to comprehend the truths of the infinite through application of the intellectual mind alone. Intellect belongs to the finite capacity of mind power. Just a few decades ago, it was understood clearly, after the scientific discoveries of Albert Einstein, that even positive science could not be comprehended and established within the comprehension of the intellectual mind alone in the way it had been postulated by Descartes, Pascal, or Newton, some three hundred years earlier (1637). That to completely cover positive science, a fourth dimension had to be added, which was the dimension of the observer—in other words, the scientist. So instead of certainty in positive science, probability became the measure of accuracy. Positive science, instead of being based on certainty, had to be appraised and received according to the percentage of probability. Thus the higher the percentage of probability, the more accurate the result would be, and this could reach as far as the scientist himself was attained; consequently accuracy in positive science would be relative to the scientist. The scientist, instead of being the maker of science, finishing it and becoming an onlooker from outside it, became an inseparable part of the science. This introduced a totally new paradigm to the human concept of truth. This new paradigm in human thought is not a new concept at all, but a concept lost by humans a long time back in the history of human life on this planet. This loss is the very thing called in the holy books the ‘Fall of Man’, described in a symbolic narrative as an episode in the human story in the Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden is nothing less than the blue planet of the solar galaxy, the planet Earth. So what I call a new paradigm in the human concept here is nothing but an old, old fact in the human cycle. Therefore there is no new paradigm introduced here; we are only going back to the first paradigm before original sin took place. The time passed in between is nothing but time lost by Man. What is called the ‘Tree of Knowledge’ or the ‘Tree of Forbidden Fruit’ in the Garden of Eden is nothing but the ‘Fruit of Intellect’, taken in preference to all the rest of the fruits of Mind which we had at our disposal—the most valuable creative faculties of Mind. But managing, manoeuvering and manipulating the intellect to work for him appeared easier to Man, who mainly concentrated his labour in inventing a myriad of forms, concoctions of every sort, to facilitate life, making physical survival more reachable and the task easier. As a result, Man fell into sloth in the area of his spiritual, creative development, so much so that most of the finer faculties of the human being atrophied in time and were driven into disuse. Once upon a time, long, long millennia ago, the paradigm that replaced the original, divine paradigm and which expressed itself on the tongue of René Descartes in the definition of positive science as: ‘Any reality to be received as positive science should be expressible in figures and repeatable exactly the same any time under the same conditions,’ became bankrupt 19
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and obsolete. It has been replaced by the new concept of positive science that includes a fourth dimension, the dimension of the scientist who is an integral part of it as potential representative of the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power. So, paradoxically enough, the divine paradigm which was destroyed by positive science is now being restored by positive science as it welcomes all the subtler levels of Mind, together with the intellect whose life activity is confined only within the boundaries of the table of multiplication, meaning reason. And this event we celebrate under the name of the New Age, which is the age of the marriage of the scientist with the mystic. This marriage is here, and is here to stay, to manifest, to grow, to procreate offspring and lift them up to develop as full and whole Humans, as pre-ordained participants in the divine plan, and to complete this plan to its ultimate goal. That goal is the complete manifestation of God as known—not just as believed in—by all humanity, without discrimination against attained or non-attained, educated or non-educated, wise or unwise, elite or non-elite. But being only all Human in one piece, in other words, simply and solely Human, in which case Human shall be synonymous with Christ. And this shall be what is called the ‘Second Coming of Christ’ in biblical expression, and as a result the statement of Jesus when he said: “You shall perform greater things than I do” (John 14:12) shall be fulfilled. Human shall be the completer of the work of God (John 4:34), therefore the ‘Completer of God’, whereby God will be completely, absolutely and clearly revealed and known without any shadow of doubt as a whole Unit called Universe, of which She is an inseparable, active part and maker. This state of being of Human is what Ahmsta Kebzeh calls the full and whole mystical phenomenon and defines as follows: Mysticism is a faculty peculiar to human relating to or resulting from his direct communion with God or Ultimate Reality, that is neither apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence, but which can be experienced through developing the finest receptivity in the deepest realm of the subconscious mind. When we come to the exercises that will prepare the human for the application of the teaching of Ahmsta Kebzeh to life, and as we enter the empirical participation in the divine plan, which will constitute what is called mystic life, we will know what it is to live in full communion with God, just as an electric light bulb lives in full communion with the power plant when it is turned on by a simple switch.
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CHAPTER III
The Nature of Human according to Ahmsta Kebzeh and Introduction to Inner Body Exercises Human, through conscious use of Will, breathes in the colour vibration, and at exhalation, charges body parts and nests.
T
he human entity functions five-fold SIMULTANEOUSLY and SPONTANEOUSLY and when it does there is nothing hidden in the Universe that will not be revealed to it. Left alone to flow in its natural course and freely express itself, the fivefold human entity shall function five-fold simultaneously and spontaneously. But because of its conditioning by man-made social, religious, economic, cultural and moral laws, together with all kinds of do’s and don’ts that are products of the human intellect and the human intellect alone (constituting only a fraction of the whole human mental capacity), and not the product of the human mind in all the thousands of years of its existence, it needs special and deliberate training to relearn how to function five-fold simultaneously and spontaneously. The five folds are: I. Physical II. Intellectual Can also be called emotional III. Spiritual when functioning as an emulsion IV. Psychic V. Ecological And they are designed to function simultaneously and spontaneously, not any other way. This is what creates wholistic existence, or the sixth function which we could call: VI. Cosmic.
}
The key to reach this five-fold functioning is given in three steps. Consciously develop: 1. Careful observation (awareness of the present moment always) 2. Correct interpretation 3. Practical application
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To know yourself is to go inside your entity and Observe, Interpret and Apply. The human entity appears as four ‘I’s, which are indicators of the entity. They are: I Am I Think I Feel I Will The first ‘I’ is the soul. The other three are the attributes. Altogether, they are indicators of the entity of Man (meaning human being, male or female). All self-determining living things have an entity. Things and plants have the first and third attributes. Animals have the first, second and third attributes; the second varies in intensity depending on the kind of animal. The fourth is only in human. The indicator of the second, third and fourth attributes is BREATH. In other words, a living thing such as a fetus after birth and a plant after sprouting, begins to be an entity when it starts breathing. Breath makes the difference between a living thing and a living entity, or in short, between an object and an entity. HENCE, THEREFORE, BY IMPROVING THE BREATH, THE ATTRIBUTES WILL BE IMPROVED. ‘Produce the causes and the effects will follow’ is one key to the work of transformation. But it also works in reverse: ‘Produce the effects and the causes will follow,’ which is the other key to the work of transformation. Breath is Life. Flowing through the nostrils, breath shapes itself three ways: A. When coming through the RIGHT nostril, it is creative ELECTRIC BREATH and feeds the Sympathetic, Autonomic nervous system. This is the SUN BREATH, Breath of the entity in Action. B. When coming through the LEFT nostril, it is regulative, directing, mothering, MAGNETIC BREATH and feeds the Parasympathetic Autonomic nervous system. This is MOON BREATH, Breath of the entity in Wisdom. C. When coming evenly through BOTH NOSTRILS, it is balancing Breath, electromagnetic by nature. This is the Breath of the entity sailing to Abundant Life, that of a human who is fully and wholly Living. Normally, the Breath changes about every hour from Sun Breath to Harmony (neutral) Breath, to Moon Breath, in that order. Two postures create Sun or Moon Breath in three minutes: For the Sun Breath: 22
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Wear an easy and loose outfit such as a cotton or wool track suit, nothing synthetic and no underwear. If you must wear underwear, be sure that it is not made out of synthetic material and that it fits loosely. With head towards the sun—at night towards magnetic North—lie down on the left side, resting your head on the left hand, elbow on the floor, thumb touching the cavity under the left ear, the rest of the fingers covering the forehead. The right arm should rest on the right side of the body forming a right angle at the elbow, forearm directed towards the floor, right hand in a fist (with only the thumb apart), touching the floor with the knuckles, and the thumb directed parallel to the body line (See Figure 1). The right heel lies on the knee joint of the left leg, held straight on the floor. Breathe through the right nostril. For the Moon Breath: The posture is the same, only reversed to lying on the right side. Breathe through the left nostril. There are four aspects to be considered in breath: I. II. III. IV.
Rhythming the Breath Qualifying the Breath Locating the Breath Orbiting the Breath
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In all cases breathing through the nostrils
I. There are many forms of Rhythming the Breath; the master form is: 7 seconds inhalation—2 seconds stop or hold—7 seconds exhalation—2 seconds hold, making 18 seconds altogether. II. There are three ways of Qualifying the Breath: 1. By the use of the nostrils as described above. 2. By the use of vibration as described below. 3. By the use of visualization as described further on. Everything visible or invisible in the Universe comes into being as a result of a specific vibration peculiar to that thing, and remains constant. Cosmic Energy of Consciousness, which is the cause and maker of everything and which is contained in Space, has five states of vibration that correspond to five distinct colours. In other words, the vibrations producing these colours are identical to the vibrations of the five states of the Cosmic Energy of Consciousness. And in the nervous system of the human body, there are five nests 24
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responding to these vibrations, resonating with them and becoming vivified as they receive and assimilate them. And each one of these nests has its counterpart in the human head. These vibrations correspond, activate and develop the five-fold functions of the human entity. Colours corresponding to these functions are: Red——for the physical (vivid red) Yellow——for the intellectual (lemon yellow) Blue——for the spiritual (vivid blue) White——for the psychic Violet——for the ecological (purple) Plexuses on the network of nerves in the human body and head that receive these vibrations are located respectively in the following areas (approximately): 1. Body - Lower stomach, reproductive organs Head - Back of head (pineal gland) 2. Body - Upper chest (thyroid) Head - Forehead 3. Body - Abdomen Head - Crown 4. Body - Arms, hands, legs, feet Head - Face 5. Body - Heart (thymus) Head - Inner eye (spot one inch back from between the eyes, Pituitary)
} } } } }
Red—Physical
Yellow—Intellectual
Blue—Spiritual
White—Psychic
Purple—Ecological, altruistic
III. Locating the Breath is obtained by having in your thoughts the part of the body you intend to work on. To understand and remember: Human, through conscious use of Will, breathes in the colour vibration, and at exhalation, charges body parts and nests. When done in this wilful and conscious manner, it is the basic part of MASTER EXERCISE.
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IV. Orbiting - Visualizing various ways of circulating your breath together and in combination with your blood circulation. EXERCISE 1. Work on creating Sun Breath—continue for half an hour. 2. Work on creating Moon Breath—continue for half an hour. 3. Sit in a comfortable position, work on creating Harmony Breath — continue for half an hour. Once you come to the stage where Harmony Breath is secured (it may take minutes or months), then—Sit comfortably with hands on your knees, fingers loosely apart, turning your face in the direction of the Sun or Magnetic north according to the time, whether it is day or night. Take a paper sheet 4' x 4' in size with a black dot in the middle the size of a penny, having painted the paper sheet the colour you want in order to work on the vibration. Place the paper on the wall opposite you at a comfortable distance, i.e., between four and six feet away. You should have five sheets of paper, one for each of the five colours selected by your guide. Relax. Keep on looking at the black dot with no tension on the eye muscles and practice master breath (7-2-7-2) in the case of Harmony Breath. When you are inhaling, fix your thoughts on the location of the nest which responds to the colour you are looking at, and send this colour to that nest in your thoughts with your breath. Stop, then exhale through the nostrils, stop, then inhale again, and continue. The breathing should always be exercised through the nostrils and mechanical movements of the abdominal muscles rather than through thoracic movements. The role of the breath in these exercises is not really to carry the vibration of the colour itself directly and physically to the respective nest. The breath is not the carrier of your intention to the nest. The actual carrier is the blood, which carries the content of the breath to the remotest parts of the body, to the very terminals of the capillary blood vessels. This becomes the technique of the process. The awareness of what is taking place in the process is intended to be carried to the nest. This awareness is acquired by being taught the teaching of Ahmsta Kebzeh, which exists as a result of age-old experiments that brought it to light, and which becomes known now by the student also as a result of his doing it and attaining, experientially, knowledge of it. This awareness is riding your breath. The breath is making the psychological connection to your intention of carrying awareness to your nests. When students of inner body exercises have mastered properly all the exercises given so far, and have understood and tuned in to the techniques 26
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in the principle of their working on made-up colours in the form of colour boards or papers, they are taken out by their guide to observe the colour that can be found in Nature, such as in the fields, in flower gardens, landscapes, sunsets and sunrises, forming sometimes breathtakingly impressive and awesome colour combinations. The student learns and trains himself for some time, inhaling the vibration of these colours as a whole as well as selectively. The benefit in the way of refinement of the individual human system by means of awakening the energy nests, will enable the system to cope with utterly difficult and complex phenomena in the subtleties of the Inner World of which the human is the very centre and core. The Universe cannot be complete without human participation. The manifestation of God cannot be clearly seen and grasped without human manifestation in it. And full human participation cannot be reached and exercised unless the communication of Human with God, the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power, is materialized and made complete by achieving successful meditation. Now, we come here to the very key point of the whole, great, big, colossal SECRET: Successful meditation cannot be practised unless the aspirant intellectually understands and is persuaded, convinced beyond any shadow of doubt of the truth of WHO HE IS. After having intellectually understood and persuaded the intellectual mind of the truth, it will be possible to practice meditation and obtain successful results from it, which will enable man to know experientially the truth instead of knowing about the truth. In other words, the aspirant will know first about who he is, secondly will be able to meditate, thirdly being able to meditate will make him know THE TRUTH OF WHO HE IS and meet his true SELF, which is nothing but the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power, namely God the Son. So we return here to the phenomenon of cause producing the effect and the effect producing the cause, this being a natural law, functioning exactly according and in line with the stream of nature in a sequential way. Once it is started, it continues on its own like a wheel started by an external agency from the top of the hill and put in motion downhill, accelerating unlimitedly by itself, not needing any extra efforts from without, dancing freely and joyfully parallel and in tune with the law of gravity.
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TRANSFORMATION OF HUMAN
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Processing of Human The work of transformation of human consists of processing the human, which starts from awakening it to its latent, dormant and slumbering mental faculties, and developing these to be activated to take part in daily life in order to bring the utmost possible abundance in living and to reach eternal consciousness for ever. This statement is something to be inculcated in the mind word by word, and known as such.
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n 1960 I was living in Turkey and working for the British Petroleum Company as Black Sea District Sales Manager. My headquarters was established on the Black Sea coast at the historical city of Trabazon, the four thousand year-old capital of the old Eastern Empire of Byzantium, also known as Pontus. My district covered the entire length of the eastern half of the Black Sea coastline of Turkey, with an average width of three hundred kilometres into the interior, and contained some fifteen provinces. I had to endure much travelling through this territory to keep in touch with the dealership network. On one of my field trips, I had to extend my way to a village deep into the coastal mountains, the home town of one of our dealers on the coast who had passed away. We had some business to settle with his estate in the village. It was one of the most beautiful areas of Turkey and the village was delightfully beautiful, rustic, romantic and very well kept and clean. I had my chauffeur and gas pump mechanic with me. We were welcomed by the dealer’s brother, introduced to the family and very warmly received. Shortly afterwards some prominent villagers also came to welcome and greet us, as is customary in those villages. While we were sitting, sipping our tea and exchanging some social conversation, I noticed against a wall in the spacious living room an exquisitely beautiful, stately and luxurious piece of furniture—a walnut cabinet, very deliberately spectacular. Since I am myself a carpenter and cabinet-maker by hobby, I sensed in it old-fashioned German craftsmanship. I also noticed that the whole thing looked really complete, so much so that it was hard to distinguish doors, drawers or any other type of moving and opening components. There was no kind of door or drawer knob visible. The whole thing looked like one massive, solid piece of furniture, meticulously ornamented and carved. 31
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I complimented our hosts on the beauty of the cabinet. I got up and approached it to observe it more closely and discovered some doors and dozens of what looked like small drawers on which, instead of knobs, some recesses were carved at the sides in order for one to hook a finger and pull. “What craftsmanship!”, I said. “Yes,” said our hostess. “One of our sons, who studied in Germany and who afterwards stayed there to work as a mechanical engineer at a Volkswagen factory, sent this cabinet as a gift last year. We use it as a china cabinet for our tea-sets. It doesn’t have as much space in it as one would expect looking at its size, but it really is beautiful.” She opened a few doors to show us the interior. It was really impressive—some six feet tall and more than six feet wide—and it certainly did not have enough space in it to justify its size. I turned to my pump mechanic, who was technically a very knowledgeable person, and said, “I wonder whether this thing is not a combination stereo, radio, tape, and record player as well as a cabinet.” My mechanic approached, examined here and there for some time and started opening a few little horizontal lids, pulling a few small drawers, and eventually pulled out a sizeable drawer. A colossal radio and stereo complex was exposed before our stupefied eyes. It operated on batteries and in a few minutes the whole room was filled with music in the presence of a dozen village folk laughing and applauding. Great hilarity was generated. These people had been using this magnificent machine only in its function as a cabinet for a year, unaware of its other, deeper and more significant uses which could put them in contact and communication with the rest of the world and expand the magnitude of their lives to much greater awareness and identity, bringing them one step further towards the abundance of life. As Master Jesus said: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly,” explaining that the only reason He came was to open the door to abundant life. He did not say that He came to save us from sin, from the torture of Hell, or from missing the chance to gain the reward of securing a place in Paradise. He did not from the top of a hill dangle a key to Paradise from His hand as a reward. He simply said He wanted us to have abundant life, life being infinite, without beginning, without end and without disruption in between. And this abundance means in every form: material, spiritual, and everything else imaginable, everything from the Kingdom of Good. Today, what most of us are doing is treating our selves, our vehicles, just like those village folks were treating their piece of furniture. We are developing and putting in function only a portion of our nature-given faculties and ignoring the greater rest, and yet we are struggling to cope with facts of life that are getting more complicated and complex with every pass32
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ing day. And in case we fail in our daily tasks, we call them hardships, difficulties, adversities of life while they are merely common facts of life. The reason we fail is that we tackle things with only a fraction of our strength and we leave the rest unused or disused; over the course of a lifetime our faculties atrophy until the time comes when they disappear and they are no more. Our task now is to restore these faculties. To put them to work in the positive battlefield of our daily life, daily life meaning the daily occurrences of every phase of our life, and further meaning life in Cosmic Mind, life in manifestation, the marrow of our father, life in the testes of our father, life in our mother’s womb, life at many stages throughout gestation, life after the first breath, life through all the hundreds of stages of earthly life, life after our last breath until our eternal settling is established in Cosmic Consciousness in the form of eternal consciousness and we become The Consciousness forever and ever and ever. The process of restoration I am talking about is the very thing that is called Transformation of Human in the traditional processing work of Ahmsta Kebzeh. The work of transformation may consist of many chapters. But I made up my mind to present it in one chapter including everything. I shall do it by analytically dividing it into parts related to each other from the functional point of view, after handling each one separately. I will then tie them together to reach the final elucidation where hopefully we shall be able to overcome the difficulty arising from the ineffable character of the topic. It should be clearly understood that the whole of the teaching, edification, education and training of Ahmsta Kebzeh is included in what we call Transformation of Human. So let me once again clarify from what to what we are transforming the human. It was explained in some detail what the problem is for us humans in tackling the daily facts of our lives in our present situation of mental potentiality. Our having refined and developed ourselves for many millennia through our education, edification and training systems, concentrating our care and gravity of importance on our intellectual department of mind, has caused us to fall short in the subtler department of mind. We developed a wrong assumption—that by refining our intellectual capacity of reasoning we would efficiently handle the smooth running of life on Earth. According to positive scientists like René Descartes, positive truth could be reached only by proper development of positive science through mathematical reasoning, which would then lead to true certainty. The idea that any endeavour outside of the intellectual mind (whose instrument is reason) is superstition, a baseless assumption and therefore a waste of time and effort, has led humanity to develop out of balance. All the concepts that were known as human virtues, such as courage, mercy, altruism, generosity, hospitality, justice, honesty, devotion, compassion, love and hope, fell into bankruptcy because they 33
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could not be proven or justified by reasoning. If we put such things to be tested in the crucible of reason, they would be proven to be just stupidities, unjustifiable wastes. But human virtues only gain value and prove justified when tested in Spirit, which is the subtler level of consciousness of the mind in what we call the subconscious or superconscious, and whose instrument is not reason but love. When you are asked why you are generous, or courageous, or hospitable or honest, you cannot answer the question by reason and make sense, but you can answer by saying: “I am this way because I love it.” This puts an end to the conversation. For Love has a sense in itself. It is a wholly different world of its own. In that world is a truth superbly free from dialectics or dialectical materialism: matter itself is Spirit (Spirit in the language of this teaching being an invisible form of energy such as electricity, such as Energy of Consciousness, which is able to produce tangible matter any time under favorable conditions according to the formula E = mc2). The work of transformation of the human consists of processing the human, which starts from awakening it to its latent, dormant, slumbering mental faculties, and developing these to be activated to take part in daily life in order to bring the utmost possible abundance in living and to reach eternal consciousness for ever. This statement is something to be inculcated in the mind word by word, and known as such. Now we come to how to produce this transformation and process it to this level of eternality. The work involved in achieving transformation can be exercised in three fields of means: I. Work concerning methodology. II. Work concerning operations. III. Work concerning the means or instruments to achieve these operations.
I. Work concerning methodology There are three steps of approach: 1. Careful Observation 2. Correct Interpretation 3. Practical Application 1. Careful Observation needs three things: Listening well, watching well, and thinking twice before you talk or act. When you watch television, more often than not you will notice that highly refined people, even from the best disciplined professions, do not 34
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know how to listen properly. Listening properly is a quality that can be considered the best indicator of education, up-bringing, intelligence, even of wisdom. Even though we all experience how frustrating it is to continue the dialogue and how paralyzing it is to have a constructive exchange of opinion when we meet an interlocutor who does not know how to listen, we still do not make it a strong point for ourselves to listen properly and make the effort to correct and discipline ourselves. It is hard to make sense of this! It seems there is a human weakness there, which is not a trivial one. That is why wise men in the Kebzeh tradition say that to transform one needs three things: the first is patience; the second is patience; the third is patience. The central point and interest of observation is first our ecology and next our person. Be still. Watch and listen quietly, attentively and patiently. Go inside yourself in thought and take a journey to every remote corner, visit your inner organs and inquire how they are doing, touch them by sending your breath there, caress them lovingly with your breath; in time, a silent inner language shall take shape and develop. Be patient, humble, loving, serene and relaxed, more particularly, be still and keep breathing consciously. To be able to develop in the process of transformation, the optimum means, facilities and conditions are: a. To have a true teacher of a valid and authentic unadulterated spiritual tradition. b. To have solid determination and dedication to the teaching. c. To have a community of brotherhood to share with. d. To have relentless perseverance without discontinuity. e. To be at peace with one’s ecology and oneself, free and emancipated from resistance. All these means and conditions will develop the knowledge and skill of Careful Observation. 2. Correct Interpretation will develop during sohbets, which are scheduled gatherings of aspirants with their teacher during which seminar-like dialogues will be exercised. Questions will be aroused, tackled and answers will be reached as a result of communal discussions and analytical approaches under the guidance of the teacher. Leading a sohbet (friendly and spiritual conversation with a purpose) is a fine art. The teacher-to-be must be trained in the art to manifest progress in it. The degree of efficiency of the teacher will also be stimulated and energized to lead to progress by the intensity of the aspirants’ participation. One important element to be grasped finely here is the effect of synergy generated by the unanimity of purpose and concentration around this purpose by the participants. Certainly, without this synergy it is extremely difficult if not impossible to experience awakening and advancement in progress. 35
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3. Practical Application is putting into action everything developed through Observation and Interpretation in the field of living. In other words, it is a work of doing. Only knowing about it, is not a process; knowing it should be attained by doing it, so that eventually the seeker reaches the level of being it. Any processal work involves doing and can be learned by doing; knowing about something gives only theoretical knowledge. For example, acquiring all the meticulous knowledge about boxing may make a person a boxing referee, but not a boxer. The purpose of transformation is not only being a transformed human and watching life with the wisdom of a transformed person, but living life in the field of it as a transformed person. Not to be a referee of boxing or figure-skating or swimming, but to be a boxer, figure skater, a swimmer in the challenging acts of daily life from moment to moment and in every moment. These last three paragraphs, 1) Careful observation, 2) Correct interpretation and 3) Practical application, cover the main line of methodology in the framework of which all the teaching, edification and training of the human are handled. Now we will look at the operations followed within this methodological framework concerning how a teacher treats a student who presents himself at his own request, volition and goodwill as an aspirant for transformation.
II. Work Concerning Operations Let us take a case where an aspirant approaches an Ahmsta Kebzeh master as an applicant for training in the tradition, and describe a scenario of sequences of operations. First of all, from the historical characteristics of the teaching we should understand that this is a hypothetical set-up fitting only our contemporary conditions. It is the way we are trying to operate today in order to open the teaching of Kebzeh to every individual who desires to learn it. This is because humanity needs to learn it in order to serve the wellbeing of this planet, our home, to save it from destruction and enable us to live the earthly sojourn of life abundantly, wholistically, exercising fully the faculties of Homo Sapiens—bodily, mentally and spiritually. Historically, the Ahmsta level of Kebzeh was extended to a particular group of people who came from the ruling class, considering that as a rule those people would be pliant to receive it genetically, being predisposed to it. Mendelian genetic laws, which are well accepted in biology today, were well known in antiquity and taken as inevitable facts of truth. Now we are in a totally different era. The level of education of the general public is much higher, the attainment of the intellectual mind nearly exhausted, but at the expense of the greatly neglected spiritual mind. Humanity needs to be helped to catch up with its Spiritual mind. 36
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So if a seeker approaches a Kebzeh master seeking enlightenment, the first thing this master shall search for, is whether this applicant is a promising student of Kebzeh. For that he will apply the work concerning methodology. It means he will observe carefully, interpret the signs correctly and apply practically. Supposing that the interpretation of the observation is positive and the applicant is accepted, before the applicant is put under factual training he will go through a preparation for training period. This is done in four consecutive steps, which are: 1. Discovering the conditioning to which the student has been subjected and is presently in. He might have gone through a teaching of some other spiritual traditions; he might have been brainwashed by some fundamentalist, fanatical religious inculcations, or might have incurred some indelible beliefs, blocking his emancipation. He might also be filled with a load of negativity such as fear, doubt, sense of guilt, rebellion, resentment, superstitions. All these discoveries that the master will make are called the conditions of the subject. This means the subject is conditioned. 2. After this step comes what is called deconditioning of the subject, which means freeing the subject from negative conditioning and making him, without any conditioning, free to receive new conditioning. 3. This new conditioning, which means conditioning the prospective student with a positive load, is called reconditioning of the subject. This will consist of educating him in the teaching and will form the main body of learning. 4. The next step is called unconditioning of the subject. Unconditioning here means making the subject unconditionally free, which has to be understood as making things right without subjecting him to any conditions—his doing things, his understanding things, becoming spontaneously right without his paying deliberate attention to them. Let me illustrate all these four steps of operation with the simple story of a seven-year-old boy. The boy’s dream is to play the violin. He works as a newspaper delivery boy for a year, saves all the money he makes, adds to it what his father gives him. He further adds to it what his mother, his uncles and his aunts give to him and he buys a violin. He is a very talented boy and his dedication and desire are very strong; in a period of a year, he makes remarkable progress. His performance is very well received by friends and relatives, and meets great encouragement by everybody who has a chance to listen to him. Upon the suggestion and support of all those around him, he decides to 37
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further improve his talent as an accomplished musician, and seeks the tutorship of a good teacher. After having sought for some time, he finds one and tells him his story. The teacher finds out that the boy is very serious in his decision. He grants him an audience and discovers that the boy has talent; he receives him under his care. The teacher notices that the position of the boy’s body in every aspect of handling the violin is conditioned in a way that is totally at odds with the established discipline of handling a violin. His posture is humpy and lacks elegance. His holding of the bow, the position of his wrist and fingers on the strings, his chin on the instrument, are all badly placed and not part of the established ways of violinists. All these things need to be changed; his conditioning has to be deconditioned, given up, forgotten and replaced by new conditioning, every single position having to be reconditioned. The teacher settles himself on the task of reconditioning at the same time as he continues to teach music. The boy being earnestly determined to put all his efforts into mobilizing all his skills and ability, puts all his attention and attentiveness to work. At the beginning it is very difficult to get rid of the bad habits established over several years. To be able to do it he has to use all his intellectual control. The endeavour is deliberate, like pushing a cart uphill. The old habits pull back; every once in a while the hands, the fingers, the posture, go back to the wrong position, but the deliberate attention interferes and the boy corrects them. Many, many repetitious, deliberate efforts eventually help new habits to settle and replace the old ones. The deliberate attention gradually starts becoming less necessary. The attention starts to become spontaneous; actualized without effort it becomes natural and the new conditioning imposed by the teacher ceases to be conditioning and becomes spontaneous natural performance. The boy comes to the point of being an unconditional performer. The cycle of being 1) conditioned, 2) deconditioned, 3) reconditioned, and 4) unconditioned is realized. As this example illustrates, the education, edification and training in spiritual tradition develops very much according to a similar principle and system, the only difference being that the student develops to perform with his human vehicle abundantly in the arena of earthly life instead of with his violin in the arena of music. Within the scope of operations, the way a teacher will function may be expressed on the Chart of Transformation (Figure 3, page 42). This Chart is a schematic exposition of ascension in the subtle levels of mind from coarse to subtle, the coarse representing the Physical Body Energy 38
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of Consciousness, and the subtle representing Spiritual Body Consciousness. The means or instruments to be used and taken advantage of to handle this spiritual journey will be the topic of item III.
III. Work concerning the means or instruments to achieve these operations According to the nature of the Creation, certain natural laws govern the functioning mechanism of life on the earthly plane. By understanding and cultivating the characteristics of these laws, the manifestation of LIFE can be enhanced and directed into development of greater and more abundant expression, and enjoyment of innately available potential gifts can be further activated. These natural laws can be summed up and expressed as follows, in 13 aspects: 1) The Law of Cause-effect and Effect-cause 2) The Phenomenon of Cumulative Effect (a game of memory buildup) 3) The art of speaking to the conscience (God within, Marjah) to obtain its judgment and grace. Prayer. 4) Hereditary endowments (Mendel’s genetic laws), Immaculate Conception (essence, personality) 5) Elimination of the Psychological Toxins, clearing the mind from resentment and all kinds of negativity 6) Contentment (Kanaat) 7) Sexual Energy 8) Inner body exercises and the art of breathing, resonance 9) Meditation 10) Further on Meditation 11) Self-suggestion, Visualization 12) Contemplation 13) Further on Contemplation, plugging into the Universal Power Plant. The nature of these laws, the principles of their functioning, shall be worked on in separate and specific chapters and explained in detail. I had intended to present everything on transformation in one chapter, but now I feel that I should rather make separate chapters so that the following chapters become items of reference while reading Chapter IV. Presently I would like to handle their application and effects on human life in the work of many chapters following Chapter IV. If we take as a roadmap our schematic Figure 3 on page 42, and follow step by step the process of ascension from the coarser vibration of subtleties of mind to the 39
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subtler vibrations of subtleties of mind, at each step forward we shall come a little closer to seeing more clearly the mysteries of life. So far the reader must have experienced many forwards and backwards movements in tackling our topics, and there will be many more of these to-and-fro movements. Repetitions of approach will be presented in the attempt to reach elucidation of various disclosures every time some fresh grasp takes place, enabling the reader to see more clearly. At the beginning of the third chapter, I had begun by saying, “The human entity functions five-fold simultaneously and spontaneously and when it does, there is nothing hidden in the Universe which will not be revealed to it as it advances.” And I had continued by giving a brief and superficial explanation. Now I have returned to saying more or less the same thing in a more detailed way. The five-fold human functions I had given in Chapter III were: Physical, Intellectual, Spiritual, Psychic and Ecological, and I had said that when they function simultaneously and spontaneously these functions will bestow upon the human a wholistic existence that will constitute the sixth function, the Cosmic. On the Chart in Figure 3 this development is being apprehended in more detail and is thereby bringing further clarification to the teaching. At the same time, the extension of five-fold function into the Cosmic level beyond the ecological is revealed. A glimpse of what is going to happen is showing itself just a trace. If our physical consciousness is the means that puts us in contact with our physical environment and grants us the awareness of it, so our Ecological, Global, Universal, and God consciousness shall grant us the awareness of Ecological, Global, Universal and divine spheres and put us in contact with them. Further on we shall see how. As it was explained to some extent in Chapter I, under the subdivisions God, Creation and Human, here we shall continue our elucidation of how we can enhance the evolution of human consciousness further and further on the wholistic scale of consciousness and make of the human an accomplished heir of the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power, enabling him to live his life abundantly and triumphantly here below and to tangibly taste the eternality of life forever. Let us examine the Chart in Figure 3 on page 42. The ascending line represents the work exercised for the betterment of human in functioning in higher subtleties of mind, and the horizontal lines represent the states of attainment. The ascending line is supposed to be a straight, vertical line, but it is not. It has a kink somewhere at point 6. Soon we shall see why. The horizontal lines are many, namely ten in number, and two of them are longer than the rest. They are at numbers 6 and 10. The one at number 10 is far longer than the other; that indicates the level and platform where Christ Body Consciousness is reached and exercised. This horizontal line and the up and down line that is supposed to be straight and vertical represent the Cross. 40
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I am building this Chart on the symbol of the Cross, to which it can be associated in its purpose, meaning, functions and concepts; it may reveal in a simplified and clarified way the process of transformation of human, and help the reader to grasp the understanding of it more easily. A Human Being transformed into higher levels of Energy of Consciousness differs from an untransformed human, just as a cultivated garden rose differs from a wild prairie rose and carries the completing work done by the gardener on the essence of the wild rose. There are two ascending lines shown in this figure. The one at the extreme left is marked with a succession of small arrows to illustrate the ‘Way to Eternal Life’, on which ten Abodes of Attainment are located in a hierarchic order and correspond to ten levels of transformation of various bodies of Energy of Consciousness. The other line is approximately in the middle of the figure and is marked by a solid line with a kink at the sixth level, after which point it straightens up in a vertical line. On this line each level, which corresponds to one nest of functions in the human nervous system together with the ramifications that develop from it, is expressed as Energy of Consciousness manifesting vibrations determined in a length of wave peculiar to that form of Energy of Consciousness, and increases in terms of subtleties as it goes up, increasing in terms of frequencies of vibration and therefore decreasing in terms of wavelength. This can be played with and manipulated through some inner body exercises developed in the teaching as a result of age-old experiences, and transformation from one level to the other can be made possible. This exercise can be likened to physical exercises applied to the muscular system to develop better, more functional, efficient and resilient muscles within the branch of sports we call gymnastics; however in this specific case it is applied to the human nervous system, the reflector of the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power, to enhance further its ability to reflect that Spirit at a stronger level to which there is no limit. Even in gymnastic events, we witness some performances that look like miracles. And these performances belong only to the coarsest levels of vibration of the Energy of Consciousness, that is, the Physical Body Energy of Consciousness. How much more miraculous results might we expect to reach at a much higher level of Energy of Consciousness, and furthermore, how amazingly great it might be when it takes place at the infinite level of consciousness to which we are entitled as our divine destination as humans, still remains for us to comprehend. Life on Earth as a living entity starts for a human with its first breath with Physical Body Energy of Consciousness, or in short, physical consciousness. It is shown at Level 1 on the Chart. Together with this consciousness its awareness of its physical environment starts, manifesting first at a very primitive stage, nearly plant-like. In a short time it progresses, 41
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Yearning - motivated
Human Completion
Completing
Figure 3 Chart of Transformation of Human (Ascension in the Subtleties of Mind) by Murat Yagan
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Footnote to Chart in Figure 3 Natural laws and ways instrumental in the process of transformation: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) 13)
The Law of Cause-effect and Effect-cause The Phenomenon of Cumulative Effect (a game of memory build-up) The art of speaking to the conscience (God within, Marjah) to receive its judgment and grace: Prayer Hereditary endowments (Mendel’s genetic laws). Immaculate Conception (essencepersonality). Grace and Baraka (light) Elimination of Psychological Toxins, clearing the mind from resentment Contentment (Kanaat) Sexual energy, doing love to develop the synergy of Community, and tasting the joy of making decisions by consensus Inner body exercises and the art of breathing, resonance Meditation Further on Meditation Self-suggestion, Visualization, Master Desire Contemplation Further on Contemplation, plugging into the Universal Power Plant: (healing, freedom from time and space, dying before one dies, contact with the timeless and spaceless, Communion with Omnipotence, Omnipresence, Omniscience)
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showing more signs of participation in dealing with whatever surrounds it, and establishes various forms of connection with its environment at the same time that it develops bodily. This we call growing. As the physical body grows, the consciousness grows; as consciousness grows awareness and familiarity with the relationship to the environment—in other words the ecology—takes shape and Intellectual Consciousness begins developing. Together with the start of Intellectual Consciousness, intellectual awareness begins and with it the awareness of birthright in the form of recognition of the mother and infatuation with her; the new-born as it goes through increasing Intellectual Consciousness develops the same awareness for the father and immediate and permanent members of the family as well as frequent visitors. At this level a sense of belonging to a greater sense of connection and interdependence and therefore gregariousness sets in. Before intellect starts deviating from its function of securing the survival of the individual into its own survival, and from there to self-righteousness and further to ego, love starts manifesting and keeps developing, at times in fierce confrontation with ego. The first development of love manifests itself directed towards the mother and then to the father. The young child, together with love for the father, starts developing admiration for him and this in turn creates a sense of worshipful attitude. The child, if he is a male child, develops a vision of the father as a model to imitate, or in the case of a female child her admiration for the father keeps growing. Although natural growth of consciousness is aiming towards wholeness in the hierarchic levels of subtleties of consciousness, because our educational system has for so long been focussed on intellect we have been through an experience of blockage at this level of the Chart of Transformation, and our development and growth in spiritual consciousness have been impeded. This blockage became the main problem: We risk losing our identity as human. Furthermore, besides that impediment, when in the process of the development of Intellectual Consciousness the awareness of birthright starts, the intellect begins to develop self-righteousness and gives birth to its illegitimate child, ego, which starts exercising a pull towards itself on the vertical line of the cross, the line of ascension in the subtleties of mind, and tries to stop the upward journey in the ascension. At that specific stage, ego produces the kink on the ascension line and keeps producing it, while despite the ego’s pull, the individual stamina achieves the ascension until it reaches Psychic Body Consciousness at point 6. Here ego is tamed by love and becomes a friendly rather than antagonistic energy, and the ascension resumes in a vertical journey towards Ecological Body Consciousness, which in turn causes altruistic spontaneity in the reflection of Cosmic Energy in the human system, and the individual becomes a seeker of higher attainment. I would like to reiterate a point here once again, like the chorus of a 44
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song, although it was explained in detail in previous chapters, because it is so important and so necessary as a result of religious jargon inculcated in our minds concerning the teachings on God and Its creation. This is that the whole phenomenon of God and Its creation is an electromagnetic and electro-biochemical phenomenon and that It works and unfolds exactly according to the natural laws and phenomena of the sciences of physics and chemistry in all levels of the developments recorded so far in human research during human life on this planet Earth, the ‘Blue Pearl of the Universe’, the Garden of Eden or whatever we like to call it. So I am repeating briefly, “God is a universal Energy, electromagnetic by nature and consciousness by kind. Like any kind of energy under favorable conditions, It engenders matter naturally as a result of its ‘ISNESS’ and cannot help it. The matter generated from this energy keeps its contact with this energy, this energy being incarnated in it and matter being a part of this energy in a relationship that is electro-biochemical in essence, and all the exchanges constituting the functions of LIFE take place and continue taking place according to the laws of Nature as studied, explained and deciphered in the sciences of physics and chemistry.” The administration and application of Ahmsta Kebzeh in processing the human vehicle through its transformation into being a better reflector of Cosmic Energy are made possible by understanding its relationship to this energy as put forward in this short repetition of the essentials of Ahmsta Kebzeh. It should be grasped as such; there is nothing complicated and mysterious about it. Simple. I say simple, but I do not say easy. As I had enumerated earlier in this chapter, in Section III entitled, “Work concerning the means or instruments to achieve these operations,” the 13 natural laws of creation are the means to apply in this journey of ascension in transforming the human entity. To be able to apply and make instrumental these laws in this operation, the human vehicle has to be prepared and made pliant to comply with these natural laws, by work performed on it through what are called inner body exercises, mentioned and explained in Chapter III. The inner body exercises that are meant to increase the sensitivity of the five nests in the human nervous system, commanding the five functions mentioned in Chapter III, absolutely need to be developed in order to obtain prompt answers from those nests in the operations of transformation of the human. If a human began tackling these exercises of ascension in the levels of subtleties in mental work, namely in the human transformation process, without first having mastered the inner body exercises, the progress in transformation would be very, very slow if not impossible. As I said, at every level of consciousness the human entity develops an awareness of the corresponding station or abode of mind. This awareness 45
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can be enhanced and further developed if the necessary attentiveness is granted to it, or it can be ignored and as a result gets lost in the oblivion of memory and remains latent, in which case the individual lives his life in its earthly sojourn ignorant of the awareness engendered by its corresponding level of consciousness, as if it had never existed at all. The life of such an individual shall be far from being abundant; he will receive as his share from the abundance of life only to the degree he can manifest it. Here we can understand clearly what many wise men in human history have stated, and more particularly and clearly what Jesus meant when He said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10). In our time we see very clearly the manifestation of such development of consciousness in our Physical, Intellectual and Emotional levels of Energy of Consciousness. This is the result of long-established educational systems based on these levels of Energy of Consciousness at the expense of and with disregard for the succeeding subtler levels of consciousness, which fact has not given the mind a chance to develop in its wholeness. And Ahmsta Kebzeh says, “Nothing is complete unless whole.” I had mentioned to some extent earlier how a new-born human starts life on Earth. Physical Body Energy of Consciousness manifests itself at the earthly level as an electro-biochemical entity and functions in a close relationship to and governed by the electromagnetic power of the Universe, just like any electrical device plugged into the circuit of a power plant, but in this particular case with a wireless connection, a concept to which we would not have any difficulty to be receptive in our age of development of scientific knowledge. Our Physical Body Energy of Consciousness, being the energy by whose function we handle our physical, namely, anatomical, physiological, metabolic and vital functions and existence, works under the control of our conscious and subconscious faculty, or, in other words, under sympathetic and parasympathetic control. We do not have a choice to attend or not to attend to it. It will function as an imperative necessity of our survival in varying levels of attention, sophistication and style, but it certainly will function, be it well, in a mediocre way, or badly. For the third and fourth levels—Intellectual and Emotional—we can say the same things. But after the fourth level, when our journey moves in the direction of Spirit,* deliberate attention becomes necessary for our enhancement. If active and deliberate attention is lacking, the manifestation and the development of the corresponding consciousness are doomed to fade away, ____ * In the context of Kebzeh the word Spirit means any invisible form of energy, e.g. God, Love, electricity, any form of pep, etc. 46
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to be buried in oblivion and ultimately to atrophy. Concerning these first four levels of Energy of Consciousness, we have what we call our systems of education, edification, training, apprenticeship and learning from experience in life, to prepare ourselves for higher levels of ability to cope with the daily facts of life in the endeavour to reach higher achievements in living more abundantly. We have our highly sophisticated institutions such as schools, universities, courses and so on, but beyond that fourth level we are very vaguely provided for, very vaguely indeed. It is a fact that we have great numbers of seekers filling our fields and streets. We call them eclectic seekers, but we do not have any established system of raising them to the ability of using human mind in its fullness and wholeness such as Homo Sapiens is naturally endowed with. There are all kinds of academic courses an aspirant can take in our educational institutions, such as theology, theosophy, philosophy, psychology, and an infinite number of ramifications of these. But instead of having their practical applications to life, we keep accumulating knowledge that can be used again for teaching other people who are also interested in those subjects, but only as subject matter. The institution called religion was meant to fill this gap, but over time it has lost its function as a result of being handled by incompetent teachers. Now it is completely bankrupt and has lost ground. Today new institutional systems are needed, to be developed and established under the light of new positive science and mystical attainment, which is the light that gains ground in our time. This we call the New Age. The aim of these new educational systems will be to elevate the human to the wholeness of its mental power in all its fullness, to handle triumphantly the increasingly complicated and complex modern facts of daily life. In previous chapters we touched on these subjects and their impact on global life, together with the fact that they generated a low vibration of life which has carried on to our present time. Referring back to our work and the explanation on the Chart of Transformation of Human in Figure 3, I shall resume where I left off. Whatever was said about the levels of consciousness up to point 4 on the Chart, takes place at the following levels in a very similar manner. And each level can be further enhanced and activated by means of spiritual exercises which function in a very similar way to the physical exercises applied to the physical systems. The only difference is that spiritual exercises are applied to the human nervous system whereas physical exercises are applied to the human muscular system; at the same time all systems are interrelated and overlap with each other to a greater or lesser extent, depending on each case. What is said in this paragraph so far may not seem very clear—it could even appear somewhat confusing. But further on, it shall gain clarity and therefore simplicity as we get involved more deeply in the teaching. So do not panic. 47
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Life or Creation is engendered by ever-existing Cosmic Energy which is electromagnetic by nature and consciousness by kind, according to the formula E = mc2, which is expressed simply by: Energy equals matter and matter equals energy. Or, energy produces matter and matter produces energy. Or again, energy is matter or matter is energy. These are phrases frequently used when studying physics—scientifically common phrases. Matter contains in it the energy from which it is engendered; in other words, whatever kind of energy has engendered matter, that kind of energy is contained in that matter. So, in these ten levels of bodies, the indwelling energy is in the kind of consciousness; each energy has a vibration peculiar to the body to which it belongs. By producing the vibration of any Body Energy of Consciousness one can make a connection with that energy by resonating with it, and can establish unison with it. What in physics is called resonance and in music unison, is called communion in the spiritual field of work. When we talk about “Communication with higher intelligence,” that is all we are talking about, and as we ascend in subtleties of consciousness, we advance in transformation to our Higher Selves. We develop in subtleties as we vibrate our Energy of Consciousness at the level we are at, at the time of the attempt, in resonance with the Energy of Consciousness we aim to reach, and by this resonance we vivify it and keep activating it by resonating until we become ready to move up to the next level. The spiritual exercises that are applied to achieve this journey on the levels of transformation are based on the 13 natural laws, given on page 39, applied to the human vehicle in a particular way designed by the tradition in the form of exercises. I shall explain on the Chart the steps which are followed to materialize transformation, indicating instances where these instrumental laws are applied. When it comes to the description, explanation and presentation of the laws and exercises that compose these steps, I shall dedicate a whole chapter or section to each of them immediately following this chapter. As a result of this method of presentation, the following 13 chapters should be referred to occasionally as needed while reading this fourth chapter on Transformation. Back to the Chart again. When life on Earth starts by birth from the mother’s womb, Physical Body Energy of Consciousness begins, and the new-born baby starts its awareness with physical existence. The energy of the physical body is consciousness by kind, because the Cosmic Energy that created it, is in that consciousness by kind. The plexus of a nerve centre in the human nervous system, which we call a ‘nest of physical function’, as given in Chapter III, vibrates in resonance with physical function. Therefore when physical function is activated by the necessity of living, this nest is activated by resonance 48
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with it, and when this nest is activated, physical function is activated by resonance with it in return, and this reciprocal function continues reverberating throughout the baby’s entire earthly life. AND THIS IS AN ELECTROMAGNETIC PHENOMENON, THE SOURCE OF WHICH IS THE UNIVERSAL ELECTROMAGNETIC POWER PLANT. The whole of Life is a continuous exchange of vibrations of myriad kinds of energies resonating with each other without ceasing. In short, LIFE IS A SUCCESSION OF RESONANCES. Or, more briefly still: LIFE IS RESONANCE. The transformation of human within the first four levels of consciousness, namely Physical, Instinctive, Intellectual and Emotional, follows approximately the same pattern of development. These four levels of growth happen as a natural course of material existence. Once born, the individual cannot help growing, developing and as a result of this growth is urged to meet the necessities and facts of life and develop the ability to survive them. The demands of daily life at growing levels, force the individual to develop and enhance his skills to provide his share from the providential resources of his environment. The intellect, whose role is mainly to equip the individual with the necessary skills to tackle survival triumphantly, is resonated by the vibration of Will and develops better ways of reasoning which in turn enhance the intellect. When body and intellect develop sufficiently to earn a living in order to secure what is necessary, then wanting more and better than just necessary turns the individual’s attention to the field of life and he starts to seek. At this point yearning for an unknown better starts taking shape, and the motivation of the individual changes from the urgency of necessity to yearning for better. At this point, sloth enters the picture. Sloth is an urge to get more for less. With the formation of sloth the intellect starts developing self-righteousness and tries to justify ways of getting more for less, and this gives way to the development of ego. In Kebzeh teaching ego is considered to be the personified manifestation of Satan; actually, it is Satan. Individual betterment in developing stronger Energy of Consciousness— in other words, reflecting better the Nature-given faculties of Energy of Consciousness within the limits of the first four levels—is motivated by necessity of life. In the long life of the human on this planet the development within this platform was achieved quite well, but sloth, ego and lack of edification generated serious impediments on this platform, and continuing in the higher journey became very, very slow. When the direction of the journey is enhanced upward to point 5 as a result of intense yearning—for one reason, i.e. grace and baraka (light) or another, as we shall see in the following chapters—some aspirants may manage to reach Level 5. Yearning will be supported by Will, and if at this point the aspirant makes it his earnest business and meets the grace of discovering a true lightholder of a valid teaching, has a chance of finding a 49
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community of like-minded fellowship, and himself exercises the proper perseverance, dedication and stamina, he shall make the trip all the way up and back down to restore whatever he had missed before. The motivating agency after Level 4 is HUMAN YEARNING, like a hereditary prince claiming his birthright. For millennia of human life on Earth, all these hurdles in the way of making the human journey, which is granted by Providence to HUMAN only, were not surmounted by most humans, and we are therefore living in the misery of life on Earth that we created for ourselves. This is a fact well known to all of us and consequently I shall not dwell on it. I shall handle only the case of some rare human beings who are hereditary princes and princesses from the Royal Family of the Kingdom of God and follow up their journey to their birthright. When a human steps on point 5 as a result of yearning for an unknown better, he finds himself with the realization of what he had missed in his life. His intellectual self-righteousness fades away, his ego softens down and finds itself in a sweet sense of humbleness and he tastes the pleasure of discovering his interdependence with his fellow men and dependence on God. At the far left corner of the Chart’s vertical line the Abode of Peace with its ecology becomes his dwelling, and from there without any hustle he moves to the Abodes of Salvation and Justification. His doubts in the area of absolute Truth and the hundreds of questions swarming in his mind like disturbing mosquito clouds, lead him to seek answers to these unknowns and he will start to seek and seek and seek. Depending on the intensity of the Energy of Consciousness he is manifesting and the vibration emanated into the electromagnetic network of the Universe (similar to radio broadcasting), a strange inexplicable series of coincidences shall happen in his life, and as a result of these a teacher will appear and a fellowship group will present itself. At this point of the venture, to accurately determine the authenticity of the teacher and the validity of the teaching is at least fifty percent a matter of luck. Nobody can help the seeker in the crucible of this corridor other than he himself. The only hint that can be given to the seeker is: Observe carefully, interpret accurately, and apply practically. This is one of the ordeals to traverse. It was the fate of all seekers, even the disciples of Jesus. When they asked the question of Jesus, he said: “By their fruits ye shall know them.” When the seeker is under the guidance of a teacher and support of a fellowship he shall be guided to Level 6, Psychic Consciousness, where he will be relieved from the hostile influence of ego. Ego shall be transformed into a strong, friendly energy. The seeker will enjoy the freedom reached by knowing the Truth; he shall be born again to a new life. As a result of the realization of belonging to a whole, the pettiness of individuality shall be transformed into the greatness of communality. The seeker will realize that 50
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any good that may happen to him may come only from a good that happened to the community. The vibration of altruistic consciousness will command the attitude of the seeker and he shall enter into Ecological Energy of Consciousness and the Abode of Sanctification. Matured at this abode, he will exercise the vibration of Level 7. At this point the seeker shall start vibrating with the energy of the Abode of Completing, which will constitute the springboard to journeying into acquiring the attributes of Creative Power, and he shall step on Level 8—Global Energy of Consciousness—and be One (at-one-ment) with the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power. His realization of his responsibility of being a steward to complete the work of the Creative Energy shall be further consolidated, and this in its turn will lead to Universal Energy of Consciousness at Level 9 and to the Abode of Human Completion (John 4:34). After that point the seeker is on his own, freed from the teacher and on his way to Level 10, Christ Body Energy of Consciousness. After having reached Level 5 in the Chart, it is not possible to advance without guidance by a lightholder. When a lightholder is found and if this lightholder is from the Kebzeh tradition, he will assign and apply the properly chosen exercises based on the 13 natural Universal Laws instrumental in the process of transformation of human as explained and expressed in the following 13 chapters. I had to cover them under separate independent chapters because it is up to the teacher to determine which one should be applied to each individual student and when. It is not possible to establish a stereotyped program, good for everybody. As I said previously in this chapter, the reading of the chapter will only indicate in broad lines what the whole thing is about. Each person is an individual problem; to solve it requires the use of a specific and particular set of instruments. If we have a book of mathematics in hand, by learning by heart all the theorems written and explained in it we cannot solve the problems. That needs a special experience and expertise. On the other hand, if the teacher reached is not from the Kebzeh tradition he will treat the applicant in a way specific to his tradition, which might be totally different but might very well be quite valid and efficient. But here I have only the Ahmsta Kebzeh way to pass on, and I do not know any other. While reading Chapter IV and the following 15 chapters, please keep in close touch with schematic Figures 3 and 4, trying to imprint a photographic memory of them in your mind. Figures 3 and 4 are respectively on pages 42 and 52.
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Figure 4. Claiming Your Birthright
Concept by Pamela Rose (with thanks to Murat Yagan) September 27, 1992. Revised October 27, 1998
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The Law of Cause-Effect and Effect-Cause LOVE is the result of RESONANCE of the vibration of BEAUTY on the THYMUS and PITUITARY plexuses in the human nervous system.
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s I explained in Chapter III, the main key to the transformation of human into the higher manifestations of consciousness is the natural law of cause and effect, which is expressed as:
Produce the causes and the effects will follow. This is one phase of the law; the other phase works in reverse order: Produce the effects and the causes will follow. By applying this law of Nature to the human entity, the human can be enhanced to higher levels of consciousness. The indicators of human entity are expressed as four ‘I’s: ‘I am’; ‘I think’; ‘I feel’; ‘I will.’ ‘I am’ indicates the soul; I think, I feel, I will indicate the attributes. The soul is unchangeable in ESSENCE. The soul is the Eternal Spirit of Creative Energy out of which matter forming the physical body of human is made, according to the natural law of creation of matter from any form of energy as expressed by Einstein’s formula: E = mc2. This energy makes a part of the body it produces, as long as it exists on the physical plane. To understand the character of soul we can refer to an illustration. If we consider the ore of any precious or ordinary metal, this ore is found in Nature incorporated in a mass of earth or stony formation and has a certain quality that is peculiar to the spot from which it is extracted. This quality is expressed in a particular way, using the word carat, such as 12 carat, 14 carat, 18 carat and so on in the case of gold, indicating the quality of gold found at that particular location, the purest being expressed as 24 carat. This expresses the unchangeable quality of gold found at that spot. All the cleaning, purification and refinement that will be performed on it shall liberate it from foreign ingredients in order to single out the ore in its pure 12, 14, 18 or 24 carat quality, which is its essential quality. The better the refining exercised on the ore, the closer it will come to its purest stage, giving it its quality of however much carat was determined beforehand, namely 12, 14, 18 or 24 carat. The refining will never make any ore sur53
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pass its determined quality of carat, and its highest achievement shall be to reach its predetermined level of carat; in the case of poor refining it could be lower, but never higher. Going back to the case of the soul, which corresponds here to the ore in our illustrative example, the soul being the Eternal Spirit of Creative Energy has all the qualities of creative power and will manifest these qualities to the extent that the quality of the vehicle which bears it is able to support it. The refinement operation in question in the case of a human is therefore on the human vehicle that bears the soul. In fact, a human is a soul and has a body. The soul, which is a vibration of an invisible energy, the creative energy, resides in the nervous system of the human body and constitutes the energy that makes the human body alive. The better maintained, the more healthy, pure, clean, and clear the nervous system is kept, the better the essence of the soul will be manifested, up to the level of the quality of this essence. On the other hand, the essence may also be further developed, refined, enhanced and intensified and be carried from generation to generation, so that every time a new generation is born the soul will appear of a better quality in essence until it reaches the level of immaculate conception in essence and shall acquire the quality of ABSOLUTE Energy. This refining operation of the human body, taking place in its greatest concentration in the nervous system and sustained by the rest of the functions of the body, results in what is called “transformation of human”. The applications of many Nature-given laws are instrumental in this operation, and one of them is known as the Law of Cause and Effect. Let us go into some detail on this Law of Cause and Effect by presenting it in steps. Step l: Produce the causes, the effects will follow. Step 2: Produce the effects, the causes will follow. Step 3: ‘I am’ is the soul, unchangeable Energy of Cosmic Consciousness, the creative energy—omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient—from which all creation emanates, and ‘I think’, ‘I feel’, ‘I will’ are the attributes which all together, incorporating with the soul and bearing and sustaining it, make the entity of human. By improving the attributes, the soul is better sustained and uplifted, thereby manifesting and exercising its functions better. Because the soul is perfect, there is no limit to its manifestations parallel to the improvement of the attributes. In order to improve, those attributes need to be refined through education, edification and training. The kind of energy that is the cause of the vibration of consciousness moving from the coarser level of Intellect to the subtler level of Spirit and 54
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then to Psyche, is the vibration of LOVE, as we saw in Chapter IV, when we were explaining transformation on the Chart in Figure 3. Now, precisely what is love? The definition of love in Kebzeh tradition is as follows: “LOVE is the result of RESONANCE of the vibration of BEAUTY on the THYMUS and PITUITARY plexuses in the nervous system.” (Refer to Figure 2 and Figure 8.) When love is manifested in the human system, it will cause the following effects around the subject (human): Patience, kindness, generosity, humbleness, courtesy, altruism, goodtemper, guilelessness, sincerity, endurance, forgiveness, courage. These are the twelve human virtues which constitute the spectrum of love; wherever these twelve virtues reign, there will love be. So if we go back to follow the sequence again, if in any environment there is beauty reflecting love in the human nervous system, there there will be present those human virtues that constitute the spectrum of love in effect. And if in any environment those human virtues are practised, there will love be created, and when love is created, then love will again create those virtues, and so on, escalating in a chain phenomenon. As the upward journey towards ascension in subtleties of mind from Intellectual to Psyche is motivated by love, the human on this journey shall move up in subtler and subtler consciousness continuously without end, because the journey is infinite.
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CHAPTER VI
The Phenomenon of Cumulative Effect The phenomenon of cumulative effect is knowledge building up on itself in the memory until it reaches an indelible settling in the memory and manifests itself as a spontaneous habit and becomes a nature-given phenomenon.
T 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
his is a game of memory build-up. Everything a human learns is based on this phenomenon. In the teaching of the Kebzeh tradition seven ways of acquisition of knowledge are advocated: By By By By By By By
being told physical contact studying understanding doing feeling being.
Each one is necessary and complete in itself according to what a student wants to know. Knowledge can be classified mainly in two levels. One is knowing about something; the other is knowing something. In other words, knowing about it, and knowing it. For example, a boxing referee is a person who knows a lot about boxing but a boxer knows boxing, and a lady obstetrician may have great erudition and practice regarding childbirth, but until she becomes a mother herself she won’t know childbirth. Yet a lady obstetrician would not be required to be a mother herself to qualify as a certified obstetrician. All that is required from her to qualify as an obstetrician is to pass all the examinations and practical tests to prove that she knows enough about it to practise it as a profession. l.
Knowing by being told There are certain things one can know just by being told verbally or in writing and the knowledge of it is complete, needing no further exploration. Such is the case when one wants only to know the name of a place or a person. As soon as one is told the name the knowledge is complete, because it is all one wants. 57
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2. Knowing by physical contact Certain things can only be known by seeing, such as colour, or certain aspects of shape or taste. In other words, by physical contact, by which should be understood the five senses and reason. This kind of knowledge cannot be reached by being told or having it explained to one through descriptions, words or pictures. 3. Knowing by studying If we want to know the geography, politics, history, economics, or climate of a country, this knowledge can be acquired by studying it and gathering information on all these related topics. 4. Knowing by understanding There are certain things that cannot be learned unless they are pondered and understood. Merely compiling information about them, no matter how far and deep you pursue such a compilation, is not enough. Take mathematics; by learning all the definitions and theorems given in the textbooks the knowledge cannot be mastered fully at this level. One has to understand the relationships between elemental components of the subject matters—the facts, the procedures leading to a certain result should be distinctly grasped. A work of conceptualization undertaken at a deep level is necessary. 5. Knowing by doing Certain knowledge can be acquired through doing it practically in repetitious ways until one is ‘broken in’ to it. No matter how much one knows about it and how fully one understands the rules of it, one cannot reach the mastery of knowing how to do it. It needs a ‘processing’ work to be learnt and known, such as is needed for swimming, playing a musical instrument, wind-surfing, writing, horseback riding, skiing, or any other skilled activity. 6. Knowing by feeling at the heart level This is the knowledge reached through the subconscious faculties of the mind where the function of human creativity operates. Once one comes to this point of really grasping what one knows, one can then have access to all the knowledge of related things by what one has come to know by learning this one thing. And through this, one comes before the gate of absolute truth (omniscience). This means reaching the level of the fine arts platform of knowledge, genius. 7. Knowing by being This is acquiring knowledge through Spirit plus nothing. This is enter58
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ing through the gate to which one was brought by the previous step, which is the sixth way. At that time, if one’s contact has been established with the Essence, one does indeed reach Omniscience, Omnipresence and Omnipotence, which are waiting to be one with One in the garden. At numbers 6 and 7 the knowledge becomes wisdom. In all of these enumerated seven ways of acquisition of knowledge, the phenomenon of cumulative effect is instrumental. To absorb the knowledge and make it indelibly and solidly settled in the human mind, the functions of the phenomenon of cumulative effect have to be exercised directly until number 5, and indirectly as the foundation for numbers 6 and 7. Then what now is the definition, clearly and precisely, of this phenomenon called cumulative effect? The phenomenon of cumulative effect is a game of memory. It is to drive any knowledge into the depths of the memory and secure it there in fullness and indelible sturdiness, making it a spontaneous habit by infinite repeated conveyances to memory. When any knowledge is conveyed to the memory, it is received there in full, but its settling there to make it its permanent home does not happen all at once; in time it leaks out. Depending on the length of time, this leakage makes the whole input disappear. None of it seems to remain in the memory; what is called ‘oblivion’ occurs. This oblivion may or may not be absolute, which means there might be some residue of it left in the memory. When at a subsequent time the same knowledge is once more conveyed to the memory, it adds to the remnant that remains from the previous input. This addition manifests as a phenomenon quite different from the first one as it finds its place in a more familiar home. The sum of the first and subsequent settlements is greater than the first one alone, and furthermore the stability and durability of the sum of settlements are greater than the first. If the knowledge is conveyed repeatedly over many, many times the same buildup in quantity and stability increases. At a certain stage every repetition may stop making the quantity increase, because quantitatively it may have come to fullness, but its stability and indelibility continue to develop, which eventually brings in the spontaneity and consequently creates it as a habit so strong that it becomes a nature-given phenomenon. To sum up, we can say: “The phenomenon of cumulative effect is knowledge building up on itself in the memory until it reaches an indelible settling in the memory, and manifests itself as a spontaneous habit and becomes a Nature-given phenomenon.” The four key words here are: memory, spontaneous, habit, and Nature-given phenomenon. 59
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Conscience The Art of Speaking to the Conscience – Prayer ... the force which enables a human to move his finger is exactly the same force which moves the Sun.
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onscience is the JUDGMENT of the Higher Self. The Higher Self is called ‘MARJAH’ in the original language of the Kebzeh tradition, a single word to be understood to mean the Eternal Creative Power within, or simply: ‘God within’. ‘God within’ is not an unfamiliar expression to Western ears; it has been used frequently over the last century in Western academic circles. But what is really meant by God within? Let us emancipate ourselves from the ambiguity we seem to be in when we use the term, and clarify our notion of it, at least to some extent. After all, we are within the teaching of Kebzeh, where nothing is receivable and acceptable unless clear and in harmony and compliance with the positive science of the New Age, and science is nothing but the study of the work and functioning of creation, in other words, Nature. Let us go back to Chapter I where we studied and discussed the facts concerning Creation, God and Human, and review briefly the Kebzeh concepts about them. In the beginning there was Energy of Consciousness and this Energy of Consciousness was apprehended by human when human evolved to the level of consciousness where he uttered the ‘WORD’. The Word was the highest manifestation of the Energy of Consciousness and was unique to human. At this level human became aware that by word he could identify God and could identify himself with God. Therefore ... the Word was with God, and further ... the Word was God (John 1:1). This is the beginning relative to human, but in reality there is no beginning, there is no end, and no discontinuity in between. It is eternal. Energy of Consciousness is electromagnetic by nature and is consciousness by kind, and like any form of energy it is able to generate matter according to the formula of Albert Einstein: E = mc2, under favourable conditions. In other words, this energy turns into matter and in return, matter which is made of this energy can generate it back under favourable conditions. In scientific circles it is generally stated simply: Energy is matter and 61
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matter is energy. When matter is generated by a certain energy, and when this matter regenerates back the energy that generated it, that energy is the same kind of energy as that which originally generated the matter. This generating or creating energy is vested with the matter it created, and constitutes the core, the very essence, the sublime self of this matter, which comes back into existence as energy, in other words resurrects under favourable conditions. Rephrased in another way, the cause of the creation of any matter is any form of energy the effect of which happens to be this matter, and this matter as an effect can recreate back the cause of which it has been the effect. Coming back to the Energy of Consciousness, which is the cause of matter in the form of the human vehicle or human body, the body contains this energy in its essence and this essence keeps the body alive in its own entity, its own way of being and its own quality of living-expression. The human body expresses or manifests its aliveness in a way and quality peculiar to the human body, which is unlike any other living entity on this planet and to my knowledge anywhere else in the whole Universe. (At this point we would kindly refer the reader to study once more very attentively Chapter III of this book, and inform himself about the human entity without missing one ‘iota’.) The additive of Cosmic Consciousness in the human vehicle makes its abode in the human nervous system and choreographs itself by ramifying in the five main plexuses, which in turn send out infinite numbers of vanguards, constituting a Cosmic jamboree of Universal dance, the human in question being its central processing unit (CPU). The force which enables the movements in this jamboree of dance is exactly, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the same force which enables the movements of the planets and galaxies of the Universe, neither less nor more. More simply expressed, the force which enables a human to move his finger is exactly the same force which moves the Sun. As referred to earlier, the additive of the Energy of Cosmic Consciousness in the human body is the remnant of the Energy of Cosmic Consciousness by which the body is created and which remains as if stored in the body to keep it physically alive, manifesting every faculty of the function of life— physical, mental, spiritual, psychic and ecological—as a life-giving force of the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power. This manifestation takes place in infinite levels of efficiency as the nucleus of Cosmic Energy in the human body is supported and enhanced by the carrier, the human body. This nucleus, being in essence nothing other than the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power (albeit reduced to its smallest denomination as far as its power is concerned), has every potential the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power has, and can expand to a level where It can reflect Its every faculty, namely omnipresence, 62
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omniscience and omnipotence, depending on how well developed a reflector the human vehicle is worked up to be. This development is the very thing I mean when I refer to the education and edification of the subtler vibrations of human mind, in parallel with intellectual vibrations. The stored energy of Cosmic Consciousness in the human nervous system, which I have until now called the nucleus, is the energy stored in the human body from the energy which made it; it is called by many names in various mystical teachings. It constitutes a part of the human self, the most important and highest part. Some of the names given to it are Higher Self, God within, Soul, Psyche, Marjah—Marjah being the name given in Kebzeh teaching. From this point on I will use the word Marjah to express this Energy of Cosmic Consciousness vested with human. Marjah is an Energy of Consciousness that vibrates in resonance with COSMIC Energy of Consciousness, because it is a part of it, having originated from it to create the human vehicle, and it vibrates with it at the same length of wave and frequency. Now Marjah vibrates also in resonance with the human vehicle, and this is how Marjah provides life to it for as long as the human vehicle lives body and soul together. As soon as the human develops conscious AWARENESS of the bilateral resonance of Marjah, he enters into complete fusion, at-one-ment or Union with the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power by being annihilated between two resonances of identical nature at either side, as in the law of waves of identical nature meeting each other in the science of physics. This Union is what is called in the mystical concept,* communion or coming to NOTHINGNESS. At this point we find ourselves in a structure of trinity composed of the human body, Marjah and Cosmic Energy of Consciousness. All three of them are charged with different functions. Each one of them is an energy of visible and invisible forms of consciousness. COSMIC ENERGY OF CONSCIOUSNESS is an energy that is electromagnetic by nature and consciousness by kind, the original Creative Energy from which everything forming life emanates by way of being created by its ‘isness’ under favourable conditions, without a deliberate effort on its part. It is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Essence of Universal Creative Power. This Essence is vested with all the attributes of myriad forms of energies needed for creation and the functioning of LIFE. All these attributes vested with the essence of the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power, such as Intelligence, Love, Will, Consciousness, Mercy, Wisdom, Knowledge, Memory, Provision, Protection and so on, are potential energies provisionally vested ____ * Sufis applying Kebzeh to Islam called it itlak or fenahfillah. 63
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with It (the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power we call, simply, God), readily waiting there to be benefitted from, but by Itself unable to act in order to manifest Its own unique effect. It needs to be triggered or activated by the life It created, through a series of simpler or more complex physical and chemical exchange processes, as we will see later on in this chapter. That is why in Kebzeh teaching, when it comes to asking something from God, they say: “God cannot give you anything, because there isn’t anything It has that It didn’t give you already. All you need is readily waiting for you to take, but the task is, do you take it or not?” This is one important point of Kebzeh teaching which has to be clearly and solidly grasped. During my 84 years of experience of living with peoples of the world outside of Caucasus stock and belonging to various religious backgrounds or spiritual teachings, I discovered that it was very difficult, if not impossible, to get them to purge from their memories many inculcated beliefs so as to create the necessary vacuum to make room for Kebzeh teaching, which appears in some respects totally different from the pre-conceived notions and tenets of the other teachings. In religious teachings, for instance, they talk about the Will of God. In the Lord’s Prayer it is said: Thy Will be done, which is interpreted to mean: Help us to be good and obedient to You, to obey You, and observe and do what You want, instead of being rebellious and going astray to do otherwise. According to Kebzeh, God does not have Will to manifest and put into action. God is the Essence of Will, as It is the Essence of all the rest of Its attributes. In other words God is The Will, The Mercy, The Love, The Creative Power, The Intelligence, The Consciousness, The Wisdom, The Knowledge, The Memory, The Provision, The Protection, etc., and on to infinite attributes. It is up to the human to reflect all these attributes to the field of manifestation and activate them. How shall the human do it? We will see later on in this chapter. As I explained already, Marjah is a small essence of the Creative Energy of Cosmic Consciousness stored in the human body as the remnant of the energy which created that body, according to the law of physics: energy is matter and matter is energy. Marjah is like a small replica of the Cosmic Energy of Consciousness and has every characteristic and property of It, namely an electromagnetic energy by nature and consciousness by kind. Marjah is like a baby offspring of the Energy of Cosmic Consciousness, and manifests itself exactly like its origin. It vibrates as energy in resonance with its origin; it communicates with it proportionally and parallelly to efficiency as a reflection of the body that bears it, and this efficiency can be enhanced by inner body exercises developed by all spiritual traditions, including Kebzeh teaching, through long millennia of experience. Marjah does not make its home in the human body as a concentrated element hidden in a particular obscure corner, but incorporates itself with the whole human body by choosing the human nervous system as its headquarters 64
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and from there ramifies itself to every far inch of it, and in the nervous system itself establishes its operating nests in five plexuses with particular functions, extending from these its connections to the whole body. (The functioning strategy of those nests was explained in Chapter III and to some extent in the chapters following Chapter IV, more particularly in Chapter IV.) Also it was explained in various instances that the full deciphering of how the human transformation takes place was clarified on the Chart in Figure 3. It was also expressed that the full solution of the jigsaw puzzle could be reached through the co-operation and co-ordination of positive scientists with attained mystics. Here, as a mystic, I shall give some more elucidation on the techniques of the phenomenon of mystical development, leaving final illumination for the further advancement of positive science to have the last word. As I said before, no one human being can elevate his attainment to its ultimate human capacity in mystical and positive-scientific aspects at the same time, but only full co-operation and collaboration of both the attained scientist and the mystic can complete the work of the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power and reveal it in TRUTH. The attainment of the creative power of the human mind in the subtleties of human Energy of Consciousness can give the clues, and to discover the scientific phenomena constituting the work, the manifestation and the accomplishment of that work can be brought to the level of clarification by scientific attainment. And both can answer the questions: How? and Why? in full clarity and the most minute scientific detail and explanation, as we shall see further on. The HUMAN BODY is matter functioning in compliance with the laws of physics and chemistry governing the electrochemical phenomenon of energy in its nature, and consciousness as its kind, like every form of electrical energy. We know that it was discovered through scientific research in the last half of our century that a battery, which is a typical example of electrochemical energy, has a memory, one of the many evidences of consciousness. This was the greatest discovery of all time in human life. All living matter—inanimates, plants, insects, animals and humans—is a living and walking Nature-made battery of ELECTRO-BIOCHEMICAL character and constitutes the World of CREATION, as opposed to the ETERNAL SPIRIT OF CREATIVE POWER (God) of ELECTROMAGNETIC character, which constitutes the CREATOR. In every living thing and living entity that is in the form of matter, there is the potential of energy from the energy that made it. The potential energy that is vested with this matter, which we call Marjah, vibrates and resonates with the electromagnetic energy of the Creator and the electro-biochemical energy of the created constantly, continuously and simultaneously in the process of LIFE, so that what we know as life is an unending series of resonances, a jamboree of Universal Dance, as I call it. Now we come to the point when we should look closely at this dance, to see the music, the dancers and the jamboree, so that we may find out 65
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what is the music, who are the musicians (composer and performer) and the dancers, and what comes alive from the dance we call ‘jamboree’. To make this presentation more concise and clear, instead of taking the whole creation, let us take only a specific case, namely the case of HUMAN, and follow how the whole phenomenon of Life takes place in the case of the human, who differs from the rest of the creatures by the mere fact of being the only creature endowed with WILL. When we reach clarification of this specific case, the whole phenomenon of Life shall emerge into light, and shall be understood as one whole of the Universal creation, including all creatures and the Oneness they manifest. Marjah, the potential energy in the human body coming from the Eternal Energy of Creative Power, functions as a bridge, connector, mediator, emissary, propitiator, translator, interpreter between Creator and creature (or God and human), as long as the human body is alive. Therefore, it constitutes the central element of the mystical trinity of Human, Marjah and Creator, so much so that what we call God shall be the togetherness as a whole established as a result of these three elements making One in intimate co-ordination and co-operation. Now we come to the presentation of the nature of this phenomenon we call ‘intimate co-ordination and co-operation’. This whole happening manifests as a game of vibrations and resonances materialized between electrical vibrations of identical nature. Marjah vibrates in resonance with the Energy of Consciousness of the Creative Power, which is electromagnetic by nature, as well as with the Energy of Consciousness of the human body, which is electro-biochemical by nature. Marjah can resonate with Creative Energy because It comes from It and therefore is identical with It, and Marjah can resonate with the matter of the human body because this body is made by Marjah, so the whole phenomenon is the effect of Marjah’s being able to function as the agency of two forces manifesting themselves on either side and making It a conductor and emissary in between. This conduction runs faithful to the law of gravity naturally, which means from above to below, but also some natural stimuli or deliberate effort from human Will can cause it to run from below to above, thus constituting a two-way connection, from Creative Energy to human and from human to Creative Energy, both energies being the same in kind—namely consciousness—and in frequency of vibration, but different in nature, namely Creative Energy being electromagnetic and created energy being electrochemical. It is only this difference between the two manifestations of the energies that makes the whole manifestation in the whole Universe, the magnificence and wonder of what we call LIFE with every marvel of it. Being connected to the human vehicle and having made its home there, Marjah is like a composing and performing musician using the human nerv66
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ous system as Its ORGAN to play the music of Universal dance. It can resonate with Creative Energy and ACTIVATE and MANIFEST every attribute which constitutes Its ABSOLUTE FACULTIES such as: Intelligence, Love, Will, Mercy, Wisdom, Knowledge, Memory, Provision, Protection, Power, and so on, to all manner of faculties, and reflects them to the human vehicle by vibrating and resonating with it, as explained above. There is one point here that has to be grasped really well and this is: Marjah in Its connection with Creative Energy is perfect and Its reflecting all the faculties of Creative Energy to human is perfect, but the response of human to this reflecting is conditional, albeit strongly potential. Marjah keeps diligently vibrating to reach a resonance with the vibration of human energy and would have no serious problem with reaching it, but producing the reflection of the attributes of the Creative Energy on human energy is certainly the hard part of the task. For this reflection to take place, training and edification is needed. If the student can understand what this means, he shall understand what Jesus meant when He said: “Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.” The relationship of Marjah here is that of Spirit to Spirit with God, and Spirit to matter with human. In between, a second phenomenon needs to take place to finish the cycle and materialize the electrical contact, and this is the transformation of matter to Spirit. Of course, as we know, Spirit is an invisible form of energy. There is an alchemical phenomenon taking place, and there is no problem in executing it. When the student understands its mechanism intellectually, its application and manifestation shall be possible through inner body exercises. The word alchemical should not be taken as a mysterious word here—actually, it just means ordinarily chemical, or more clearly, biochemical. In my childhood, the whole story of this alchemical phenomenon was told only in strictly closed circles of mystical teaching. But now, as a result of scientific discoveries of the last half of the 20th Century, it can be told freely without any stipulation of secrecy in the largest and most crowded square of any town. Because scientific truth and reality are at our side, it is no longer an esoteric reality discernible by initiates only, or it is, that the majority of HUMANS are already initiates. For the sake of clarifying the operation of the phenomenon of resonance between Marjah and human I shall try to put it in a symbolic language of expression. We can say that the resonance of Marjah with Creative Energy differs from its resonance with human energy in one aspect of the characters of the energies involved in the operation. There are three separate types of energies involved in the whole picture: Creative Energy, Marjah energy and human body energy. Creative Energy and Marjah energy are both electromagnetic by nature and consciousness by kind, and human body energy is electro-biochemical by nature and consciousness by kind. Let us assume 67
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here that it makes sense to call the resonance and reflection phenomenon between Marjah and Creative Energy a DIRECT phenomenon, and the resonance and reflection phenomenon between Marjah and human body energy an INDIRECT phenomenon, because the character of the energy between Creative Energy and Marjah energy is 100 percent identical, and the character of the energy between human and Marjah energy is identical in kind (consciousness) yet different in nature (electrochemical). In the first case (God and Marjah), the resonance and the reflection back take place directly and in one single response. In the second case (Marjah and human), the resonance happens directly and in one single response, but reflection takes place as a result of a series of biochemical reactions at the molecular neural level. As a result of the formation of chemicals produced in the nervous system through these biochemical reactions, the electro-biochemical Energy of Consciousness of the human body responds to the resonance with Marjah, and thus the communication between all the attributes of God and the human being can be reached and function in communion. Through 26,000 years of the teaching of Ahmsta Kebzeh this much explanation was given about it. Its scientific explanation and elucidation are possible now, in the second half of the 20th Century, to confirm what was taught in Ahmsta Kebzeh since antiquity. What has been discovered through scientific research in the last half of the 20th Century can be summed up briefly as follows. Again, I am going to relate here as much as a mystic can relate. The detailed presentation of it has to be completed by positive science to be clearly revealed and known. Every thought, every feeling, sensation, emotion, knowledge that enters the human mind through the five senses and reasoning as a result of human ecological experiences, produces immediately a specific neuro-chemical product at the neural level possessing a specific property which will activate the consciousness of the energy of human matter, the physical state of being. This explains many resulting phenomena in the human system such as various forms of healing, relaxation, visualization, inner body exercises, meditation, restoration of the immune system, general health, attainment of harmonious relationships, and the effects of aromatherapy, music therapy, and contemplation therapy. The formation of this neuro-biochemical product, as an effect of the cause mentioned above, will cause more effect in the body, which, in turn, will cause more of the biochemical product to cause more effect and so on, and this as we know is the manifestation of the Law of Cause and Effect. As a result of the manifestation of this phenomenon, human shall be responsive to the resonance exercised by Marjah on the Energy of Consciousness of the human body. The connection will be established between Human and God, which means that all the attributes in the entity of Creative En68
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ergy—omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, together with all the rest of the faculties which are potentially in Creative Energy—will be activated and passed on to the human by means of Marjah. And also human’s reaching higher intelligence will be manifested. Not only one or two of the faculties of Creative Energy but all of them shall work within the same process. The Human shall exist in a jamboree of Universal dance and in the inevitable abundance of it. The thinking, reasoning and judgment of the Human shall become those of Marjah and therefore of God, and vice versa. In the festivity of this harmony and union, the Human’s prayer shall be the prayer from Jesus’ very mouth—just an address of the human intellect to Marjah, to be carried further above.
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CHAPTER VIII
Essence and Personality If an individual female were trained in spiritual exercises to the extent of mastering them, she would be able to self-induce conception. In the near future, positive science shall develop to the point of explaining clearly all these things, and alchemy shall become a common part of positive science.
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ssence and Personality are two words which have specific meanings in the teaching of Kebzeh, and whenever they occur in this book they should be understood in the meaning given in the Glossary of the Teaching.
Essence The Essence of a human expresses the qualities and faculties of that human when it was born. These are the characteristics it carries and is endowed with as a result of its hereditary attributes—its race, colour, physical and athletic predispositions, health, intelligence, the levels to which it can exercise its mental subtleties, stamina, aptitudes, and every individual attribute that might possibly be vested in it from its ancestral inheritance and from cross-breeding which took place during the thousands of generations this human can be traced back. The transmission of these individual characteristics and their appearance and manifestation in the individual, all function exactly in compliance with the genetic laws of Gregor Johann Mendel (182284) in the science of biology, and with their further development over time by Mendel’s Foundation as general genetic laws of inheritance. The physical, intellectual, spiritual, ecological and psychic education and edification a human went through in its lifetime, will appear in the character of an individual descendant in the genetic line, more frequently many generations later on down the line rather than in an immediate descendant. I am not going into details here concerning Mendelian genetic laws, but if any readers want to know more about them they should undertake a comprehensive study of these laws. All I want to say here is, when we talk about the Essence of a human being we should understand it to mean what this individual human being
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exhibits and manifests in human characteristics, such as faculties, aptitudes, inclinations and general expressions of life, which are vested in it as inherited and pre-possessed qualities coming from inheritance—in other words, faculties with which it came to earthly life.
Personality The personality of a human expresses the qualities and faculties this human has acquired as a result of the education, edification and practical life experiences it has undergone during its personal and individual lifetime on Earth. In this progressive process, the Essence constitutes the original foundation from which the subject comes—its lineage of many preceding generations on which its personality will be built. The strength and sturdiness of the foundation determine the development and strength of the personality established. A subject coming from a better developed Essence will respond more receptively to any edification and training undertaken to develop the desired personality, and will achieve it more rapidly and substantially. The level of growth of the subject in its lifetime will be greater than that of its predecessors, and a successor who will inherit from it in one or several of the next generations shall inherit the quantity and the quality of that growth in more advantageous proportions. In other words, the progress in attainment to higher levels will increase from generation to generation by the progress achieved by each personality being added to the progress inherited by birth, which we call Essence. There is one critical phenomenon that it is imperative to grasp accurately here. If, as I said above, the student knows the correct mechanisms of Mendelian genetic laws, he will not misunderstand it. But for those who do not know and do not have time to study it, I shall provide a short explanation. This genetic inheritance from generation to generation does not happen necessarily from one generation to the next with successive series of inheritances; a subject may pick up the transmission from any past generation. Furthermore, as it was explained in previous chapters, there being always a connection between the individual consciousness of each creature and Cosmic Consciousness, and more particularly between human individuals and Cosmic Consciousness universally (and more strongly globally), constituting the collectivity of the phenomenon of Life, or more specifically in the Teaching: ‘The Oneness of Creation’, this inter-connectedness, through global and/or even universal comprehension, opens a gateway to a mutual osmotic penetration into the elements of the same species which are able to receive consciousness from each other by occasional resonances. As a result of this phenomenon, species throughout the planet manifest identical attributes without being physically related to each other except through iden72
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tical vibrations of consciousness within unlimited distances, varying only according to the intensity of the vibrations. So one vibration of consciousness developing strongly in one environment and increasing in quantity and quality gains access through its vibration and resonance with kindred vibrations at any distance, without limit. The living, simplest and most practical example of formation of essence may be observed in the raising of a thoroughbred race horse. A thoroughbred horse is the product of a long series of generations of cross-breeding horses of a meticulously selected quality, so that eventually an immaculate quality of horse can be obtained. This immaculate quality may be any quality one desires to obtain—it could be a racing quality, that of a heavy workhorse like the Percheron, or a show horse such as the Lipizzaner. But generally, when a thoroughbred horse is referred to it is understood to mean racing quality unless otherwise specified. So let us assume that we are specifically meaning a thoroughbred race-horse. When a foal is born in a thoroughbred racing stable, this foal has the attributes of a race-horse by essence from its ancestral background, but unless it is raised, trained and edified to acquire its ability to race, or, in other words, its personality as a race-horse is not developed, it will never make a successful race-horse. Its having the essence of being a race-horse will only help this personal training to be more successful. Of course, if the same training had been given to an ordinary horse the personality of a race-horse would never have been reached. But the effort could have been a first step in starting to raise thoroughbred horses, and if it is continued a few generations, later on a thoroughbred could be obtained. This example of the raising of a thoroughbred horse can make a strong and significant metaphor for edifying and raising an attained human.
A Thoroughbred Human If, similarly, we apply the same procedure to a human instead of a horse we can, so to speak, raise a thoroughbred human, or more correctly said an immaculate human, meaning an immaculately raised human, which furthermore, expressed within the concepts of this teaching, means a human that is educated, edified and trained to use with equal efficiency its intellectual and subconscious mind or, colloquially expressed, its brain and heart. If a human, through a long history of genetic inheritance of spiritual growth, happens to be born having inherited all possible attainments in its Essence, in other words comes to existence on the physical plane having acquired genetically all the spiritual attainment to Level 10 on the Chart of Transformation in Figure 3 (Chapter IV), which is the level of Christ Consciousness, we shall say, in the teaching of Kebzeh, that this Human is born in immaculate conception, as it is expressed in the Holy Books concerning 73
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Jesus of Nazareth. This is what in fact and truth is meant by: ‘Immaculate Conception’. Even a person with such an Essence will need to have its personality built up to that level to enable it to manifest in the physical field its faculties of Christhood, as it was explained in the case of a thoroughbred horse being able to function as a race-horse. In the New Testament it is very clearly expressed that when the right time came for Jesus to manifest his Christhood he had to go to the solitude of the wilderness for forty days to prepare himself to handle properly the temptations of the physical world. After having come out of it triumphantly, He could exercise His high faculties in His Christly mission. Some aspirants with limited hereditary sustenance or no hereditary sustenance at all, who manifest an extremely strong yearning (for reasons that arise from external and indirect sources), and who exercise persistent efforts to reach a valid teaching system, teachers who will give personal attention, and a well-disciplined community, and who also exercise dedicated and committed application to the teaching, may also achieve some notable attainment, albeit over a much longer time and after strenuous efforts. But certainly they will be gratified by living a good, purposeful and enjoyable, abundant life. The stimulant and the motivator of progress of any kind in any field of existence is the human yearning for an ‘unknown better’. This yearning engenders the field of love. When the field of love is generated, all creativity abounds in it. This creativity engenders more of this field of love and the outcome of this successive avalanching of abundance is that the life turns into a field of Grace that is electromagnetic by nature. With the participants in the field taking their share of this Grace and activating it in all aspects of life, this creates the spark which is called in mystical language ‘BARAKA’. Expressed in another way, this field of Grace is the electromagnetic milieu called ‘The Presence of God’, in which all aspects of LIFE are enlivened, energized and stimulated. Every living thing, any form of life, shall be activated to the level of the participating subject’s ability in this field—in other words, its ability to plug itself into this electromagnetic energy either as a result of natural affinity or wilful deliberation in the case of a human.
Virgin Birth I hesitated for a long time before deciding to write this paragraph. If I tried to write about the entire topic, it would take a whole book. Also, it cannot be tackled comprehensively without bringing into the story the 26,000 yearold legends of the Caucasus Mountains called ‘Legends of Narts’. The first Westerner who, in the beginning of the 20th Century, worked on collecting the Legends of the Narts in their various versions (depending on the sources from which they originated, meaning all the Circassian tribes on the sierra 74
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of the Caucasus) was Professor Georges Dumesil from the University of Sorbonne, Paris, France. I had the pleasure and honour of meeting him when I was 16 years old in Istanbul in 1931, and rendered my services to him for three months, escorting him through approximately one hundred Circassian villages in the Turkish Circassian Diaspora, helping him to contact as many older Circassians as possible from various tribal backgrounds. He was directed to me by one of my childhood masters, General Ismail Berkok from the general staff of the Turkish Army, who happened to be a good friend of his. In the Legends of Narts, which are the oldest epics and myths peculiar to the Caucasus, there is an episode that concerns Satanay Guash. The word Guash was translated from its original language into western languages as Princess, in which case Satanay Guash is translated as Princess Satanay. Briefly, the episode goes like this: Princess Satanay had reached her eightieth year when as a result of many feuds there were no male members of the family left alive to avenge the lamentable actions resulting from the feuds. Since her husband also was deceased, she retreated into solitary seclusion for a period of one year. Exercising meditation and the contemplation of ‘Master Desire’, she managed to conceive a child, a prince endowed with the inheritance from some of the past generations of valiant knights of the family, chosen by Princess Satanay in her visualization and concentration. When this Prince grew up to be an extremely powerful young man, he avenged the family honour and settled the feuds. Let us look at this story in the light of Ahmsta Kebzeh. How much of this phenomenon is a myth and how much could be fact? At the time the story was told, people told it because they knew it was a phenomenon that could be true. Through experiential ways they could see and/or hear about some examples of happenings that were identical or similar, albeit very, very rare. Some exceptional individuals were able to materialize such an event, so it was not sheer bluff or nonsense, but they could not explain it in theory and principles. But today, under the light of scientific development that has resulted in so much research and so many discoveries, we can explain the principles of the phenomenon. This does not mean that once it is clearly understood in principles and natural laws, it will be easy and common to manifest; it will still remain a very rare phenomenon that may happen once in a whole geological era of say 50,000 years! We shall understand its principle better when we come to Chapters XV and XVII when we study Master Desire and the electrochemical reactions functioning in the human nervous system. For now I can explain it to some 75
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extent under the light of the knowledge we gained in Chapter VII. To present the explanation of the phenomenon of virgin birth, with its governing natural laws and the interconnections and exchanges in reciprocal interactions, I would refer the reader to the last part of Chapter VII, to the paragraph that starts with ‘The HUMAN BODY’, and recommend her to read it once more very attentively. Under the light of this section, I shall lead the reader to the understanding of the principles of the phenomenon of virgin birth by recalling certain laws of Nature which operate very intimately and strongly in this process: - The law of cause-effect and effect-cause. - The law of the phenomenon of cumulative effect. - The law of resonance between waves of vibration of the energies of consciousness of various kinds, more particularly the memory in the human nervous system. - The law of ‘energy is matter and matter is energy’ as expressed in Einstein’s formula E = mc2, and reciprocal exchanges between energies. - The law of: Activation of awakening and developing spontaneous exchange and communication of latent human faculties of mind under divine grace and guidance and reaching the attainment of putting them under submission and control of the human WILL through inner body exercises as explained in various chapters and throughout the whole Kebzeh teaching. The secret key which ignites Life, like the ignition key of an engine, is in the eternal spirit of creative electromagnetic energy’s giving way to the creation of matter, which, in its turn and with the energy vested in it, creates the electrochemical energy which enters into a relation of resonance of electrical vibrations with the electromagnetic energy of the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power. If we follow the successive operational functions described in the previous paragraph, we can see more clearly a phenomenon taking place exactly in the way we already know, but told in a somewhat paraphrased way, as follows, and which is nothing but what is called ALCHEMY throughout the history of mysticism: The electromagnetic energy of the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power creates first a chemical matter in any form, such as gas, liquid or solid. In this matter there is an energy vested with matter or, in other words, incorporated with a chemical matter in a physical body, which, in compliance with the support of the bearer, generates an energy that is electrochemical by nature and the same as its original source by kind, namely consciousness. There might be a slight yet critical nuance to grasp here. It is a phe76
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nomenon involving a slight transformation from invisible energy to visible energy that creates a totally and immensely new state of being, which deceptively looks like a marriage of two different worlds, two incompatibly different entities, but where these worlds become compatible, even becoming One, by resonance, and this resonance produces neuro-chemical products that lead to manifestations of phenomena which will become successive myriad phases of what we call LIFE. When we sum up all these rules, laws, facts of life, phenomena observed in life-forms of all kinds, and scientific, social and psychological studies, and explanations of all functions taking place naturally to constitute life, we come to understand how all the fields of action involving life express themselves clearly, and we come to know that nothing happens at random—all manifestations of life happen in compliance with a set of causes and effects. The phenomenon of cause and effect is the original function of the Life-force, and upon its manifestation all the phenomena processing successively in the process explained in the previous and in future chapters, constitute the jamboree of life naturally following successive functions, each one completing the previous one and giving way and preparing the development of the next, without stopping for one single moment from eternity to eternity. And all this jamboree happens naturally as explained and understood in scientific knowledge UNDER FAVOURABLE CONDITIONS AND ENHANCEMENT. This is the unchangeable journey of the Life-force, except in one and only one case in the whole Universe, and this is the case of the HUMAN BEING. The human being makes its debut into the field of life with a specific attribute peculiar to it, which is the attribute of WILL. A human can control the process with its wilful deliberation and alter, change, enhance or alleviate it. The human’s faculty of deliberation is the very field taught in every mystical knowledge and practice. Through developing by inner body exercises this skill or art of wilful deliberation, humans have demonstrated miraculous achievements such as the projection of consciousness, extra-sensory perception, mind reading, hypnotism, self-suggestion, self-healing, hypnopaedia, generating at will neuro-chemical production of a desired kind, and the production of selffabricated organisms in the human body without any outside help. Selfinduced conception is such an example. The power of WILL can be enhanced naturally or deliberately by exercising the phenomenon of cumulative effect to build up the state of mind called Master Desire. When the Master Desire state of mind is reached (Chapter XV), an organic chemical substance will be produced in the human nervous system at the cellular, neural level. This chemical substance can be directed to any functional system in the body to activate that system to produce the neuro-chemical material needed to create the function peculiar to this system. The game can be played picking up as its field of action 77
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the human reproductive system, like any other system. Every human has in the source of its energy system sexual energy in general, in the character of female and male sexual energy. Whichever is predominant determines the sex of the individual. In the case of a female human, the latent male sexual energy can be awakened and activated at Will at the level of Master Desire. If an individual female were trained in spiritual exercises to the extent of mastering them, she would be able to self-induce conception. Soon, positive science shall develop to the point of explaining clearly all these things, AND ALCHEMY SHALL BECOME A COMMON PART OF POSITIVE SCIENCE. The explanation I have given so far can be further expanded, amplified and the understanding of it deepened by the student when he understands thoroughly the principles of the teaching of Ahmsta Kebzeh. Many examples of ‘supernatural’ events are given in the world’s Holy Books and various religious teachings: Patriarch Abraham and Sarah begetting a son Isaac after the age of one hundred years, while they were unable to have a child when they were much younger, the Virgin Mary giving birth to Jesus, Jesus’ rising from the dead, and three episodes of self-induced conception in the Legends of the Narts (one of which I mentioned—that of Princess Satanay), are among hundreds of myth-like references throughout history. In all those cases the entire explanation for such events given to inquisitive seekers was just to say: “God willed it.” Such an answer is no longer adequate for the contemporary seeker. Kebzeh teaching says: God does not have Will to exercise. God is The Will, but cannot exercise it, only makes it available and at the disposal of the whole of Creation and more particularly at the disposal of human, as the most superior reflector of God. It is up to us as humans to activate and manifest Will in the physical plane to make life greater. God is the most comprehensive electromagnetic power of the Universe, making Itself lavishly, lovingly and generously available for us to be blessed from. For Its manifestation at the earthly level the completing task of human is needed, just as the ordinary electricity of Earth needs humans to manifest it. Electricity cannot use light: it needed a certain human, Thomas Edison, Faraday, or Ohm, to reveal, harness and discipline it.
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Preparation for Advanced Spiritual Exercises ... to enter into the field of processing a human in transformational development of the enhancement of his evolution higher in consciousness, the human vehicle needs a long process of preparatory steps before it is ready to be receptive.
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fter this chapter we shall be entering a series of chapters which will give explanations of some further advanced spiritual exercises. I want to develop this chapter by presenting some very important preparations for those advanced spiritual exercises. These preparations are indispensable to make the human system responsive to the practical training and able to reach the desired efficiency on the way to attaining the wholeness of human life. Starting from the first step I am presenting these preparations in the following order:
I.
ELIMINATION OF TOXIN
In my little booklet The Abkhazian Book of Longevity and Well-being (1984), in Chapters I, entitled Physical Man, and II, entitled Psychological Man, I dealt with the phenomena of elimination of refuse and elimination of toxin from the human system with regard to human well-being. I shall take some parts of these chapters here and then expand and amplify the topic to cover further the enhancement of spiritual development.
A. Primary Refuse What we call primary refuse is produced as a result of metabolism taking place in the whole body. It is the unutilizable remnant of the intake of food, and appears in five forms: l. Excrement; 2. Urine; 3. Sweat; 4. Carbon dioxide; 5. The un-inseminated ovum, in the case of women. All these types of refuse have to be eliminated from the body and they are, but never absolutely one hundred percent at once. There is always some remnant left behind which needs further processing by the system for it to be thoroughly purged. This remnant which needs further purging we call ‘secondary refuse’. 79
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B. Secondary Refuse Secondary refuse appears in various places in the system in five forms: 1. Toxin; 2. Mucus; 3. Fat; 4. Stones; 5. Cholesterol. They are, altogether, accumulations of unnecessary matter in the system. Although they appear as five distinctly independent forms, all of them are engendered by the existence of toxin in the system, which causes malfunctioning of the human machinery in every corner of the body (except in special pathological cases, when there might be some other causes). In other words, if necessary treatment for eliminating toxins were successfully exercised in the first place, the formation of all these types of secondary refuse would be much less likely. I am going to deal with all these types of secondary refuse one by one and relate how Abkhazians help the body to eliminate them.
1. Toxin Toxin, roughly speaking, is simply an unused protein left behind in a colloidal form, which makes its home in the mucus on the membranes of every tissue, and especially in the digestive system. As I explained previously, the body is capable of getting rid of it, given a chance, which means leaving the body alone to handle the cleaning job during and after assimilation of food and not disturbing it by introducing food to the system in an untimely manner. A traditional Abkhazian eats one meal a day. Because meat is an important part of the Abkhazian diet, giving this much time to the system was necessary. There are certain recommendations that are made to further help the body in its job of elimination: a. Physical exercise: Keeping physically active, and having fresh air for at least a couple of hours a day. b. Drinking: For people on a meat diet, taking an alcoholic beverage with the meal is recommended, provided it is naturally fermented like wine of all kinds, but not brewed or distilled. c. Drinking after eating: Four hours after a meal, when the cleaning job of the system is in full process, a glass of water or a drink containing bacteria which attack toxins, such as natural fresh grape-juice or the yogurt drink called ayran which is obtained by beating yogurt and diluting it to the consistency of milk, should be taken. But the yogurt should be a natural homemade yogurt without any chemical additives, preferably made from non-pasteurized farm milk. Another excellent drink to disturb and eliminate mucus is an apple cider vinegar drink made by mixing in one drinking glass one tablespoonful of honey, one third of a tea-cup of apple cider vinegar and water to fill the glass. 80
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d. For people on a cooked vegetable diet, including a dry-crop diet such as nuts, cereals and beans, two meals a day are recommended—one in the morning, one in the evening. For people on a raw green vegetable and fruit diet, four meals a day are recommended. In both cases, the above-mentioned drinks between meals are beneficial.
2. Mucus Excess mucus will be eliminated along with the elimination of toxins, because excess mucus in the system is the result of the accumulation of toxins, as I mentioned earlier. One other item to include in the diet to fight against mucus is hot green peppers taken with meals.
3. Fat Fat will also be eliminated by following the same discipline, with an exception— individuals who are more prone to accumulate fat. Here, more emphasis and special programs should be placed on physical exercise. But this should never be achieved by cutting down on food more than as described above.
4. Stones When the body is kept reasonably toxin-free, the likelihood of the formation of gall bladder or kidney stones is very slim. But one recommendation that helps prevent their formation is the liquid obtained by draining yogurt. Natural homemade yogurt—made from natural farm milk, without using any chemical additives for preserving or solidifying purposes—contains a liquid, light green in colour,* which can very easily be separated by putting yogurt in a light fabric bag and filtering it. One third of a glass of it can be drunk at a time, three times a day, between meals. One other thing is sweet apple juice. After having fasted for fortyeight hours, taking only water, at bedtime on the second day drink one litre of apple juice and another litre in the morning when waking up. Before the end of the day the stones will come out rejected and soft like cotton.
5. Cholesterol Cholesterol, which is formed in the system and is present in cells and body fluids, although important in physiological processes, is harmful when present __________ * Whey 81
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in excess and causes hardening of the arterial walls (arterio-sclerosis). The excess has to be eliminated and rejected from the system. It is rejected in excrement, urine and sweat. Further activation is secured also by following a toxin-free diet. But there is one aspect of this particular item that requires further consideration. The portion of cholesterol that is rejected by sweat accumulates on the surface of the skin, covering the pores of the skin and impeding cutaneous respiration. That is where the proverbial Abkhazian skin care comes in. A traditional Abkhazian who has a fair amount of self-respect will make himself thoroughly perspire at least once every other day, by physical exercise such as sports, horseback riding, working in the garden, cutting firewood or in a steam bath. Then, while the body is still warm and wet with sweat, he will brush his skin all over for five to ten minutes, jump in cold water or take a cold shower, and wash the sweat off. Because soap leaves a film on the skin, instead of using soap to clean he uses a very fine clay (which can be found today in every health food or cosmetic store), then rinses it away with abundant water. To keep the skin moist and soft, he uses a skin cream made of sheep’s wool oil (lanolin). Other than that, he rubs and dry-brushes his skin all over at least once a day, preferably after getting up in the morning. Another thing to mention here is that when in bed he does not wear anything: he puts on enough bed covers to keep him warm, but sleeps naked. Once these toxins in the digestive system are loosened in the cleansing process, because they are poisonous it is important to flush them out of the system as soon as possible. This is best accomplished by the above-mentioned drinks, otherwise the toxins will be re-ingested in the system, causing discomfort such as nausea, headaches and dizziness. All the food taken in is not utilized for the sustenance of the body. It is processed through digestion and assimilation, the sustaining part being retained to be used and the remnant rejected. The body exercises some effort and therefore spends some energy to do this job. The energy spent to digest, assimilate and reject is not the same for every kind of food, because some foods are more difficult to handle and process and others less so. The usable part of each kind of food goes to restore the body in order to maintain it in the struggle of existing and also to restore the energy spent processing the food. Therefore, when we evaluate the nutritive value of each food, we should not forget that the amount of sustenance going to restore the energy spent by the system on processing food should be subtracted from the whole of the usable amount, and the remainder is the net value of the supportive element. Clearly, any food that contains more nutritive value per unit compared to another food, but which is more difficult to digest and assimilate, may be 82
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less useful as a food if the usable part ultimately ends up being less in the final accounting. Some foods are naturally difficult to digest, but we make most of them difficult to digest by our ways of cooking them, such as pan-frying. Many foods that are delicious uncooked, we do eat that way, but not all of them. For example, an egg is eatable raw but we cook it. Nuts, such as walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, et cetera, are eatable uncooked, but we toast them, just because of bad habits. We sacrifice health to the pleasure of taste through these bad cooking habits. Any food that is not edible as is, we indiscriminately cook. Foods that are inedible—or very difficult to eat in their natural state—need to go through a certain process of preparation, but does this have to be cooking? Could we not create other ways of preparing these kinds of food to make them a pleasure to eat without cooking them? Well, it is this kind of food preparation that Abkhazians created. But unfortunately, for the last four or five hundred years, the original Abkhazian art of food preparation has degenerated under Turkish, Persian, Greek, Armenian and Russian influences and only some of the ancient recipes still persist. Readers who are interested in investigating them can refer to my revised book, The Abkhazian Book of Longevity and Well-being, published in 1999. Here, before I go to number 6, Psychological toxins, I would like to mention one more item which pertains to eliminating the physical aspect of refuse, and that is the importance of breathing properly. Our respiratory system works under two different regimes. It works under the command of our conscious motivation as well as our subconscious motivation. We breathe normally when we are not in physical action 14 times per minute on average. This frequency may automatically increase when we are physically active because the body needs more oxygen to cope with the demands of body tissue to support the restoration of the chemical reaction at the level of the red blood cells. Without any change in the body tissue’s need, we could increase the frequency of our breathing per minute, supply the system with more oxygen than it needs and thus enrich the supply of oxygen in the system. This would activate the combustion operation above the ordinary level, thereby burning excess fat and keeping the body more physically fit. This is the Kebzeh way of keeping a slim, athletic, and fit body. I would like to narrate here an episode from my childhood, when I was under training in Ahmsta Kebzeh by a group of Elders who took turns in training me in the early 1900’s. This is a story from the past. The year is 1928, the place Istanbul. I was in the thirteenth year of my life. I was still under training by Kebzeh Elders. One day I was walking through a farmers’ market in the district called Fatih 83
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together with one of my tutors. He was a retired veterinary colonel, a veteran from the Turkish Army, a little above 90 years of age—a tall, slender, and wiry mountain man. While we were strolling, I saw an elderly fat man sitting on a stool against a stone wall. He was leaning against the wall on his back and sleeping. He was snoring in such an exaggerated way that it was hard to tell which action he was more engaged in, snoring or sleeping. It looked like torture. I stopped for a moment and observed, then I turned to my Elder and asked: “Why is this man snoring so loudly?” He answered: “Because he is disproportionately fat.” I said, “Why is he so fat?” He replied, “There could be many reasons, but most likely he is fat because he doesn’t breathe rightly, sufficiently and in a proper continuity.” Then he continued with a more detailed explanation: The human being breathes under two regimes: one is unconscious, the other is conscious. Normally, we breathe throughout our life—day and night, awake or asleep—12 to 14 times in a minute, unaware of breathing. When we are engaged in our daily activities such as walking, working, talking or eating, we keep breathing. This breathing has to go on continuously to provide the body with the necessary biochemical reaction to perpetuate the elemental life of body tissue. The circulation of blood to the minutest corner of the body quickens, revives, restores every cell by carrying oxygen to each cell. This creates the necessary chemical combustion and takes away the residue of the combustion, which is carbon in the form of gas. The necessary heat and light are thus produced in the body to keep it alive and active. Oxygen is provided to the blood from the lungs, where oxygen arrives from our taking in air through breathing. We breathe in air because it contains oxygen. The picking up of oxygen by the red blood cells happens in the lungs, and delivering oxygen takes place at the cellular level everywhere in the body. The more abundantly oxygen is taken in, the more active will be the phenomenon of combustion at the cellular level. If the provision of oxygen is kept at a low level, just enough to sustain the abovedescribed physiological function, the combustion will be less active, scarcely sufficient to keep going. Some excess material will be stored, and this stored material, which is needed by the body to some extent, will start building up more than necessary. In time this excess will produce this man snoring against the wall. And this stored material is called fat. Each person, when breathing unconsciously, will, for many reasons, and more often because his attention is absorbed by what he is doing in a highly concentrated way, forget to breathe 84
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for a few seconds, until lack of oxygen brings him back to continuing his unconscious breathing. Often this situation won’t be noticed; the man will resume spontaneous breathing without being aware that he stopped breathing for a short interval of time. As the man comes to a point where he accumulates more fat, this unconscious stoppage of breathing will happen more often and for longer intervals of time, so much so that the body will come close to the point of near suffocation, and spontaneous resumption of breathing will become noisy, even at times sounding like an explosion because of the pressure experienced in the inner cavities and channels of the anatomical infrastructure as a result of stuffing fat. And this noise is called snoring. A second regime of breathing, which is breathing consciously, takes place when we want to control our breathing. We can play consciously, deliberately with our breathing as we know from our breathing exercises. What our body experiences from the irregularity of our unconscious breathing, as I explained above, can be made up by purposefully disciplining our conscious breathing and exercising it every once in a while in the course of our day, whenever we remember. By doing so, we also have a chance of conditioning our unconscious breathing into a more regular spontaneous performance. That is also why, in our morning physical exercises, we combine our movements with conscious breathing called two-stroke breathing. The fact that these exercises bring our bodies into better shape doesn’t happen as a result of movements only, but also by helping the food we take in burn better through richly supplied oxygen. A man who lives a Kebzeh life will never snore against a wall like this and will never look like this man either. This is where my Elder stopped. From now on I shall shoot a few words of my own, seventy-one years later. I remember that day as if it were yesterday, together with the impressive beauty and vigour of this Elder. Those Elders were nearly mythical, legendary and from worlds of celestial vibrations. They were Humans who walked the skies with eagles. That afternoon when I was walking home, I ran the whole incident over and over again in my mind. More and more it made sense to me. When I try to build up a campfire, putting twigs together over embers, I blow on it to activate the fire further, driving more oxygen onto it. When it is a bush fire, it gets further activated if there is also wind. Burning the food you eat is a similar phenomenon. 85
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Today there is a lot of ‘good health literature’ published, the greater part of these publications dealing with the topic of excess weight. There are various approaches to weight loss: physical exercise, moderate eating, abstaining from fat, vegetarian diets, et cetera. But the publications that attract more interest from the seeking public are those which address the question of how it is that those who eat freely without particular care do not gain any weight and keep themselves slim, while others who do nothing but drink water gain weight. I look at some of these publications that claim to teach a method where no diet is recommended. They state that you can eat freely and even when you are sleeping you will keep losing weight. I found out when I studied these that eventually they recommend a pill that stops the craving for food, so at the very end you get to cut down on the amount you eat. So it is not what they claim. I have never come across any method that explains why some people, no matter what they eat, keep slim, and some others do just the opposite. The slim people are slim mostly because for one reason or another they breathe more regularly and efficiently, whether it be in an unconscious or conscious regime; the two sustain each other.
6. Psychological toxins Just as it is necessary to purify man’s physical system by eliminating physical toxins to enable him to cope successfully with the task of living his physical life, so also is it necessary to purify his psychological system from psychological toxins to enable him to cope successfully with the task of living his relationship with his environment and to overcome triumphantly any problems relating to his vocational, familial, parental, conjugal, social and personal activities. The psychological refuse of man appears in many forms such as: anger, jealousy, doubt, meanness, hate, lust, vindictiveness, selfishness, injustice, cruelty, arrogance, impatience, boredom, fear of loss, resentment, lack of confidence, et cetera, et cetera. The list may go on indefinitely. There is only one single purifier for all these psychological toxins, and it is unconditional love. This is the kind of love that is engendered by ‘belonging to’, ‘being one with’, like the love of a mother for her child—the kind of love in the power of which the notion ‘You and Me’ totally disappears and melts away in its powerful warmth. If we can attain the absolute awareness of our oneness with the whole creation, our being an integral part of it, linking ourselves with the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power, we can attain the power of unconditional love for everything existing in Nature. Duality disappears; everything becomes One; everything flows out from the same Eternal Spirit of Creative Power. An unprecedented sense of brotherhood 86
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takes place, and vibrates and vibrates, prevailing spontaneously in all facets of our lives. We reach the at-one-ment with the Maker and the Made that we personally are part of. EGO DISAPPEARS. Ego is THE psychological toxin, mother of all darkness, negativity, failure, sickness and sin of human, the ORIGINAL SIN. Seekers of truth who foster the desire of learning Ahmsta Kebzeh can learn about it by studying the content of the publications put out by our two Kebzeh Foundations in Canada and the United States, and inform themselves about these by visiting their websites on the Internet. There is no other source left on Earth where this knowledge can be obtained. The tradition, the teaching and the living practice of Ahmsta Kebzeh are extinct on the surface of the Earth, thanks to the destructive administration of Russia’s Bolshevik imperialism throughout the greater part of the 20th Century, and to the four previous centuries of offensive Russian imperialism in the Caucasus. It has been the second most destructive and evil force in the history of mankind, after the Ottoman Empire. But in knowing about Ahmsta Kebzeh through academic studies and grasping its technical, theoretical, and scientific aspects, one can never learn it effectively and manifest abundant living in this earthly life. The teaching of Ahmsta Kebzeh is a processive work, as was expressed many times in the preceding chapters, and cannot be known unless exercising its work practically on the subject-human in the field of human life, like any other processive learning process such as swimming or playing a musical instrument. And to enter into the field of processing a human in transformational development to enhance his evolution higher in consciousness, the human vehicle needs a long series of preparatory steps in the vehicle, before it is ready to be receptive to the process.
Purification of the human system The first in order of those steps is purification of the vehicle from toxins, both physical and psychological. We talked in detail about physical purification. The doing of it still remains to be effected in practical application. The reader will remember— when we tackled the operation of transformation at the beginning of the book—that transformation starts by three steps: careful observation, correct interpretation and practical application. Academic teaching alone can effect no transformation, exactly as nobody can learn swimming or windsurfing, bicycle riding, or typing just by attending lectures. All these things can be learned by doing. As must be clear to the reader so far, all I wish to accomplish through my writing is to inform the reader as much as I know about the teachings of 87
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Ahmsta Kebzeh. When it comes to actually knowing it, the true teacher is the seeker himself, by finding the proper conditions and practising it. Now I would like to handle in the same theoretical manner the purification of psychological toxins. I said above that the purifier of all psychological toxins is unconditional love. In the ecological aspect of our life, meaning our relationship with our environment, the difficulties we encounter in our contacts with environmental elements, including our relationships with our fellow humans, do not always work smoothly. Very often certain discordances occur, creating negative vibrations of the Energy of Consciousness and resulting in reactions which may vary in their intensity. Any negative vibration in the human nervous system produces at the neural-cellular level a biochemical matter peculiar to the character of the reaction, which is by nature toxic and has a negative effect on the well-being of the individual human concerned. And just as strongly, any positive vibration on the human nervous system produces at the neural cellular level biochemical matter peculiar to the character of the reaction, which is anti-toxic by nature and has a positive, restoring and healing effect on the well-being of the human involved. It must be obvious to the reader that hidden in the two previous sentences are the clues that herald the way to cultivate transformation in human natural manifestation, such as controlling the biochemical Energy of Consciousness prevailing in the human nervous system by means of WILL to create positivity or negativity as a deliberate phenomenon, thereby assuming the authority to discipline the functions of the human vehicle by learning and developing the knowledge, the skill or the art of operating the amazingly complicated and highly sophisticated biochemical laboratory vested in the human system, and taking advantage of the relationships of the production of myriad forms of biochemical matter resulting from thought, feeling, mood, and emotional vibrations taking place in the human nervous system. From the teachings of Ahmsta Kebzeh, it is clear that people in ancient times knew very well the working mechanism of matter and energy in the human vehicle, although at that time all the scientific explanations, clarity and positivity we have now were not developed. Today, in what is called the New Age, all the things that were known for thousands of years by mystics, can for the most part be explained scientifically with clarity, and have become ‘positive’ knowledge. What we call New Age is nothing but the age of the reconciliation and marriage of mysticism and positive science. If we further educate, edify and train ourselves in the art of handling the unlimited potential of our human vehicle, we shall reach abundant life. That is why the wise men of spiritual traditions said indiscriminately: By knowing yourself you’ll know everything, and this knowledge shall set you free. Knowing ourselves is a great science by itself, and for a human the first step of achievement on the way to knowing oneself is purifying the human 88
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vehicle from physical toxins and hunting in clear weather. The next step, after purifying the human body from physical toxins, is to purify it from psychological toxins, and as we have said before, the purifier which achieves this is love, this love being unconditional love. Love is an electromagnetic vibration generated by the resonance of the sense of beauty on a particular nest of energy in the human nervous system. In previous chapters, we dealt in detail with how these phenomena function. We cannot have love by the mere fact of saying: “Let us have love.” But we can create the cause of love, which we know as ‘beauty’. In the training of Ahmsta Kebzeh there is an exercise we call doing love. Love is an Energy of Consciousness. It is a vibration of resonance of the sense of beauty with a nest of energy in the human nervous system, a specific nest reflecting Cosmic love, which is part of the energy of the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power, or simply God. Practically speaking, we cannot create love directly. We can create beauty practically. Beauty happens to be the cause of love, and when love is effected from this cause, love creates back the beauty and beauty in its turn creates more love. This is the simple manifestation of the phenomenon of cause-effect and effect-cause. That is why creating beauty is called ‘doing love’ in Kebzeh practices. By definition, beauty is anything that vibrates to make resonance with the nest of love in the human nervous system. We shall examine this in detail in Chapter XI when we deal with ‘Building up a Kebzeh Community’. In our discussion in the group we concluded by saying: Beauty is what the human five senses, reason and subconscious mind perceive as beautiful. Through a series of successive life experiences we come to know what are the objects, the phenomena, the smells, the tastes, the sounds, the feelings, the thoughts that are perceived by the human receptive system as beauty, and then we turn around and practise them, we create them and engender an atmosphere in which we live, exercising and experiencing them. This exercising and experiencing is called Aleishweh, which, as is said above, is nothing but a Circassian way of DOING LOVE. And this process is the very thing the ancient lightholders called Alchemy. After having achieved this end, the next work is to develop the general atmosphere among a group of humans living together or in close relationship with each other, and activating a reciprocal exchange of love between individual members of the group. This group may be a family, a team of coworkers, a class, a sports club, a social club, a church congregation, a political party, an art or philosophy society, a town, a city, a nation or even the inhabitants of the whole planet—there is no limit. From this homogeneity 89
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of vibration a common vibration of individuals takes root, creating among the individuals a strong sense of belonging to each other, and the vibration of love turns into and develops as agape love, which is the strongest antidote to any psychological poison—the eternal purifier of any negativity. Reciprocal love and respect among the individuals of a human crowd is necessary and sufficient to change this crowd into a human community if it is developed as unconditional love. The first, and sufficient, sign of such love is its being mixed with respect. Such love will eliminate and transform any negativity between individual members into positivity. All resentments shall turn into forgiveness and acceptance, and this alchemy will constitute the second sign and confirmation of there being such love. Once the existence of such love has been tasted it will never be lost and forfeited; if it is, it should be understood as never having been unconditional love in the first place. From this explanation we shall derive the following fruit: By doing love one reaches love; by reaching love what will be obtained will be living in love, and living in love will create more love and so on, continuing the chain of cause and effect. Thus the purification of the human system will be achieved. Purification is the first step but far from being the last. The struggle to achieve it is against the EGO. Many human beings decisively determined to win the battle against ego could do so, if they could truly detect that it was ego they were fighting. But ego has the subtlety of disguising itself in hundreds of forms of legitimate and respectable attributes, the most dangerous among them being self-esteem, self-respect, dignity, honour, will-power, endurance, resiliency, guts, stamina, and so on. The list could go on indefinitely. The weakness of humans in combatting their egos mostly emerges from this fact, ego appearing to the subject-human like the disguised wolf in the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Otherwise most people would know better how to handle lack of love, and become the winners of abundant life as one of the many consequences of doing love, furthermore understanding better what Jesus meant when He said: “The meek shall inherit the earth.”
Laws of Nature to benefit from in human transformation After having achieved physical, physiological and psychological purification of the human system from all sorts of negativity and inhibiting factors, the aspiring seeker will be ready to proceed in applying the necessary series of inner body exercises which will edify him in the skill of communing closely with the energy of the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power in terms of his spiritual well-being and growth, as it is naturally (without deliberate work) in terms of his physical and physiological well-being and survival. Whatever degree of efficient and harmonious functioning happens at the human physi90
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cal and physiological level to secure human survival, has to happen also at the human spiritual and psychological level to secure a human’s efficient and harmonious functioning in order for it to manifest its yearning for communion with the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power. At this point Nature’s dictate is that the electro-biochemical reactions which take place in the human system at the survival level happen more naturally up to a certain quality of performance, whether or not the individual subject deliberately works for it. Only the subject’s deliberate attention might better enhance it or not, as the case may be. But at the subtler levels of the Energy of Consciousness, further refinement of the human system needs to be deliberately worked on for higher attainment, as it was expressed very clearly at the beginning of this book in Chapter III. Because our hunger for physical food has never lost any of its original intensity since the formation of the CREATION (for it was strictly needed for survival), our hunger for spiritual food, seemingly not as indispensable in the beginning of our primitive life and appearing to be something of a luxury, was neglected and forsaken, our faculties as humans growing atrophied through long millennia. We need to revive and develop anew what we have lost. We can no longer look at our spiritual hunger as a second-level need. Our intellectual and physical life has developed to its utmost capacity and what seemed like a luxury a long time ago has started exercising urgent and unbearable pressure on us, becoming a deeply needed fulfilment, the lack of which causes depression, nervous breakdowns and physical dysfunction, to the point that even our survival becomes endangered. We can no longer cope with the sophisticated difficulties of our lives without completing our mental capacities to wholeness, i.e., the equal development of Intellect and Spirit. Every passing day sees our health disorders turning psycho-somatic. The philosophy of our conventional medicine, together with the fact that it is crushed under the big-money games of the drug industry, prevent it from being helpful in securing our well-being. The cure is in our inner, neurobiochemical laboratory, the expert director of which is our PSYCHE. This Psyche by itself is the greatest faculty of the whole Universe, a very active faculty with unlimited potential which needs to be cultivated, enlivened and with great love, enthusiasm, and intensity enabled to manifest its highest functional mission, to which there is no limit. The inner body exercises in question, which together constitute the application of Ahmsta Kebzeh and will be the subject of many of the following chapters, are formulated and established on certain laws originating from the very nature of the creation of the whole Universe. The whole Universe exists and functions according to those unchangeable natural laws, which can be explained and understood under the sciences of physics and chemistry. These natural laws are energized, enlivened, and put in action by 91
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that electromagnetic power which in Kebzeh we call ‘Cosmic Energy’, the Maker of matter in the process we call creation. Here I will enumerate these laws of Nature and explain their specific characteristics in general principles. While many sub-laws ramifying from these govern the functioning of the myriad activities that we call life, they are derived mainly from the spectrum which constitutes its trunk: 1. Law of Cause-effect and Effect-cause 2. Phenomenon of Cumulative Effect 3. Phenomenon of the formation of chemical products in the nervous system as a result of the vibration of the Energy of Consciousness 4. Resonance of vibrations 5. Law of Imitation and Truth 6. Law of duality of sexual energy in every living entity 7. Law of energy and matter: E = mc2 8. Mendelian Laws of Genetics 9. Law of reciprocal exchange between electromagnetic and electrochemical energies 10. The Phenomenon of Memory
1. Cause-effect and Effect-cause Every effect is a result of a cause. But this law of Nature also works in reverse. If the same effect is produced by any other means it will engender the cause. Deliberate and wilful creation of the effect creates the cause, as we shall explain further in Law No. 5, the law of Imitation and Truth.
2. Phenomenon of Cumulative Effect The phenomenon of cumulative effect is a game of memory. When we learn something through any or all of the seven ways of acquiring knowledge, it makes its imprint on the memory, which is a faculty of the intellect. How this game functions we shall tackle later, when we talk of memory in Law No.10.
3. Phenomenon of Formation of Chemical Products at the Neural Level as a Result of the Vibration of the Energy of Consciousness. Whatever kind of Energy of Consciousness, positive or negative, is activated in the human nervous system, such as thoughts, moods, feelings, emotions of all sorts (fear, irritation, resentment, love, hate, anger, sadness, happiness, hope, hopelessness, joy, chagrin, rejection, acceptance, generosity, meanness, jealousy, greed, aggressiveness, arrogance, mildness, rudeness, etc.—the list goes on and on and on to infinite), a biochemical matter 92
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which strictly corresponds to it will be produced at the neural level and will spread from there to the remotest corners of the body to manifest this particular Energy of Consciousness in the whole human system. As a result, more of this Energy of Consciousness will be activated in the human nervous system, and as a result of that more of the biochemical matter will be produced, and so on, as the phenomenon escalates indefinitely. Human will-power can enter the field of influence at this point and cause acceleration or dwindling of the energy in question according to what this Will wants or intends to accomplish.
4. Resonance of Vibrations The functioning of the human nervous system is based on the laws of physics that relate to the phenomenon of electromagnetic energy fields, and maintains a strict compliance with those laws at every level and in every aspect of life. Every phenomenon taking place in the nervous system manifests itself in the forms of vibrations, and all the reciprocal exchanges between vibrations establish a new phenomenon in the form of myriad resonances when various vibrations meet each other and create a resonance. This resonance becomes the very cause of life and its eternal perpetuation from eternity to eternity without discontinuity. The orchestration of all these resonances together constitutes the jamboree of life in its entirety. These phenomena have been explained in previous chapters.
5. Imitation and Truth As explained in Law No. 3 above, whatever kind of Energy of Consciousness is activated in the human nervous system, whether positive or negative, a biochemical matter strictly corresponding to it shall be produced at the neural level and spread from there to the whole system. The phenomenon explained in Law No. 3, which is generated by an Energy of Consciousness or, in other words, by a state of mind incurred under the force of circumstances, may also be produced deliberately by exercising will-power to artificially create the same state of mind, and further activating and escalating it by getting deeply involved in its visualization until it becomes an all-encompassing state of mind and produces the corresponding biochemical product at the neural level. This is one of the exercises frequently and assiduously practised in the tradition of Ahmsta Kebzeh for the purpose of transformation to subtler frequencies of the Energy of Consciousness—in other words, spiritualization of mind—and in the art of self-healing. It is called: the phenomenon of reaching the truth by imitating the truth, and it is also the exercise that constitutes the main practice in the Sufi training for what is called Chilleh work. 93
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The Sufi training called Zikr and the yogic training known as Mantra are also forms of application of the same exercise. Frequent repetition of a thought or an idea in words leads to the manifestation of the phenomenon of cumulative effect, which produces the supportive biochemical element in the nervous system and causes the effect of this element to happen.
6. The Law of Duality of Sexual Energy in Every Living Entity The expression of duality of sexual energy may be understood in three distinct ways: I. A living entity may be female or male, as the duality of the sexual energy may be understood as female or male. II. Any living entity possesses sexual energy containing female and male aspects at the same time, one aspect being predominant and the other latent, the predominant one determining the active sex of the entity. III. Sexual energy manifests itself in two aspects: one as sexual, the other as creative. How these manifestations develop is explained in detail in Chapter XI when dealing with the topic of Kebzeh Community, which is one of the pillars of learning Ahmsta Kebzeh.
7. Law of Energy and Matter: E = mc2 This formula of Albert Einstein was explained in many instances and detail in previous chapters. Its application, most importantly, brings a scientific elucidation to the phenomenon of Creation, as was explained in the chapter on Creation. Further and deeper studies of the applications of this formula to the phenomenon of Creation shall be the task of positive scientists as a new development of what we call ‘The New Age’.
8. Mendelian Laws of Genetics The Mendelian Laws of Genetics are also among the most important laws of Nature discovered by scientific research. These laws became a very valuable and important means of explaining rationally many mystical phenomena and truths known by mystics of antiquity and transmitted to seekers throughout human history. As a mystic it is my duty to draw attention to these laws. But their final elucidation will be achieved through the industrious co-operation of positive scientists and attained mystics in harmonious enthusiasm and love.
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This is not a law about which we are completely ignorant. We tackled it in a few instances, but here I feel it is necessary to mention it again. Let me briefly re-introduce it. It may look like repeating something we already know, but it is better done than not. The goal of doing inner body exercises is the transcending of all levels of the mind and reaching Christ Consciousness, and in so doing realizing the Absolute-One experientially. Let us try to approach this fact in a schematic illustration:
Consciousness No. 1 Consciousness through means of reason and five senses is: INTELLECT
No. 2 Consciousness through means of Spirit and Love is: SUPERCONSCIOUSNESS or Subconsciousness
Energy of Consciousness expresses itself in two main aspects: No. 1 we can simply call Consciousness or Intellect and No. 2, Superconsciousness or Subconsciousness (as height and depth express the same concept of profundity).
‘Me’ is my present person on the earthly level. ‘I’ is my person in determination, in eternity to eternity and through a series of generations until ‘Me’ comes to earthly existence and after ‘Me’ is deceased. The quality and level of attainment of the inner body exercises, such as meditation or contemplation, go up according to the level of self-identification in its truth; in other words, knowing ‘who you are’. Knowing ‘who you are’ can be realized by meeting your Higher SELF, namely your ‘I’, and meeting your lower self, namely your ‘Me’ in all its metabolical, anatomical, physiological, histological, psychological, biological and biochemical characteristics, in systemic, organ, tissue, cellular and atomic levels. Knowing our lower self, our ‘Me’, shall elucidate our grasp and help us to understand and develop our mastery of the relationship and reciprocal exchange our body is able and apt to manifest with the Life-force of which we make a part, or, in other words, the Life-force we are plugged into.
10. The Phenomenon of Memory The spiritual growth and edification of human, after life has been ignited by way of Marjah, takes place in the functional aspect, mainly by means of the phenomena of cause-effect and cumulative effect. Both of these phenom95
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ena become the means of cultivating up to infinite the human faculty called ‘Memory’. Memory, in Kebzeh teaching, means: The sum of imprints of the knowledge acquired by human mind through any or all of the seven ways of acquisition of knowledge as defined in the teaching of Kebzeh. Memory belongs to intellect. It is the natural product of intellect. The imprint of knowledge on human consciousness—or shortly and more colloquially said, on the human mind—develops and settles in time through cultivation and repetition as human consciousness grows in volume and quality in the process of spiritualization of mind in the levels of subtleties (as illustrated in the Chart of Transformation in Figure 3). In this process the settlement of memory gains an indelibility in human consciousness called gaining spontaneity, and its effects become like second nature in the subject individual. In the process of this transformation the memory frees itself from the intellect and incorporates with the subtler mind, becoming spiritualized in the process to the extent of making its abode in Spiritual Mind and then in Psychic Mind in the ascension up the ladder of transformation in Figure 3. Memory being an Energy of Consciousness by kind, during the experience of gaining higher subtleties in the succession of transformations, it produces biochemical products continuously and incessantly at respective cellular levels in the human nervous system, corresponding to various stages of transformation. As long as the human nervous system continues to be the vehicle harbouring human consciousness—in other words, as long as the human is alive physically—this phenomenon continues. As long as it continues, the memory moves up into further subtleties until it makes its home in the Marjah itself and therefore becomes immortal in its purely spiritual entity and identity and becomes one with the Eternal Spirit of Creative Energy, in other words God, as the free and independent memory of the human to which it also belongs. This is how the reciprocal exchange between electromagnetic and electrochemical energies of consciousness is possible. In the previous chapters we saw how DIRECT communion between Marjah and God happened and also how, by meditation on Marjah, INDIRECT communion between human and God happens. This brings further elucidation to that phenomenon which only humans have the privilege to reach, and to what in essence being a mystic is. The backbone of the phenomenon taking place here is the memory’s gaining spontaneity in human consciousness. That spontaneity belongs to Spirit, not to intellect. Anything spontaneous in life belongs to the Cosmic realm because it never dies, keeps reappearing in successive generations and never gets lost or forgotten, whether it is positive or negative in quality. This makes the basic tenet of the truth of ‘LIFE AFTER DEATH’, in 96
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other words, the immortality of the human soul which carries the memory of ‘COSMIC RECORDS’ for ever, and therefore lives for ever. The latest discoveries in medical and scientific research reveal that the biochemical product created at the neural level when memory is formed in the system, is determined; in other words, the biochemical cause of memory has been discovered. The researchers have identified it as the neurotransmitter responsible for carrying messages from one nerve cell to another. The primary neurotransmitter responsible for memory function is called Acethylcoline, which is deficient in most people suffering from memory loss (benign or otherwise). It is believed that one becomes more deficient in Acethylcoline while aging. They have also discovered that Hyperzine A is uniquely suited to the important task of preserving Acethylcoline and therefore the memory. This is another step forward which demonstrates that positive science is supporting with a scientific explanation a fact which was known for millennia by the mystics.
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Contentment (Kanaat in Sufi Expression) “He who knows he has enough is rich.” A Kebzeh proverb
Humbleness, gratitude, love and will are the four keys that unlock the doors to contentment and lock the doors to greed and even ego ...
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ne of the most important states of consciousness in Kebzeh teaching is contentment, upon which great emphasis is put as a means to tame the ego and to step into living this earthly life abundantly. Contentment will manifest its effect if its character is understood properly and rightly. It is a bilateral phenomenon related to a state of being that is peculiar to human. Contentment manifests itself in two aspects. One is knowing one has enough to exist sufficiently. The other is never forgetting that one can always do better. This yearning for ‘better’ should be exercised constantly as a means for betterment—not as a stimulus to striving for survival, in which case it turns into greed and avarice. So it is advised that one always maintain the attitude of: “I am doing very well, and I can do better,” under all circumstances. Being content means that you know, at all times, that you have been given enough to provide for your needs, both material and spiritual. To invoke the first aspect, which is knowing that one has enough to exist, requires being in the states of consciousness of humbleness, gratitude and love. ‘Will’ is the state of consciousness to be exercised to invoke the second aspect, which is never forgetting that one can always do better. Humbleness, gratitude, love and will are the four keys that unlock the doors to contentment and lock the doors to greed and even ego, paving the highway to meet the Higher Self—Marjah in Kebzeh terminology. Marjah is the original and eternal invisible Energy of Creative Power from which the human is materialized. Reaching contentment is one of the ways of purifying the human system from the toxicity of ego, thereby taking the seeker one step forward on the way to transformation into better velocity of energy and subtlety of consciousness (see Chart of Transformation at Figure 3).
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Humbleness is awareness of one’s dependency on God and interdependency on one’s fellow humans, the best manifestation of which can be reached in Kebzeh community life. The lower self has four legs: ego, intellect, self-righteousness and selfishness. Contentment, in its meaning in Kebzeh teaching, was adapted to Islamic Sufism under the word Kanaat. I am using the word contentment just to avoid using a foreign word, but what is meant by contentment in the Kebzeh Glossary is something more than its common dictionary definition. In the Bible it is expressed in the verse: “For to everyone who has, shall more be given, and he shall have an abundance; but, from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away,” (Matt.13:12 and 25:29 and Luke 19:26). These are among the verses in the Bible that have caused considerable controversy because they created confusion in the minds of the evangelists, and were labelled as making no sense when tested in the crucible of reason. But they make sense and can be explained under the Law of Cause and Effect, as I did briefly in previous chapters. I shall give here a more expanded explanation of the concept according to the Kebzeh teaching. The above-mentioned verse from the Bible certainly makes no sense if it is looked upon from an arithmetical accounting point of view! Human is infinite in its potential growth of consciousness. As human evolves further in consciousness, its life also shall evolve further in complexity, therefore in sophistication, obliging it to find more means to supply its daily life-style. As there is no end to the infinite growth of a human, there will be no end to its ever-increasing needs. If we compare the number of what were considered necessary items for daily life one hundred years ago with those we require today, we will find that the total is alarmingly higher. Also, if at any given time we compare what are considered strictly necessary items between households of various income levels, we will see how great the difference is between hierarchic levels. On the other hand, it is quite obvious that from the well-being and happiness point of view of different households, living within the limits of a well and properly adjusted budget is the criterion of abundance. The concept of abundance is: To be well provided for materially and spiritually. Material provision is needed for survival in a healthy, well fed, wellprotected physical, metabolic and physiological manner. Spiritual provision is needed to fulfil human yearning for an ‘unknown better’ in life. 100
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When yearning for an unknown better—which is in the realm of the Kingdom of Goodness, meaning betterment for higher human attainment in spiritual awareness—is confused with lower desires and envies of mortal and transitory life here below, the whole purpose of coming to earthly life is being forfeited by the human. As a result the qualities that make a human human are lost. The human enters into a form of life more beastly than human, and develops the great art of building and establishing Hell on Earth. Yes, it is a fine art indeed, in its highly negative character which generates lack, suffering, crime, greed, wars, mortality and everything that is the opposite of the spectrum of love and of abundance. Even a human swimming in the profusion of earthly riches shall suffer the agony of lack, greed, envy and the hunger for something unknown, living in search of something it cannot identify. Humans differ from animals by the quality and manifestation of their yearning, and more definitely by the gift of WILL. Humans have the faculty of controlling and directing their yearning towards a goal—a faculty particular to humans, and to humans alone. Animals also manifest some attributes that look like yearning and will, but they are doomed to be confined within the limits of survival—therefore finite—and never to reach the infinite expansion of Spirit in the subtleties of the eternal Energy of Consciousness. Humans, urged by their yearning for an unknown better towards the realm of spiritual beauties, develop a sense and a need for expression of this yearning in the form of WORSHIP. Worshipful address and expression are a need to appease the yearning to reach this high platform. By the attribute of being human alone, the human is driven to find an OBJECT OF WORSHIP. This driving need manifests itself as a kind of hunger, most of the time difficult to identify and name. In the human’s primitive stage of development, this hunger appears to be a part of survival—a motivated urge exactly as it is in animals—and creates strong incentives to acquire as many material goods as possible. As long as a human is not educated and edified, left to itself it will make little advancement in the way of wisdom and in knowing its true identity and potential for betterment. And if educated and edified only in its Physical and Intellectual levels of Energy of Consciousness, it will be granted very little enhancement in its subtle levels of development, namely at the levels of Spiritual and Psychic Energy of Consciousness. Since our official and organized educational system today only concerns itself with the Intellectual Energy of Consciousness, we have little chance to raise our wisdom above the level of survival. As a result the manifestation of our yearning remains doomed to stay mainly within the level of survival. Our efforts remain so focused on providing abundance for our survival that we not only are unable to provide for those needs but also have no time to spend to edify ourselves in our true identity as human. So even if we had 101
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a possibility of finding the necessary means to edify ourselves through private tutorship, it would be very difficult for us to commit and dedicate ourselves to the task. As long as we see the fulfilment of our yearnings mixed with the fulfillment of our survival, we will be raising the realization of our survival—a finite and transitory need—to the level of infinite and eternal, at the expense of forfeiting our humanness, which yearns for its true identity. We will be as successful as a fisherman who fishes in the mountains or a hunter who hunts on the ocean. Let us go back now to that verse in the Gospels which had proven to be controversial, paradoxical or enigmatic. It reads as follows: “For to everyone who has, shall more be given, and he shall have an abundance; but, from the one who does not have, even what he does have, shall be taken away.”(Matt. 25:29) Let us paraphrase it as follows: To everyone who knows he has more than enough, more shall be given, and he shall have an abundance; but from the one who does not know that he has enough, even what he has shall be taken away. All of a sudden the verse doesn’t look as enigmatic as before. But the first thing that comes to mind now is that to change a person’s state of lack to a state of sufficiency is not as easy as paraphrasing a statement. There is a way to explain it. Its explanation and solution lie in arranging a reasonable budget that permits one to exist in a frugal way, while still providing for survival. No matter how tight one’s income is, one can see in one’s environment others who have even tighter incomes and still manage to exist, their survival provided for. Unless the situation is nearly at the level of destitution, there is always a way to exist reasonably, provided with an ingeniously arranged budget, with the possibility of putting aside some surplus every month. We have to develop a correct sense of what is reasonably enough to fulfil our needs, and to consider a luxury whatever is above that level. I had a living example of this some fifty years ago in the person of a nephew of mine. It was in the years following World War II. He was from a reasonably well-to-do family in Istanbul. There were seven children in the family. They led a very happy family life but there was always an insoluble problem in the household. This was that every child wanted a private room of its own, and that did not seem possible. After having finished high school in Istanbul, he wanted to go to Germany to study mechanical engineering at the University of Heidelberg, if my memory doesn’t deceive me. His father was covering his expenses, sending an allowance to him every month. After having been in Heidelberg for six months, his father received a letter from him in which he asked that his allowance be cut by a 102
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quarter, because that much would be enough for him, and that this sum be added to what was given to his brothers and sisters. When his father was visiting us one day he told me about it. I asked him whether his son had written any more about it in his letter by way of explaining how this had come about; he told me that yes, his son had given some explanation. When he went to Heidelberg he found out that there it was quite common for between eight and twenty students to live in one room, sharing the rent, and in the morning the line in front of the washroom door normally took twenty to thirty minutes to get through. Although accommodating so many people in one room was not done only for the purpose of having less expensive accommodation—a lack of vacancies being another strong reason—this situation created a feeling of repentance in my young nephew, recalling the disputes about having private rooms at home. This young man came home four years later, not only as a fine engineer but also as a man very well disciplined in budgeting for his survival in life and able to draw a fine line between need and luxury. If a human does not know how to put this fine line between need and luxury when it comes to its survival, it will be unable to provide even for that survival, and won’t have either the time or the means to pursue its spiritual yearning. As a result it will be unable to reach its true object of worship. Yet this need in human beings is so oppressively strong that a host of wrong objects of worship relating to its survival will manifest themselves, disguised as objects of worship. These will deviate the field of survival into a complexity of needs virtually impossible to fulfil, causing ever increasing deficiency in the household budget. The household budget for survival will fail and life will lose its simplicity. And abundance shall be forfeited.
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CHAPTER X I
Sexual Energy and Community WHERE SEXUAL ENERGY STARTS Doing Love to Develop the Synergy of Community BUILDING UP A KEBZEH COMMUNITY Tasting the Joy of Reaching Decisions by Consensus in Community Aleishweh No notably qualified high attainment can be reached in spiritual subtleties unless one is sexually satisfied, either through celibacy or performance. An interested student who wants to learn Kebzeh by studying it through books or any other written texts, or by corresponding with a teacher or a group of curriculum source by distant education, can learn only about it, but never IT.
WHERE SEXUAL ENERGY STARTS
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he very original Energy of Consciousness from which the whole of what is called Creation stems, is the electromagnetic, creative energy of the Universe. In fact, every energy—mechanical, intellectual, emotional or spiritual (meaning both visible or invisible)—is creative, because, under favourable conditions, every form of energy creates matter according to Einstein’s formula E = mc2, whether or not this energy is electromagnetic and consciousness. But the energy that created the whole Universe is a spiritual (invisible) Energy of Consciousness, electromagnetic by nature. Furthermore:
Every spiritual energy is electromagnetic by nature. Every spiritual energy is consciousness by kind. Every spiritual energy is creative by function. Every spiritual energy is self-motivated by character. Every spiritual energy is self-motivated up to a level of intensity parallelly proportional to its subtlety of vibration that develops, in the case of human, up to the level of producing WILL. 105
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And to complete the picture to its wholeness: EVERY SPIRITUAL ENERGY IS SEXUAL, BY PEP OR STIMULUS. TO DARE FURTHER: GOD IS SEXUAL ENERGY IN SUBSTANCE. In Kebzeh teaching, the creative faculty of sexual energy is highly valued in every human attainment in enhancement towards betterment. Consequently, great importance is attributed to sex edification in order to raise high calibre human beings. God is sexual energy, therefore meticulous emphasis is exercised in elevating human sexual edification to empower the human with qualities of know-how and refinement in his or her sex life. In Kebzeh, manifestations of sexual energy in human life are never discouraged and stunted by inhibitive suggestions and do’s and don’ts. Knowing that in one way or another humans will exercise their sexuality, rather than ignoring it and causing its improper manifestation, high education and discipline are applied to attain honourable, skilful, tactful and happy performance in this field. To start with, one statement of encouragement is clearly established and offered to the aspiring student: No notably qualified high attainment can be reached in spiritual subtleties unless one is sexually satisfied, either through celibacy or performance. Later on, we shall explore further this statement. If sex, which is one of the products of sexual energy, is so important, it is worthwhile elaborating on it. Throughout the history of Kebzeh tradition, meticulous concern was exercised in the cultivation of sex in order to bring it to its highest quality to fit the dignity and superiority of the human. During past centuries, all of humanity’s lawmakers have established sets of moral, ethical, social and religious rules based on natural and man-made phenomena with the intention of disciplining sexual energy. One of the fundamental instruments referred to in every system of discipline was the institution of marriage; and then the inevitable came into the picture—the institution of divorce. As it was necessary to bring a man and a woman together, there emerged two possible ways to follow: the togetherness established would or would not work depending on the compatibility or non-compatibility of the parties involved. The possibilities of a given marriage being either a lasting or a non-lasting one always existed. Therefore there had also to be a set of rules to follow to execute a divorce in a fair, just and considerate way. 106
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At every corner of the world innumerable combinations of rules were invented to establish the institutions of marriage and divorce, differently orchestrated depending on the judgments of the law-makers and the different climatic, vocational, cultural, moral and social conditions involved. Some of them were inspired by traditional orientations, others by religious or secular psychological, philosophical, moral and social directives. Some advocated monogamous marriage, others polygamous in favour of men or in favour of women. As for divorce, some disallowed divorce in a most shallow and inconsiderate manner; others made it possible but extremely difficult and unbearably costly, and yet others made it quite easy and matter-of-fact. When these sets of rules and laws were established, no or little consideration was given to observing the mighty laws of Nature, but rather the main guiding force was recognized as human logic, reasonableness and acceptance or fairness. Without taking into account the difference in essence between male and female sexuality, a concept of equality was assumed between men and women and everything was built on the principle of equality and fairness, which did not exist but was assumed to exist. A kind of, ‘What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander’ motto was applied. But the factual truth is far different. As a result of this misconception, throughout millennia not only the institution of marriage, but also the entire sex life of humans turned into a mess. In 1965, according to statistical results, forty percent of marriages in North America were quoted as ending in divorce. In 1982 the figure was sixty percent, and in 1985 eighty percent. In 1997 at a meeting in Vancouver, I mentioned these figures, and I said I didn’t know how much it was then. A participant in the meeting told me it was sixty percent. I was very glad that it had decreased rather than increased and I expressed this. The gentleman then said: “Oh, Sir, do not get so easily encouraged. The percentage of divorces decreased because marriages increased with common law marriages.” I was still very much encouraged because I do not see anything wrong with common law marriages if they are done in good faith, properly presented and free from a sense of guilt. From the Kebzeh point of view there is nothing wrong with common law marriage. It rather proves that there are still men and women who find joy in living together harmoniously, free from guilt, faithful to each other, but only protesting against the nonsensical restrictive bondage of man-made laws. If they honour the majesty of nature’s laws, I would call it a true marriage. In Kebzeh tradition, before Circassians (native peoples of the Caucasian Sierra) became involved with religions imported from outside, marriage was a private affair between a man and a woman. The only fundamental condition was that the decision be witnessed by a group of friends, neighbours or relatives and blessed by their toasts. There could be of course some additional conditions created by the peculiarities of hundreds of specific 107
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circumstances, but in a community raised in the Kebzeh tradition, the propriety of any act, thought, feeling and execution is strictly determined by a spontaneous sense of appropriateness resulting from edification by Kebzeh. The fundamental criterion to determine and establish the stability, durability and harmony of a marriage should be to give due consideration to the mighty dictates of Nature, and within the permissibility of those dictates to set up the disciplining rules and means to keep it under the control of good will. Let us look at it from an illustrative angle. Let us consider marriage to be like the job of building a dam or a bridge over a water system. The engineer who takes charge of the job would be able to build the most dependable, functional and durable construction by giving due consideration to the characteristics of Nature at this particular spot, such as topography, climate, flooding, seasonal ebbing and rising of the river, precipitation, frost and so on. The engineer, by observing, considering and respecting these conditions will be able to build the most functional and durable bridge or dam. The engineer may like to do the job more easily, less expensively, without using much concrete or steel-reinforcing or going too deep in the foundations, but he will be restricted in his freedom by the dictates of nature. If he expects the impossible because it is more desirable he will be building a utopia which will be there today but not tomorrow; this is the situation of our marriage system today, all over the civilized world. In some less developed countries it is even worse, only manifested in the opposite way, the dictate being man’s instead of Nature’s, and woman being a commodity to man. Yes, marriage lives; yes, marriage is durable, but it is not marriage. It is slavery; it is exploitation of women by men. But the tragic aspect is that the woman is unaware of it. She even looks happy, accepting her lot submissively, smiling and joking in the middle of a half dozen ill-fed children because she is brainwashed to slavery. If she rebels against it, there is a door open to salvation and the name of the door is prostitution, which, in a strange way, may look attractive from outside. Indeed, the woman is brainwashed in both societies. Both the Western and the Eastern woman are brainwashed into acceptance of a wrong conditioning. Marriage looks like a building on an imaginary foundation. If we give up marriage altogether we give up FAMILY altogether. Where is the solution? There is a definite solution to it. Not immediate, not easy, but definitely efficient and absolute. And in my humble but daring opinion it is a FUNDAMENTAL REVOLUTION in our education system (at this point the reader would be advised to read once more Chapters I and IV). The revolutionary step in our education system that I am talking about consists of officially introducing the edification of the growing human being in the subtleties of consciousness (as shown on the Chart of Transformation 108
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at Figure 3) into the curriculum of the general program. If that is done, educating human beings in mechanical, technological, and intellectual positive science on the one hand, and spiritual, moral, social and global mystical positive science on the other, would be achieved. Thus, the raising of a human capable of handling efficiently the job of reaching abundant life in all the complexity of conditions of our time on Earth would be possible and attained. Such a human would be able to plan the project needed to win this attainment through a process of visioning, strategizing and executing with the utmost sharpness of the whole of his mind—in other words his wholistic mind. Handling the entire human lot as it relates to the daily facts of life shall be possible and realized. Such a Human shall be able to re-establish every function of human life on Earth and beyond to its highest level, including marriage, family, nation and the whole Universe. Such a Human shall represent as a collective Human the Second Coming of Christ. I would like now to look at how in its original system, Kebzeh dealt with human sexual energy. Until one hundred years ago, no single case of divorce had ever been heard of in Circassian communities. Neither was there a single case of children being raised by one parent because of disharmony between their parents. The Circassian marriage system is absolutely monogamous. No Circassian woman will share her home with another wife. However, she will never consider her husband as her property. Manifestation of possessiveness and jealousy toward each other in a conjugal couple is looked upon as a petty gesture or exertion. Growing youngsters’ minds are seasoned to it as such, starting from the very early times of their edification. Possessiveness and jealousy are considered as trespassing on a human being’s privacy and will, therefore very disrespectful and temperamental manifestations which are signs of ill-breeding. The difference between the nature of male and female sexuality is very analytically and meticulously studied in Kebzeh, and due importance is given to their being handled as complementary to each other. As the requirements of nature for male and female to fulfil their respective sexual functions with each other are different, so also are both sexual energies composed and created differently from each other. Female sexuality is created to fit the function of motherhood, male sexuality to fit the function of fatherhood. Female energy is homebound, where the growing children are; male energy is environment-bound, where provisions for survival are. The psychological characteristics that direct the physiology of sexual functions are also different in male and in female sexuality. When a male and a female engage in sexual intimacy together, various aspects of escalating vibrational involvement of sexual participation create 109
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incomparable differences in the character of this participation in the male and in the female. The female needs a deeper driven participation in sexual intercourse to be able to join the joy of sex, to enter a parallel journey in it with the male. Female orgasm is a complicated and complex phenomenon, totally different from male orgasm; it has only a one-sided manifestation, a psychological vibrational manifestation that takes place solely in the infinite field of the nervous system and needs more time to escalate in its slow crescendo, accelerating slowly and ebbing away slowly. A properly and fully experienced female orgasm normally takes much longer to happen than a properly and fully experienced male orgasm. The male partner needs meticulous edification to cope with his partner in togetherness; it is not something every Joe can perform. Furthermore, not only is the duration of a female orgasm long in acceleration and long in ebbing, also a high quality performance of a female orgasm settles its imprint for a long time on the subject female and its effect may be indelible in the memory. Female sexual energy is a very delicate and fragile phenomenon to handle. As for the corresponding aspects of the manifestation of sexual energy in the male, in a sexual encounter it is much more superficial than that of the female. Male orgasm has two phases: One is its psychological vibrational manifestation as in the case of the female; the other is the biochemical phase which concerns the production of seminal fluid that contains spermatozoa in suspension and effects the insemination of the ovum in the female for reproduction. So in orgasm the male is achieving two tasks. One is the production of a biochemical matter, the other is the activation of the sensational vibration that causes it and continues escalating simultaneously with the same vibration jointly with female energy, ending up at some point together in a synchronized climax which completes the phenomenon of orgasm with the female. This synchronized climax is very important and makes a great deal of difference in adding colour and beauty to the intercourse. The biochemical aspect of the orgasm in the female to produce the corresponding female element of insemination, the ovum, is produced in the female genital system, not during intercourse itself at every intercourse, but once a month regularly, whether the female gets involved in sexual activity or not, and stands ready to await a meeting with spermatozoa in the case of intercourse with the male, for a duration of approximately three weeks every month. If no fertilization occurs it disintegrates and is rejected by the system, to be replaced by a fresh one in approximately one week’s time, and the cycle continues. The fact that the ovum is always produced in the female once a month, without any need for the co-operation of a male, leaves the female with the task of manifesting only the psychological vibration of orgasm during intercourse. This phenomenon is what makes the character of orgasm in the male and the female so different in its functional aspect, although its sensational aspect appears so similar. 110
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I can explain this difference as follows: A stimulus of sexual energy in the male functions like a call for a custom-made order for the manufacture of seminal fluid in the human system. The acceleration of the stimulus in the form of waves of sensation triggers in gradual steps the formation of the seminal fluid, starting from the depths of the marrow in the bones of the whole body. The concentration of the consciousness invading the whole system for the task of manufacturing the biochemical product creates a sense of result-orientedness in the male’s whole system of awareness and he strives with zeal to reach it as soon and as surely as possible and be relieved of the task. The whole activity creates a state of RELIEF ORIENTEDNESS in the male, while in the meantime the female is enjoying the beautiful stimulus of sensational sex vibrations through the whole of her energy system, which gives her the exquisite joy and pleasure of shaking hands with her maker, the beloved Almighty and All Beautiful God, without any other goal and wanting it to last for ever. This creates a state of STIMULUS ORIENTEDNESS in the female, free from any result-orientedness. AND THIS IS THE GREAT SECRET OF THE WHOLE UNIVERSE WHICH MAKES MALE AND FEMALE DIFFERENT AND DOOMED OR BLESSED TO REMAIN DIFFERENT WITH NO POSSIBILITY OF EQUALITY, and consequently signifies the transcendence of woman over man, in other words makes the woman Queen and the man Labourer, no matter what the shallowness and stupid vanity of the man dictates. When man and woman cultivate, develop and live their sexual life within the meaning and strength of it, as is described above, the sexual energy that was the cause of their coming to life shall also be the cause of their living their life in its fullness and at its highest level of finesse, attainment and abundance. A man and a woman living their life, being sexually satisfied at the highest level of honourable, skilful, tactful, respectful, harmonious and happy level of performance, shall be living it at its ultimate level of communion with God, because God is sexual energy. If God is sexual energy, anyone who can expand his grasp from facts to their consequences can foresee that sexual energy must also have its effects on human life in its all-comprehensive magnitude, and on many other aspects of life beyond and above sex. These many other aspects can be expressed together under one single name, and that is CREATIVE ENERGY. Actually, the fundamental ENERGY is Creative Energy. When it exercises its power on the human physical system in its visible matter, namely at the physical, anatomical, physiological, and metabolic level, it manifests itself in SEX, in other words creates SEX. When it exercises its power on the human spiritual system it manifests itself in CREATIVITY, and therefore generates creative manifestation. In both cases what is expressed is God. Any journey from you to You is from God to God. 111
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God wraps herself in flesh and bone and appears as you. You wrap yourself in flesh and bone and you appear as God. You wrap yourself in Spirit and facts and you appear as God. And the greatest central fact in human life is that the human has the power and authority of manifesting this ENERGY in both ways as HE WILLS, AND TO BRING THE CREATION OF GOD TO ITS COMPLETION (John 4:34). Let’s go back now to Chapter IV (Processing of Human), to the later part of the chapter where the explanation on ascending in subtleties of consciousness is given step by step. On the Chart in Figure 3 we can see that when the growth of consciousness goes past Level 4 and from there continues on its way to its Spiritual Body Consciousness, yearning for an unknown better starts making itself felt. Until that stage of the development of consciousness, motivation for growth is the necessity for survival. Within the limits of this phase, the vibration of the waves of consciousness still being physical, intellectual and emotional, and therefore not yet subtler, the creative energy within, will still be in its coarser vibration and its interpretation and manifestation will be sexual, leading in the direction of sex. So the sexual energy will activate the stimulus of sex on an individual’s physical system. After Level 4 and upwards, the growth of consciousness will enter the phase of YEARNING FOR AN UNKNOWN BETTER, the vibration will turn to spiritual and will keep growing on the spiritual line, and therefore the sexual energy will activate the stimulus of CREATIVITY on the individual’s spiritual system because, the physical aspect to manifest being lessened and the spiritual aspect being increased, less chance for sex pep will be available. And henceforth the natural tendency for a human who achieved this ascension in subtleties of consciousness, will be for the sexual energy to manifest its creative aspect of manifestation rather than the physical sex aspect. Later in this chapter we shall come back to that aspect when we tackle the sexual energy in the phenomenon of DOING LOVE in the building up of a Kebzeh community, which is nothing but clarifying the phenomenon of developing AGAPE LOVE from the pep of sexual energy. The reciprocal maintenance of various vibrations of spiritual energy in the human system will create a variety of energies which work together in concerting the jamboree of life, and certainly the spiritual life in this plane. No human being who did not elevate himself to the high subtleties of consciousness by deliberately, methodically working under the true and right discipline can experience AGAPE LOVE, except mothers, and only mothers, by virtue of motherhood. Now to complete all the characteristics of human sexual energy, I shall tackle further the statement I had made at the beginning of this chapter, which is: 112
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No notably qualified high attainment can be reached in spiritual subtleties unless sexually satisfied, either through performance or celibacy. And then we shall spend time researching the application of sexual energy in the journey towards having totally abundant life. The above statement may very easily be misunderstood. One may think one has two alternatives to choose from, at random or indiscriminately at wish, with both ways equally available to pick up from. Well, that is not so at all. If one chooses the way of performance of sex one has to dedicate and commit oneself to be trained in it in the physical aspect of sex until one acquires all the necessary edification to be a perfect sex partner, and then also attain the high subtleties of spiritual consciousness, achieve living in the creative aspect of sexual energy, and subsequently discover in which aspect of the manifestation of sexual energy one will decide to abide. Both aspects possess their phenomena of orgasm, each as beautiful and pleasurable as the other, so that it is hard to decide which one to choose. But the privilege of choosing both is also a blessing granted to the human. A human who can reach the platform depicted above may likely end up in a Kebzeh marriage—monogamous in essence—with one partner with whom they can share the same meeting ground, the ABODE OF GOD, and make that spot their wedding bed. It must be obvious to the reader that such attainment is possible only for partners, both of whom have made their abode that very spot where this TRINITARIAN RENDEZVOUS takes place. In the case of such a couple, the sexual act becomes a cosmic act in which the partners are the points of contact of two halves uniting to form a whole with a third one, which is two Marjahs joined to make One. The marriage then becomes ‘the marriage in Heaven’. The orgasm experienced becomes a wholly comprehensive one. Partners are melted in it, including the third one. They come out of it as if born again, with an experience very similar to coming back from a knock-out. It is not a sensation related to the genital system only, but one involving the whole nervous system from the toes to the top of the head and ramified to the whole Universe. It is very physical in nature, but a seemingly invisible part of extreme subtlety vibrates and throbs and the partners feel like two joyful rivers running into each other. There is no substitute for such an intercourse, which cannot be duplicated. Sex is fulfilled in its wholeness and it becomes a divine experience. Such a couple is capable of living the ideal monogamic life purely, genuinely and free of any trace of hypocrisy. This, certainly, cannot be expected from every Joe and Josephine. BUILDING UP A KEBZEH COMMUNITY What is involved in this processal work of ascending in the levels of subtle113
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ties of consciousness as described on the Chart in Figure 3 in Chapter IV, is the whole teaching of Ahmsta Kebzeh, which is explained and taught in Kebzeh tradition in detail and may be learned by applying oneself to it. It is said in the teaching that four means are required to successfully get involved in it. Those four means are: 1. A dedicated, determined and committed aspirant to be taught. 2. A valid and authentic teacher from a traditional background. 3. An uncontaminated, unadulterated traditional teaching. 4. A group of people developed and matured in the form of community to live and work in it. In this particular chapter my intention is to develop the definition, description, characteristics and functioning of a community according to the teachings of Ahmsta Kebzeh. Education in Kebzeh might be developed in seven levels as: 1. Knowing about it (its definitions, rules, principles and simple description). 2. Knowing in detail the descriptions of it in its various aspects, including all theoretical knowledge, within the scope of intellectual study and understanding of it, covering the ways it functions to successfully provide a way of applying it to deal with the everyday facts of life and their challenging manifestations. 3. Training in applying those applicable functions by working and doing and observing the results. 4. Developing the skill of manifesting these results by deliberate efforts. 5. Developing further the skill of manifesting these results to be spontaneous. 6. Moving all deliberations into spontaneity and liberating the results from intellect and generating them in the realm of the subconscious mind, the intellect remaining valid only as the foundation. 7. Becoming it, by everything being motivated by love instead of reason. An interested student who wants to learn Kebzeh by studying it 114
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through books or any other written text materials, or by corresponding with a teacher or a curriculum source through distance education, can learn only about it, but never IT. It will only be an acquisition of theoretical knowledge which remains within the limit of intellectual grasp, no matter how much one advances in it. Its being a processal development necessitates getting personally, actively and practically involved in DOING it, being subjected to it in order to go through the sought-after transformation to acquisition of higher faculties needed to reach abundant life. It is exactly like the work involved in any processal attainment, like learning how to swim, how to play an instrument of music, acquiring skill in a field of sports, et cetera. By sitting in a room and reading thousands of books or corresponding with a highly skilled teacher one cannot learn how to swim. One must go into the water and apply the acquired knowledge in doing it. And for Kebzeh training, living in a Kebzeh community is similarly and equally necessary. What is a community? Definition: Community is the character of a group of people which is created by the synergy of the group. When there is unison of vibration there is resonance; when there is resonance there is like-mindedness; when there is like-mindedness there is resonance again and so on and so forth (the law of cause-effect and effectcause). Only like-minded people can form a community. Through the people repeatedly or always being together and doing things together, the phenomenon of cumulative effect is materialized. The people thus involved then cease to be just a crowd and become a community. The crowd becomes a collective unit or a collective One. The first step, before a crowd of people becomes a community, is for them to go through the stage of becoming a brotherhood. A brotherhood is a group of humans sharing the same frequency of being through a common interest and thereby being in the process of forming a community. Although to process a human up to the attainment of becoming a completed person (meaning a person having all faculties fully activated without any faculty left dormant, but in full capacity of its ability of consciousness), all four means mentioned above are equally and absolutely needed, the most important among the four is to have the proper community. To say it again, rephrasing: From among: a) determined and committed students, b) a valid teacher, c) undefiled teaching, and d) community, the most important is community. 115
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I think more elucidation and clarification are needed in this particular aspect. Let me make an allegorical illustration to make it clearer. Let us take raising wheat as an example. Three things are needed to raise wheat: a) the seed; b) the farmer; and c) the field. All and each one of them are needed. If one of them is missing, it will be impossible to do it. However, the most important one is the field, because if in that country a suitable field is not available, it will be impossible to bring a field from somewhere else, but farmer and seed can be provided—more easily, at least. Similarly, in raising a human, the community gains importance over the other three, not because of its being more necessary than any other, but because of the difficulty of its availability and in making it available. If we take as our example a project to raise bananas instead of wheat, the availability of a field being more difficult if not impossible, should be more obvious considering that the country we are in is Canada. We can get the seed and we can get the person who can raise bananas but to engender the proper field for bananas in the climate of Canada would be a nightmare. Our only option would be to do it in a greenhouse, in which case growing bananas would be of dubious value and certainly not economical from a business point of view, because practically, to import the bananas from abroad would be more economical than growing them here. So, from the four necessary means to provide for the processing of a whole human, the costlier and more difficult one to achieve is the community. In the history of Ahmsta Kebzeh many humans attaining to abundance were produced, mostly by the help of well-established and strong community life. The whole Caucasian Sierra was composed of one homogeneous community, the only difference between component communities being some differences in dialects. All the rest of the social features in the communities were the same—the same judgment of values, the same mentality, the same brotherly love toward each other, the same folk dances, the same folk costumes, the same type and style of saddles and swords, the same etiquette or civil behaviour, and nearly the same cuisine, differing only by the agricultural products common to localities. The greater agency which creates a community is proper handling of human sexuality, and as we will see later, efficient development of what we call ‘doing love’ in the predominant relationship between the individuals forming the community. In other words, when Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you,” he meant: Form a community. It is as simple as that, and as such we should know what community is about. In one more step forward, rephrasing it, if we can form a proper community—as we shall see in the following pages when we enter into the descriptions of a well-achieved community—we will need nothing else to reach abundant life, here below and there yonder. And abundant life means the life of a human who reached communication with Higher Intelligence, 116
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meaning Cosmic Intelligence, and meaning furthermore, the life of a human who developed the activation of his conscious and subconscious minds to work parallelly, equally, harmoniously, simultaneously and spontaneously together by synergistic support of the brotherly love of the community.
How a community can be developed I said that only like-minded people can form a community. The master builder of a community is LOVE. It is the predominant element to transform a group of people living in the same neighbourhood in the form of a family, clan, tribe, society, sports club, army unit, class, congregation, village, town, city and so on. Such a grouping can form a community if its members share a common object of love and they further develop it deliberately, stabilizing it by organizing spiritually around this love, making this love a binding element. This may work particularly well and effectively in a case where the members of a group have one spiritual teaching through which they work towards enhancement of a spiritual nature. Here I would like to make clear what is Spirit and what is Spiritual. Spirit is any form of invisible energy such as love, electricity, consciousness, desire, beauty, courage, ego, anger, continuing to infinite. Spiritual means anything related to invisible energy. Let us take the meaning of the words Spirit, spiritual or spirited as they are expressed above every time we come across them in this volume, with some exceptions and derivations such as exist with any other word. The elements that are needed to form a community or to transform any human grouping into a community, come predominantly from the creation of a love vibration common to the grouping, and the harnessing of this vibration to materialize a common goal for the good of the whole and all. A community is a group of humans who see themselves as ‘One’. This ‘One’ is the synergy created by the resonance of all the individual energies vibrating on the same length of wave and velocity. The principles, concepts and tenets of Kebzeh being unique to Kebzeh, here I am going to determine the elements necessary to form a Kebzeh community within the terminology of Kebzeh teaching.
1. A Communal Love Developed in Every Aspect of Love a)
Eros love - love engendered by the lovable, which means by beauty, both physical and behavioural.
b)
Philos love - love engendered by sharing a common object of love or interest. 117
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c)
Agape love - love engendered by a sense of belonging.
d)
Doing love - by practising the spectrum of love.
e)
Generating synergy.
Let us view in detail all five aspects: a) The Eros love vibration should be prevalent between each and every member of the community and also in the whole community in every manifestation of love, according to the appropriateness of this manifestation to a Kebzeh community, unconditionally. There is a very fine point to be grasped really well here. Love between humans of opposite sexes is a response of human nervous nests to beauty. Beauty of every sort vibrates with the love nest in the human nervous system, producing a resonance that is called LOVE. To this resonance the first reaction comes from the activation of sexual energy, which is the motivator of creative energy. Once sexual energy is activated, in other words triggered, because of its character of dual function, namely sexual and creative, it can further its activation either in a sexual or a creative way. At that point the individual who is involved might have an option to direct it into either one of these ways. And to do that the training and edification of the Energy of Consciousness are needed through inner body exercises taught in Kebzeh, to enable the individual to choose the way he deems appropriate. And this action of choosing is the job of what is called human WILL. On the other hand, as for the love between a human and any other object (this object may be a thing, a concept, a plant, an animal or any other conceivable item), the beauty manifested by this object’s producing a vibration in the human nervous system to resonate with the vibration of this beauty and generate love, naturally activates the creative energy alone, bypassing the sexual energy in its sex aspect. But here again there is a fine point to grasp. Sexual energy and creative energy are the same energy and are never separated from each other. We have to consider them as one single energy with dual character, functioning together as sexual and creative. At one instance one acts predominantly and at another instance the other, in each case the ‘other’ acting as a supporting element. The dual aspect of this energy is what makes it such a fascinating phenomenon. In the case of two humans of opposite sexes, the reason the activation is directed first to sex comes from the fact that the object of love, meaning the other human, also manifests the same way, and the two sexual energies from two different emanators form a sexual synergy and its development carries on as such. By the will of both parties involved, the direction of the 118
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activity can be altered if the conditions necessitate it. This situation is the key point to achieve a Kebzeh community and should be understood and grasped solidly. If we take as an example of application of Kebzeh teaching outside of Circassian peoples, its application to the Moslem world to materialize what we call Sufism (when tekye and dergah were the names given to the communities established), we can clearly observe the difficulties confronted, particularly in the line I am now describing. In that case, the Moslem religion’s fundamental approach to disciplining the male-female social relationship being totally different—nearly the opposite—was strongly in the way, and made the already difficult Sufi experience virtually impossible. Our task today, although not related to any religious fundamentalist hurdle, is no easier to achieve than it has been in Sufi experience. It is quite clear that our application is to our secular education system, but the fact that the morality and accuracy of our generation’s sex education are nonexistent, creates similar difficulties so as to make it nearly impossible for us to form a Kebzeh community. Yet the strength of our desire and determination shall hopefully make it possible to educate and edify ourselves to become authors of such an achievement. b) As we said, Philos love is generated by commonly sharing the same object of love or interest of creative nature. In the vibration of Philos love, the beauty aspect of it being related rather to spiritual energy, its connection to sexual energy is therefore more indirect compared with Eros love, and consequently predominance is on creative energy. Humans from opposite sexes may find it exciting to participate together. Sharing the common interest engenders a very strong link of connection. Among spiritual seekers sharing the same teaching, comradeship is very strongly enhanced by the development of this attraction to one another. This attraction may, though indirectly, take the direction of sexual attraction, and even people experiencing Philos love may develop more meaningful sexual togetherness. But again, members of a community should always consider the appropriateness of getting involved in sexual intimacy, because its improper development may be the cause of detrimental effects on the harmony and closeness between members of the community. If the development of sexual intimacies tends to be in the direction of promiscuity, it may have serious negative effects on the community life. Members of a Kebzeh Community can develop efficient guidelines to avoid it through the discipline learned in Kebzeh exercises, and the serious determination of the members to advance in the attainment of higher intelligence may be the harnessing factor of this inappropriate growth of the energy. In Kebzeh communities in the homeland of Kebzeh, they were proverbially efficient and successful in handling masterfully the direction of devel119
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opment of proper community love, free from inappropriate deviations. The most efficient factor in making this discipline work was the FEMALE DIGNITY they succeeded in cultivating in the attitude of the female members of the community, this dignity existing even more strongly than among animals in the wild. If we observe carefully the manifestation of sex among wildlife we can deduce very interesting results from it. There are no rules such as moral, philosophical, religious do’s and don’ts or enforcing police forces in Nature, yet sex life in the animal world is running harmoniously and regularly by itself in its procreative function. The sexuality of a stallion is different from the sexuality of a mare, as it is with a man and a woman. The stallion is always ready for sex; there are no rises or ebbs, or seasons of heat or coolness. He is very much relieforiented in sexual pep—aggressive and non committal, quick in preparation for copulation, quick in finishing the act. The mare is very choosy. She is bound by periods of heat and coolness, slow in preparation for the act of sex, slow in acceleration of pep in crescendo, slow in ebbing in pep, stimulus oriented, handling sex like some little children handle a chocolate bar, biting it bit by bit to make it last longer. It is a great pleasure watching a stallion approach a mare. If one has a chance, one should start watching well before, from the time when the stallion first apprehends that there is a mare grazing in the vicinity, maybe behind a hill. When the stallion apprehends her, he lifts up his head as high as he can, fidgeting his ears to and fro. He doesn’t see her yet; she is behind the hill, perhaps as far as half a kilometre away. He fixes his ears forward, erect, with erect head, curved neck, tail raised like a fan or a water jet from a fountain, with nostrils wide open, listens around with great concentration, then neighs joyfully with great excitement, his whole body shaking, exhibiting powerful muscles all along his body. The mare responds from wherever she is, quite sparingly, not with a real call, seemingly just to say: I am here if ever you wish. The stallion, with nervous impatience, utters a return neigh, stronger than the first, takes an abrupt jump, hits the hill, and at the top of the hill, whether he sees the mare or not, keeps running, knowing the direction with the certainty of an eagle—indeed he is fully an eagle. There is another joyful thing to be observed at this stage, if it is possible. It is to be able to see the mare before she can see the stallion, to taste the pleasure of noticing the body language she uses with him. If one can watch the mare before she sees the stallion one will see her displaying more or less similar body manifestations—erect head, erect tail, tense and muscular body, impatiently expecting the stallion. But when she sees the stallion and she is sure that he is in the right direction, coming to her, she turns around and starts grazing absent-mindedly and peacefully, her expression displaying total ignorance of his approach. When the stallion comes, he stops at a safe 120
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distance, shakes his head up and down uttering some gentle sounds through his nostrils, not really a neigh. He takes one step forward, she turns her back to him, putting her ears flat back on her neck, making a sign of preparation for defence. By this she appears to be saying: not so fast, stay put, let us know each other. He seems to be getting the message; he might even reach down to the ground and grab and pull one or two holds of grass as if he is grazing. If the mare shows sign of lengthening this play it may seem that he is consenting not to disturb the peace. For some time they may graze together. Then he tries to approach once more and she moves away; he follows, but not too close. This is the way they play—to and fro for some time. Then they may sniff each other. The impatient patience of the stallion to express his respect to the mare becomes so obvious, and the gentle but firm attitude of the mare puts her so much in control of this most emotional phenomenon of Nature, that it becomes virtually impossible to miss the beauty of female dignity that seems to be dictating the stallion’s behaviour. One can clearly see the police-like character of female dignity. In the study of Kebzeh the importance of sexual energy is very emphatically expressed and explored in the teaching classes, seminars, books and other publications. Any seeker who studies Kebzeh seriously will know very well the importance attributed to sexual energy and can grasp the explanation I am giving here concerning Kebzeh community life. To understand the secret of the Caucasian mountaineers’ Kebzeh community, which proved to be virtually impossible to duplicate in any attempt by outsiders, one has to grasp the essential meaning of my following statement: SEXUAL ENERGY IS AN ENERGY WITH TWO CHARACTERS, SEXUAL AND CREATIVE. SEXUAL ENERGY IS AN ENERGY WHICH GENERATES AND DEVELOPS CREATIVITY. IT IS UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL TO DIRECT IT INTO ONE OF THESE TWO WAYS. HOW TO HANDLE THIS FACT IS TAUGHT IN AHMSTA KEBZEH. Human, if not edified to it, slips more elementarily into sexual manifestation. If edified, human shall leap up into creative manifestation. It is as simple and clear as that, but it does not mean it is easy; it needs transformation. In the Chart of Transformation at Figure 3, if ascendance is left under Level 5, which covers the Physical, Instinctive, Intellectual and Emotional Energy of Consciousness levels and only fulfils the need for survival, sexual energy will naturally manifest itself in sex. And if it has gone up to the spiritual levels it will develop in Creativity. So far the importance of developing a communal love vibration to form 121
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a community was expressed strongly enough, and I hope the seeker understood it. Without love no community can be generated, and with ill-handled love the community will fall apart. The successful formation of a community depends absolutely on the successful and proper activation of love. And furthermore, without true community no transformation of human can be reached; therefore no abundant life can be achieved. c) Agape love being a form of love generated by the sense of belonging, leads the way up to the ultimate level of sacrifice. To explain and describe the functioning of Agape love, the love between a mother and her child is given as a descriptive example. A baby coming physically and visibly from the mother’s body creates the picture of a tangible reality that it is a part of the mother’s body, and it belongs to it. This first event of the beginning of a life, which is like walking out from another body, seals that sense of belonging and it stays indelibly with the mother. No love can be compared with the love of a mother for her child, but some experiences may occur which are close to it and may create a similar effect, such as the love of a father for his child, love of mother country, love of community, love of faith, and so on— cases where a sense of belonging also vibrates. None of these is stronger than the love of a mother for her child, but they are still stronger than any forms of love from the previous two categories. The most prominent character of Agape love is that it is the least vulnerable to be dragged in the direction of sex. Creative energy fills the fuller part of it at all times. The more creative the love of the members may be to whatever is the binding goal of the community, the more the Agape kind of love would be generated in the community and that love would overshadow overwhelmingly all other forms of energy except creative energy. d) Doing love by practising the spectrum of love is a function of the phenomenon of cause and effect. Wherever and whenever there is love, either between individuals, in a family or in a community, the following manifestations of it would be prevailing there: patience, kindness, generosity, humbleness, courtesy, altruism, good temper, guilelessness, sincerity, endurance, forgiveness and courage. These twelve human virtues I call the ‘spectrum of love’. According to the law of Nature we know as ‘The Law of Cause and Effect’, whenever there is cause the effect is produced, but also if the effect is produced by a deliberate effort of some sort, the cause will be generated even if the effects are imitative. That is why in the I Ching it is said: “Whatever starts by imitation may end up with truth.” Let us take as an example the case of an individual who practises deliberately, imitating the twelve virtues enumerated above which make up the 122
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‘spectrum of love’ vibration. Even if he does not have these virtues, he will generate love around him and the generated love will give more of the spectrum and in its turn the spectrum will generate more love, and as a result of the repeatedly generated vibration of love the phenomenon of cumulative effect will be produced. If every individual of a brotherhood or any group of people keeps practising the spectrum of love, the brotherhood will exist in a vibration of love, and therefore will develop into community. That is what we call ‘doing love.’ Let me give here an illustration: We are taking an imaginary bus trip from Vancouver, British Columbia to Halifax, Nova Scotia, on a chartered bus with fifty passengers. No one knows anyone else; the group is made up of only adults, male and female. No children are involved. We suppose the trip will take seven days, sleeping in the bus overnight—a non-stop ride. All the passengers are travelling from Vancouver to Halifax. Half an hour after the bus takes off, a passenger gets up, walks all the way to the front of the bus, close to where the driver sits, turns his face to the passengers and addresses them: “Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention for a moment. We are engaged in a trip of seven days together. It is a small adventure. If you unanimously agree with me, I want to propose that we enter together into experimenting with an interesting social game which may make a life-long indelible impression on us and make this trip an unforgettable turning point for us.” The passengers ask: “What kind of social game? Can you clarify a bit?” “Sure. If you are willing to listen to me and if I am not boring you.” “Not at all; we don’t have anything else to do,” they say. “Well, first of all I would like to say that I am not a travelling salesman of any kind, I am not soliciting business of any sort and I am not going to produce any product or a book or a magazine to try to sell to you. I am a teacher in extended education and an author. All I want to do is to see how we fifty people, who are providentially put here in this bus to spend seven days together, can use the time we have in hand to do something profitable to enhance our human potential, allowing us to come at least one step closer to making our lives abundant, and all learn from it, including myself. Let’s face it, seven days continuous travel in a bus is not a very pleasant thing. It is a ‘sour lemon’ fact of life that has been given to us and we may find a way to make it an enjoyable lemonade by applying a seven-day psychological experiment. What we shall reach at the end will be a lifelong sweet gift—a transformation to better human beings that we shall keep for the rest of our lives. We are a group of fifty people here. We do not know each other even to the slightest extent. We know nothing about each other’s lives. Some of 123
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us may have problems. It could be with our health, family, spouse, parent, vocation, finances, loneliness, the loss of a loved one, fear of loss, boredom, lack of purpose, lack of meaning—you name it. All these things we may call problems, but in truth they are nothing but facts of life. Our inadequacy in handling them might be making them problems. With a little transformation in our persons most of them may disappear. We do not know each other—it may seem at a superficial glance that we do not have anything in common—but if we widen our thoughts a step further, we will clearly see that we have at least one thing in common: we are travelling companions. This companionship may develop into comradeship in a little while. We cannot yet know what unforeseeable events will occur on our way; any pleasant or unpleasant incident may draw us to a sharing from which some intimacy may develop. This intimacy may grow into friendship so close that it may have the character of brotherhood, and if with a deliberate effort we create the necessary vibration, this group of fifty people may turn into a community. To create the necessary vibration there is a psychological formula. That psychological formula, which comes from one of the most ancient spiritual teachings of mankind, is the very thing I propose to apply so that we turn this group of people who even do not know each other into a community. By community, what is meant is not exactly what we understand when we use the word daily—it is a group of people who vibrate with the same synergy. Now, if you ladies and gentlemen want to experiment with this and as a result learn how to become a community, I shall continue talking and lead you into becoming a community. Any group of people can be turned into community—a family, a clan, a classroom of people, a village, a town, a city, a nation or all the dwellers of a planet.” There are some voices from passengers saying: “It sounds great” and “We don’t have anything else to do; we might as well do it.” “Well, let us see. How many people want it? Those who want it would you please lift up your hands and keep them up. One, two, three...thirtyeight. Thirty-eight people want it. It is not enough. In the spiritual tradition in which I am educated and edified, to make a group decision it is necessary to reach consensus. Only a majority is not acceptable. Now I will leave it there; you exercise some further thought on it and if you reach consensus, tell me.” Some discussions take place among the passengers, encouraging each other for a short while, and they say: “Okay, okay, we reached consensus all right; we reached it.” The speaker says: “All right, lift up your hands please. One, two, three ... forty-nine, and plus myself, fifty. That is fine, let’s go ahead. 1. The first condition for a group of people to become a community is to WANT it. 124
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2. The second step is to have a COMMON OBJECT OF INTEREST. This common interest can be anything: a common hobby; a common goal; an ideal; a faith; a love for the same object of love, any object around which a love for the people involved can join them in sharing. This is philos love, the kind of love generated by sharing the same object of love. For instance, if two people are hockey fans, their enjoyment of watching a hockey game would be more satisfying when they watch the game together and share the joy. In our case here we are seeking to have a lovely time together and this is precisely the link that makes us consent unanimously to do it. 3. The third step is that the participants should generate a brotherly love for each other and their love should engender a general love vibration prevailing in the group, leading the group to become a community as a result of the synergy of love borne from reciprocal exchange of this energy of brotherly love. Now we come to how to generate this prevailing vibration in our group of people. In the traditional spiritual principles I apply in my system of teaching, two laws of Nature are considered as means of human transformation to higher levels of subtleties of the Energy of Consciousness, in other words from Physical and Intellectual levels of the Energy of Consciousness to Spiritual levels of Energy of Consciousness, and these two natural laws are: 1) The Law of Cause-effect and Effect-cause. 2) The Law of the Phenomenon of Cumulative Effect. Let me elucidate concisely each one: 1) Everything that comes to exist is an effect of a certain cause, and it comes into being if the cause exists, but on the other hand if the effect of a cause is produced by any other means it generates back the cause. To know this much about this law is enough for us in our present experiment. The way this phenomenon works is known as a result of observations from very ancient times. How and why it happens to work this way is explained in lengthy detail in the teaching of the tradition we follow in our institution of extended education. It is a whole scientific education on its own. 2) The phenomenon of cumulative effect is based on how the faculty we call our memory, works. It is a game of memory. Expressed simply: in any endeavour to learn something, whether by studying or doing, what we learn is retained in our memory. For a shorter or longer time this ‘retainment’ is kept in the memory until we no longer remember it. But if we repeat time after time what we are doing, we not only don’t forget what we had retained in our memory but we also retain what we had learned at the previ125
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ous learning, and so what is retained in the memory is increased. This continues to be increased one step further at every repetition until it gets settled in memory in an indelible settlement, and furthermore as it increases with continued repetition the knowledge gains spontaneity and becomes a second habit. These two fundamental laws of Nature are functional in the whole teaching of human transformation as studied in the human’s gaining growth in finer subtleties of consciousness until he communicates with Cosmic Intelligence, in other words realizes Communion with God, and becomes what we call a MYSTIC. But for now, it is enough to know this much about them. We come now to how to apply the techniques of generating this prevailing love vibration in our group of co-travellers. Application of the first law, cause and effect: Whenever an individual or a group of people of any sort, such as a family, a team, a class, a clan or club, live in a love vibration with each other, this love vibration produces the following twelve states of being: Patience, kindness, generosity, humbleness, courtesy, altruism, good temper, guilelessness, sincerity, endurance, forgiveness, courage. These twelve states of being we call spectrum of love, because the love vibration presents itself with these twelve effects, similar to light presenting itself with a spectrum of seven colours from which it is composed, music presenting itself with a spectrum of seven notes (do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti), from which all music is made, and numbers in arithmetic presenting themselves with a spectrum of numerals (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9), from which all numbers are made. So if in our individual life or in the life-function of a group of people, we do deliberately behave and live in the spectrum of love. In other words, with deliberate attention we make it our business in our daily life to practise the twelve acts of the spectrum of love, whether we naturally are like them or not, our life-vibration will generate love-vibration in our ecology and this kind of love vibration will generate back the spectrum of love, this time naturally and not with deliberate intention. In its turn this spectrum of love will generate love and the love generated that way will then re-generate the spectrum of love; this escalation we call DOING LOVE. This ‘doing love’ shall transform any crowd of humans into a Community.” At this point the speaker asks: “Any questions?” “Yes, may we ask what were the effects of love—what you called the spectrum of love?” “Here are forty-nine pieces of paper on which they are written.” 126
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He distributes them. “Any other questions?” “The rest is very clear, actually; we shall grasp it better as we move along in doing it.” “Very well, now one more thing. Every evening as we go to sleep on the bus on our reclining seats with our blankets over us, before we retire for the night we shall say a bed-time grace. Before pronouncing the grace, which every time will be done by a volunteering brother or sister, there will be a question asked and this question will be: ‘Has anybody experienced today any deviation from the spectrum of love either in his own doing or in what was done to him? If so, please be generous enough to humble yourself in all sincerity and reconcile by sharing’. If any announcement is made, some time will be spent in reconciliation and then the volunteering brother and sister will pronounce the grace according to his own way and wording. As we proceed in our trip, during the day we may propose opening some sessions of dialogues, question and answer periods, report our comments on our personal experiences, or may want to bear witness to our impressions, or talk about anything we want by asking for the floor. As our intimacy in fellowship progresses, we may feel close enough to each other that we may feel encouraged to share some problems we experienced or are experiencing in our personal lives; at times we may even feel motivated to make some confessions in the beautifully developing sweet sincerity and confidence of the brotherly atmosphere. I greet you with the power of sincerity of brotherly love.” At the end of seven days a totally different group of people land in Halifax—joyful, full of hilarity, hugging each other in tears of joy, each carrying a list of addresses and telephone numbers of the group members. Two couples, having changed their feelings from brotherly love into conjugal love, joyfully chat about their plans for marriage. The group has become a community. Magic of LOVE. e) Energies generated by different sources resonating with each other as a result of vibrating on the same length of wave, form what is called synergy, which is far higher than the sum of those participating energies. In a group of people, energy activated by the co-operation of the group members in tackling all the daily tasks of the group will create a synergy that is, by definition of synergy, greater than the sum of all individual energies combined. If this group of people happens to be a particular group, namely a community, this co-operation being the result of love, synergy will also be synergy of love and therefore even greater. The power in which the affairs of such a community will function cannot compare with anything else.
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2. A Common Traditional Discipline Aleishweh Whatever is the binding factor of the community, depending on the force of attraction of the people to it, this factor will serve the function of holding the community alive. The best of all cases will be materialized more strongly if this factor is of a spiritual and creative nature. Therefore the more attained the adherents are in their degrees of transformation in the subtleties of consciousness, the more refined and meaningful the attraction will be. This means more love will be prevailing in the community. Manifestation of love in the community cannot be substantiated unless supported by respect of its members for each other. Even if there is a genuine love relationship between humans, unless this relationship carries a mutual respect also, it won’t be substantiated. This respect should be a deeply and genuinely felt psychological state, but also expressed in physical deeds, gestures, behaviour and manners. In the Kebzeh communities this edification is exercised under the name of Aleishweh, an Abkhazian expression which can be translated by the following words: etiquette, civility, mannerliness, politeness, courtesy, gallantry, romance, eloquence, tact, gentleness, helpfulness, chivalry, dignity, respect, honesty, fairness, humbleness, willingness to serve, hospitality. Aleishweh is the name of a social system or set of rules and behaviour absolutely unique to Circassians, meaning native inhabitants of the Caucasian Sierra. The word Aleishweh is an original Abkhazian word. In the Adigeh language the word Khabzeh is used to include all the teaching aimed at refining the human regarding facts of life at the social, administrative, strategic and spiritual levels. In the Abaza languages it is classified respectively as: Aleishweh, Kebzeh and Ahmsta Kebzeh. An extreme and meticulous importance and attention are attributed to and exercised in administering Aleishweh in Circassian communities in the Caucasus and in the Diaspora alike. Throughout history, from the countries neighbouring the Caucasus and, starting from the 15th Century, from all Western and Eastern countries, visitors, explorers and business people visiting the Caucasus were utterly impressed by the meticulous civility manifested in Circassian communities in an orderly and unanimous way by all Circassians, no matter from what tribe or country they originated. It was a unanimous discipline applied indiscriminately by all Circassians as an inseparable mark of their Circassianhood, no matter how different might be their languages and physical and ethnic characteristics, and whether they were Abkhazians, Abazas, Adigehs, Karachays, Kabardians, Balkars, Ossetians, Chechens, Lezigihs, Avars, Kazikumuks, Kumuks, Andis, Tabassarans et cetera. It was so important that when two Circassians who didn’t know each other met, and they happened to know that they were 128
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Circassians, they greeted each other saying: “May God help us not to lose our Circassianhood,” meaning the very lifestyle of Aleishweh that they shared. Although Circassians may appear rather chauvinistic and racist concerning their background, they are noted for their love for each other; in reality the expression of their attachment is rather to their Aleishweh. If a total stranger comes to a Circassian village and stays there for some time and during his sojourn he carefully observes Aleishweh, when talking about him they say: “He is a good Circassian,” not meaning anything about his ethnic background. For any visitor from outside, the best shield of protection and favourable reception can be secured by learning and applying this particular and peculiar system of civility and making it one’s natural and spontaneous way of behaving. The impressions expressed by Dr. Alexander Leaf in his article in the National Geographic Magazine (January 1973), Dr. Sula Benet in her book: Abkhazians (1974, Holt, Rinehard and Winston Inc., USA) and also Paula Garb in her book From Childhood to Centenarian (1984, Progress Publishers, Moscow) as well as the memoirs and articles of David Urquhart, an English nobleman living before the First World War who fell in love with Circassians during his mission in the Caucasus, show from a foreigner’s observations how important is this discipline of civility. For anyone interested in getting more information in addition to what I am trying to provide, I would heartily recommend reading those books and articles to partly verify what I am saying. After all, I am a Circassian of Abaza origin; I may be biased in my presentation unawares. As I mentioned before, between the beginning of the ninth and the tenth centuries, when, under the light of the principles of Ahmsta Kebzeh, some moderation and clarification were applied to the Moslem religion (by scholars of the Harezm Empire in Central Asia), resulting in the birth of what was called Islamic Sufism, the importance of the application of community was also realized and the teaching of the application of Sufism was processed in communities established under the names tekyes and dergahs in the Sufic system. Shortly after, the work of communities began to achieve the task of processing the human to higher subtleties of consciousness, to reach Cosmic Intelligence and experience communion with It—the ultimate goal of the mystical experience. At the same period as that of the establishment of tekyes, the importance of Aleishweh in Kebzeh communities was not missed, and it was copied nearly integrally and established in Sufi tekyes under the name of Ahdahb* and observed very meticulously. In Sufi history, Ahdahb became a distinguishing mark of a dervish (a follower of Sufism), exactly as Aleishweh is a distinguishing mark of a Circassian, discernible by a connoisseur. __________ *Ahdahb is the plural of Edeb, which means shame, civility. A deeper meaning of the word would be ‘efforts to avoid shame’. 129
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At this point I think I should give some detailed explanation and knowledge about Aleishweh just in case seekers may want to know what it is about. Actually, a whole book should be written on Aleishweh to cover it in detail. Here I shall give a brief description.
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I can sum up the character of Aleishweh by just a few words: ALEISHWEH IS A CIRCASSIAN WAY OF DOING LOVE. 1. Extend respect, homage, courtesy, care, service to the elderly. 2. Extend respect, courtesy, care, gentleness, integrity to all men. 3. Extend respect, compassion, love, care, patience, responsibility, to children. 4. Extend respect, courtesy, gentleness, gallantry, protection, support, service to women. 5. Extend sustenance to the needy. 6. (To women): Be an encouragement to your man and to all men. 7. Meet the facts of life with courage, endurance, patience, firmness, gentleness, integrity and humour. The main essential, fundamental guiding principle in the Kebzeh world is that the whole Circassian social system is peculiarly matriarchal in essence, with one main difference from commonly known matriarchal orders: descent is reckoned through the male line. The functional importance of the female expresses itself in social order alone. The governing force of social order takes its strength from FEMALE DIGNITY, which is strongly founded and established in the edification granted by the tradition. As far as sex education is concerned, unusually meticulous importance is granted to it. Based on this importance, meticulous methods and techniques are applied to each growing child in the community to edify the child to a fine level of knowledge concerning comprehensive aspects of human sex-life, so that highly skilled performance in full discipline and liberty within this discipline is reached. Sexual energy is cultivated as the most precious 130
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gift of creation, which has to be lived fully, in all its purity, excellence and majesty, without lack, deviation or perversion. Sex-life is not a thing to be lived at random, ignorantly tinkering to spoil every beauty of it. The essential rules of the teaching come from the fact that sexual energy carries two aspects of manifestation: one manifesting in sex life and one manifesting in creative life, both being quickened by the love vibration of Cosmic Energy. Love is an active energy which activates, therefore generates, attraction. Attraction of a human to another human of the opposite sex is a phenomenon of love, and attraction of a human to any creative work such as fine art, a hobby, an ideal, a conquest, an attainment, an accomplishment, a success is a phenomenon of love. Both manifestations have a climax that carries the polarity of the opposite sex in the physiology of sexual energy. The human, as a result of edified persuasion and application of will, is able to deliberately direct sexual energy in the direction either of sex or creativity. It is a general occurrence in human experience that an athlete being prepared for a highly competitive heavy sporting contest may be advised to keep away from sex for a period of six months in order to be in excellent shape in the contest, and for the love of success can, by activating his will-power, enable himself to do so. In the case of Kebzeh training, to enjoy the love of community life the sex manifestation of sexual energy is conditioned, under meticulous but gentle and natural rules, to be confined to its proper, legitimate application, as a result of which male and female members of the community enjoy a togetherness in a rosy cloud of sexuality without entering into the act of sex improperly and with trouble-generating consequences. If they do, they will lose all the enjoyable life of sexuality, which means ninety-nine percent of the joy will be sacrificed down to one percent. AND THIS ONE PERCENT ALSO WILL TURN SOUR. So in Kebzeh teaching, after having secured the proper handling of sexual energy through sex education and edification, the community is encouraged and trained to live life in a rosy cloud of sexuality, exercising friendly and brotherly love until and if a vibration of sexual attraction develops and is declared to be that way according to proper conditions and social rules. Otherwise, members of the community conduct a joyful life in love and respect towards each other, sharing a great pure Agape love of friendly sharing, dancing in a gallant flirtation in all liberty of purity and happiness. The life of a Circassian living in a truly Circassian community consists of a series of flirtations. A Circassian flirts with everything at every moment. He flirts with love; he flirts with life; he flirts with death; he flirts with every fact of life. A Circassian is a flirtatious person, male or female. That is how sex ethics, morality and propriety were handled throughout the history of Circassian life for millennia and how it gained its proverbial reputation and appreciation by peoples who came in contact with it.
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Every religious, moral, ethical, spiritual teaching in the history of mankind sought and established a ‘solution’ to reach a proper and orderly handling of human sex-life, without success. They all came up with some ideas of what to do and what not to do, but not one of them tells us how and why to do or not to do. Some sought a solution in polygamy in favour of men and some in favour of women. Some others established what is called in the history of Christendom, ‘Puritanism’, which led in time to making human sex a dirty and rejectable thing and in a period of four hundred years produced generations of frigid women and impotent men, which is far from a desirable solution. Some tried to find a soothing solution in legitimized and authority-controlled prostitution in ancient and modern times. In the ancient history of mankind there developed a class of human beings called sacred or holy prostitutes. Nothing created the anticipated result. In Circassian life, marriage is monogamous; no Circassian wife will share her home with another wife unless the tradition is contaminated and adulterated by the introduction of an imported foreign religion to the Caucasus, which happened in some parts of the region.
The Application of Aleishweh I shall continue by giving a short description of various applications of Aleishweh in a Circassian community. I should say again that what I am describing here are the original traditional social rules and not the mishmash we see today, confused, mixed up and adulterated by foreign influences that have introduced imported religious and adopted ways by the hundreds. The most important factor in principles and in detail is respect and homage to Elders and the elderly, and reciprocal trust. In society, whenever an elderly person or an adult woman approaches or enters the room, the people in the room who are sitting get up and greet the in-comer, and they do not sit until he or she sits. When people in mixed-age groups are gathered somewhere, they sit in a formal way without stretching or taking careless and ill-considered postures. People of the same age group in a friendly and informal meeting are not so restricted, but still all behaviour should consist of well-behaved politeness. Also, since at least ninety percent of the gatherings include both male and female members of the society, attitude, dress and language are all naturally controlled and automatically disciplined. I will now itemize in detail various phases of social life by presenting Aleishweh under nine headings. I shall then present various cases in daily life casually as they come to my mind, trying to cover as many scenarios as may present themselves to my imagination. After that, I shall enumerate some questions asked on various occasions in our group meetings. 132
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1. The Place and Function of Elders There is no such thing as old age retirement. Every human, male or female, actively participates in the life stream, although differently, according to age. The participation and function of Elders are especially important. The Elder is the supervisor of every activity taking place in the community. In the case of a disagreement or event of importance, he may, if he deems necessary, call a meeting of assistant counsellors. If he considers it necessary, he may open a public discussion, listen to witnesses. In any case, the decision he makes is final. The verdict, the judgment, the order or command of an Elder has absolute authority. If a young man is unfairly treated by an Elder or is given an unfair order, he receives it with great and joyful acceptance, readily and promptly, with a “Yes Sir!”, feeling great satisfaction, happiness and pride that he managed to overcome his resentful feeling and is able to behave properly. His gesture would be appreciated, lauded and praised in the community; it will increase his value as a well-behaved human. When an Elder has to take a trip, usually on horseback, he often takes a younger man with him as an escort. But in the event the Elder rides out alone, the first younger man who notices, quickly saddles his horse and joins him. If the Elder wants to be alone intentionally, the only option he has is to leave his home unseen, perhaps in the middle of the night. Otherwise, it is the young men’s responsibility not to leave him alone. The Elder is the property of the community; he has to be protected, preserved, served and cherished.
2. The Place and Function of Parents Where there are grandparents living in the family, the function of the father is minimal. The grandfather is the head of the family. But if the father is the head of the family, he is responsible as a provider and authority for making the contacts out in the world, and the rest of the family is answerable to him. Internal affairs of the household are left to the authority of the mother. The mother is the real but silent authority in the family. She is responsible for being a good hostess and manager omnipotent. The raising of the growing children is under her constant and meticulous observance. It is very difficult to explain to an outsider how things are handled in a typical Circassian family—concepts and judgments of values are so different. In general there is such great love and respect between father and mother and so much influence and support from the community that it is as if things run smoothly by themselves. I definitely feel unable to describe the picture clearly. When I complete all the items and give various examples it may make better sense. Grandparents are very precious and usually a moral and spiritual source 133
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of energy. They are like symbols of security, trust, compassion, and love. Brothers, sisters and cousins all grow up together without any discrimination between them. In Circassian tradition, cousins may not marry each other, no matter how close or distant in generations they are. For thousands of generations cousins have remained like brothers and sisters. Children in general belong to the community. They are under communal responsibility and authority. Every single individual in the community takes care of them. All adults pay strong attention to the observance of four things concerning the children: 1. Be concerned about children; take all of them as your own. 2. Answer to the best of your ability seriously and truly every question asked by a child; treat him or her as a person. 3. Never lie to a child. 4. Never fail to keep a promise to a child if you have made one. In-laws in the family are treated with love and respected exactly like blood relatives, or even more carefully lest the in-laws may get the impression of being considered ‘second-class’.
3. Conjugal Life Marriages are never arranged by parents or by any family members, although suggestions may be made. In the community life young people have ample opportunity to see each other and live in close sharing with each other. They visit each other freely, can go out for a walk, for a visit to a mutual friend or to a party or any social gathering, always a young man escorting a young girl very gallantly with an attitude of humourous flirtation. For a young man to pay a purposeful and particularly intentional visit to a young girl is considered a due service of civility. If a young girl is not visited for some time, some more experienced and mature members among the youth may remind younger ones, pointing out this girl and questioning why she is being neglected while it is a well-known requirement of Aleishweh that she should be shown some interest. It is a civil obligation for a young girl to receive the visitor and exercise hospitality. So young people come to know each other enough to find out about their feelings toward each other. It is very, very rare for parents to interfere with their decision. Usually everything is arranged secretly between the couple involved and their close friends, within the propriety dictated by Aleishweh, and the parents are notified later in a series of traditionally-arranged steps and in an order which 134
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I shall describe later in considerable detail. Under these circumstances every marriage is a marriage of love and usually continues to be so all life long. There is a certain aspect of life-long privacy in the life of a conjugal couple. But deep love, respect and care for each other are the main characteristics of each marriage, and it changes very, very seldom. Marriage is absolutely monogamous; no wife shall share her husband with another wife. She shall live her conjugal life with the great dignity that is peculiar to female sexuality and shall never worry about her husband’s conduct away from home. The yardstick of the husband’s faithfulness to marriage is seen in his sense of responsibility and love to the family and observance of respect and tenderness to his wife. Faithfulness in marriage is never seen as the husband’s abstinence from sexuality outside his marriage. The shallowness and non-committed aspect of male sexuality is considered to be a natural evil of the male. Rather, the emphasis is put on the effects on the marriage if such outside activity manifests itself in the form of neglect with respect to the husband’s obligations to the marriage. A married man’s sexual intimacy outside his marriage is considered to be something of a passing fancy, provided it does not affect his role as husband in the institution of marriage. If a married man’s licentious behaviour should become his predominant characteristic to the extent of creating negligence in his family responsibilities of all kinds, including providing the family with its means of existence, with love, respect, tenderness, attention et cetera, the community interferes and does its best to bring the subject into line. In a Circassian community such a case is a very rare probability. Because the end result might be extremely severe, the community will never let it take its course at any cost. It is rare for a wife to feel a fear of loss concerning her marriage. (Actually, if we seek another analogous example, we can see a similar attitude towards the use of alcoholic beverages. Consumption of alcohol is a free, legitimate and acceptable social habit. It is even part of the social, spiritual, and ritualistic toastings that are very prominent in Circassian social life, but getting drunk is strictly forbidden and considered extremely shameful. Children start consuming wine as soon as they can sit at the table, but are always raised with the inculcated understanding that one should be careful not to get drunk lest one be rejected from the society and totally lose face. Every child grows up with a concept of fear of the frightening and unbearable consequences of losing face.) If a wife hears certain reports about her husband having some intimacy outside, she will feel pride that her husband is considered a desirable person by some others, but is still her husband, not someone else’s, and his husbandhood to her is unchanged in love, respect, care and responsibility. This attitude is hard to conceive of by a contemporary woman in Western society who doesn’t want to understand the difference between male 135
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and female sexuality; she gullibly believes in equality between male and female and tends to live in hypocrisy.
4. Clan life Families carrying the same family name but living in various areas as different families, form a clan; in Abkhazian language it is called Ajlah. I am giving here the Abkhazian word because the meaning that is understood from Ajlah* is a little different from what is understood by ‘clan’. I am putting this note here so that, should an anthropologist visit an Abkhazian community, he might pay special attention to understanding Ajlah. Among the European descendants of some Caucasian people in antiquity, particularly the Irish and the Scottish Highlanders (who are considered by Caucasian Mountain Abazas as their descendants) have preserved, closer to the original, the form expressed by the word Ajlah. People belonging to the same Ajlah don’t marry each other; they are brothers and sisters, no matter how distantly they are located to each other in space and time.
5. Place and Function of Guests and Hosts The guest is holy and cherished. Guests to a household represent glory and honour to that household. The concept of ownership is totally different from the rest of the world. Possessive pronouns and adjectives are used as a grammatical necessity to indicate clearly an object. In essence, ownership is insignificant; a Circassian feels somewhat embarrassed to name something as ‘mine’. So Circassians feel entitled to use a facility freely whether it belongs to them or to another Circassian, and they treat whatever is known as theirs in the same way, to be used by other Circassians. So when somebody comes as a guest to a household he feels that he is rendering an honour to the household. When guests leave, they do not thank for the hospitality; they only wish that their hosts might enjoy the honour and pleasure of having more guests. If they were very pleased with their stay in the household, they would express it in a way such as: “We are very pleased with our stay with you, but we wouldn’t expect anything less from a household such as this,” or something like that. As for the host, he would offer the best of what he has to the guest, but would never insist on indulging himself in any kind of verbosity. He would perhaps merely say: “Make it your home, please, to the best of your ability, and help yourself.” ________ * Ajlah will be tackled in more detail later in the book, when I go into itemized case stories. 136
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6. Communal Social Activities Social activities such as wedding parties, organizing marriages, funerals, work-parties, formal visits, sports activities, dancing parties, worship, inaugurations, prayers for particular occasions, war parties—all have their ways of being done. These things are typical aspects of Circassian life; all of them are organized daily in the spirit of Kebzeh and all of them have detailed descriptions of how they should be done. (I shall give these details separately.)
7. Communal Decision-making Communal decision-making is based on CONSENSUS. On matters concerning the affairs of the community, the decision can be reached in one of two ways: (i)
On the finite order of the Head Elder There are many Elders in a community of good size. From all these Elders a Head Elder is elected by the community by consensus. This Head Elder has the authority and power of making a decision and commanding that it be put in force. This command is indisputable, not subject to veto. The justification for this decision is entirely up to the Head Elder in his function. But this kind of decision was quite rare in the history of Kebzeh. Usually the Head Elder would call for a vote and this vote would be honoured if there was consensus, except on the battlefield. On the battlefield the Head Elder’s command is enforced immediately.
(ii) Through reaching consensus In a case where many communities are attempting to reach a decision concerning a task that concerns them all, it is impossible to apply the above solution, because in a group of many communities there are as many Head Elders. In such a case the only way to come to a decision is through reaching consensus. And when consensus is reached and the decision made, it is submitted to the Committee of Mothers of the communities for their approval and blessing before becoming valid.
8. Dancing In a Circassian community dance has an imperative place. Dance is considered to be a disciplining, uniting factor of togetherness. It is believed that 137
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any society, community or nation that does not have a folk dance of its own which is performed to the level where people have pleasure and enthusiasm in doing it, is unable to subsist and thrive. It is also considered to be the most efficient means of taming human sexual energy in the climax of creativity. There is a well-known joke made up by the neighbouring countries about Circassians: At the time of the creation of the world, after human physical evolution has been completed and the evolution of consciousness has also advanced, God issues a communique to all the nations of the world, saying that they should gather to meet Him at such and such a place at such and such a time because He is going to grant a homeland to every nation. At the designated time every nation comes to the rendezvous and receives their homeland. The following morning another group of people comes into the presence of God and says: “We have come to get our homeland.” God says: “My invitation for that purpose was for yesterday. Where were you yesterday? Who are you?” “We are Circassians” they reply. “Yesterday we couldn’t make it; we were busy with a pre-arranged commitment.” “Well, too bad! I distributed all the land. I don’t have any left,” says God. God looks them up and down. They are amazingly well put together, very clean and well groomed, riding with their horses well taken care of with saddles ornamentally tacked, their very posture revealing high discipline and a dignified and polite firmness. “What were you busy with yesterday?”, He asks. “Was it something more important than my order and receiving your homeland?” “Oh yes! We were entertaining our guests—eating, drinking and dancing. Pleasing our guests is very important to us. It is our way of worship. Nothing is more important.” With increasing curiosity God asks, “May I see how you dance?” “Of course.” Quickly they produce their music and perform a good dance. God likes it so much that He jumps into the square, dances with them and says: “Look, I certainly like you people. I have no place left for you, but there is one place I had reserved for myself and I am giving that to you.” And He gives them the Caucasus. To add a last word on community: Under the social, administrative and political conditions of today a strongly established mature community is a great strength and support in alleviating the burden of an otherwise isolated individual. The individual then becomes part of an organized brotherhood that can gather forces under the motto ‘One for All, All for One’, to support and protect 138
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the material, psychological, social and political rights and well-being of an individual brother who is making himself influential in all aspects of society.
9. Semerghoah Here I am very reluctantly using a word from the original language of one of the peoples of the Caucasian Sierra, namely the Abaza people from the central part of the higher Caucasus mountains (Ashkara). Semerghoah is a social ritual that is strictly peculiar to Circassians (native people of the Caucasian Sierra) and is still being practised in some Circassian communities where a number of old traditions are better preserved than in others, both in the Caucasus and in the Diaspora. The word Semerghoah cannot be translated precisely into any other language, since it does not exist among any other peoples of the world as it does with Circassians. It can only be defined and explained by the following sentence: Semerghoah is a complimentary, romantic and gallant dialogue between a man and a woman, handled in a very poetic and eloquent language as a fantastic expression and declaration to each other of an imaginary love, which takes place while socializing in an informal meeting of friends. Dance can be an expression in movement of the same thing that semerghoah is in rhetoric, artificial eloquence, flamboyance and elaboration of language. Semerghoah is peculiar to all Circassians, but discontinuity has caused it to be forgotten in some parts of the Caucasian Sierra where imported orthodox religions entered and put a ban on local traditions, labelling them pagan and imposing instead their own rules. They thought they would create humans of better character but unfortunately the opposite occurred, without exception. We shall return to this topic later in more elaborate detail.
Aleishweh in the Milieu of Circassian Daily Life In the above section, “Application of Aleishweh,” I have classified this application in nine items, and described them to give their basic functions. I now want to pick up these items again and give more descriptive detail of how they are applied and even, if it seems useful, create some scenarios in which I may compose some living examples. To cover Aleishweh fully and completely in all its details is neither possible nor necessary, because the old Circassian way of life was very sophisticated, ceremonial, formal, ostentatious, swanky and ritualistic. It developed in antiquity as a result of humans’ reaching a level of sublimity, nobility of the most exalted, grand or noble kind—a high physical, intellectual, moral or spiritual level that formed the basis of ancient Circassian feudalism, ruled by leaders of that nature known as Narts. The Narts were the Titans of the 139
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Caucasian Sierra. The Narts’ legends have been sung throughout millennia by all the native peoples of the Caucasus mountains until the beginning of the 16th century, and subsequently, when academic, historical, archaeological and sociological explorers from the rest of the world intensified their interest in the Caucasus region, spread to the greater Caucasus including the Transcaucasus and to academic circles in the entire world. The Legends of the Narts can be found today in French, English, German and Russian, and possibly many other languages, in public and university libraries everywhere, but none of these translations contain them in their wholeness. I would like to devote some space and time here to go into comprehensive detail concerning certain historical facts regarding the Circassian social system and life, to lay some light on a deeper truth that will assist the reader to grasp the essence and meaning of Aleishweh. Throughout my school years, and later on in the process of my own private seeking, I had the chance of studying many works assembled by interested scholars in all areas of scholarship, scholars who had developed a fascination with the history of the Caucasus. All through the last five hundred years of the history of the Caucasus, these scholars all had something in common, and that was their fascination, admiration and love for everything Caucasian. This fascination was so captivating and sentimental in nature that it acted as a barrier to their going deeper to reach the core. For the most part these scholars remained superficial in their work, reflecting the facts in very raw and shallow forms, having picked them up without searching for deeper causes behind and beyond, and without putting them through the crucible of filtering them through the sieves of analytical processes. I want to take here a scrutinizing journey through the pages of Caucasian history. And I shall start with religion—the original religion of Circassians. In all the books I have read, the ancient religion of the Circassians is expressed as idolatry—the worship of idols, meaning man-made two or three-dimensional images, huge old trees, or some animals, living or pictured—or paganism, meaning any form of worship other than those of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). Paganism in this meaning also includes pantheism and polytheism—worshipping many gods, each representing the power of one or several faculties, such as the Harvest God, the God of Fertility, the God of War, the God of the Hunt, and so on, with God the Creator as the chief God. I will not give here any titles of books I have read where the ancient religion of Circassians is mentioned, neither shall I quote from any of them nor mention the names of any of the historians or explorers who wrote them. I shall only mention the names of two charming ladies who visited the North Caucasus in the 1970’s and the 1980’s and wrote books relating to 140
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the longevity and the social and moral life of Circassians from Abkhazia, Kabardia and Chechenia. These two ladies, Dr. Sula Benet and Dr. Paula Garb, whose backgrounds were in anthropology, linguistics and education, only recorded what they observed, what they felt and received from their contacts with the local human beings, who are today like old wolves salvaged from a forest fire when compared to their forebears’ glorious past. I mention them with gratitude and love, wishing Dr. Sula Benet a rewarding consciousness in her life in the world of Spirit, and Dr. Paula Garb an abundant harvest and long life in her continuing service to humanity. The reason I feel like giving particular emphasis and importance to the academic work accomplished by these two ladies is that the character of their work is unique. Its uniqueness comes from its being genuinely sincere and based on clear and pure observation, reflected to them from the narrations of simple people in their daily lives, without being mixed up with philosophical jargon and ‘gobbledegook’. I would recommend an interested reader to read these books: By Dr. Sula Benet: Abkhazians (1974, Holt, Rinehart & Winston Inc., USA), and How to Live to be a Hundred (1979, The Dial Press, New York, USA) By Dr. Paula Garb: From Childhood to Centenarian (1984, Progress Publishers, Moscow) If we look closely and carefully at all the religions of the world, starting from as far back as we can go, we discover a common line going through them all, making them all virtually the same with very few differences between them in their details. And if these differences in details are carefully interpreted, we may even end by discovering that they are not different at all. Many people agree that especially among three major religions—Judaism, Christianity and Islam—there is nothing one would disagree with in either of the others if they are analytically compared in essence. We can distinguish one from another all the existing religions in the world today just by looking at their terminology, established rites, means of expression, their ultimate goals and the means or instrumental sustenance used to achieve them, and name them accordingly, and then if we turn around and interpret them analytically we will discover that they are all the same in essential significance, and that the details are established and cultivated to accord with the conditional characteristics of the peoples subjected to them in various levels of receptivity, geographical requirements, era, and all kinds of imaginable social, cultural and natural circumstances in which they exist. As for the original religion of Circassians, compared with religions that have existed at any time since the Universe came into being, it is hard to say 141
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that they had one. But by coming close in character to the extent of showing some resemblance, we can say that it was what is called ‘animism’. Animism is a science, an academic knowledge, a practice based on the fact that every existing thing that is part of CREATION—human, animal, plant, insect, animate or inanimate matter—possesses, innately present in it, an ENERGY OF CONSCIOUSNESS. Animism is not a religion but a religion can be developed out of it. All the religions that existed throughout the history of mankind, those that currently exist, and the hundreds of thousands yet to come (if any), came, exist and shall come out of animism. Animism is the master-key to the door of any religion. All the tribal religions of idolatry in antiquity and the contemporary era—Shintoism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Confucianism, monotheistic and polytheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and many others that may exist but are still unknown to us, as well as others still to come—stem from animism. They differ from each other as a result of their architect’s composing them according to the conditions of receptivity of the human beings subjected to them. As for the conditions of receptivity of the adherents, these exhibit great variety depending on their climatic, vocational, cultural, hereditary, educational and creational aspects. It is like an architect who builds hundreds of forms and styles of buildings from the same building materials to fit the innumerable conditions required, while at the same time maintaining concern for the affordability of the cost. This is just a rough analogy to shed some light on the facts. We will push forward a little more in this line, taking the case of developing a religion from the principles of animism.
Main components of a religion First of all: What is religion? Religion is the knowledge and skill of practising the profession of existing and living more abundantly this life on Earth to the highest level possible and in harmony with the ecology. The method of doing this successfully is based on the belief in the ability of humans to connect to and obtain help from an all-powerful Creative Energy, the cause of the coming into existence of the whole Universe and by which the planet on which we live together with all things created by the same Creative Energy, exists. And this very Creative Energy, after having created the whole Creation in a successive and sequential continuation with142
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out beginning and without end, continues to be part of it to perpetuate the Creation it caused. Any religion has five main components as its complementary aspects to make it function. 1. An all encompassing omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient Eternal Spirit of Creative Power, which creates and can be called the ‘Head God’. 2. Myriad numbers and kinds of energies this Head God may administer to rule the whole Creation, bringing to it a regulation to function in accordance and harmony with the manifestation of life in its various aspects. 3. An institutionalized system of education for the populace adhering to the religion, managing the practical application of sets of rules and laws of various kinds. 4. An agency to motivate the individual to follow those rules and laws faithfully. 5. A team of organized professionals to manage and administer the institution to see it function—a set of workers called clergy. As I said above, animism is not a religion, but religions can be made of it. If, for example, we take one by one each component of a religion from the above list and apply it to idolatry, how this application works will be explained in detail. Considering the definition of animism given above, which can be summed up briefly as follows: Every existing part of the Creation, animate or inanimate, has a consciousness of its own, we can tell that Homo Sapiens of antiquity knew better in his time about the Truth than we contemporary Homo Sapiens discovered scientifically in the first quarter of the 20th Century. They knew what we much later called Gaia; they knew that every existing item that is part of Creation has a consciousness at the cellular level and also at the tissue or organ level. They knew that wherever there is Spirit (meaning an invisible form of energy) there is a consciousness which is evidence of an independent mind. They knew that every form of energy, spiritual (invisible) or mechanical and material, can generate matter, which much later in 1921 Albert Einstein discovered and demonstrated with the formula of E = mc2. They knew that wherever there is Spirit (invisible energy) there is electricity, which in the language of the Narts in the mythol143
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ogy of the Caucasus is called Amtsadoo. They knew all these things and more but they did not have the scientific explanation for them or expression in the forms of equations. (They may have had those too but we have not yet unearthed them in our archaeological digs, or we have discovered evidences but are unable to decipher them.) In the Legends of the Narts, Amtsadoo (great fire) is talked about as a little spark, but this spark is a generator or vanguard of great fire encompassing the whole Universe—in contemporary language the word is used to mean electricity (here I am quoting one of my childhood teachers, Omar Beigua). In the teaching of animism it was also known that God the Creator of the whole Universe, the Mother of all, Anchweh in my native language, was a spiritual energy in the Amstadoo and the Seed of Universal Consciousness. Every thing that is a part of the constituency of Creation carries the consciousness of the created energy vested in it, and that is why every thing has a mind of its own. According to animism, every single member of Creation has a common ground with the Creator in the field of consciousness of which they are both part, and can establish communication to exchange reciprocal addresses. This is what constitutes the relationships called: worship, prayer, faith, and expectancy of all sorts. When I said above that Homo Sapiens in antiquity knew the Truth better then, I did not mean that all the species knew it. I meant that those who had attained high levels of evolution of consciousness (commonly called spiritual attainment or enlightenment) knew better, just as on the other hand when I talk about the scientific attainments of our time, I do not mean that we all know; I mean our scientists know. We are not all scientists, but whatever is contributed to the era in its time belongs to some extent to the whole of the era. As for the application of animism to the task of making a religion, the highly attained Homo Sapiens of those times, not the whole population, were the makers of the religion for the populace. We could call those makers of religion the prophets of the era, as it has been the case at all times until what we might call the post-historic era, which conventionally means the era from the time of Patriarch Abraham, assumed to be some 6,000 years. If we create an imaginary scenario of a prophet in antiquity engaged in the task of making a religion based on the principles of animism, he would very probably act in the following way. (Assuming that the prophet knows perfectly well the deeper and inner meaning of animism up to the highest extent of its esoteric attainment, he would be like the speediest possible luxury car in a country where there is no paved road to allow such a car to manifest its top speeding ability, thus forcing it to move at a speed of 10 kilometres per hour instead of 260 kilometres per hour.) Referring back to the five steps of the components of a religion: 144
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1. He would have no problem in launching a Head God—omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent Creator of everything with unlimited power. 2. He would be unable to find the receptivity in the existing populace to make the people understand the energy field and its intricate relationship to ecology and to innumerable forms of contacts in their interactions. And he would not encounter a finesse high enough in their grasp for them to have motivation and stimulus to yearn for an unknown better and to want it strongly enough to undergo the trouble of struggling against their lower selves, unless some reward and punishment system were made imminent rather than in some remote future, such as Paradise and Hell. It had to be just around the corner: in the case of punishment, an earthquake, deluge, volcanic eruption, tempest, fire, or pestilence; in the case of reward, an immediate miracle, abundance, victory, encountering an unexpected treasure, or an apparition of some kind which delivered an amazing gift of some delightful nature. Those things could not be explained to the populace in the form of various attributes of energies of ONE GOD interacting in a field of energy, but more comfortably in the form of many subordinate gods and goddesses of, for example, goodness or torture, rather than calling them myriad forms of energies or angels that orchestrate abundance or lack depending on the way they are handled. Thus introducing FEAR into the picture also, they would lead the populace to submission. To make more of an impression, these subordinate gods might also be made in two or three dimensional pictures, carved in wood, made of stone, or picked up from among some striking items of Nature, such as powerful animals or celestial manifestations. This description makes it obvious that we are proceeding in the direction of developing an idolatry. So in the primitive times of Homo Sapiens’ existence on the planet, a religion in this category would be more likely to be developed out of the principles of animism. But we should admit that there is a fine point here on which we should be rather carefully observant. There is no essential difference in the meaning and truth of the procedure as far as the components of a respectable religion are concerned. The first component, one all powerful creative power, is unchanged in essence, since the little difference which appears is nothing but in the populace’s lack of conception of deeper meaning and truth because of their being at a very primitive level of the evolution of consciousness, and later on also in their level of growth and culture. This was how much of the absolute truth the prophet could present and convey. The distortion of the truth is made for the sake of reaching the same truth by naming the components differently. For example, by naming a field of energies manifesting different effects under the command of one authority as work being done by different little authorities. 145
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3. The institutionalizing of the system of education of the populace adhering to the religion and the managing of the practical application of sets of rules and laws would also be developed in accordance with the forms we see in the history of idolatrous religions, differing from each other from one geographical area to another but still showing the typical characteristics of idolatry. 4. The agency used to motivate the individual to follow the rules of the religion faithfully would inevitably have been fear, loss, punishment and desire of reward—prompt, imminent or remote—as is typical of religions in the category of idolatry or those which still carry signs of it, like many world religions of our time, namely Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism, although Moses, Jesus, Mohammed and Buddha never meant it to be so. 5. Of course the formation of an organized professional faculty would be a natural outcome within the expansion of the developed knowledge, in the form of clergy. So, briefly expressed, in antiquity the first form of religion that was made from animism happened to be and is still coterminous with idolatry. Therefore, when Drs. Sula Benet and Paula Garb concluded that the religion of Abkhazians in the far past was idolatry within the concept of polytheism, they may not have been too far from the truth. Now I want to take a speculative trip to see how far this religion— started from animism and expressed in idolatry—can go. In the case of the Circassian expression, it did not develop as it did in Indian or in African history, into the elaborating of carved idols of wood or stone, but the polytheistic expression was established in the manifestations of Nature, which were given the names of many gods such as God of the Harvest, God of War, God of Fertility, God the Protector of Virgins. In fact, it showed some complex and unique characteristics. None of those subordinate or auxiliary gods were given the name ‘God’, which is Anchweh (Mother God) but were called mdge, which may be translated as power, force, faculty, or energy, and they were not represented by any picture or form; only at the time of rituals, worship or prayer would a symbol peculiar to this god be chosen for the people to face. This could be anything—an old colossal tree, a huge boulder or any other thing which instead of being taken as an object of worship played a role similar to that of an altar in any contemporary religion, a cross in the Christian ritual or a written tablet or doorway-like structure in Islam, but never of a god or any kind of object of worship. When we come back to what Dr. Sula Benet and Dr. Paula Garb wrote, as related to them from their observations and conversations with their contacts, which was that the original religion of Circassians was idolatry 146
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with polytheistic essence, I would say they were right to some extent, with some reservations. Caucasian mountaineers had no deliberately carved or shaped idols as may be seen with many typical idolatries, but as for polytheism we can say that they did revere some auxiliary gods, although they did not call them gods, but manifesters of authority and power under God the Creator (Anchweh). They did not build colossal, majestic cathedrals either. Idolatry in the history of religions all through human life on Earth developed to very complex and elaborate levels and was manifested in luxury and majesty in monumental forms. Its architectural expression in the construction of temples and ritualistic components, its clerical hierarchies when some of these reached a very advanced level, and also its inheriting from the substantial meaning of its foundation of animism, together produced some spiritually advanced enlightened and attained individuals as a result of the Energy of Consciousness of the Creative Power’s reflecting on the human. Although these attained humans formed a superior manifestation of mankind because of their ability to respond to the effects of Divine Spirit, because of the mediocrity of the majority of the populace they kept the teaching and external functioning of the religion unchanged. The application of animism continued throughout the history of religion in the form of idolatry, and those humans who were attained remained part of the clergy. This situation continued and grew in its full force until the time in mankind’s history we call the Abrahamic era, supposedly some 6,000 years ago. At that time, according to the biblical record, Patriarch Abraham, inspired by a mysterious character by the name of Melchizedek, introduced to the world of his time and environment a creative energy in Spirit—meaning invisible energy—called God the Father, the Creator of the whole Universe and everything in it; this could not and cannot be described by any handmade image but only by one image which is that of HUMAN, as expressed in the Bible by the verse: “God created MAN in his own image.” In the parts of the world where this Abrahamic religion expanded, a new conceptual development took place, while in most of the known parts of the world idolatry continued to be in force. The Abrahamic God-in-Spirit reigned and ruled the world under His jurisdiction, making Himself part of His Creation and putting in action a huge army of varieties of energies known as ‘Angels’ that were like extensions of His faculties, called ATTRIBUTES OF GOD. The change of polytheistic idolatry thus appears to be nothing but a change in terminology, with little conceptual difference. The figure God the Creator remains the same as in idolatry with the difference that it is in SPIRIT, and the auxiliary gods who rule, activate and arrange but are void of the faculty of creating, are ANGELS instead of gods. In writings or geometrical figures, man-made idols were changed from images of living humans or animals into forms of plants or other expressions of Nature, and 147
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instead of being called gods or idols were called altars, it being made clear that they were neither objects nor the foci of worship. The rites and rituals developed during the centuries of practice of worship took forms very similar to idolatrous forms so that later on, when a reformation which created what was called Protestantism took place, many of these were simplified or rejected under the pretext that they bore traces of paganism, void of deeper meaning. Despite all this chaotic mixture between idolatry and spiritual religions, and even between those religions which were left in their purely idolatric character, certain individual followers of these religions—more particularly those from the clergy—could reach some advancement in attainment of the highest level of communion with the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power. This was due to what they carried in their chemical or substantial formation created by the animistic character of their state of being, which is the Energy of Consciousness that could develop into WILL at the level of evolution at which the human becomes Homo Sapiens. Because of this faculty of WILL, which is peculiar only to the human once the awareness of divinity is awakened and developed in the human mind (no matter which way its character and description is cultivated, whether in images or in spirit), upon continuous concentration on it the human mind responds to divinity by ultimate communion with it as an end result. This transformation, through the ages of human life on the planet, from the effects of animism step by step to idolatry and, after long millennia, to spiritual teaching, was manifested in very interesting stages of our history on Earth. I am only giving an extremely short sketch of it here because the whole account occupies the greatest bulk of our history, recounted by professional historians under the title: ‘History of Religions’, and whoever wants to reach a comprehensive knowledge of it can make it his business to study it. Certainly he will find a very rich treasure of knowledge to help him. When, after long years of study, an interested student accumulates a treasure of knowledge from it, he can spend an equal amount of time deciphering this knowledge analytically, and if he ends up by disagreeing with me in what I said in my short sketch, he can come up with his own things to say. At that time, if I am still alive, I shall listen to him. If not, he should feel free to express his knowledge or perception. Now I will go back to my task, which is to see how Kebzeh developed from animism and over time developed into Ahmsta Kebzeh (presumably some 26,000 years ago), lived for 25,500 years, then started declining and vanishing approximately 500 years ago when foreign forces invaded the Caucasus. Now it is going to come alive again as a result of the era of mankind we call NEW AGE, which is the era of the introduction of positive science to mystical or spiritual science—the science of invisible energy— and the two fields of science making one to be applied to life on Earth. Starting from the first chapter of this book I gave the finished product 148
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of Ahmsta Kebzeh and I shall give more about its application later on. As I said, I will now relate how it happened to come into existence. I feel like opening a parenthesis here by telling a little story. Ahmsta Kebzeh is the science of processing a human being by awakening and developing latent faculties of consciousness innately existing in him as latent ingredients of his nature, so that this human can live his life at the highest abundance possible in the whole Universe. It is reported that Ahmsta Kebzeh* is a science of living some 26,000 years old. It is an unwritten knowledge, transmitted from generation to generation by living it, practising it and teaching it orally while doing it. I was born into it, and lived with it for part of my life. Under the strange circumstances of my life I am the first human, and perhaps the last too (and most certainly not the best), to try to put in black and white this knowledge covering the whole duration of its existence on Earth. I do not have a general academic education behind me to support and back me up in this venture. No written material about it is available on Earth, even in the form of personal notes jotted down which I could have found as a support to what I know. All I can do is as follows: I know that I am the product of this tradition. I am connected to the wireless circuit of the Universal Powerhouse; I can switch myself on at any time I want, to establish communication with its omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence, get what I need and then transmit it to my fellowmen or general ecology if I want to. My wanting it is conditional, which means I am not unconditionally free to want it if it is not for the good of all parties. I cannot freely play with it; I am bound with my crucible of justification. In whatever I say I do not seek anyone’s approval and I am not worried about rejection by anyone. I just say it, you take it or leave it; I am not bound to prove anything to anybody. Anybody who seeks proof should seek it in himself, which means: Do it and find out for yourself. Or there is another alternative: put it aside, wait patiently, and pretty soon, in not more than a couple of decades, positive science will support it with its new discoveries. Here I can give you a humorous story from Nasruddin Hodja, a 13th Century popular Turkish country philosopher, like the Greek Diogenes— very cynical, sarcastic, sharp-tongued, with a ready answer. One day people came and told him: “Hodja (teacher), some heretics are saying that the world is round like an orange. What do you say?” _____ *Ahmsta = noble, knight, elite human. Kebzeh = tradition 149
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He said, “It is true; it is round.” “How can you be so sure that you have such a quick answer?” “Why not,” he said, “the sun is round, the moon is round. Why not Earth?” “If it is so, where is its centre?” “It is exactly where the left front foot of my donkey steps.” “Come on, Hodja” they said, “How can you prove that?” “You guys prove otherwise! Then I shall prove it.”
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The history of the birth and development of religion happened in the world of Circassians exactly following the same pattern and sequences as it did all over the world, except for one fact. This one fact was the uniqueness of the Caucasus, the uniqueness of its geographical, topographical, climatic conditions and its flora and fauna. This very uniqueness reflected on everything that developed there, creating a uniqueness compared with all other places on Earth, and therefore the development of religion also happened in a unique way. In the Caucasian Sierra, Nature’s provisions for the physical survival of any living organism—including human—are so abundant in quantity, quality and variation that no living thing will have difficulty in providing for its livelihood once it adapts itself to the ecology peculiar to the land. One of the most important concepts in Kebzeh teaching which is directly and more effectively instrumental in living an abundant life on Earth is what is called Kanaat (contentment), which we express by the definition ‘Knowing that we have’. This became a self-inducing concept as a result of facts. Since the very early times, when humans first became aware of the facts of life, one of these facts was that our existence is provided for, equally without discrimination. The distinction between poor and rich had no chance of being induced in the first stages of human life on Earth and therefore the fear of loss did not sink its roots into the human, becoming a kind of nightmare. Instead, a very strong concept of equality and freedom from fear of loss settled in the human mind—the very thing we call emancipation. This picture illustrates the peculiar character of Circassians, who have always lived this way. At the same time as they were living an abundant life without worry, adaptation to their environment developed. The topographical characteristics of the Sierra were not easy and did not make the adaptation smooth, but on the other hand the same characteristics provided a good and safe shelter for the inhabitants. For very many millennia in their history Circassians lived the life of a close-knit community without disturbance from outsiders. 150
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The ruggedness of the land made them tough, healthy, durable, athletic, good hunters, good horsemen and good warriors. The harshness of conditions of daily life created and developed the social solidarity and strengthened the need for gregariousness. The great value and benefits of unity gained importance in their daily lives, as the communities efficiently and successfully faced difficult tasks that could be much better handled by joining forces. The concept of a common fate and destiny became evident. The natural conditions of the Caucasian Sierra forced the inhabitants to perceive the reality of the strength coming from unity, and that helping each other was the best way of acquiring all goods for all and provided by all to everyone. They realized at the early stages of their existence, the truth of ‘by giving you receive’. As a result of the factual and inevitable realization of this truth, an altruistic character took root in them and developed all through the millennia of their existence. As a result of this peculiar structure of human communities, established in small pockets in isolated geographical land expansions and practically secluded from each other, independent units of human groupings developed, virtually unconnected to each other. Because of the homogeneity of the conditions throughout the Caucasian Sierra, despite the lack of connections—apart from occasional communication—each independent community exhibited similar characteristics. The natural sustenance of the ecology, developed out of the peculiarity of the individual characteristics of the Caucasian Sierra, caused a strong similarity to grow up among unconnected human groupings of very different sizes. I stated above that every religion took its source from the principles of animism and that animism was the original knowledge possessed by humans at the very start of Creation, as far back as we can go, theoretically. Animism is still the very core of any religion. At this point it seems quite in line and order to ask: “Where and how was animism initiated?” I would now like to refer the reader to Chapter I of this book, where the Creation is explained, and particularly to the paragraphs concerning Determination, Manifestation and Evolution in that chapter. Homo Sapiens started getting acquainted with the concept of animism when he reached the stage we call physical evolution and approached its level of completion. At that stage evolution went on to carry out its process in the mental phase, this phase continuing forever because it is infinite. It was at the time the human was nearing completion of his physical evolution that he started uttering the WORD. Before the final level of physical evolution, the human was not yet a Homo Sapiens—Homo Sapiens meaning: ‘he who knows himself’—so he didn’t see any distinct difference between himself and the other animals. A strong sense of oneness with the rest of Creation reigned in the human mind. The human felt a tangible equality 151
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between himself and the rest of Creation. Therefore he expected everything to be like himself. The consciousness he felt existing in him, he expected to exist in all of Nature albeit at very different levels from one species to the other. But this difference was not distinct enough to generate ‘speciesism’. As far as his mental evolution was concerned, human first evolved to the level of consciousness when he noticed that no other creature on Earth had the faculty of making a decision of its own in a conscious way, which was the first sign of WILL. Later he noticed that no other creature had the faculty of articulating WORD to compose speech as a means of communication. These two discoveries sealed the uniqueness and superiority of human over the rest of Creation to generate ‘speciesism’, but couldn’t erase the concept that every member of Creation had a consciousness of its own. As a result, animism remained as a regulating knowledge to establish a harmonious ecology. With these two distinct faculties, namely WILL and SPEECH, the human continued to evolve in his mental evolutionary growth for several million years until he grew in his consciousness to discover his faculty of CREATIVITY, which is also unique and peculiar to human. This last discovery happened to be the third faculty which enabled the human to put two and two together and set himself on the way to search for a CREATOR. And on the other hand the third faculty of CREATIVITY generated a byproduct: A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY. In the transitory period between CREATIVITY and RESPONSIBILITY, HUMAN went through a chaotic struggle, thinking that he might be THE CREATOR. But the period was short-lived. He met the dead-end street that presented itself, with the question: “In that case, who created me?” He bowed humbly before the throne of the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power and manifested his faculties of WILL, SPEECH, CREATIVITY and RESPONSIBILITY with the help of the Energy of Consciousness. These hierarchic levels of development did not develop homogeneously and equally for every human throughout the human population. There was always a minority, an elite group, who could reach the realization of a higher level of attainment, and this group naturally took the initiative, leading, influencing and encouraging the rest to achieve it also. All over the world, when religions first began to form, this leadership was generally in the form of a group of clergy that became the author and agency of developing the religion, mostly in the form of idolatry, as it was explained above. This clergy stayed on to be the administrators and teachers of these religions, being also practitioners of them, and made this their lifetime profession, living at the expense of the populace who supported them faithfully in observance of the rules and obligations set up by this clergy and developed in time to the complicated and sophisticated extent of establishing huge and luxurious institutions. 152
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The clergy’s aim was to impress the public with the magnitude of the institutions they established, continuously adding to these impressions by building colossal cathedral-like temples of variegated and varied appearances and increasing the numbers, names, and awesome exposures of their idols in order to justify asking for more monetary support for their existence, and at the same time to impose their importance. This situation continued to exhibit a similar picture much later on in the Abrahamic religions when they developed into their orthodox state, so much so that even today in a religious ritual in the Vatican one cannot see any difference in pomp and vanity from a ritual in a highly developed idolatric cathedral or temple in the Far East. And this despite the fact that the teachers of the Christian churches were the ones who interpreted Jesus’ words: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19) as, “But He was speaking of the temple of His body” (John 2:21). While I am talking here about the development of the clergy, I am taking as examples the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox churches, but actually the same development of pomp and vanity took place in all the Abrahamic religions, namely Judaism, Christianity before and after the Reformation, and Islam. Looking at the overall picture of the development of religion generally in the world, humanity was never able to liberate itself from the obscurity and vagueness of the tenets upon which the religious leaders had built their institutions of religious truth. Namely, the concepts of God, Human, and Creation could never be clearly defined and established and humanity always struggled in the quagmire of the drunkenness of idolatric dilemmas, never being able to emerge from the quicksand of ‘gobbledegook’. The only deeply significant discovery humans could attain remained their first discovery of animism, but out of it they could never progress to found an applicable knowledge of life to reach indisputable mastery of abundance. The relationship of the connectedness of the whole Creation to the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power was vaguely discerned, but the only truth they could deduce from it happened to be animism, which was only material from which the building of knowledge of living could have been developed to make it a concrete substance to live with. But they were never able to achieve this colossal task. This book is about just that. All the prophets who came with clear truth to bring some solid clarity to the teaching were crippled by the mediocrity of perception and grasp of the majority, and could relate the truth only to small numbers of elite humans and pass away without accomplishing their mission, deeply disillusioned and frustrated. After them the religion they established turned back to idolatry, only hidden under different names, terminology used to mean different truth, but without any effect because those names and terminology were being used too frequently by followers, mostly without knowing their meaning. 153
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Now I am going back to where I left off, when I was talking about how the same development had taken place in the Caucasian Sierra and how differently it developed there compared with the rest of the world. At the point when the concepts of animism developed into organized religion in its form of idolatry, it happened in the Circassian world much the same way as it did in the rest of the world, up to the point of training an elite group with a higher, clearer grasp of the relationship of the Creation with its Creator. But THIS ELITE GROUP, INSTEAD OF MAKING ITSELF A PART OF THE IDOLATRIC TEMPLE AND FORMING ITS CLERGY IN THE FORM OF A CLASS OF ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS, MADE ITSELF THE RULING CLASS OF THE NATION AND DEVELOPED ITS FUNCTIONS AS POLITICAL AND MILITARY ADMINISTRATORS AND AS A CLASS OF FEUDAL CHIEFTAINS, AND ESTABLISHED A CLASS OF ARISTOCRACY. They achieved esoteric, spiritual refinement as a result of their energy of consciousness manifesting a higher level of participation with life, and that endowed them with a charisma which they applied to their relationship with their people, becoming their rulers and leading them into forming communities to tackle their lives in communal solidarity and oneness. The core reason for this difference in transmission was that the native peoples of the Caucasian Sierra had multiplied and grown with a different character initially, as it was explained above, due to the peculiarity of the Gaia of the land in that particular place on the planet. Instead of growing as just a human crowd or horde they had grown as a community (in its meaning as described above in the teaching of the Kebzeh tradition), its Spirit (the invisible ‘quickener’ or ‘enlivener’) being collective consciousness. As a result of this peculiarity, the spiritual education, edification and training became an oral and practical teaching learned in the community life, under the uniting faculty and power of collective love, or love of collective, by living it and practising it in communities (as explained in the section on Community), administered by an unwritten set of rules and laws called Aleishweh. Although a belief system which exhibited the character of polytheistic idolatry was developed, this was not accompanied by any man-made idols, temples or clergy class. Instead, oracles and some individual wise men were used as a means of liaison between the ruling class and the community. Under the spirit of Kebzeh, the teaching of a strongly established interdependence took place between nations and leaders. Aristocrat became another name for public servant, each party—ruler and people—handling their tasks in support of each other, and all through the history of the Circassians until circa 1500 a strong co-operation based on mutual love and respect prevailed in all their relationships. The introduction of imported teachings to the Circassian world, such as the religions and social lifestyles of neighbouring peoples and especially the 154
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infiltration of Russian and Turkish influences, contaminated or diluted the purity of the Kebzeh discipline. The first party that responded and gave way to these degenerative effects was the aristocratic class, which developed a tendency of expecting faithfulness and service from the populace without giving in return the devotion, love and support due to them. In time, this attitude advanced to the level of exploitation of the populace by their leading class. The old feudal system lost its supportive function. It was only natural that some reformation of the old system was needed, but without any good substitute being worked out this change created a vacuum, especially at a time when the whole Caucasus needed a stronger and more intelligent solidarity to maintain the unity of the whole nation and wisely discover a way of cooperation with their neighbours—more particularly with Russia, with whom the need for co-optation on a common fate was obvious. Tsar Ivan was the first to realize that for Russia, without access to the open ocean, there was no way to develop as a big nation. This access could be achieved through the Persian Gulf as the best way to the Indian Ocean. And for that to be achieved, obtaining the support of the Caucasus was imperative. Obtaining the support of the Caucasus could be either through conquering them or gaining the co-operation of the Caucasians. He thought it wiser to opt for the latter. For that purpose he created a policy which was called ‘co-optation’ by the historians of the time. Co-optation meant cooperation gained as a result of persuasion of having a common “fate”. Ivan succeeded in instigating Circassian (all the peoples of the Caucasus Sierra) leading and influential families in many ways, which makes a long story to explain here, but is a historical fact which can be studied in history.* As a result of co-optation, some successful co-operation started giving fruits. The same policy was referred to later at the time of Tsar Peter the Great (1672-1725). In both cases, some good and positive results were reached peacefully. But the Russian Orthodox Church with its missionary zeal, wanted to take advantage of the situation. It opened a campaign directly on the children of the Circassian nobility studying in Russian schools in metropolitan centres, and indirectly on the families in the Caucasus, to convert the children to Christianity. This turned Circassians, who were inseparably attached to their ancestral tradition, furious. They pulled their children back from the schools and declared war on anything Russian. Further, it created an indelible and unchangeable distrust of Russia. Circassians’ trust of Russia today still cannot be restored in the Caucasus, as Russia still continues in its untrustworthy and negative concept of Caucasians. Russia had expanded to become a great nation, needing to complete its ______ * Those interested in the subject of Russia-Caucasian history, and of the era of co-optation in particular, will find ample material in the many historical sources available. 155
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wholeness by consolidating itself on many fronts. Neither the Russians nor the Caucasians exercised or were able to manifest the wise behaviour or high-level political skills needed for such a reformation, and still today they both seem unable to manifest such wisdom and intelligence. Russia knows only one thing—to do things by force—and the Caucasians to fight back, whether wisely or crazily. Russia has lived a life totally deprived of strong and efficient leadership for the last 275 years, namely the time after the Tzar Peter the Great (1672-1725), so when both Dr. Sula Benet and Dr. Paula Garb wrote in their books about some negative attributes of the Circassian nobility, they are in fact right, but they relate them as they were told in their investigative interviews, the source of which was the propaganda of the existing social system. If the ancient tradition of Kebzeh had not been destroyed this would not have been the case. Dear Sula and Paula would have agreed with me that among the native peoples of the Caucasus the kind of human beings they had a chance to meet and for whom they developed so much attachment, admiration and love, were only the remnants of those old days with as much as was left of its character in them. As I said above, the Circassians of today are just like old wolves who have survived a huge forest fire. To finish what I have to say on the subject of the religion of Circassians, I shall open a small paragraph from global history. There is a huge Circassian Diaspora which has expanded all over the world and populated many parts of the globe today. I am not referring here only to the Diaspora of the last couple of hundred years caused by the Russian invasion of the Caucasus. I am referring to the Diaspora resulting from migration over the last ten thousand years from the Caucasus, after the Flood of Noah. By covering all the variances of the Legends of Narts and studying them analytically under the light of history, archaeology, anthropology and linguistics, we may discover that there were many exoduses from the Caucasus mountains, starting a few thousand years after the Flood of Noah. Those exoduses of different sizes were all well-organized and equipped quasi-military attempts directed in various directions in the world at various times in history. At times, there were also some attempts in the reverse direction, namely back to the Caucasus. The mountain peoples of the Caucasus, at every instance that they made an exit from their homeland, travelled until they came to a place where they thought they had met their satisfaction. At that place they settled and lived or, if they met any opposition, they conquered, ruled and populated it until they dispersed or died out. At the earliest times of their expeditions they went as far as Egypt and ruled the Copts and developed their civilization there. They acquired Mesopotamia in eastern Asia Minor and established Mesopotamian civilizations known as Hittite, Alamite, Assyrian, Akkadian, Sumerian, and Babylonian. 156
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They conquered Southern and Eastern Europe and populated that part of the world as Franks, Gauls, Etruscans, Croatians, Greeks, and Spartans. They conquered continental Europe and the British Isles and populated that part of the world as Gauls, Saxons, Angles, Scots and Irish Celts just under four thousand years ago. Their traces, as predecessors of the Abazas, are still known in Ashkhara in the central high Caucasus. More recently, in the 3rd Century BC, Alexander the Great organized an expedition to reach what is today’s Abkhazia to find and rescue Jason’s Golden Fleece at Colchis, but failed. This was an attempt to return home. All the descendants of this Diaspora, which populated most of Europe and later on spread from there to many other parts of the world, including America, call themselves Caucasian, but they do not know why. If you ask them, they say it means they belong to the white race. Until they were introduced to Abrahamic religions none of these people ever had man-made idols or impressive cathedrals or temples. They had altars, dolmens, barrows, mounds, large boulders, and huge and old trees to indicate places of ritualistic meetings, but never a man-made carved structure of any kind, like idols in Far Eastern idolatric religions. The Druids of Western Europe are nothing but the last representatives of Circassian oracles outside the Caucasus.
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I would like to open a little inner dialogue here to put a last touch before I close this passage on religion prior to entering into a detailed presentation of Aleishweh. I hope I have sufficiently, concisely and clearly related here how every existing religion on our planet today originated from the essential tenets of animism, and developed gradually over time into various forms of idolatric religions. Only higher development of the receptivity of the populace of the planet could make it possible, over time, for successive lightholders to give the divine message at a more intelligent level to achieve further reforms. We are still short by far of being able to raise it up to the level where it can find its true expression and application to life. What I mean to say here is that it is the unadulterated application of the principles and tenets of animism to our ecology, meaning our relationship with our environment, including the whole Creation and Creator, that will bring us to abundant life and enable us to taste the blessings we are entitled to as human beings. But the end result cannot be given by any power to us, no matter how much that power may want to give it. It is up to us to take it by elevating ourselves to that receptivity. It was exactly that development of humankind that was achieved in the Caucasian Sierra. It grew up in attainment to the point it rose to some 157
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1500 years ago, at which time it became mixed with the effects of a development of the same kind elsewhere in the world, but which had evolved in a different way. This different way was one in which the phenomenon had given manifestation to a different ecology, and the ecology had strayed far from its original meaning of truth and purity. It was sinful; it represented the very thing that in human history is called ORIGINAL SIN. What was achieved? The original sin was achieved. Today we have to liberate ourselves from the original sin. This cannot be done by returning to Ahmsta Kebzeh and bringing it back by copying it, but by recreating it under the light of its wisdom, by the power of the wholeness of human mind with the co-operation of human attainment in positive science and mystical science put together in full. This can be achieved by engendering a revolution in our formal education system by introducing spiritual education to our curriculum and changing our schools into ‘ACADEMIES OF WHOLENESS’. In the old days Ahmsta Kebzeh (Wark Khabzeh) was only for the nobility, but today it should be for everybody. In other words, today, instead of abolishing the old aristocratic class, we should abolish the old plebeian class and make everybody aristocratic in the true meaning of the word, which is everybody knowing who he is. According to biblical teaching every human being is a hereditary prince or princess from the Royal Family of the Kingdom of God (see Ephesians 1:3-14). Now I would like to relate a story from the life of Prophet Mohammed as it is told as a basis of His teaching, but which reveals very clearly the way He looked at the deeper meaning in the core of religious tenets. One day, when Mohammed is sitting with His close circle, meaning His disciples (Sahabe-i Kiraam), they question Him concerning the clarification of a ritualistic matter, saying: “In the Koran, it is written in many instances how important and imperative it is to be meticulously strict in keeping the practice of ablution and ritualistic daily prayers of salaat, but there isn’t any detailed description given of these anywhere in the Holy Book; it is only strongly emphasized how important they are. What is the detailed descriptive way of ablution? What are the members of the body to wash? What is the order to follow? For how long should we consider ourselves clean? What are the reasons invalidating ablution? Likewise, in the case of ritualistic prayers (salaat) we do not have in the Koran a distinct and clear impression of how this should be done in practical details and the instances and times of performance. It is strongly mentioned and implied but no clear definitions and descriptions are given.” 158
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The prophet answers simply and shortly: “You do it in the way you observe me doing it.” “That is fair enough; it is what we are doing anyhow. But isn’t it necessary that there should also be an explanatory presentation of it recorded? Supposing that centuries ahead of our time in the remote future, some people living far away who have never seen us nor heard of us, accidentally find a Koran, and assuming that they can read and understand it correctly decide to apply it to their life, what should they do to follow it up?” The Prophet answers again, simply: “They should do it the way their own wise and attained men tell them to do it.” So, as it happened many times in such cases, at this time no new verse came to the Koran to bring determined clarification; the case remained flexible and subject to interpretation and the verdict of wise people of the various times and spaces when it would apply. Had the Koran been understood rightly and interpreted wisely by competent, attained human mind in its wholeness, there would have been no room, chance and possibility left in the teaching of Islam for fundamentalism, fanaticism, bigotry and zealotry. Islam is generally manifested in practice the way it is today because it has been distorted in the hands of bigots created by the mediocrity of the majority of its adherents, like all the rest of our religions of today. It can be reformed and moderated only through education and edification of the human mind until the majority is composed of the superior instead of the mediocre, which would be what was meant by the Second Coming of Christ in Christianity, and of the Mahdi in Islam. I shall close this passage by answering a question that may present itself. There are many verses and passages in the Koran that seem to have been left flexible, and these are prone to be interpreted in varying ways in the wrong hands. For a human who attained to absolute TRUTH there is no flexibility in the Koran—there is only one truth and ONE STRAIGHT PATH (Srat-el mustakim). But to reach it is not for every Joe or Josephine; it is for the elite and righteous. That is why Prophet Mohammed said to his common people that the Koran was not for them to understand, and that He was giving them the Book of Hadiths which would contain the Shariat,* and told them to be punctilious about it. Now the question that may present itself here is: Would it be better if a clear-cut presentation of every tenet had been given to make the expression distinct, strict and not allowing for any flexibility? The answer to such a question is a strict: NO! ______ * Moslem body of Law 159
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A Holy Book is not for robots; it is for human beings to apply to their daily lives. A Holy Book is universal, not local, not even merely global. In any given place in the Universe, in any expanse of land or space, there are myriad different conditions in which elements and facts of life present themselves and function differently from each other. We cannot even make one kind of food and feed every animal with the same food; some are exclusively carnivorous and some exclusively herbivorous. The Koran is a Holy Book that begins with a verse saying: “Praises be to God, the Lord of Universes.” It doesn’t say Lord of Arabs; it doesn’t say Lord of the World; it doesn’t even say Lord of the Universe, but Lord of Universes. There it encompasses many Universes, presently known to us and/or yet unknown to us. Putting aside all the Universes, even on our own globe an Inuk* cannot take an ablution with water like an Arab does, so how can the description of an ablution as it was applied to Arabs in a Universal book be strictly applicable for Inuit*? Yet an Inuk has every right, as any human has, to want to embrace Islam and apply it to his life, if he so wishes. Bringing strictness to a Holy Book creates fanaticism, bigotry and sin. A Holy Book is like a walnut, not its outside but its core; the essence is the food.
Aleishweh Under the light of the explanation given so far (in the section on development of religions, and in all the previous chapters) on the final development of Ahmsta Kebzeh until the beginning of the 16th Century, the reader will have built up an understanding of how the original essence of animism developed in the Circassian world and how it differs from the rest of the world. Its development in the rest of the world took shape in various forms of idolatry, which simply means making a certain visible object an idol, an object or symbol to worship in a variety of manifestations such as pictures, sculptures, or any impressive form of Nature such as sun, moon, and fire. Or an invisible thing, carrying a concept of respect, love, reverence and admiration, such as in Shintoism or anthropomorphism. In the Circassian world the character of the development differs quite a bit. Looking at it under the light of the detailed explanations given about the concepts of Ahmsta Kebzeh on the phenomenon of LIFE in all the previous chapters, we can clearly discern that Life is seen as an eternal phenomenon without beginning and without end as the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power (God)—eternal, without beginning and without end. There _____ * Formerly called Eskimo, Eskimos. 160
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is no such thing as life ‘here below’ and life ‘there after’; Life is a one-piece continuous journey, turning around and around without stopping and without losing consciousness, as planets turn without stopping as long as God exists. Looking at it in any other way will lead to denial of the absolute TRUTH. The absolute truth will be like a broken chain or broken crystal; it will lose all its meaning, reality and coherence. — Kebzeh says: “We ARE souls and we HAVE bodies.” We are not bodies who have souls. ‘Soul’ means an entity having consciousness in substance. In other words, the substance, the invisible reality of soul is consciousness. — Kebzeh says: “A man without a body is more alive than a man with a body,” meaning that the consciousness of a man with a body will be global, but the consciousness of a man without a body will be universal. The vehicle of the soul—the human body—makes the soul earth-bound, but the soul liberated from the earthly vehicle will be spirit-bound. — Kebzeh says: “Human consciousness is stabilized and sealed by the FACULTY of MEMORY; if memory is indelibilized, eternalized, immortalized, consciousness will be immortalized.” — Kebzeh says: The memory belongs to Intellectual Body Energy of Consciousness, which is mortal, but it can be elevated to the level of Spiritual Body Energy of Consciousness through edification of the human mind. Because Spiritual Body Energy of Consciousness is immortal the memory shall be immortalized and therefore consciousness of the soul shall be immortalized, eternalized and shall live for ever. All these things were explained in the previous chapters and on the Chart in Figure 3. The life of an attained Human is eternal, immortal all through eternity. Therefore there is no such thing as ‘Here below’ or ‘There after’; Life is in one piece. Again, under the light of all these explanations it can be understood why in the history of Ahmsta Kebzeh a religion of the graveyard, a religion of the other world, a religion of Hell and Paradise, a religion of punishment and reward by an all-powerful imaginary entity, did not develop; actually nothing we can call religion developed. No separation in the form of two distinct chapters of life, ‘here below’ and ‘there after’, took place. Only success, harmony, happiness and abundance of One Life without discontinuity were considered. The reason I recognize Jesus as the greatest master of Ahmsta Kebzeh is that He taught the divine message as expressed in two main addresses that can be connected to each other as one. One is: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly;” the other is: 161
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“I give one commandment unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you,” which together encompass and express everything Ahmsta Kebzeh is about, what its application was in practical terms in the totality of this life, and what kind of religion it engendered. Jesus never talked about Paradise and Hell or a reward and punishment system. He referred to the word Heaven only when He talked to the thief hanging on the next cross to His and said: “You shall be with me in Heaven,” meaning in the world of Spirit, the world of consciousness without bodies. To attain this world of consciousness without bodies He indicated the means, and the way was loving one another. Likewise in the Circassian world, the primary product of the development of animistic concepts was the engendering of an elite group of humans, men and women described as Narts in the legends of the Caucasus. This elite group developed a way of life in earthly manifestation under the name of Aleishweh, a Circassian way of doing love to generate love, which in turn created the community life that is the Circassian way of living and working in love to ascend on the ladder of ascension to spiritualization, as it was explained above and in previous chapters. Referring to the teachings of Jesus, when Jesus said: “Love one another as I have loved you,” he meant: Build up a community. All the rest you desire shall follow. Having covered in this section the development of religions in the history of the world, I will now turn back to giving a detailed description of the nine items of Aleishweh, which were summarized earlier in this chapter. 1 - THE PLACE AND FUNCTION OF ELDERS Further to the short presentation I had made earlier on this item, I will now describe in detail the job carried out by Elders in all Circassian communities throughout Circassia and the Diaspora, wherever Circassians live in communities that are not yet totally assimilated. Because the Kebzeh tradition, in all three levels of its manifestation, namely Aleishweh, Kebzeh and Ahmsta Kebzeh, has never been recorded in black and white and put together in the form of an academically disciplined knowledge, the Elders of the nation were considered to be its only established carriers. In the process of tackling and managing the smooth functioning of all the daily affairs of the community as well as solving certain problems with smaller or greater consequences that could occur, some decisions might need to be reached. The main resources available to refer to were the Elders of the communities, who had the expertise in reaching decisions that conformed with the tenets of the tradition and its principles. In other words, the Elders were considered the walking reference books, resource persons or judges of the nation. 162
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Throughout the history of Kebzeh a very fine art of DISPUTE RESOLUTION developed with a RHETORIC peculiar to that field—especially among the mountain-dwellers of the Abazas and Kabardians—with amazingly persuasive and impressive effects, which in the 16th and the 17th Centuries would mesmerize and bewilder even the sharpest and most highly educated Machiavellian politicians of Central Europe. The incomparably skilful handling of disputes by Circassian mediators allowed even the most complicated and bloody feuds in Circassian history to be conciliated. I would like to go into further detail here regarding this particular aspect of the Circassian tradition, especially taking into account our extremely disturbed planet today. Wherever we look, we cannot fail to notice how much it is needed in our lives. First I would like to relate a story we were told as a bedside or fireside story as we grew up from babyhood. In Circassian villages one way of handling the livestock is to form a herd or flock from animals belonging to a number of villagers, each individual having too few animals to form a herd or flock or to afford hiring a shepherd. Some households might have five or ten sheep or goats, or one or two cows, and they all gather what they have and make a group of a hundred or more animals and hire a common shepherd whom each owner of livestock pays according to the number of heads of animals he is participating with. This payment is made at the end of the harvesting season, once a year in a lump sum. On every day of the year, livestock owners take turns in providing the shepherd with meals, again proportionate to the number of heads each one has in the herd. Every morning at a scheduled time each participating household brings its animals to a designated square in the village; the shepherd then takes them to the pasture and brings them back in the early evening to the same village square from which they walk to their homes. In the following story a judgment was passed by the Elders of a village concerning a problem that arose as a result of an accident. A goat belonging to an older widow, when fidgeting around in the flock gets its leg caught between two planks of a small bridge and breaks it. The shepherd cuts a six-inch long piece of reed from the marsh, splits it vertically in two pieces, places the two pieces on either side of the leg and binds and wraps it with his handkerchief. With the leg thus repaired, the goat is able to walk on three legs, holding the damaged one up, dangling, and the leg has a chance to heal. In the meantime the goat can move around and graze. The goat can do that all right but cannot keep up with the flock and begins to fall back. Seeing that it is separated from the flock, it gets more and more nervous and starts running aimlessly round and round. A farmer who had spent many days clearing his field of weeds had 163
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gathered the weeds to form a stack in the middle of his field and set fire to the whole thing. The goat stumbles near the fire, causing the rag wrapped around its leg to catch fire. In its fear and agitation caused by the unfortunate incident, it starts running frenziedly and ends up on the threshing floor of another farmer, causing a fire that destroys the farmer’s entire annual crop. The Council of Elders is called to handle and settle the problem. The first thing they look for is: Who caused it, and how? Obviously the goat was the cause. But, since animals are not endowed with the faculty of RESPONSIBILITY, the goat could not be blamed; rather the human beings under whose care the animal was, had to be judged. Besides the goat, there were four human beings who came into the picture: the widow, the goat’s owner; the shepherd; the farmer who was burning the weeds, and the farmer who was threshing. The goat’s owner did not do anything wrong. Owning a goat is a common thing in a village. Taking a goat to a common flock and entrusting it to the care of a common shepherd is also normal practice. The shepherd was not to blame in treating the leg and helping the goat with the means he had available to him. He could not tie the goat to a tree. He could not carry it. He could not leave the flock unattended and occupy himself with the goat—it would have been too risky since the flock left unattended would have caused more hazards. The ‘weeder’ farmer had done something quite normal for a good and diligent farmer; it is an accepted rule to burn weeds in the middle of one’s own field. He could keep under control a possible conflagration in the case of dry foliage and twigs burning, but could not run after an excited goat. The ‘thresher’ farmer especially was the most blameless and a victim of the whole commotion. There wasn’t one single person in the whole sequence of events who could be blamed and held responsible. The Council of Elders reached the following decision. From the five participants in the events—the goat, the widow, the shepherd, the ‘weeder’ farmer and the ‘thresher’ farmer—none had done anything to make them liable for the damage caused. In any case the damage was too great to be indemnified by one individual; it had stemmed from the very nature of the conditions of life in a farming village. Every farmer living in a village community is prone to incidents that may occur under the conditions of village life. Therefore the thresher farmer should be indemnified for the damage he incurred by a contribution from all the village people, commensurate with what each one could afford, and the whole episode should be considered as a ‘disaster of Nature’ that befell one person. One for All and All for One.
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The Traditional Role of Elders in Dispute Resolution Throughout millennia of exercising the role of dispute resolution, Circassian Elders developed an effective ability to resolve disputes. The method of dispute resolution known as mediation and arbitration, which started developing in the civilized world over the last three decades, recently gaining new importance, was practised in the Old World over a long past and still is today the most successful way of establishing peace. The method followed in the Circassian world was quite similar to the modern one in the West as far as its itemized steps and methods go, with maybe some small differences on some points. I shall describe here in a semi-schematic and concise way what I know about it from my experience in my lifetime. When a need for dispute resolution occurs, the parties involved and/or their kinship call for Elders to take it under their care by applying to the Head Elder of the community. The Head Elder sees to it that a committee is formed to attend to the task from whoever is available at that time. A chairperson is appointed, and this chairperson sends information to the parties involved, giving the names of the Elders forming the Committee and asking for their acceptance of the Committee as mediator, or in case there is a member of the Committee who doesn’t fit their choice, to indicate his name and also to name someone else who meets the approval of both parties. After some discussion back and forth a Committee of Elders is formed, which is approved and recognized by both the parties involved. If any Elder appointed to the Committee doesn’t want to be involved, he has to come up with a legitimate and plausible reason why not; otherwise he has to accept the service. When the Committee is duly formed, it proceeds right away in its task. Elders cannot be asked to take an oath of truthfulness or anything of that kind. Such a thing would be taken as an insult and would grant to the Elder the right to resign from the service immediately. In fact, traditionally appointed Ahmstas and Elders take such an oath at the time of their dubbing when they are recognized as such, once for all time. Once the Committee proceeds, the items to be handled go as follows, briefly and concisely: Facts to determine: 1. Among the people involved in the dispute or conflict, is there anybody who did anything he should not have done according to the concepts or principles of the tradition? 2. What and who was the cause of the dispute and who provoked and/or 165
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started it in the first place, and whether the way it was done was justifiable or excusable according to tradition. 3. What the basic character of the dispute is: insult, bodily harm, casualty, property damage, criminal intention, disrespect of human rights, violence, monetary loss, unfair treatment of any kind, aggressiveness, estate dispute, conjugal or clan discordance or feud. 4. In handling a dispute resolution, it is very important to determine clearly who is: a. The offender, wrongdoer, culprit. b. The victim, the one offended against. c. The starter, the cause of the dispute. d. The instigator, if any. Unless the person at fault is identified even if the resolution is reached to the satisfaction of the parties, it will be an incomplete, unfinished resolution because the victim will not feel comforted. The victim generally has a compelling feeling to see that everybody is made to understand that his offender is the one at fault, no matter how much he is compensated as a result of the dispute resolution—this is the unchangeable psychology of the victim. As for the offender, the face-saving he needs will be provided by explicitly explaining to him how great and noble a gesture it is to confess his mistake, and admit to it with dignity. This is the gesture of a noble soul. Knowing that nobody is perfect and that as long as we are in our human vehicle we are prone to make mistakes, is a sign of wisdom. Dispute resolution involves four different cases: 1. Negotiation: exercised between the negotiator and one of the parties involved. 2. Conciliation: exercised between the conciliator and the two parties, the conciliator going to and fro between them trying to reach a fair solution acceptable to both parties. 3. Mediation: exercised between the mediator and both parties involved. 4. Arbitration: exercised by the arbitrator alone after listening to the parties and evaluating the fairness of a judgment. The difference between an arbitrator and an adjudicator is that an arbitrator is a person or committee accepted and chosen by the parties rather than a person appointed by law. The address given by the Committee of Elders 166
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To the person who began the dispute or is at fault: 1 – Explain to the faulty party that the dispute is caused by him and why. 2 – Console the culprit by telling him nobody is perfect; to admit his fault is greatness and dignity. 3 – State that an apology for reconciliation is a gesture of generosity and greatness. To the victim or the oppressed: 1 – As the offender admits his fault, it is up to the victim’s greatness to forgive him. 2 – The conflict is not worth the antagonism. Any damage will be fairly indemnified. 3 – The main thing is that no party loses dignity and face. Generosity of heart is a sign of Apsuara,* Adigegha.** We have to love one another, live in harmony. After all we have to live in our community in peace or dispute. Why not choose peace? 4 – Think of what people will say when they talk about this settlement. To both parties: 1 – The need for peace should be strongly emphasized, placing weight on keeping the community in harmony. Otherwise, one of the parties— the one found to be at fault—will probably have to leave home. In such a case think of what might be the chance of being welcomed and well received in any new place, having exposed oneself as a dissenter in his own community. 2 – But it should be considered also that to determine who caused the conflict, who started it first is very important. And then, as a face-saving resort, it should be emphasized that nobody is perfect and that to admit it is greatness. 3 – When the other party admits his fault, to forgive is greatness, generos_____ * Apsuara = Abkhazianhood.
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ity and dignity, not weakness. Indemnification against the loss or harm: 1 – In the task of restoring positive feelings it should be emphasized that whatever is for one today might be for the other tomorrow. 2 – Ways and means of indemnifying the damage or loss should be reached by fining the culprit. 3 – If the culprit is unable to indemnify the total cost, he should give as large a part as he can. The community should make up the difference and charge it as a debt against the culprit, and the mode of payment should be determined.
Celebration ceremony Usually, after a dispute settlement is reached and peace has been restored, there follows a celebration of a size commensurate with the importance of the settlement. The parties involved in the dispute and their relatives throw the party, but the whole community may also contribute, enriching it by participating in all kinds of ways. The Circassian celebrations that happen at these times are very ostentatious and lavish; they involve banquets, dances, singing, chanting and may last at times many days, even weeks. Participants coming from far away communities may bring barrels of drinks and livestock to be slaughtered to add more hilarity and expression to the occasion, which causes the celebrations to last even longer. Although Circassians take every opportunity as an excuse to organize big parties, celebrations and banquets, those organized on the occasions of a dispute settlement, victory in war and the weddings of highly notable persons are the most outstanding. These celebrations are choreographed according to traditional rules established throughout millennia by the discipline of Aleishweh, and are composed of different items depending on the cause of the celebrations. The choreography of a celebration of a dispute resolution, for instance, would be composed of the following, in sequential order: 1. A toasting ceremony would be performed in a circle around the Grail. This ceremony is meant to represent the ceremony Melchizedek performed when he initiated Patriarch Abraham by dubbing him Head Knight over humanity.
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(N.B. Here I feel I should give some Abkhazian words and their equivalents in the English language. In Abkhazian the word for Grail is Apatkha. It is a cup made from cattle horn, ornamented with gold or silver or both. The word for Melchizedek is Awublah. He is known as the spiritual entity who gave the discipline of Ahmsta Kebzeh to the Abkhazian people in antiquity. He initiated the offspring of the mythical character Satanay Guash, who are called Narts in the Legends of Narts, the national epics of the whole Circassian people. According to the legends, Awublah comes to Earth every once in a while when there arises a human sufficiently advanced in spiritual attainment to be initiated by being bestowed with baraka (activated grace), and that is how and why he came to Patriarch Abraham and later on to other saints all over the world. If I am asked if I believe in such a thing or not my answer will be “NO! But I know it.”, exactly as Albert Einstein would have answered had he been asked the same question.) The order of performance of the toasting circle would be as follows: The people joining in the circle would be: – All the Elders involved in the dispute resolution; – The parties involved in the dispute; – Others designated by the Elders, to be included. The toasting would be performed as follows: – The Elders would choose a toastmaster from among their number. – This toastmaster would choose a server among those present—a young man as a rule. The server’s job would be to replenish the Grail with red wine. He is called the Aguyitow. – The main purpose of the circle being the opening of the ceremony, the participants join together in a circle, standing in the middle of the whole gathering, either inside a large enough hall or outside in the open air, preferably at an Anikha (a particular sacred place, used solely for ceremonial meetings or prayers of all sorts). The toastmaster then calls on the Aguyitow to fill the Grail. – The toastmaster starts the toasting, greeting people in a very elaborate language peculiar to these occasions, its eloquence having developed through long millennia of experience and practice. He sends his greetings to all the lightholders of humanity—past, present and future—with gratitude expressed to each and all. He extends an invitation to their souls to join this important event, expressing his certitude of their being many times more eager to join 169
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this distinguished gathering than those present, saying that he only wants them to know that they are most welcome. He says he is sure that they are already there. The toastmaster then sends his greetings and respect to the ancestors of all the parties involved in this ceremony and expresses his awareness of how pleased and proud they must be because their descendants have chosen and reached the way of peace and harmony with each other. He reiterates his thanks to the people for their participation in the gathering with their honourable presence, with their service to a common cause and with the contributions they make by their efforts, charisma, time and well-wishes. He passes the Grail to the person on his left. – This person receives the Grail with respect. He proposes his toast, talking in a way that expresses his feelings and thoughts on the occasion and the importance of its meaning in relation to the harmony of human relationships in the extended community of Circassianhood and Circassian brotherhood. – Clockwise, the Grail circulates from hand to hand in the circle. Every toaster in such a circle is a speaker trained for such occasions; each participant will mobilize his creativity to express to the best of his ability the communal spirit of the occasion. – Eventually the Grail will come back to the hands of the toastmaster who started it. At that moment, the toastmaster will advance to the centre of the circle with the Grail in hand. He will call the Aguyitow—who had kept replenishing the Grail every once in a while when its contents became low— to take his place in front of him, facing him. The Aguyitow comes, replenishes the Grail, then puts away the container of wine he was carrying all through the ceremony and assumes a very straight upright posture, putting his right fist in front of his body right under his heart, his left arm remaining dangling by his side against his body, with his chest raised and his eyes looking directly into the eyes of the toastmaster. – The toastmaster addresses the Aguyitow and says: “You were serving wine throughout this ceremony. The wine you were serving contains the spirit of love and courage. You were serving it faithfully. May your ancestors be pleased with you in spirit, and may you be served all your life faithfully and with love.” – He gives him the Grail. The Aguyitow takes the Grail and says: “May our coming together again be for the sake of goodness!” and drinks. He returns the Grail to the toastmaster.
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– The toastmaster takes the Grail, lifts it up high and says: “May God help us not to lose our Circassianhood! One for All!” – Everybody present answers in unison: “All for One!” – The Toastmaster returns the Grail to the Aguyitow. Then the people are led to the tables spread with the banquet. Banquets usually take a long time. Hundreds of toasts are proposed in the course of a meal. In the Circassian tradition particularly meticulous care is exercised in handling alcoholic beverages; drinking is strictly disciplined. As a rule any problem arising from this aspect of social life is very rare. At the banquets, the tables are usually arranged in such a way that a square is provided for dancing. But after the momentum of the banquet subsides dancing will continue in full force until the early hours of the morning. It is quite common for a banquet that started at noon to be extended until 4 or 5 o’clock the following morning.
Circle Dance of Invocation I would like to mention briefly one more traditional ceremony, which happens to be a part of a celebration organized on the occasion of seeing off a war party. Until two hundred years ago, it was held quite frequently among mountain peoples, less often among the peoples of the plains. It is a form of dance in which only the warriors forming a war party join. So it is a dance performed by men only. When in a community of any size a decision is reached to wage a war, the largest Anikha (sacred meeting place) in the vicinity is selected. All the musicians and singers (minstrels) of the area are gathered at that spot; they start performing war songs and other music. The warriors from every community—far or close—start arriving, and at times they may make a huge gathering of people. Some people come to join the war, others just to attend the gathering as cheer people, but only the war party joins the DANCE OF INVOCATION. Participants perform this dance by forming a circle, then walking in a prescribed set of steps to a special music, chanting as they dance. When the circle gets too big another circle is formed and there might be hundreds of circles formed in a celebration. The dancers form a circle and follow each other, their right sides towards the centre of the circle and their left sides facing outwards, marching in a clockwise direction around the circle. They keep a good one metre or 42-inch distance from each other, not exactly following the line of the circle but moving in a zig-zag motion (see diagram). One set of steps carries them towards the outside of the circle, the next towards the inside of the circle. Moving towards the outer direction, the first step starts with the right foot and ends on the left foot. In the 171
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next move—towards the inside of the circle—the first step starts with the left foot and the last step ends on the right foot; the following move starts with the right foot and ends with the left foot, the next starts with the left foot, and so on. So when a move starts with one foot it ends with the other foot, and starts again with the foot it finished on. Each set of steps is composed of four steps: two long steps and two short steps, and the tempo of the music goes as follows: Raa, Raa, Ra, Ra, or __ __ _ _. The dancers chant as they march together with the music and the drum. The wording of the chant goes very far back in history; it is as if some verses are read from a book salvaged from an ancient house fire. Many past millennia brought many new verses to the chant. On page 173, I am translating a few to give the reader an idea about them. This dance seems to have a greatly uplifting impact on the participants. The dancers start slowly and quietly. In time the music and drum gain momentum, speed and height. Dancers become ecstatic. At times one or two or more may jump into the middle of the circle and start dancing deliriously, exhibiting shows, performing feats, and demonstrating their skills with daggers and swords, swinging swords in the air and making sharp sounds. It is a very extraordinary experience to watch a DANCE OF INVOCATION. I am unable to describe it adequately. When I was present a few times in the vast garden of my grandfather’s Istanbul house when this ceremony was performed, I was between the ages of six and eight. At that time this house was a kind of headquarters of Circassian guerrillas fighting in the War of Independence waged by Turkish nationalists against the Greek occupation army between 1919 and 1923, after the First World War had ended. I never witnessed it again. I shall describe the role and function of Elders in other forms of social activities such as wedding parties, funerals, holiday celebrations and so on in the section on social activities, where they fit. In Circassian life there is no end to the involvement of Elders in all aspects of daily life. 2 - THE PLACE AND FUNCTION OF PARENTS There is very little I can add here to the paragraph I wrote earlier under the same title. A typical Circassian family would have the grandparents living in the family, in which case parents would have very little function in the ruling of the family. There is a little clarification I would like to make here. Although in a Circassian community the vibration of love is the main builder and sustainer of the society in all its sizes and forms such as nation, community, clan, family and so on, the exhibiting and manifesting of love in all its forms— 174
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sexual, parental, kindred, friendship—is very latently exercised. Young married couples do not manifest openly their intimate relationship. They do not joke with each other in public, maintaining a controlled and disciplined appearance of togetherness. A bride would not speak to her male in-laws in a light manner, more particularly to her father-in-law and other older in-laws. A reflection of loving and respectful formality reigns in the household. Parents do not show any sign of affection such as fondling or caressing their children publicly, especially in the presence of the old ones. The proper attitude of the grandparents towards their grandchildren is altogether different from the attitude shown to them by all the rest of the family. The grandparents have ample liberty to lavishly express and show their love to their grandchildren. It is actually from them that the children in the family and the whole community get all the pampering their psychology needs to grow healthily. In a Circassian community children never grow up deprived of love, despite the lack of its overt manifestation. The child grows up observing the way his father is treated by his father and that the way his father treats him is no different from the way his grandfather treats his father; over time the discipline that exists in the homogeneous expression of the smouldering feeling of love becomes an accepted natural manifestation of the whole phenomenon of handling love. The child is raised in a steady cloud of comfort and love, without experiencing the wasteful tinkering of it so often observed elsewhere in the world. 3 - CONJUGAL LIFE As I had noted in the above paragraph of the same title, I shall give here some more details on the phenomenon of the courting couple, and on that courtship ending in marriage. As I stated earlier, the social relations between youngsters of both sexes were organized and disciplined in a fashion unique to Aleishweh for millennia, and established in a system that can never be observed in any other place and group of human society exactly as it was in the Circassian world. I feel the need to repeat here again that what I am going to describe here is the authentic, original, uncontaminated form of that aspect of social life of the Caucasus which was altered by changing conditions at different times and under various influences from the outside world. Today, in both the Caucasus and the Diaspora, what remains of it are only faint signs, the region having been exposed to influence from abroad of all kinds of elements—social, cultural, philosophical, religious and educational, among others. While young people are living their lives in a rosy cloud of romantic sexuality, in a case where a couple discovers that their attitude and feeling 175
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towards each other has changed and is manifesting a more matrimonial character, they privately express their feelings to each other. The proposal is not necessarily the function of the male. A Circassian girl has equally the right to propose; it is considered quite proper and not something to be embarrassed about. A properly raised Circassian girl will have the finesse to know how to do it. Such emancipation is granted to her as part of her upbringing. Whoever makes the proposal the other receives it joyfully and with gratitude, whether his or her disposition to the proposal is to accept or not. His or her first response should be: “Oh, thank you. I am flattered; it is a great honour and happiness to me.” Then they both consider it with great dignity and respect in a vibration of great sincerity. There could be, of course, two alternatives: the proposal would be accepted or it would not be accepted. The case of non-acceptance would be rarer, because the parties involved, from having encountered each other many times in their social life, would be rather well prepared to know their mutual feelings towards each other. But if it does happen, the party who receives the proposal, after having answered with courtesy as described above, will cordially mention the reasons why he or she is not ready to enter into such a relationship for the time being, with an attitude that invites the other party to share with him or her and consider the circumstances that make it unrealizable. It is firmly established good manners for the proposing party to take a negative answer cordially and with understanding. Any attitude or reaction which may embarrass the recipient of the proposal is considered to be extremely improper behaviour. He or she may respond in such a manner: “I understand the circumstances you are in. Since this feeling fell into my heart I thought it only proper to share it with you; I believe there is nothing wrong with it. I will certainly keep my brotherly (or sisterly) love and friendship with you in genuine sincerity, with a feeling of best wishes for you,” or something similar. Their relationship continues in the usual framework of community life, as if nothing had happened; it remains a secret between them. If at a future date they are still uncommitted, and the one proposed to previously changes his or her mind and wants to express it to the other party, with this time a positive attitude to the previous proposal, the correct traditional way to do it is to make a brand new proposal as if the previous one had never existed at all. In cases where the response to the proposal is affirmative, the couple swear oaths to each other and become betrothed; it becomes the first step of an engagement, but also the most solid, dependable and unchangeable step. When an exchange of betrothal is made it is considered to be invali176
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dated only by death. In the history of Circassia there have been hundreds of cases where even death proved unable to put asunder a betrothed couple. When a young man fell martyr in a battle after being betrothed, his fiancée in most cases did not marry all her life. She lived with the memory of her fiancée the life of a recluse. Those who married others did so mostly under the force of circumstances, such as being left alone without any family members and it being necessary for their survival and security—those were nothing but marriages of convenience rather than marriages of love. Although it did not occur as frequently as in the case of young betrothed girls, there were also young betrothed men who refused to marry anybody else when they had lost their fiancées through unexpected death. When a couple is betrothed after having exchanged reciprocal vows, their decision is secretly sealed, known only to each other, and the following arrangements are processed very secretly and confidentially among a small group of friends. As a first step after betrothal, the bride-to-be chooses a young man among her close relations as her confidential secret bearer. After that, in whatever they proceed to do, the bridal ‘couple’ consists of three persons rather than two. Traditionally, this confidential person is known as the bridal friend. The groom-to-be also chooses a group of close friends to manage confidentially the following activities. The whole business consists of taking the bride-to-be from her parental home secretly, without anybody being aware of her leaving the house. It has every character of a kidnapping except that the subject is not forced; it looks like kidnapping because it is done secretly. The philosophical and conceptual reason behind it is that willingly giving away a young girl from her home seemed unacceptable and shameful to the Circassian nature, so from a distant past such a custom was established to make it appear that neither did the young girl want to leave home nor did her family want her to leave. Usually it is practised in such a way that it looks like a joke, yet at the same time has the appearance of a war-game. Eventually peace is reached as a result of the groom’s party granting a gift to the villagers or the bride’s clan, such as a steer or a ram which they slaughter, having a party of their own and sealing a peace between the two parties, to such an extent that if the bride’s villagers or clan can catch the kidnappers they ‘force’ them to give the gift as a pass fee. But if they cannot catch them and the kidnapping turns out to be a successful one, the groom’s party still grants them the gift later on as a consolation and a token of peace. In the life of a community it is quite a difficult task to keep such a game a secret. The news of the intention is likely to leak out, but there have been many cases where the secret was kept rather successfully, thus giving to the event the kind of joy experienced in winning a sports competition. 177
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When a kidnapping is accomplished, the bride-to-be is not taken right away to the house of the groom. She is treated very respectfully and gallantly by the kidnapping party. The bridal friend stays with the bride at all times. The bride is then taken to the house of a respected elder of the vicinity. She is received there with great joy, with love and courtesy. Immediately a good-sized room is allocated to her, the bridal friend staying in the antechamber. Without delay, the head of the house mobilizes a horseman to ride to the home of the bride with the message: “Your daughter (name) is my guest of honour. Please do not worry and be anxious about her. Everything is in proper order. You shall hear from me again shortly.” The trend of respecting the choice and the desire of the hearts of the bridal couple is generally what prevails in the Circassian way of life. It has always been very rare for parents to dispute or take a negative attitude to a marriage, especially among families with a high level of social status, mostly because everything was so meticulously and clearly determined by Kebzeh. It is very seldom the case for any marriage to manifest an unacceptable development. But in case it happens there will always be a committee of tribal Elders to find a way of solving it. This applies to a particular case. Here I am just referring to what is common and general. The next thing the bride-to-be’s host will do is to get in touch with the household of the groom. With the co-operation and collaboration of the groom’s household and with some Elders of the vicinity, a committee of settlement is put together with the bride’s household and a visit will be paid to the latter, taking some substantial gifts as tokens of the establishment of peace and union between the two families. As a result, a peaceful and happy arrangement will be settled and an official ceremony of marriage will be performed. The wedding ceremony ritual is a very private one and is performed secretly. It is composed of an officiating elder, two witnesses, and the bride and groom. As we shall see later on, because the groom will disappear from public view during the rest of the succession of events leading up to the wedding and for some following months (even years in some instances), the opportunity is taken at this stage to carry out the wedding ceremony and ritual. Five participants is the minimum needed to perform a wedding ceremony. There could be more people involved, such as the bridal friend and some close relatives and friends of the groom. The format of the ceremony is in principle as follows. The details may change according to the experience and creativity of the officiating Elder. The order of wedding ritual is given below. The Elder starts talking to all present: “You, the bridal couple in particular, and all the rest of you here present 178
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under the loving and powerful protection of Kebzeh, please answer my questions in truth, totally free of fear of any recrimination or judgment whatsoever. You, my daughter (her full name), are you presenting yourself in this company for the purpose of our gathering here, which is to establish a matrimonial bond between you two, of your own free will, totally free of any outside pressure?” The bride answers: “Yes.” “Are you taking this man (his full name) as your life-long man companion in matrimony, and do you pledge to be an ENCOURAGEMENT to him under all circumstances.” The bride answers: “Yes.” “You, my son (his full name), are you presenting yourself in this company for the purpose of our gathering here, which is to establish a matrimonial bond between you two, of your own free will and totally free from any outside pressure?” The groom answers: “Yes.” “Are you taking this woman (her full name) as your life-long woman companion in matrimony, and do you pledge to be a PROTECTION to her under all circumstances.” The groom answers: “Yes.” “The pledges which you have made to each other shall be respectively of ENCOURAGEMENT and PROTECTION. Your PROVISION shall come from God Almighty as long as you remain faithful. I pronounce and declare you as MAN and WOMAN to each other. May the blessings of the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power and Provider of Everything be upon you.” The Elder delivers an eloquent prayer, starting by expressing homage to the ancestral line of the bridal couple and the whole Circassian Nation. He wishes the couple a happy and harmonious life in full beauty of community life, and that they should contribute good servanthood to the Nation in the person of their togetherness and through the service of their offspring. The groom greets the Elder and thanks him and, addressing the bridal friend and his friends, says: “May you keep her in respect and love,” and thereupon he leaves. Kissing between bride and groom never takes place in public. Preparation for the wedding party will be made in the groom’s house. During all this time, which may be weeks, while the bride stays at her host’s house the bride’s room is a place of parties and dancing every day and night. People from near and distant villages and towns come there every day with donations and contributions such as livestock to be slaughtered for feasting. The parties in the bride’s room are sometimes more active, hilarious and fun than the wedding parties themselves. 179
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When all the preparations are completed at the groom’s house, a bridal procession moves out from there, composed of all kinds of people and vehicles—men, women, children, horses, carts, buggies and so on, to go to the house of the bridal host to bring the bride HOME. Depending on the distance between the two places, this procession grows on the way like an avalanche, sometimes of great size. Music, dancing, chanting, horsemanship shows are all part of this procession, and it is great fun. If the trip is long they may stop on the way for picnicking. Those picnics also are great fun at times. Occasionally groups of people may descend from the surrounding mountains on horseback to join the procession, and among them there could be some good and intimate friends. The procession may stop to greet them and organize dancing parties to make some famous dancers meet each other who had only heard about each other before; they joke and send each other some flirtatious messages. Oh, these bridal processions can at times be really marvellous events, depending on the prominence of the bridal families involved. On arrival at the HOST HOUSE, another chapter of the party starts. Sometimes trips to and fro between the groom’s house and the host house may take longer than a day. In such a case the bridal procession may have to spend the night in the village of the host house and return the following morning. Anybody who thinks that night will be spent in a restful sleep is harbouring one of the most gullible illusions of all time. Usually that night is spent in the noise and crazy hilarity of a dancing party, although as a rule alcoholic beverages are not consumed. The following day, during a series of successive ceremonial chants, singing and speeches, the bride is taken from the bridal room into the procession, and the bridal party hits the road. The trip to the groom’s house is not just a simple and steady journey. They may stop by some attractive meadows and creek sides on the way to picnic and dance, make music, sing, and chant, all of which are performed in their own special ways, developed through Circassian traditional history over long millennia. So much creativity and ‘up-bubbling’ happens in the process of these events that it is impossible to describe and depict them in a straightforward and general manner in one single explanation. The whole thing, if handled and organized in a proper and orderly manner, becomes a great artistic performance. When the bridal procession comes near to her home, it is met by people of the village coming to welcome it. This meeting injects some new blood into the crowd’s pep. Visitors pour into the ‘bride’s room’. Dancing, chanting and toastings take place at dozens of places as the wedding party’s full force of hilarity gains momentum. All these descriptions, explanations, narrated from the moment of the 180
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bride’s kidnapping from her parental home, happen without the groom taking part in any of them. After the bride has been brought to the house of the bridal host, the groom disappears and is not supposed to be seen anywhere in public until the proper wedding party starts in the groom’s home. During the wedding party, at some opportune interval, the groom is taken privately and secretly to the bridal room by his friends, who keep guard to see that the couple’s privacy is not disturbed. After that, the visits of the groom to his bride’s room become and continue to be private and secret for some time. The family and close relatives of the bride do not take part in any activity within the wedding. They stay aloof from the events described above. For some time the bride and groom never show themselves together in public or in the family in the presence of family Elders. The bride never speaks in the presence of her father-in-law (or her uncle-in-law) until her father-in-law asks and commands her to speak; as a token of this permission he may offer her a present such as a milk cow for her personal property, or a necklace or any other kind of jewellery. Some time later, maybe in a few months, it is deemed to be the appropriate time to bring the flow of events to their common way, time to bring the groom’s and the bride’s families together to form their proper and normal relationship. It is the time for the bride to pay a visit to her family with her groom. The necessary preparations are made. Notices are exchanged and the bride and groom, in the company of some relatives and friends, pay their first visit to the bride’s parental home. Presents are exchanged. This visit is an occasion to break the ice. They stay there perhaps for a week or so. During that time another small festivity like a wedding party, with dancing, banquets and merriment, takes place. After that visit, either the bride and groom return home together or the groom returns alone, leaving his bride for some time in her parental home, in which case she is brought later to the conjugal home by a party of her relatives, who stay for a short visit and socialize with their new relations-in-law. The last phase of the fusion of the two families happens when the two fathers-in-law come together upon the invitation of the groom’s father to the bride’s father and mother to visit their home. That visit is also a short one of a week or so, which serves the purpose of a last touch of ice-breaking after which the two families remain connected, free of all formality and truly as one. How this new family continues its life has already been explained in the third paragraph under the first heading, “Conjugal Life,” on page 134. 4 - CLAN LIFE (Ajlah)
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In the previous paragraph under this heading, I had said that I would give some more details later on about Circassian clan life. In Abaza language, when they say Ajlah, the meaning is close to what Westerners, particularly the Scots and Irish Celts, might understand by the word ‘clan’. If an Abaza is asked: “What is your Ajlah?”, it is understood to have the same meaning as when in Western countries today someone is asked: “What is your surname or family name?” For instance, if I am asked what my Ajlah is, I would answer: “It is YAGAN.” But it will mean something more than what is meant today in the West, with very few exceptions. In any contemporary city today, if we open a telephone book we can see, in the case of some family names, that many pages are filled by the same family name or surname, but these families don’t even know each other. It doesn’t necessarily mean anything and can be just a coincidence. In Circassian society all these names carry a substantial significance; those of the same name are closely related, so that according to tradition they cannot marry each other even if they do not know each other personally. Each one of these names expresses a specific history that is known to the public. Each notable clan possesses a sign used as an emblem to represent that clan. There is a very long-established solidarity between clan members; whatever happens to one member family of the clan is the concern of all the rest of the member families. 5 - HOSPITALITY I will not add anything more to this paragraph; enough was said previously to reveal the importance of hospitality. 6 - COMMUNAL SOCIAL ACTIVITIES Details about some of the communal social activities were given earlier, such as dispute resolution, wedding parties, marriages and war parties. In this paragraph I shall give some details on whatever else comes to my mind.
Funerals In Circassian life funerals occupy a very important place. Ignoring funerals or not paying enough attention to them is looked upon as a very ill-considered attitude and to be the most unforgivable and intolerable bad manners; no excuse is good enough to ignore a funeral. There is even a joke about it made up by the native peoples of the old Ottoman Empire, when, after the 1865 exodus from the Caucasus, the behaviour of Circassian immigrants regarding funerals seemed to them strikingly exaggerated. 182
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A scientific research team has landed on a planet. While they are walking around conducting their research they see a Circassian who has not been with the team, promenading to and fro on one of the streets. Surprised, they approach him and they ask: “Hey! What are you doing around here?” He answers: “I don’t know; they said there was a funeral here. I came but I cannot find anybody.” The corpse of a deceased human is considered to be a good and praiseworthy servant to the True Person of this human, and is treated with loving respect to express gratitude and thanks to the Earth, since it was a composite of four elements representing the essential earthly counterpart of the Eternal Spirit of the Creative Power providing electromagnetic energy of the ever-existing and everlasting Creator, and being electrochemical energy that has now lost its life-giving force because it’s limited life span has come to an end. The essential and true entity of the human, which is free of matter and therefore immortal and eternal, has now freed itself from matter to continue its consciousness in the world of Spirit, where it does not need a body. But the body, because it served the human as a vehicle during its Earthly sojourn, needs to be treated with love and respect and has to be given back to the Earth to which it belongs, in the vibration of the feeling that comes to those left behind who have full knowledge of the wholeness of life. I shall give here some details on Circassian funerals, step by step. First, it would be proper to say a few words on mourning. The most obvious and unmistakeable feature about mourning is that the mourning is more for those who are left behind than for the deceased. The unshakeable conviction of people about there being life for the person after the body’s death is very evident, without its being expressed directly in words. If there is anyone who is losing anything by death it is those who are left behind, is such a clear and certain fact that those who cry and lament say, “O, sere ritsha, sere ritsha”, which means, ”Oh, poor me, poor me!” There is not a single sign that indicates a feeling of pity for the deceased. If there were any, it would be only in a case when there had been long and grave suffering in the cause of death, either in the form of a painful sickness or accident. The most clearly expressed consolation concerning the death is the deceased’s having passed away peacefully, smoothly and with a smile on their face. Immediately a person passes away in the community, as many horsemen as can be mobilized are sent in four directions to inform the closely neighbouring communities. A horseman charged with this service conducts himself in a particular way, which usually is contrary to the ways deemed 183
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proper in normal daily life. There are many ways by which a travelling horseman might make known to the people he passes in his trip that he is a carrier of news of a decease. One of them is in the way he holds his whip. A Circassian whip carried by a rider is composed of two parts: the handle and the leather lash. The handle is made of Cornelian cherry-wood, 2 cm. in diameter and 46 cm. long, and the lash of rawhide threads woven finely, 1.5 cm. thick and 50 cm. long, with a flat piece of rawhide at the end—an example of the fine Circassian art of saddlery. As a rule, a rider holds the whip in his right hand. There is a fine strap of leather at the end of the handle which is wrapped around the ring finger, and the handle is held together with the lash folded against the handle. The whip is never left with the lash dangling down at the side of the horse. But a horseman who carries word of a funeral lets the lash dangle down. When he meets people on his way he does not greet them, while as a rule it is the rider who has to extend a greeting. From these gestures people understand that he is carrying word of a funeral and address him, saying: “May you meet goodness on your way.” He answers briefly, saying: “(name of deceased) from (name of village).” The messenger horseman goes directly to the gate of the residence of one of the Elders of the village, according to his choice or as he was directed by the party in his village who sent him on this mission. While he is still on horseback he pushes open the gate and enters the yard on his horse. Normally he would have dismounted from his horse and entered the yard on foot. If at this time he is met by someone from the household he would give his horse to him and be led to the guest house. When he enters the guest room he would hang his whip on one of the pegs on the wall behind the door from the ring finger strap, the whole whip dangling down (normally he would have hung it on the peg at the fold between the handle and the leather lash), and sits at an appropriate place. Until that time he neither greets anybody from the household nor is greeted by them, because the reason for his being there is clearly understood. If the head of the household is at home he comes himself; if not, the next senior member of the house comes to the room and greets him, saying simply, “Welcome.” The messenger does not get up, only says: “(name of deceased) from (name of village),” and then gets up and the two men shake hands, sit down and start talking. The messenger gives some necessary explanation about what happened and answers any questions the host might have. A quick snack is served to the messenger. One by one some other neighbours start arriving, as they hear about a funeral messenger being there. They talk for some time and immediately mobilize some messengers from the community to spread the news further, organizing a programme of communication. If the original messenger has to continue on to cover some more territory, he indicates the area he has to cover and the messen184
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gers mobilized from this new spot take care of the rest. Thus, spreading the news branches out in this manner. If the first messenger has to go back to the home village of the deceased from there, he returns there and the rest of the communication is taken care of by people from the first relay stop. As soon as the spreading of the news starts, people begin coming to visit the home of the deceased to pay their condolences.
Condolence Visit Although there could be some occasional individual visitors coming to pay their condolences, more often people come in groups. Men and women are formed into separate groups—an exception just for this type of occasion. Some groups from outside the village or town come on horseback, and others in carts and carriages. While the place they actually visit is the home of the deceased, the whole village participates in offering the visitors room and board should they have to stay overnight. All-day meal service is made available to visitors in homes, served freely and informally like our presentday smorgasbords. Visitors are received by host houses with their horses and other vehicles. From there they go on foot to the funeral home. In separate male and female groups, they approach the gate of the funeral home and start chanting, mourning, and singing lamentations, going up and down in crescendo, one or more persons of the group speaking the lead line or verse of each chant. In a traditionally designed and built Circassian household, the women’s group goes to the main part of the household and the men’s group goes to the guest room (hajesh).* The women’s group is received by the women of the household—they express their condolences through their representatives, which are the most elderly among them. The mourners join each other in chants and lamentations for some time, then they quieten down and exchange some news on events with each other, still continuing to sympathize with each other rather than with the deceased. It seems they are very sure that nothing bad has happened to the deceased—that he or she has reached a better and more exalted transformation. As for the male condolers, they enter through the front gate of the front yard facing the hajesh. They walk in single file, the leading Elder of the group ahead. The Elder walks to the right side of the yard facing the building. A representative of the household comes out from the front door to meet them. While they are walking, he descends the steps of the stairs leading down from the front door. At approximately seven metres to the _____ * In the Adigeh dialect of the Circassian language, hajeh = guest, shen = to dwell, i.e., hajesh = the guest dwelling (common to all Circassians). 185
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stairs the Elder of the group stops. The rest of them line up side by side to his left in a very regular line, their elbows just about touching each other. They come to a standstill, very erect and alert. The Elder walks one step forward, greets the household representative by putting his right fist on his chest under his heart, and introduces himself and his company saying: “Your loss is our loss.” The household representative answers: “As long as you exist our loss is alleviated,” and leads them in. If there are some mourners there they join them; if not, they do their own mourning. Then they join people clustering here and there and socialize.
Preparation of the deceased for burial The corpse is washed, cleaned, spruced up and dressed simply for burial. In very ancient times the custom of dressing the corpse in its best clothes was followed. And some famous warriors were put in their armour, their weapons buried with them. The time that elapses between death and burial depends on the season. At warm seasons of the year the time is shortened as much as possible. But generally that aspect of the matter is accomplished rather quickly. Those who die on the battlefield are buried as they are and as quickly as possible. The corpse is not washed. It is considered that the subject is washed by the blood he shed in defence of his people and country. In the course of the last 1600 years, under the influence of various imported religions to the Caucasus, many things concerning these traditions were subjected to change. Those changes are known to many people and they can be learned and studied. It is not my job to clarify them. My job is to relate the original Circassian ways.
Work parties Most of the seasonal work which needs to be tackled once a year by each family, or some other tasks that arise incidentally or accidentally, are undertaken through the whole community participating to prevent the entire burden from falling solely on the shoulders of family members. The community comes together and unanimously creates the synergy of communal effort by organizing work parties. Those parties resemble very similar systems applied in the Western world, such as ‘barn raising’. They happen to be great fun at the same time that they are an efficient and fast way of getting the task done. 7 - COMMUNAL DECISION MAKING This paragraph had been sufficiently covered previously. I do not feel I have 186
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to add any more to it. 8 - DANCING Dance being so important in Circassian life, some very elaborate cultivation and development have been achieved in its growth in form and meaning and made it very impressive and entertaining to perform and to watch. Some forms of dance have been developed more particularly by some tribes and taken the names of those tribes, but in time these spread and were performed by all the Circassian tribes, still keeping their names. After their preliminary formation, they were changed from one way of being performed in one locality or one tribe to another way in another locality or tribe, thus showing more variety than the originally established dances and continuing to gain variety and richness over time, yet still retaining their characteristic Circassian flavour. The Russian poet and novelist Alexander Pushkin, who shed his light on the Russian literary world in the first quarter of the 19th Century, said: “Folk dances of peoples of the world are inspired by the movements of animals with which they are most familiar. In the folk dances of India you see the influence of the serpent, in Arabia the influence of the camel, in the Caucasus the influence of both the eagle and the horse.” Almost all forms of Circassian folk dance are performed in male/female couples; one is performed forming a semi-circle, couples arm in arm. There is also one that is performed solo, by one man only. This dance was performed at war camps, to pass the time when people were not engaged in fighting. Apart from all these forms, there is what is called the Dance of Invocation, which was mentioned earlier. The names of the dances are respectively: Kaafeh, Tchechen, Tleperush, Apsua Goshara, Uick, and Dagger Dance. 9 - SEMERGHOAH In this instance I shall elaborate further on Semerghoah. As I mentioned before, it is a fantasy of Circassian social life. What it consists of has been described in the previous paragraph under this heading. Semerghoah is a fantasy of social life similar to the fantasized sexuality expressed in implicit movements in accord with the rhythms of music, called dancing. Semerghoah is the same sexuality expressed in implicit speeches, dialogues, statements, instead of movements. It is an elaborately composed dialogue between a man and a woman displaying an art of declaring love to each other in the presence of a friendly social gathering, just as dancing is a declaration of the same thing in elaborately composed movements in harmony with music. 187
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Over thousands of years, the process developed a language that was very ardent, passionately romantic, chivalrous and very creative, rather than stereotyped jargon. It consisted of repetition of a certain vernacular but in a very eloquent style. I shall do my best to describe it. Although I was a very skilful practitioner of semerghoah in my younger years, I am not sure how accurately I am able to present it and convey it in English as it is expressed in the native languages. Semerghoah is an event organized as a social activity on the occasion of a social gathering, but it happens occasionally in everyday life as part of the lifestyle of Circassian society—a short instance of courtesy in daily life, as dancing can be too. I mean that dancing is an event organized as a social activity on the occasion of a social gathering, but also it happens as a part of daily life as a moment of courtesy and joy. For example, if dance music starts to pour out from the radio or somebody whistles a tune while people are socializing with each other, one or two couples may get up and dance for a short while.
Semerghoah as an organized social event In any social gathering, no matter what the character and purpose of the gathering, whether it be a celebration of some kind such as entertaining an individual or group of guests, graduation, return from military service, seeing someone or a group of people off, dancing will always be part of the programme and so may be semerghoah. When dancing comes to an intermission and participants settle down for a restful recess during which some beverages are served, someone may take the floor and say something like this: “Brothers and Sisters, I would like to take the liberty of expressing my heart’s desire in this happy, loving and harmonious gathering of friends. Where else would I have a chance of pouring out the torrent of yearning bubbling in my being if not within the heartfelt sincerity of loving brothers and sisters? It is our long established sacred tradition from our venerable ancestors to love one another and exercise loving relationship in a brotherly and sisterly love towards each other in order to live a social life of solidarity—called in our tradition COMMUNITY. There is no limit to the intensity and dimension of this love as long as it grows and keeps manifesting in its brotherly and sisterly character undisturbed. But it is also quite in order, according to our ancestral heritage, to allow our love in its matrimonial character to manifest concerning one person only, in an orderly and proper way, and to exercise and materialize our conjugal love, and endeavour to drive it to its happy end. 188
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Now I take the liberty of becoming your mouthpiece to express and extend my gratitude to the Eternal Spirit of Creative and Providing Power, the Mother of Mothers, that gave us the strength and will-power to enable us to handle our ancestral heritage in its proper order and character and endowed us with the wisdom to keep our hearts and deeds pure. I extend my thanks to the immortal spirit of our ancestors for their gift of handing down to us these beautiful traditions which enable us to live our lives abundantly in loving protection and sweetness of our community life. May ‘God the Mothers’ strengthen us against any temptation that may disturb this beautiful life. On the other hand, if in a particular case it happens that our hearts beat aflame towards each other with a yearning for matrimonial love, we should not feel inhibited through timidity or shyness about opening ourselves to each other, or we could miss the possibility and opportunity of forming a togetherness which would result in creating a new and happy family unit to add to our social abundance. Just as maintaining our social order in the form of a community by encouraging the prevalence of brotherly love is necessary and is a divine order, individual couples joining each other in conjugal union is equally and as importantly a divine order. Therefore to encourage it is a service borne up on the shoulders of friendship, when the opportunity arises. Today we are honoured by the visit of a few precious guests from many places outside our village; some are from quite a distance. Nobody knows what angel is asleep in the heart of a human. Perhaps some of our brothers and sisters visiting today have some yearning in their hearts they want to share, and with the strength of the synergy of sharing it may be possible to make a hope shine. Nothing is impossible as long as the hope is kept alive. In this moment I choose to address our visitors.” At this time, the facilitator of the semerghoah addresses one of the visitors of his choice (usually this person would be somebody who is well versed in this game, so it is very much like picking up a good dancer for a dancing game). He would speak more or less in the following way: “You, for instance, my friend ‘A’, you are a visitor from a distant place. Considering the fact that you have made such a journey to give us the pleasure and joy of having you among us, you might have, besides your love of sharing our company, some particular attraction you were motivated by. I would like to tell you that here you are among yours. If you are fostering any secret feeling for any one among our sisters we would encourage you to open up your heart and express your feelings in the purity of this fellowship.” Upon this address, ‘A’ wouldn’t right away jump into the opportunity. Rather, he would say: 189
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“Perhaps another brother here should have priority in expressing himself. I am not worthy of taking first place while there are so many valuable brothers here.” Then some others may support the address of the facilitator, encouraging ‘A’ to honour them by taking the floor and assuring him that they would join all the participants to willingly offer any contribution to the discussion that could be of service in this process. Eventually ‘A’ takes the floor. How ‘A’ handles his address is totally dependent on his imagination, creativity, fluency and artistic skill and cultivation—in other words, experience. But the prelude or introduction cannot be changed. He will start his talk by saying something like this: “Brothers and Sisters, thank you very cordially indeed for granting me the opportunity of expressing the inner yearnings of my heart, which belong personally to me as much as they belong to all of us, our entire nation and even to the whole of humanity. We as human beings can manifest our humanness as distinctly different from animals by refining and enhancing our yearning for an unknown better. The force that generates and motivates this yearning is our sexual energy, which is the very energy that created the whole UNIVERSE. This Creative Energy is able to create everything that exists in the realm of Creation, and give existence to the material and the spiritual world. To give existence to the material world it activates its SEX FORCE, and to give existence to the spiritual world it activates its YEARNING FORCE. To orient the activation of these forces in either direction is within the power of human WILL, and this power can be strengthened by way of exercises given to us by our ancestral tradition. To perpetuate the continuation of our material existence we need to orient our sexual energy to activate our sex force to manifest the procreation of new generations, and to perpetuate the continuation of the community life for those generations we need to orient our sexual energy to activate our yearning for an unknown better. Our expressing our orientation in either way is equally necessary and proper behaviour within the order of the laws of Nature. These we have to exercise freely and practise appropriately. In compliance with the laws of Nature, and according to our ancestral discipline, I am taking the floor, under the auspices of the spirit of our ancestors, and with the comfortable support of our fellowship, to express here below a burning desire and yearning of my heart.” (Here I would like to open a parenthesis to say once again that whatever ‘A’ says supposedly has nothing to do with truth, and is a pure product of imagination, concoction and fantastic deliberation. But the more the 190
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player can make it look like genuine truth the better the performance is considered to be. Furthermore, on the other hand, it may be the truth, and what had started as an imitation may turn into truth. There is always a mystery in it. If there happens to be a stranger visiting that gathering at the time who does not know this game, he or she may very possibly take it as a very serious event, and if in the end the conversation turns into an apparent agreement, he or she may get up and congratulate the parties involved.) After the prelude I depicted above, what ‘A’ will do and say does not have a stereotyped description, nor does the response of his interlocutor. So there are many possible directions the dialogue may take. Here I shall put in ‘A’s mouth whatever might come to my mouth if I were in his shoes: “I will not start my address by directly and right away naming the person who happens to be the Queen of my heart for all my life, but I shall start making it known to her implicitly so that from the very start she will know it and her attention won’t be dispersed by curiosity and not knowing who she might be. My dear brothers and sisters, we are all brothers and sisters until one brother and sister decide otherwise, and that happens only once in life; may we be entitled to it only for one time in our life and may it be for the whole duration of our life. When such a decision occurred to me as a result of a heartfelt providential spark, it was twenty years ago, when I was six years old. A very dear friend of my mother, a former schoolmate in the city where both had been sent to school from their respective villages, had given birth to a baby girl. I could never forget the enthusiasm and joy of my mother the day the news came to our house. Upon my mother’s request, the following morning a carriage was mobilized from our home and my mother took off to pay a visit to her friend, taking me with her. At my age it was impossible not to sense how much my mother loved her friend and how much they meant to each other. And as for me, I had always had a particular admiration for her friend. I found her very beautiful, her behaviour very attractive and charming. I often wondered whether if she had a daughter she would be like her. During my moments of day-dreaming, I imagined and visualized her daughter or herself going back in age to my level and saw us playing together along the creeks and meadows. Sitting side by side in the carriage with my mother, I was day-dreaming again whilst gazing through the meadows at the far horizon. At one moment my mother said: ‘Isn’t it wonderful, you have a little sister now.’ I nodded, but I thought: Wait a minute, do not be so hasty to call her my little sister yet. Who knows? When we arrived at our destination it was late afternoon, after a trip of 191
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six hours by carriage. We were met by the lady of the house in the front yard where our carriage had stopped. She was as beautiful as ever, dressed very simply but elegantly. Whatever she wore looked elegant on her. It had been some two years since I had last seen her and it had been more than two months since she gave birth to her baby. The exchange of courtesies of our meeting took some time, perhaps fifteen minutes. She looked at me and said: ‘My, my, my! You grew up nearly to be a man, and it seems you certainly will make a big man. I can no longer lift you up into my arms as before.’ I kissed her hand; she knelt down, hugged me, kissed me and ran her hand in circular movements over my head, saying: ‘May all unwanted things be dispersed from over your head and be replaced by goodness.’ We were ushered into the house. Some neighbours from around who had heard about our coming were already there; the women meeting each other and their courteous enquiries about each other’s health took some time. We were offered a welcome snack in which everybody participated; after some time we were led to the baby’s room and visited the baby. My mother and her friend had become two college girls again. It was amazing how much they loved one another. The baby was not beautiful but she was beauty itself—more beautiful even than her mother. An extremely warm and sweet feeling ran through my entire system. Right there and then, I felt as if she was mine. I heard my mother talking to her friend about me: ‘If I would nurse her they would become milk brother and sister.’ I could not hear it completely, but it was something like that. This idea terrified me. ‘Not on this Earth,’ I thought. From this point on, I think I can close the story of the past and can enter the challenge of our present time. Now I can disclose the name of the conqueror of my heart since even before she entered her earthly life, via her mother. But before I do that, let me ask a question: This young Queen is here among us today. Has anybody identified herself as being the person I am talking about?” After a short silence it becomes clear that nobody is ready to answer this question. Then ‘A’ resumes: “Although our purpose here is to have a good time with semerghoah, the story I told from my past was a true story. Now I get the message—the heroine of my story does not claim the floor. Therefore she does not want to respond to my feelings, or she thinks it is not the right time or place to handle it. But I certainly won’t be discouraged and I’ll continue to try to open my way to my goal. Myself in my heart, my friends and neighbours around me, and my God in the whole Universe and in me, know that I behaved all my life in full 192
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faithfulness to our ancestral rules and laws concerning the maintenance of our Communities, in the uplifted brotherly and sisterly love, and that I submitted myself to its encouraging strength. Today, in the presence of this brotherhood, I am taking for only once in my life and for only one person of my choice, the liberty of declaring my love for our beloved sister ‘B’ for the purpose of extending her hand and her heart to me to join me as my life companion. This, I believe, it is my birthright to do, according to the divine order of the whole Universe. I am doing this as a result of long years of sincere heartfelt love and deep introspection. Both of us I believe came to a proper age to make our lifetime decision to step into the next chapter of our lives. My dear sister ‘B’, I shall cherish, respect and love you all my life as my sister until you join my present feelings for you, as it was proven for the last twenty years by the fact that in spite of my being deeply in love with you I kept this flame checked and I always kept our closeness in its appropriate manifestation. But it is about the right time now that we make up our minds on its being manifested in compliance with this flame and determine our relationship accordingly if you feel the way I feel for you.” ‘B’ takes the floor in response: “My dear brother ‘A’, I am so flattered and thrilled at hearing your beautiful address and the way you express your feelings towards my humble person. It is indeed an honour and source of happiness to me. But it was so true when you said you were successful in keeping your flame and your relationship with me disciplined according to the way it should be handled that I did not have the slightest indication that you would be fostering any closeness to me other than brotherly love. Therefore your opening yourself in the way you did within the encouragement of this gathering happened to be a sheer surprise to me. In all the time I have known you I felt towards you exactly the same love, respect and dear feeling as I noticed in you towards me and I behaved accordingly likewise and felt likewise. And when today for the first time I heard about your feelings in a more intimately expressed way, I have to confess that a very sweet excitement ran through my sensory system, but I would need some time to live with it until it crystallizes and I come to a state to be able to consider it analytically. I shall need some time. Right now I am very excited and emotional.” As I said previously, this dialogue could be lengthened indefinitely. The sky is the limit, since it is a product of imagination and creation. Furthermore, some of the young men and young ladies present may take part in the dialogue to bring in more excitement, encouragement, jokes and life. 193
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And as I said, it is only a game, which is played, enjoyed and forgotten. It is a fantasy, a dance with words.
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Some further details on various aspects of social life as complementary cases Among the characteristics of Aleishweh so far mentioned, one stands out clearly, and that is the function of an Elder (tamatah) as a link between the far distant past and the present. The far distant past is a light held to bring clarity in solving the tasks of the present, establishing order in society, and in reaching a harmonious life in the present and in the times to come. Because in Circassian life every possible event in daily life is subject to Aleishweh, there will be applications of Aleishweh peculiar to each case, and since there are an infinite number of possible cases, it is impossible to cover them all in a stereotyped manner. Through the repetition of solutions to tasks throughout the life of the society, the principle of the application of Aleishweh will be formulated and a right way of application will thus naturally become established through experience and over time. Here I shall jot down various cases as they occur to me. When it is said that Abkhazians love to entertain visitors, it is no exaggeration. Feasts are means of reaching abundant life. An Abkhazian proverb says: “A household which has no guests has no (material) blessings from God.”* Seating arrangements at the table or at a gathering in a living room are made according to protocol, just as meticulously as in diplomatic circles. The place of honour offered to the Elder is the spot farthest from the door. Younger people take their places far away from the place of honour. Standing or sitting, the posture has to be erect and the chin slightly raised. When anyone arrives at the place of gathering, everybody there gets up to greet him or her. If the new arrival has to be introduced to each person in turn in a traditional and social way, they will have to begin from the person in the place of honour. It is considered very uncouth to start with people closer to the door. As soon as he enters the place of gathering, the newcomer stops and stands erect, taking a position of greeting by placing his right fist on his chest under his heart, and then advances directly toward the place of honour, ignoring everyone else. If the newcomer happens to be a woman, _____ * In Abkhazian: Ases dizmam razghu yigigham. 194
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there is a slight difference in the way she stops and takes a position of greeting. Instead of putting her right fist under her heart, she joins both hands at the level of her navel. If the woman is elderly or a notable, instead of her advancing towards the person occupying the place of honour, that person advances towards her, ushers her to a suitable place and seats her. People greeting each other behave as follows: In the case of two men: When they approach each other they salute each other by putting their right fists on their chests under the heart, with a very erect posture and the chin slightly raised. Bowing the head is not a greeting gesture. They shake hands, each keeping his feet together, looking intensely into each other’s eyes, and say to each other a greeting phrase, of which there are an abundance in Circassian languages. They may hug each other and kiss each other on the right side of the neck under the ear, which is considered a place of respect, honour and affection because on the battlefield that is the spot where more often the sword hits. In the case of two women: When they approach each other they salute each other by slightly opening their arms to the side while keeping their elbows at the sides of their bodies. They hug each other, holding each other by the shoulders, and exchange some words of greeting and courtesy appropriate to the occasion. If one of the women is much older than the other she makes a circle over the other’s head with her hand, and says: “May I bear all the burden hovering over your head, and may everything disturbing your joy be mine.” In the case of a man and a woman: The form of meeting varies very much according to the relationship and degree of intimacy between them. A man and a woman of more or less the same age usually shake hands in the way described for two men greeting each other, but before shaking hands, when greeting each other the man and the woman use their hands in the same way as when men or women meet each other. If the woman is older than the man or senior to him in some way, being the wife of an uncle or elder brother, he kisses her hand in a very respectful and gallant way. In Circassian human togetherness in general, and among Abkhazians in particular, it is customary to see a lot of intimate hugging and expressions of affection between people in their social life, with very little worry about sexual differences. Such differences have very little effect, if any, on how people behave towards each other.
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Kinship in Kebzeh social tradition Kinship is a very elaborate and complicated social institution in Circassian life. Kinship, which is engendered only through blood relationships in our contemporary life, especially in Western countries, causes the Western contemporary mind to be totally bemused by the peculiarities of the Circassian system, which seems too complicated and makes no sense to them. In the Circassian system, kinship may be engendered through four different ways: 1 2 3 4
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Blood kinship Ritual kinship Milk kinship Circumstantial kinship.
The hardships of the conditions of adaptation to life in the Caucasus urged the peoples of the continent to seek means of developing unity between small isolated pockets of human groups to gain strength, security and protection, thus ensuring their survival. The force of circumstances meant that especially the Circassian group (meaning the native peoples of the Sierra of the Caucasus Mountains) was very diversified—in languages, ethnic characteristics, demography, gerontology, ethnography, and so on. From the earliest times, the Caucasus Mountains were called by Middle Eastern and Asian explorers by various names, such as Kaf Mountain, Mountain of God, Mountain of Languages, Mountain of Devas (meaning mountain of giants), Mountain of Legends. Among such diversification, throughout the thousands of years of history of the peoples of the Caucasus, there was an eager effort of unification to overcome the natural hardships of a topographical, climatic and social nature. As a result of this work they achieved unification in many social areas of their lives, but not in their languages. That of course was due to their being left totally illiterate for a period of 3,000 years following the loss of their cuneiform writing. And the latter had never been a popular literacy extended to all the people, but used only by a particular group of oracles from the time that literacy existed until the end of the Mesopotamian civilizations. Characteristics developed, common to all Circassians: 1) Kebzeh (or Khabzeh in Adigeh language); 2) Kinship system; 3) Folk costume; 4) Folk dances; 5) Form of saddlery, sword, dagger and armour; 6) Horsemanship and warfare; 7) Love as a binding national unity. All these things were arranged and developed under the comprehension of Kebzeh-Aleishweh through long, meticulous and attentive applications and observations in daily facts of living, and had a great, successful effect of creating a strong Circassian Nationhood with an effectively unifying result. All these binding elements were mentioned and explained in the previ196
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ous chapters and earlier in Chapter XI, except for ways of kinship. Now I am going to handle these one by one to cover the unifying elements in the Circassian world.
Blood Kinship Blood kinship takes shape and develops in its social application exactly the same way as it does in any other place in the world, West or East, with only one difference, and this one difference leads to manifestations in daily social life that look altogether different from the rest of the world. This one difference makes the whole difference. This difference is that there is only blood kinship, without any level or degree such as close or remote blood kinship. Persons who carry the same surname are considered cousins, and two persons whose mothers carry the same surname are also considered cousins. Social relationships between cousins, uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces are the same as the relationship of brother and sister; they cannot marry each other no matter how close or remote a cousin they may be. Even if their relationship is so remote that they cannot trace it back, even if they had never heard of each other before, they are brothers and sisters, period, and they treat each other as such. Combinations of blood kinship in the Circassian system are so elaborate and so complicated that I am not going to enter into a detailed explanation here—this does not fall within the purpose of this book. But it was necessary to express why it was so important in the lives of the peoples of the Caucasus to create and consolidate such strong uniting and binding elements between small pockets of people.
Milk Kinship Milk kinship develops when a nursing mother breast feeds a baby other than her own. In this case she becomes the baby’s milk mother. The relationship between the nursing woman and the baby, as it is manifested socially, is exactly the same as that between a biological mother and her child. The woman’s own baby and the baby she nurses become milk brothers or sisters, or milk brother and sister. The generations that may proceed from them become close kin and thus cannot marry each other. It might also happen that two close and loving friends who give birth at or about the same time may decide to breast-nurse each other’s babies so as to enter into a relationship of milk kinship.
Ritual Kinship In earlier times, when Circassian feudalism was in full force, a ritual kinship 197
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among families belonging to the nobility was a very common practice. A family of high rank would send its young son, commonly before his teens, to another family of equal rank, to be raised there until full adulthood. In Abkhazian language this was called Akhashvara. It was considered that a young man’s training in knighthood would be accomplished much better away from the loving tenderness of his mother. In the household of a family with whom he had no closeness, he would grow resilient to the hardships and harshness of a warrior’s life and therefore be a more successful warrior when he matured. The young man would be treated with great care, dignity and respect in his new family, as a guest of honour, yet also as an inseparable part of the family, like a son. In all probability, if the family had a son of about the same age, he also might have been sent to another family to be raised in Akhashvara, and therefore would not be present in the home at the same time as the young man in question. In such cases, it is as if he has replaced the family’s missing son. Usually deep love and affection develop towards the young man in his new environment, but because of the seriousness of the purpose he is treated with strict discipline lest he forget that he is a future knight. He, on the other hand, grows in the vibration of seeing the heads of the household as replacements for his parents. There are long and deliberate ceremonial relationships between the two families when they visit each other, and at the end of the years of training, when the subject returns to his home, elaborate festivities and ceremonies are also observed. Akhashvara does not affect the marriage possibilities between the children of the families involved per se, but if a marriage does occur, then a blood kinship ensues and the relationship will comply with the conditions and principle of blood kinship.
Circumstantial Kinship This is the kind of kinship which is engendered as a result of unexpected events that may happen in the course of daily life, and which have important effects in the lives of families. – A member of a family may have saved the life of a person of another family from imminent death. The family of the victim throws a banquet during which the victim and his saviour are declared brothers. Sometimes they also perform a blood brotherhood ceremony by inflicting a wound, cutting the skin at a point on their arms between the shoulder and forearm, and making the two bleeding spots touch each other so that the two bloods blend. – When a bloody hostility develops between two persons, two families or two groups of people who are together in one form or another, and this 198
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hostility progresses into physical confrontation, the mothers of all ages from both parties may interfere, coming between the fighting parties and exposing their bare breasts and offering them to be kissed—all the mothers of one party to the men of the other party. When women expose their breasts to be kissed in a ceremonial and ritualistic gesture like this, according to the custom it is considered to be of a very sacramental nature and value, and cannot be refused. A man kissing a woman’s breast in the process of this ritual means he surrenders himself to her to receive her as his mother, and circumstantial brotherhood is established among the sons of both parties. They therefore proceed to put down their arms on the spot. After that, committees of mothers from both parties mediate the discrepancy between parties and reach a way of reconciliation. – When a warrior is wounded in a case of armed confrontation or an accident, and he manages to drag himself at any time of the day or night to a house to seek refuge and help, this house has to receive him and extend help to him in any way it can. If at that particular moment there is a woman alone in the house, even if this woman is a young girl or a young bride, she is not supposed to hesitate in offering a welcome to the refugee and treating his wound as well as she is able, even if treating him requires her to enter into close contact with him when his wound is near to his private parts (just as he would be treated in hospital by a nurse). In the old times, every young Circassian—male or female—was raised with good first-aid capabilities so as to be able to extend direct help to people and horses. While young men were more familiar with horses, young girls were more familiar with people, and if some of these developed a particular interest in this field, they progressed further with their skills, becoming country medicine women with amazing skills in surgery and treating ailments with herbs, manifesting remarkable efficacy. Traces of these skills can still be observed today among Circassians living in remote rural areas where they are close to nature. In the case of an event such as that described above, if the unfortunate refugee survives his ordeal, he enters into a brother-sister relationship with the woman who treated him, and their relationship continues as such. They cannot marry each other—they are considered as cousins—and the woman who treated the man is called by him Nanguash, meaning ‘mother lady’. In this category of kinship, I wonder whether it fits to mention foster kinships. Foster kinship rarely exists in Circassian life. The only case where it arises is through second marriages. Many other ways that engender foster kinship in the rest of the world, such as adoptions and relationships arising from incidental unions which do not involve a blood relationship, are considered and named under different categories in the Caucasus. There, even foster kinships incurred through second marriages are absorbed so well with 199
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that proverbial and generous welcome typical of the Circassian character, that they hardly make any change in the social structure of daily life. Kinships through in-law and fostering relationships are not even distinguished verbally unless there is a need to do so. It is very rare to hear somebody saying: “My father (or mother)-in-law,” or “My brother (or sister)in-law”. They would simply say, “My mother”, “My sister”, and so on. In Circassian languages there are thousands of words to express certain kinds of kinship among related people. It is impossible to translate them into any other languages because they just do not exist in them, so I will not try. I shall leave it to scholars in the field of linguistics to decipher and detail that field and satisfy those interested in such details. In the history of the Caucasus, people tended to marry or to seek kinship in rather remote places to expand the territory of kinship with the purpose of gaining strength. My grandfather, for example, whose place of origin was in the foothills of Ticktau Mountain, halfway between the peaks of Elbruz and Kazbek in the land called Ashkara (the very core of the Caucasus), married a woman from Ubukh on the shores of the Black Sea in 1862. Similar examples abound in the history of Circassia.
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SUMMING UP — THE GENERAL PICTURE
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CHAPTER XII
Summing Up — The General Picture Any consciousness generated at any point in the Universe is contagious, and spreads to the whole Universe within a greater or lesser radius. The whole Universe functions as an infinite electromagnetic and electrochemical phenomenon according to the laws of electricity within the discipline of the sciences of physics and chemistry. In fact, the Universe manifests itself in a phenomenon of many universes as a whole, to make the Whole.
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his is the most important chapter of the book. Much of what I am going to mention in this chapter may seem like a repetition of what has been said before. But the experience I have gained in teaching North American seekers for the last 25 years has taught me that it is not a repetition at all. On the contrary, it is like the last gulp of alcohol that makes the drinker drunk, while the previous many gulps did not show any effect. This chapter will be the last preparation to season the student’s receptivity to spiritual exercises and to achieving effective results from them. In the past chapters, it was said many times that to learn Ahmsta Kebzeh is a processal work and that, like any processal learning, it can be achieved by practical application in a series of repeated exercises, after having thoroughly grasped its technical aspects. All related concepts, together with explanations concerning them, as well as the natural laws which cause them to interact, have been given. I shall not repeat them again here, but I shall concisely and synthetically summarize the elements involved and their interactions, referring to relevant chapters so that readers can go back to them to refresh their memories, see the picture as a whole, and determine clearly where each stands as a human, the key and completing agent in the interaction to enable the divine plan of the creative power to function and be completed. To get to this point, the reader will have been in the Kebzeh teaching, and will have acquired sufficient clarity to know that when I mention words and expressions such as ‘Divine Plan’ or ‘Creative Power’, the meaning I give to those expressions is from a scientific domain and discipline rather than being from a theological or religious standpoint, because Ahmsta Kebzeh is a comprehensive Science of the Universal Creation and consequently of the Universal Phenomenon of Existence and the Energy Field. Furthermore, Ahmsta Kebzeh is the All-Comprehensive Science of Universal Awe. Merely 203
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to understand it, let alone learn it, would take the entire content of all the positive sciences (such as physics, chemistry, biology, anatomy, histology, physiology, mathematics, cosmography, trigonometry), all the academic sciences (such as history, geography, geology, archaeology, linguistics, and anthropology), all the sciences which are the means of expressing creative, artistic work (such as music, painting, literature in prose and poetry, and sculpture), all the mystical sciences (such as physical and spiritual exercises related to hygiene and health), all the sciences concerning pathology as well as those concerning treatment and healing, and the numinous sciences (such as theology, philosophy, religion, legend, mythology, epics), all brought up to their latest level of comprehension and development and put together with the co-operation, collaboration, harmonious and serious participation of their human representative scholars. And in addition to all this gigantic, gargantuan, feverish work, the application of this understanding should be undertaken in the vast universal pharmaceutical laboratory that is the human nervous system, as well as in the whole field of Planet Earth and any neighbouring planets that may be accessible and attainable, to factually master the science of Ahmsta Kebzeh. I would like to take here the opportunity to describe this marvellous Cosmic pharmaceutical laboratory. Any manifestation of any act or phenomenon of consciousness on any element or member belonging to the field of Creation—inanimate or animate, insect, fish, animal or human—creates, at the neural end of the nervous system of this being, a biochemical composite, characteristic of this consciousness and in fact the indicator of this consciousness, which, if produced by any other means at the neural end of the nervous system of this being, creates the corresponding consciousness in the being to be the indicator of this biochemical composite.* This is the fundamental and one of the most important scientific laws of NATURE, which makes possible the application of the science of Ahmsta Kebzeh to transform all creatures to enhance their species. It is supported by two other laws: the Law of Cause and Effect, and the Law of ‘Imitation engenders the Truth’. Let me further clarify it with an example. If we experience any feeling, thought or emotion such as joy, love, happiness, worry, anger, depression, jealousy, envy, resentment, satisfaction or disappointment, a biochemical matter with a precise chemical com_________ * This is precisely the basis of the science called ALCHEMY by ancient mystics; we will tackle this subject in a major chapter in Volume II. 204
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position peculiar to this consciousness will be produced at the nervous cellular level in our nervous system. On the other hand, if by any other means we can insert this same chemical in our nerve cells, we shall experience the same corresponding consciousness. The two other related laws of Nature mentioned above enable us to handle this electrochemical phenomenon—the Law of Cause-effect and Effect-cause, and the Law of ‘Imitation Engenders the Truth’. (At this point the reader may refer to Chapters III and IV.) After having shaped the fundamental law of Nature described above by the help of these two laws, to make the discipline of settling the result indelibly in the human system and render spontaneous and unconditional the upward transformation of human, the Law of the Phenomenon of Cumulative Effect is applied (refer to Chapter VI). This law enables us to refine our faculty of MEMORY by transmitting it from our Intellectual Body Energy of Consciousness, where it originally belongs, to our Spiritual and then Psychic Body Energy of Consciousness, and make it settle there forever to immortalize the MEMORY (refer to the ladder of ascension in Figure 3, Chapter IV). Now I should elaborate further on the subject of MEMORY. Many phenomena mentioned in all the traditional spiritual disciplines of the world with which modern seekers have become familiar over the last fifty years throughout the globe, are related to and applicable by developing human responsiveness through spiritual exercises practised on the faculty of MEMORY. The faculty of memory belongs to the Intellectual Body Energy of Consciousness as a product that emerged from this energy. The spiritual phenomena mentioned above are the following: clairvoyance, extra-sensory perception (ESP), out-of-body experience (OBE), life after death, resurrection at will, which are all various forms of projections of consciousness, memory being the vehicle of consciousness in or away from the body. Memory is the accumulated residue of awareness in consciousness developed in the human as a result of repetitions of this awareness. Eventually it comes to a point where it becomes spontaneous. Spontaneity happens when this residue reaches the utmost capacity of consciousness. When accumulated consciousness reaches the capacity of the anatomical ‘container’, memory gains more stability and sturdiness in spontaneity. On the other hand, because consciousness is infinite, it tends to expand the container (allegorically speaking). The stimulus of love produces yearning for an unknown better. Eventually the human will seek satisfaction in sharing this yearning (philos love). As a result of this, on the seventh level of ascension, altruism starts as a fourth product of intellect (the first three being reason, ego and memory). Actually, altruism comes from changing ego from enemy to friend. Altruism reaches spontaneity that will grow in time to eternality or immortality on the vehicle of Memory, which has ascended from being the product of intellect, mortal 205
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with the body, to belonging to the Spirit, which is immortal. After Level 7 on the Chart, all these forms of consciousness use Memory as the vehicle to manifest their functions. Memory, having been transported to Spirit level, instead of belonging to the mortal level of intellect, enters the domain of immortality and becomes immortal as a result of becoming spontaneous. Once the body dies, and returns to the ocean of creation like a drop returning to the body of water, and disappears into its vastness, Memory stays and lives on in the body of Spirit. When Memory continues to belong to Spirit, the soul keeps its identity instead of going to oblivion, preserving and keeping its awareness in memory and therefore its individuality in Spirit, and exists forever. So the drop, which is the real undying you, the soul, never dies with or without refinement work on the Self, but without work done on transformation in the form of ascendance, it loses its individuality because individuality comes from conscious remembering of who you are. So as the result of transformation work, the Memory stays with the soul and the soul does not disappear in the ocean in oblivion, but lives in the spiritual World for ever, the World we call ‘There Beyond’. By now the student and follower of the discipline of Kebzeh must have understood that the system in which the principles of Kebzeh work is nothing less than making HUMAN an integral part of the whole Universal Creation at the same time that HE is able to make the Whole Universe HIS part in the whole colossal and gigantic Electromagnetic Powerhouse of the Universe, which is the engenderer of the vast Electrochemical Manifestation of the Creation, that includes within it, integrally, its Creator as a Sustainer Force. This is the whole picture—a gigantic Universal hologram in which the whole and the part play their roles in a strategic discipline peculiar only and solely to one case alone, a form of hologram in which the PART is divided into TWO Halves manifesting as ONE, one half of the PART being the Creator and Sustainer and the other half being the Executor and Administrator, the former being called God and the latter being called Human, provided that the latter attains the level of being able to plug itself wholly into the Universal Electromagnetic Powerhouse and make itself the eternal connector between Electromagnetic and Electrochemical manifestations of the Creation or, in other words, Universal LIFE. This is the scientific definition of the HUMAN’s being a SHAMAN, in the English language an ORACLE, or in Christian language, a SAINT. For a human, living its life being plugged into the Electrochemical Field of Energy happens naturally within the force of the energies of consciousness related to survival. But living its life being plugged into the Electromagnetic Field of Energies can be reached only by realizing spiritual attainment through the work, education, edification and training that is called in the 206
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discipline of Kebzeh ‘Processing the Human’ (refer to Chapter IV and to the ascension chart at Figure 3). The framework expressed on the Chart of Transformation (Figure 3) is the blueprint of the work of: ‘Processing the Human being’. The attainment the Human has the potential to reach through this work, is gained naturally by creatures lower than human in the Instinctive Energy of Consciousness. This is the highest level animals and lower creatures reach; it is a finite potentiality, albeit it can be enhanced by training up to a certain limit. This training can be exercised on animals by humans or by ecological circumstances. The animal can learn from its ecology. Instinctive Body Energy of Consciousness, riding the vehicle of memory through the phenomenon of cumulative effect, elevates the animal to its highest attainable limit. It cannot rise beyond, because it is not endowed with Will, and Instinctive Body Energy of Consciousness is only the second level of energies of consciousness on the Chart.
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The Processing of Human All the details concerning the processing of human have been given in Part Two, namely from Chapter IV to Chapter XI. A well-settled understanding of all these chapters should be revised and mastered and all the terminology of the elements, laws, and the methods of handling their relationship has to be thoroughly grasped to be able to tackle them in the series of oncoming exercises. The Original starter of this colossal Universe is Consciousness, before and beyond which there was nothing. There is only one unknown and unknowable mystery in the whole field of Creation and it is: ‘That which caused Consciousness’. The name of this mystery is God. The most eloquent and clear, even simple, definition of what was before Consciousness is: UNKNOWN. This mystery does not prevent us from knowing everything else about it—what it is, what its nature is, what it does, how it does it, what the natural scientific laws are within the system in which it functions, operates, and manifests itself, how it can be harnessed and what benefits can be obtained from it, and most importantly, how an abundant life can be reached under its auspices by disciplining it and making it predictable and interdependent. Consciousness is an invisible energy, electromagnetic by nature; when activated it becomes a power. By definition, energy is a latent source of potential power, power is an activated energy, and faculty is the ability of 207
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harnessing the power. The components of consciousness are: the physical senses, instinct, intellect, emotion, spirit, psyche, love, desire, ego, memory, sexual energy, reason and conscience. Tools to use, to manage, to put in function the components of consciousness are: Breathing into the physiological system of the human body in general and to the human nervous system’s plexuses—reflectors of Cosmic Energy called NESTS—in particular, to further energize them with the Lifeforce carried by the oxygen in the breath and by doing so to enhance the human vehicle’s participation in the source of Cosmic Energy and plug the human system into the Universal Powerhouse, making the human subject aware of it; natural phenomena, such as the laws of cause-effect and effectcause, the phenomenon of cumulative effect, the law of imitation to create the effects; inner body exercises such as imagination, visualization, meditation, contemplation, prayer, energization, and invocation through group synergy, reflecting consciousness. Any consciousness generated at any point in the Universe is contagious, and spreads to the whole Universe within a greater or lesser radius. The whole Universe functions as an infinite electromagnetic and electrochemical phenomenon according to the laws of electricity within the discipline of the sciences of physics and chemistry. In fact, the Universe manifests itself in a phenomenon of many universes as a whole to make the Whole. (Note: That is why Sufi teaching mentions 18,000 universes.) The discipline of applying the science of Kebzeh to human life comprises two aspects: 1. Method; 2. Techniques. The Method is: Careful observation, correct interpretation, practical application. The Techniques are: Observing the condition; deconditioning the condition; reconditioning the condition; unconditioning the condition (Chapter IV); the 13 natural laws that govern the functioning mechanism of life on Earth (Chapter IV).
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in the first month of the second year of the first century of the third millennium (January 2001). As we enter this new century, our state of being as humans is such that we need to edify ourselves a great deal to handle the affairs of our planetary life properly and be able to have a decent life. We have come to a point where we need more than at any other time in the history of the planet, to bring fundamental revolution to our formal education system so that we can educate our new generation, especially our women, in the fullness of their human faculties of mind. What we were expecting our religious institutions to achieve proved quite impossible for them to materialize in the desired quality of moral, social and spiritual edification. If we consider again the definition of Kebzeh as a process of awakening and developing the latent faculties of human under divine grace and guidance, it becomes clear to us that the aim of Kebzeh is to restore the human from its fall as a result of original sin. Original sin is described in all the Holy Books as the eating of the fruit of the tree in the Garden of Eden, fruit which was expressly declared forbidden by God. This tree was named in the Holy Books (as one step further in explanation) the Tree of Knowledge, meaning that the tree’s fruit was intellectual intelligence as opposed to spiritual intelligence, intellectual intelligence being the faculty needed by human to secure its physical survival in earthly life. Gaining the knowledge to secure physical survival was needed, but once secured, the human would seek its further enhancement to gain more than survival, and would fall into the greed of having more and more, the sky being the limit. God knew that by furthering intellectual intelligence limitlessly, the human would gain nothing in spiritual intelligence; on the contrary it would be further alienated from spiritual intelligence by being involved in the darkness of greed. But if, instead of exclusive effort exercised in gaining intellectual intelligence, that same exclusive effort was directed towards gaining spiritual intelligence, the knowledge necessary for survival would also be reached, this time under the control of spiritual intelligence which would curtail its enhancement to the level of greed. Human’s directing its interest to gaining survival turned its entire attention to earthly needs and then pleasures, so much so that eventually the human was blinded to any attainment other than earthly. Throughout millennia, human has developed highly skilled ways of training and educating itself in the field of intellect at the expense of Spirit, so that eventually all its educational machinery became exclusively and materialistically intellectual, to the extent that humans with only their intellectual faculties enhanced could not handle the complications that developed in their lives. Going back again to the Holy Books, after Adam’s fall, over the course of time some of Adam’s sons expressed the courage and effort to listen to God’s admonition and directed their interest, attention and efforts into the domain of spiritual intelligence. But because of the antagonism, hostility 209
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and even skirmishes originating from the other party, the end result was no better. Only at the beginning of the last century, around the 1920’s, did humans begin to realize that instead of devouring each other, they should have tried to understand each other and co-operate. This co-operation is now progressing and hopefully will keep progressing. This progression is here and is here to stay, because there is no other way. We cannot go back to repair, restore, remodel and flog the same old horses. The only problem is whether this progression can be speedy enough to save the planet before human ignorance and evil blow it up. Returning again to the admonition of Albert Einstein: In the present stage of technical development, only a supranational organization, equipped with a sufficiently strong executive power, can protect us from the abuse of the discovery of nuclear chain reactions. Once we have understood that, we shall find the strength and courage for the sacrifices necessary to ensure the future of mankind. Each one of us would be at fault if the goal were not reached in time. Since the beginning of the last century, some people started to realize this, and exercised some fragmented, localized efforts to bring into our education system new paradigms under various names, establishing private schools with the hope of improving our education into a more wholistic completion, to educate new generations concerning not just their brains but also their hearts. Yet these localized and fragmented efforts were unable to materialize the needed effect. Most were drowned in the tumult and some are barely dragging themselves along. WE NEED A FUNDAMENTAL, ALL-COMPREHENSIVE REVOLUTION IN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM, OFFICIALLY. We cannot expect this revolution to be achieved by local and fragmented individuals or dedicated, isolated groups of humans. This revolution can be expected to be achieved by the STATE POWER OF UNIFIED NATIONS— supranational, as Einstein said. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to mobilize and activate such a movement. What many small organizations like ours can do together is to work systematically and methodically in unison and with perseverance to induce the top level decision-makers of the planet to grasp the importance of this necessity, and have them make unanimous decisions and act from the top down in one blow. This will be a positive counter blow before the planet is blown up. Small, like-minded fellowships like The Kebzeh Foundation should contact each other and organize a campaign, have their think-tanks brainstorm together and approach on every occasion and in every way the top decision-makers in high offices in the military, politics, education, administra210
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tion, finance, culture, science and the creative fields, and try to make them understand the gravity and importance of the task. They should write articles in newspapers and magazines, write books, plays, make films and documentaries and contact deep thinking, sincerely concerned like-minded media leaders. They should organize demonstrations on the streets, form likeminded youth groups in the universities all over the world, approach social, service and cultural organizations like the Freemasons, the Kiwanis, Toastmasters, IONS, world philanthropic organizations and world peace movements, and give speeches, open dialogue and discussion. That is how the situation depicted by Einstein can be achieved. In the meantime, while doing these things, another task that is very important, necessary and imperative, is to turn our most sincere and diligent attention to our women, especially young girls at the elementary school level. Woman is not the second sex of human. Woman is not a commodity. Woman is the main sex of human. Woman is the mother who makes the NATION. Woman is the teacher and trainer of human dignity in MEN. Woman is the shaper and edifier of MEN to eliminate MEN’s superficiality and non-committal nature. All these qualities are present in mother’s milk. Over the ages, men have been responsible for killing the motherly nobility in woman, using, in the superficiality of their nature, brute physical force. It is about time to remedy this crime. In crushing woman’s personality, men killed the whole of humanity, of humanness, for many ages. It is time to wake up. Men are responsible for the task of restoring women; by doing this they shall have restored men also, and indeed the whole of humanity. We have to raise our women to be totally and wholly aware of the superiority of their womanhood, strongly consolidated in their female dignity. As men, we cannot raise ourselves, but we can raise our women. Men cannot edify men; men can edify women. To try to raise ourselves is nearly impossible; it is much like wrestling our left arm with our own right arm, and very similar to the enigma of the eye being created to see everything, but being unable to see itself without the help of a mirror, a reflector, but not directly. When men are able to raise the women, the women will raise the men. The whole effect, the whole salvation will come from women. But how can these women be raised? We men just have to try, and keep trying. We need women in the community totally aware of the superiority of their womanhood—proud, dignified, authoritative, loving, full of mercy, full of compassion and full of passion. Then this all-encompassing grasp shall grow as a child grows under the shade of its mother. A true woman, who is an eternal virgin, exercises her womanhood without losing her virginity in Spirit, because she is one with the Spirit of Creative and Sustaining Power. A true woman, who is one in herself, does 211
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what she does, not because of any desire to please, not to be liked or to be appreciated (even by herself), not because of any desire to gain power over another or to attract interest or love, not motivated by vindictive vibrations, but because what she does is True in her heart and she cannot do otherwise. How can a true woman raise a man? When, with the formation of matter, the phenomenon we call Creation happens, the electromagnetic Energy of Consciousness of the Universe constantly and unceasingly works on the electrochemical energy. It is not a finished product. It is the ALWAYS itself. The ELECTROMAGNETIC is always in the product. It is like the starter engine and the main engine of a car in one unit together as ONE. The communication between Electromagnetic energy and Electrochemical matter takes place according to the divine blueprint and its contact point with DNA. The blueprint never dies; it exists in Cosmic Mind and everything comes to existence according to this unique blueprint. It manifests itself and goes back to where it belongs. When it goes to where it belongs, if the matter of the creature it produced comes to the point of knowing itself, it will go to the Whole with the memory of this knowledge, and the level of establishment of that memory, the attainment of that memory, will determine the abode of this blueprint. This is the whole story of Mendelian genetic laws. If the ascension of the memory was not satisfactorily achieved, matter could enjoy itself as much as a duck in a pool enjoys itself—as much as a duck, a dog or a human enjoys its life. As long as we are in our physical existence and this is the only existence we manage to know, our existence will be confined to the physical Earth and therefore doomed to die with the physical world. Therefore we have the potential to make our existence subtler and subtler. We can exist in the forms of solid, liquid, vapour, fog, mist or humidity, like in all the states of water, as human beings. We can exist in our subtler forms if we work for it (in our teaching at 10 levels of consciousness and their corresponding bodies). We need some fire to make vapour, refiner’s fire, as mentioned in the Holy Books. Set ourselves on fire! We shall become. And a true woman shall be the one to set us on fire! ... Wait and see.
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Throughout the long history of mankind, many attempts have been made to improve and enhance in quality the means and ways of raising the human. Some of these attempts have brought with them a totally new paradigm and others were improvements on already existing ways. These attempts appeared in many different forms—religious, social, technical, scientific, 212
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educational, philosophical, professional, mystical, physical, metaphysical, occult, psychological, spiritual, among others. To name just a few: training in trades through the master-apprenticeship system, idolatric religions, Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), and spiritual-mystical forms such as Sufism and yoga. Kebzeh, being the oldest one known so far, spread around in fragmented ways at various times in history, manifesting itself in splintered forms, the better known of which were Shamanism eleven thousand years ago, following the flood of Noah, and Sufism twelve hundred years ago among the Central Asian Turkic peoples. There were many instances in history when people wanted to bring better application of better teaching to existing education and edification systems, such as when the Christian and Moslem denominations and sects arose, and social ‘isms’ were applied to political fields such as socialism, communism, fascism, democracy or monarchies. Among all these things I find it to be of interest to mention the formation of Islamic Sufism, mainly because the upheaval and strongly organized revolt of the Central Asian Turkic and Persian women against the newlyestablished and developed Moslem religion in the area of North Eastern Persia and the Central Asian Harezm Turkish Empire was instrumental in its manifestation. It was indeed one notably important female triumph in the history of womanhood. I wish the contemporary Western women could also have joined forces with them, but unfortunately, at that time (c.900 AD), Western women had already been induced by the Christian teaching of the time into being enslaved as a second sex and a commodity for men, and did not have enough courage to manifest such stamina. This episode in Islam’s history, which occurred in the second century of Islam (between 880 AD and 920 AD), has been kept strictly under cover and even denied by the Arab authorities of Islam, and has remained an obscure part of the history, deemed a politically disturbing, troublesome event for the reputation of Islam. It is impossible to find it in the historical records, but it is generally mentioned in the teachings in Sufi lectures, especially in the tarikats coming from Central Asia, such as the Bektashi Alevi and Yesevi tarikats. Also, since these tarikats are very closed and secretive, it is not easy to get any teaching out of them. Before I elaborate further on the details of this historical fact, I should say a bit about how I happened to know about it. In my book, I Come From Behind Kaf Mountain, I gave a full and detailed account of my getting involved in the work of the Bektashi Order of Dervishes in 1937 (when I was twenty-two years old), as one of the episodes during my further seeking, having dropped out from my ancestral training in a tumult of confusion. I am not going to repeat it here. I am only going to relate here that the Bektashi Order is one of the most strictly 213
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closed orders for an outsider to join, but when I attempted to do so and knocked at their door, I was readily accepted by the Post-sitting Sheikh, Hasan Tahsin Baba (May God bless his secret). I spent three and a half years in training in this Tekye and received my ijazet (certificate). After I passed all my tests and became an accomplished Bektashi dervish, Hasan Tahsin Baba had a last sitting and advisory talk with me. I am repeating here all that he said to me: “Today you have received everything one could get from our path. You have been a rewarding student to yourself and to me, because the greatest reward for a teacher is to see the fruit of his teaching on a responsive and successful student. The reason of your being so readily responsive to the teaching of our path is your ancestral background and what you had received from your traditional teachings previously and had rejected without appreciation. I would like you to know that I have learned as much from you as you have learned from me. In fact, the essence of the mystical, intellectual and social teaching of our path comes from the teachings of Kebzeh to which you belong. Around 800 AD, a period of decline of Islam had started in North Eastern Persia and Central Asia in the area of the Harezm Empire south of Aral Lake and between two rivers, Amu Darya and Amu Sirya, as a result of the resentment, restlessness and frustration of women who rebelled against the Moslem Social Laws, which treated women as a second sex and a commodity for men. The prevailing religious and spiritual tenets of this area before Islam, were in Zoroastrianism, Shamanism and various idolatric disciplines, each of which was partly derived from Kebzeh teachings of the native peoples of the Caucasian Sierra. Most of the scholars of Islam of the time had in one way or another some connection with and knowledge of these earlier faiths. In 1114 AD, a Moslem scholar named Yusuf Hamadani who had moved from Hamadan (Persia) to Horasan, was working in co-operation and communication with other like-minded scholars of Islam. They formed the Committee called The Twelve Imams, which established a new interpretation of the Koran and created a mystical discipline called Sufism. Islam began to be interpreted and administered under the teaching of this interpretation in order to pacify the rebelling Persian and Turkish women who definitely and fiercely refused to be treated like Arab women—as members of a lower sex and commodities for men. Thus, the pacifying of these women created an era of prosperity and upliftment of Islam, until the disastrous coming of Genghis Khan, who devastated half of the world and turned upside down the whole human civilization.”
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CHAPTER XIII
Breathing In the game we play with our cells, O2 has the same effect as if it were O3 and the cells live as if they were in a geographical environment where the ozone content of everything—air, water, grass, food—is very rich, as it is in the Caucasus Mountains, and the human system’s reflecting power of Cosmic Energy gains great strength. The human respiratory system turns into an ozone machine.
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hapter III includes a comprehensive first presentation of breath and its importance. Human’s functional participation in the general picture of Creation was expressed in four instrumental entities: ‘I am’, ‘I feel’, ‘I think’ and ‘I will’, the first being the soul and the remaining three the attributes of human. Inner spiritual gymnastics applied to the human nervous system to enhance its reflecting faculty of Cosmic Energy, are performed mainly through the instrument of breath. With its first breath after birth, the human transcends being a living thing to become a living entity. Breath determines the human entity, human attributes can be improved by IMPROVING THE BREATH, and the breath can be improved by improving the quality and quantity of oxygen it carries and directs to its destination in a more accurate and efficient manner. This explanation, expressed simply in a few words, contains everything that needs to be known. The explanation given in Chapter III should be reviewed thoroughly by the reader and the exercises repeated. Given below is a summing up which will further consolidate the importance of breath. Our meditation and contemplation exercises, like many others, are based on three aspects of the teachings of Ahmsta Kebzeh: 1) Breath; 2) Relaxation; 3) Contact with the deepest part of the Self, which the teaching calls the Higher Self or Marjah. A living thing becomes an entity when it starts to breathe. There are at least four aspects to think about when considering breath for these exercises:
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1) Rhythming the breath. There are many ways of bringing conscious rhythm to the breath. However, many of our exercises begin with the mother breath, which consists of 7 seconds inhalation, 2 seconds hold, 7 seconds exhalation, 2 seconds hold, and so on. 2) Qualifying the breath. This occurs when we consciously think our breath through one or the other nostril. In addition, qualifying the breath occurs through the intentional use of vibration with the nests in our nervous system that reflect Cosmic Energy. When we qualify the breath through the right nostril, it is creative, electric breath which feeds the sympathetic nervous system. This is often referred to as the Sun breath or the breath of the entity of action. When it comes through the left nostril it is a regulating, directing, mothering, magnetic breath which feeds the parasympathetic nervous system. We refer to this breath as Moon breath or the breath of the entity of wisdom. When the breath comes evenly through both nostrils, it is mother or Harmony breath, the breath of the entity sailing to abundant life. Normally the breath changes naturally about every hour: Sun breath — Harmony breath — Moon breath, and so on. The long-term aim is to be able to put yourself into Sun, Moon or Harmony breath at a moment’s notice, but achieving such a goal depends on the steady and deliberate practice of certain breathing exercises that build upon each other through the phenomenon of cumulative effect. It is through this cumulative effect that such spontaneity is achieved. 3) Locating the breath is obtained by mentally focusing on the various spots of the body centres you may wish to work on. The technique is to hit the area with the breath. Do not try this technique on the areas of the top of the head or the tailbone. These are areas the student should treat only under the supervision of a guide—wrong and exaggerated zeal may create problems that should best be avoided. In this conscious and wilful use of breath and its placement, no actual breath is sent to our chosen area. All our breath goes in and out of our lungs. What happens physiologically is that, through repeated and concentrated locating of our breath, our circulatory system carries an increased amount of oxygen to the designated area. During this operation, a pain in that area may be alleviated or removed, or a relaxation response may be effected. 4) Orbiting the breath occurs when we visualize certain patterns of breath circulating together with the blood, or in any other way according to the purpose we are aiming for. Note: All exercises should be performed in loose clothing, especially with216
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out anything tight around the waist. There should also be no crossing of arms and legs, feet or hands during the exercises. Unless otherwise directed, all breathing should be done from the abdominal muscles and diaphragms. In this teaching, when we speak of respiration we mean a combination of the respiratory and circulatory systems. We have to be clear at all times that breathing, which means bringing oxygen into the system, is doing nothing directly to the body. Breathing is needed by the hemoglobin in the blood; it is hemoglobin that brings the oxygen to the body. Breathing is like the mailman bringing the mail to the door of the house and giving it to the doorkeeper, not to the person to whom the mail is addressed.
Full Diaphragmatic Breathing Abdominal breathing should be exercised whenever consciously breathing for the purpose of any exercise. Unconscious breathing naturally happens in a combination of thoracic and abdominal breathing. There are certain breathing exercises that relate to psychological treatment and also some which, for certain purposes, affect sexual intercourse. More specifically, to achieve unitive sex, full diaphragmatic breathing with the participation of all three diaphragms at three levels in the whole abdominal cavity is done, combined with a particular orbiting. In that case not only the thoracic diaphragm but also the pelvic and urogenital diaphragms are activated. A detailed presentation of this will be given in Volume II. Meanwhile, see Figure 6 at the end of this chapter.
Conscious breathing while walking, working or in any daily activity Breathing may be done consciously and unconsciously. Although achieving feats is not a part of the Kebzeh tradition, practising CONSCIOUS BREATHING can engender miracles when done properly. By extending the principle in this exercise, it is even possible to become a breathing machine for someone who is dying as a result of an accident and having a near-death experience, and to keep him alive until he reaches his home or a hospital where more professional help can be rendered to him. Eventually, this principle may be extended to all the metabolic functions of our vehicle, such as digestion and circulation. We can stop breathing for approximatly 90 seconds, but with practice we can extend this time to 4 minutes or longer, and even increase it indefinitely. The means to do this are not in the oxygen or carbon dioxide, nor in the red or white corpuscles. It is not a matter of physiology. The means to do this are in the mind. This exercise, by putting us in constant awareness 217
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of our breath, will change our life from here to eternity. While walking we put our consciousness on our breath. Breath is our physiological connection to Life. It makes a big difference when we pay attention to the breath. When we do so, we heal automatically. Over time this practice will renew our body. In the beginning, our attention should be only on the breath. In time, we will be able to concentrate on our breathing and do other things at the same time. Because of our concentration on our conscious breathing, we shall be in the moment, able to live in the presence of our Higher Self and cultivate spontaneous attention naturally. Reaching this spontaneity comes as a result of activating the phenomenon of cumulative effect by repeating the exercise so many times that it becomes a habit. Then the whole quality of our life will change and we shall reflect more energy. While doing physical exercises, our breath increases in frequency because the body needs this increase to get more oxygen. The movements cause an increase of combustion at the cellular level. The benefit received from physical exercises is mostly due to the activation of muscular movement which increases the muscles’ capacity. The benefit of breath, despite the fact that it too is activated, does not provide an excess of oxygen to the blood because it keeps having just enough oxygen, not more. An increase in breath happens because the blood needs it. Therefore there is no excess of oxygen taken in. But when we increase the rhythm of our breath deliberately, when our system does not need it for metabolic reasons, we are supplying the system with an excess of oxygen, and therefore a richer supply. One has to distinguish the difference. Spiritual upliftment is getting drunk on oxygen.
The Pause Between Inhaling and Exhaling The pause we apply between inhaling and exhaling has the effect of increasing the appetite of the tissue cells to absorb more oxygen, and thus to be receptive to this excess of oxygen. This becomes like a game we play with the cells, similar to a game we play with a dog when we extend a piece of meat to it, but at the very moment it reaches it we pull it away, and we repeat this again and again to tease it. The dog gets angry and when eventually we let him have the meat, he angrily devours it. In the case of the game we play with our cells, O2 has the same effect as if it were O3 and the cells live as if they were in a geographical environment where the ozone content of everything—air, water, grass, food—is very rich, as it is in the Caucasus Mountains, and the human system’s reflecting power of Cosmic Energy gains great strength. The human respiratory system turns into an ozone machine. In this chapter, what I have to say about breath will be enough at this 218
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level, because in subsequent chapters when our attention will once again be focused on breathing, the other related aspects of the breath in those exercises will be covered, and there will be further opportunities to elaborate on the subject. But here I would like to mention one other aspect of breath, because it falls within the comprehension of breath in a rather general field which applies to all cases, and that is the function of removing toxins from the human vehicle. This is a simple exercise to remove toxins through the healing and energizing effect of breath: Lying on your back, push out your belly as much as you can until it begins to ache; then pull it in as much as possible. Your attention is not on your breathing. Let the movement of the belly, muscles and the upper diaphragm bring in the breath and push it out. Do this exercise 21 times, in and out. Pause, and resume natural breathing. Then do it again and again if you wish or you need, resting for 5 minutes between each breath cycle of 21. Inhale and exhale, purposefully pressing out and in until it aches. This breath makes any food allergy or heartburn tolerable. It cleans the system from toxins, especially in the gastro-intestinal area, and works in general to enhance digestion and metabolism. If in the middle of the night you wake up with heartburn, instead of reaching for antacid, do this exercise in bed. Any production of toxins in the digestive system may cause migraines. For instance, if you did not drink enough water when fasting, you would produce toxins in the system. This breathing exercise will eliminate those toxins and thus the migraine. Toxin-removing healing breath also relieves motility problems. Make this exercise a habit—any time you remember, while engaged in daily chores, no matter what your position, whether walking, standing, sitting or lying.
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CHAPTER XIV
Meditation The most important difficulty, and the hardest and lengthiest to overcome in meditation, is in its preparatory stage, which should result in what is considered to be your knowledge of the Life-force within (called Marjah in the original language and Hu in the Sufi version) becoming spontaneous.
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efinition of meditation: Meditation is sitting still, relaxed, doing nothing—more particularly, not thinking.
Purpose of meditation: Meditation is listening deeply within to hear the message of the Higher Self, meaning one’s spiritual identity, with the purpose of making one’s connection with Cosmic Consciousness. Pre-requisites for achieving successful meditation: To have reached a fairly noticeable level of sensitivity in the inner body exercises given in Chapter III concerning the function of the nests—the reflectors of the Cosmic Energy of Consciousness in the human nervous system—by means of energizing them in their vibrations by conveying to them, through breathing, the frequencies of vibrations with which they resonate and rise to higher vibratory vortices. When this instrumental condition is attained, the next step to regulate the personal conditions according to the individual’s states of being is described below. We are not describing meditation here as it is understood within the scope of religious teachings given to people by the prophets. Religion given by the prophets had a purpose different from that of meditation. Its purpose was to give the people enough direction to enable them to live in harmony within a social order—to stop or diminish criminal tendencies and immoralities such as cheating, lying, theft, oppression, rape, or imposing things on people against their will. But the prophets behaved exactly as the Kebzeh Elders did, according to a method by which they gave a more refined teaching to those who were prepared to receive it. Kebzeh was given only to certain people at a certain level of development, in order 221
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to keep it within the confines of the aristocratic class. If you look at the definition of aristocracy in Kebzeh, you will see that it is not what the rest of the world understands by aristocracy. Aristocracy in Kebzeh is based on the belief that the upward transformation work done in one generation reflects itself in the next generation. If inferior development such as a tendency to criminal behaviour incurred in one generation, is reflected in an individual in a later generation, it is not called aristocracy. Aristocracy is only good, positive, transformation reflecting itself in the next generation. We might call it transcendence. So the prophets did not behave any differently from the Kebzeh Elders in their method. What they gave to the people was at the level of the people’s understanding, and its purpose was to obtain a regularly run, acceptable, crimefree, immorality-free society. But to some others, whom they called their disciples, they gave something more refined, which we call mysticism. Mysticism is the art of communion with God. Meditation belongs in that category. The reason something like meditation was established comes from the fact that there is a creative power in the Universe which is the Cosmic Mind, Cosmic Intelligence, or Universal Intelligence: IN THE FORM OF INTELLIGENCE, THERE IS A POWER IN THIS UNIVERSE WHICH MAKES THIS UNIVERSE. Because of this power’s existence, the Universe comes into existence. And this power is in the form of intelligence. Intelligence means EDUCATED CONSCIOUSNESS. This POWER establishes and settles itself in everything—in a piece of gravel, in a grain of wheat, in an ant, in an elephant, in a human. It settles itself there, in everything that constitutes Creation, and without its being in there nothing can be alive. It does not just give existence to everything and then walk away, but stays in it to keep it alive and provided-for. It is the creating and sustaining ENERGY (E = mc2). And this energy, which is intelligence by kind, exists in everything. Therefore it exists in you. Furthermore, if such a thing in the form of intelligence exists within you, it is not impossible to communicate with it. Thus the ultimate task of meditation in the tradition of Ahmsta Kebzeh is to provide a way, a method for developing communion with that Power—in other words, with God. The topic of meditation is not a discourse of one, ten, or even one hundred sessions. This chapter should be considered as an opening to meditation, which in itself constitutes an important part of the teaching. Together with its explanation, understanding, doing, experiencing the results and improving and deepening them may be a task of a few years, even a lifetime. Meditation is another means of address from the creature to the Creator. Clearly speaking, there are three ways by which the creature can address the Creator: worship, prayer, and meditation. 222
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Worship is something which is generated by a feeling of yearning for a higher level of spiritual attainment. This level may or may not be an actual entity, as for example, Jesus. It might be just a level of feeling that belongs to the spiritual field, and worshipping is putting this feeling of yearning into action. As an example, a person who has a musical aptitude has a feeling of yearning for a level of consciousness whose name is Chopin. This feeling is a sense of worship, because the level of the field of Chopin (or Bach or Beethoven) is spiritual. Worshipping is a field for anybody who has a yearning of any kind, whether he can put a finger on it or not. It is a much deeper yearning than that which comes from hunger or the sexual impulse. It is a hunger for our Higher abode as a human being. Prayer is a part of worship. It is a more direct address by the creature, in which the aspirant tries to put into words, with the help of his rational mind, whatever is engendered by the feeling we call worship. The feeling of worshipping is peculiar to the human, so everybody can have this experience and practise worshipping and prayer. However, meditation can be efficiently done by only one kind of person—the person who has done away with the concept of a God sitting in the sky, the person who, not intellectually, but spontaneously, has come to know THAT GOD WITHIN. God is everywhere. Or, if you don’t like the word God, you can call it Spirit, you can call it Higher Self, you can call it Cosmic Energy, you can call it Eternal Spirit of Creative and Sustaining Power, or if you are Spanish and are used to long names, you can use even longer sentences to express it! But under any name such power exists. The word God is for me a simple coin, that saves me from the necessity of looking around for a substitute. If I want to buy a loaf of bread and the only thing I have is sheep, I have to find somebody who needs sheep and can give me bread in exchange. I might go knocking at many doors to find such a person. Instead of doing this, people invented something called money, coin, which can buy bread or anything else they might want or need. Therefore, if I have money, I don’t go knocking at many doors. I give my coin to the baker and I get bread. For me the word God is something like this, very cleverly coined for our convenience. I am totally open to whatever name you like. Call it anything you want. I like the word God, because it is practical. I am not shy of saying I like God, as I am not shy of saying I like money. I don’t like money itself; I cannot eat it or do anything directly with it. It is a means of exchange, and I enjoy whatever it brings to me. So it is the same thing with the word God. Consider it simply. So whoever is spontaneously aware that this life-giving force is within, is ready for meditation. Otherwise he cannot meditate. He will ponder, he will think, he will speculate, he will philosophize, perhaps he will worship, perhaps he will pray, but he won’t meditate. Or, if he insists on emptying his mind, as some people say they do, he may fall asleep while trying to medi223
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tate. Meditation is only for the person who has reached the level of knowing spontaneously that there is a life-giving force within, which is part and parcel of the person. Call it Cosmic Power, Spirit, God or what you will. Giving it names will not change its entity and ‘isness’. Such a person can meditate. I would like to bring some clarity at this point. I am saying here that such a person can meditate. I am not saying such a person shall meditate. I mean that such a person is a candidate for successful meditation if he applies himself to the right practice of meditation. There are some methods of meditation which are formulated for practical purposes for everybody to try, but they won’t bring the ultimate goal. They may bring relaxation, they may bring revitalization, they may bring healing, they may bring love, good relationships, and so on, but they will not bring the ultimate goal, which is mystical experience or communion with God. In meditation, the ultimate goal is very simple. It is mystical experience and settling in it. It is experiencing what mysticism is. According to the Kebzeh definition: Mysticism is a faculty peculiar to human relating to and/or resulting from his direct Communion with God or ultimate Truth, that is neither apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence, but which can be experienced through developing the finest receptivity down in the deepest realm of the subconscious mind. The only way to become a mystic is through and by means of meditation, practically speaking. Not through knowledge, not through holiness, not through moral projection and not through increasing human virtues will you become a mystic. You may be a bank robber; still you can become a mystic. The door is open to everyone. Like rain, it will fall on the field of the good one and the evil one without discrimination, but later on the good one will increase the benefit from the crop and the evil one will waste it. But once you become a mystic you cannot do any more of these negative things. The most important difficulty, and the hardest and lengthiest to overcome in meditation, is in its preparatory stage, which should result in what is considered to be your knowledge of the Life-force within (called Marjah in the original language and Hu in the Sufi version) becoming spontaneous. Having understood intellectually that the Life-force is within, and having overcome completely all the Friday, Saturday or Sunday-school teachings, is not enough. You have to be aware of that particular truth experientially and indelibly. 224
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In Sufi terminology they call this result reached by meditation vuslat (climax), pronounced woo-slaht. It certainly resembles a climax; it happens just as a climax happens in sex. Before it starts to happen, the signs appear. You say: “Aah! It is coming.” It feels like little ticklings under the skin, in the flesh. These goadings start happening in the mind, in the mental system. Some very sweet ticklings happen in the nasal system, followed by shuddering and joyful tears and a deep feeling of gratitude that engulfs the whole body. This indicates that your experience of the Life-force power is becoming reality. It already became spontaneous. Now it is becoming a reality and you are ready for meditation. There are a number of simple ways to meditate: you can sit down and relax, you can sit in the most comfortable position for yourself, you can lie down or you can lean against something—it doesn’t matter. Preferably it will be in the quietude of a particular time of day. Whether it is in the early morning or late at night doesn’t matter. The main thing that matters is that you should not have a full stomach. If you prefer the evening, very probably you will be too full, and if you are in the second or third day of a fast you won’t be able to concentrate much better. Such things you should consider. You may take one teaspoon of honey and drink one half to three-quarters of a glass of water and sit in what is the most comfortable position for you. There should not be any belt around your waist. You should be in very loose and comfortable clothes. If you want to lie down, lie down. If you want to lean against some support, lean. There isn’t any particular position to take traditionally. For your nervous system to work without interference (your nervous system being the home of your mind), the one thing you should try not to do is to cross any limbs; leave them limp. Otherwise, sit any way you want. The condition is that you have to be comfortable. For meditation only, it doesn’t make any difference whether you are leaning, sitting, or lying. It is different if you work on other purposes, like inner body exercises, healing, projection of consciousness, altered states of consciousness and so on, or to activate certain plexuses more particularly. Sometimes crossing limbs may even be recommended. You may have to place the ankle of one leg on the knee of the other leg when lying on your side, because there are reasons to do so. For meditation you shouldn’t cross any limbs. If you do, what it causes may not even be something you will notice, depending on your sensitivity, but it will be better if you don’t. You take your position and first of all you relax. For relaxing you take deep breaths, any way you like, but deep. If your nasal channel is well opened and there isn’t any hindrance, it is preferable to breathe through your nose. But if you feel more comfortable breathing through your mouth, do it. Breathing through your nose is not a must, but it is better. So, you relax and you think. Yes, you THINK. But before, as a pre-requisite, the other thing has been accomplished, achieved, meaning the spontaneous 225
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awareness of the withinness of God. I will keep repeating this every once in a while, lest you might think that it has been told and never mentioned again. Don’t think that way. The first condition is your being spontaneously aware of the life-giving force within. There is life-giving force in the sun, life-giving force in every tree, lifegiving force in a turtle, life-giving force in a fish, but right now, for meditation, you are dealing with the life-giving force in you. All the rest is not relevant to you at this time. God is omnipresent; that is true. But we are not interested in His omnipresence now. We are interested in His presence in us, if we are meditating. We are interested in His presence in us in any case, but more especially when we are meditating we are interested in this presence in us. This is the reason we meditate, because we know that we will meet Him. We know that the life-giving force is in us and that is why we are alive, and if it is so, we can touch it, we can communicate with it, we can reach a communion with it, if it is true that it is made of Consciousness, of intelligence. If it is not true that this life-giving force is in us then we can go back again through all the philosophizing, speculating, questioning such as: How can we live? How does it work? How does it act? How this, how that? Nature makes it. What makes Nature? Nature is made by many conditions coming together. Okay, what makes these conditions? And so on. We have spent our whole life philosophizing. All these things have been achieved and we are through and finished with them. We know that God is in us. Then we sit for meditation, and we relax. We do not sit for meditation to discover whether there is God or not. Meditation is not a way to prove there is a God. Meditation comes after all doubts on whether there is a God within us are cleared away, and we know in our grasp beyond any shadow of doubt that there is an Eternal Spirit of Creative and Sustaining Power within us in a substance of Consciousness—Omniscient, Omnipresent and Omnipotent. Then we sit for meditation and we relax. Many people, many teachings telling you about meditation, may say there is no thinking to be done in meditation, but in the preparation period there is a great deal of thinking. They may tell you that anybody, without discrimination, can meditate right away. Before they start a prayer meeting or worship meeting they may say: “Let us start with a short meditation and invite the gathering to a silent sitting.” This is to achieve relaxation before starting something. It is not meditation. They may be right in doing this, but calling it meditation is wrong. Maybe it can be achieved their way. I do not know their ways. I am sorry I cannot argue with them and I cannot teach you that way, because I do not know it. I know only what I have lived. I 226
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cannot say that the only way for living is my way. I live breathing, breathing in the air, but also I am not blind and I see that there are some creatures living in the water, under the earth. I know that they live but I don’t understand how. It is not my business; it is not my field; it is not my way. I will drown, I will suffocate if I go there. So I don’t contradict any other teachings. I do not know enough to contradict them. I only say that this is what I know, and you are free to learn and speculate in other ways. Perhaps another way will fit you better. Perhaps I am trying to treat you like a horse while you are a whale or a seal or a fish, or maybe you are a bird and you fly. I don’t know. I am telling you the way I do, thinking that you are like me. You may be different, so I am leaving the door open. If you do all these things, and if your goal is what is aimed at by meditation, which is establishing communion with this power within, you do them. Whether meditation may bring you sickness, may bring you immorality, may make you a criminal, may make you anything whatsoever, you don’t care. Your goal is not healing; your goal is not happiness; your goal is not bliss. Your goal is to communicate with this power. This power may be the hottest pepper in the world and you may be seeking Turkish Delight. I am saying this, considering that your goal is to touch this thing. It might be a burning fire; still you want to touch it. This is what I call meditation in this specific context. You start breathing—smooth, regular, long breaths. And you THINK that you are aware, that you bring to your system the awareness that every breath you are exhaling is taking all the negativity away from your system— physical, psychological, mental. You are just getting rid of all negativity. And every breath you inhale is bringing into you the Cosmic Power that is the maker and sustainer of everything. You are just increasing this in you, like charging a battery. You are getting more and more of it. You will learn in time to do this without THINKING, just referring to your awareness of it. What is the difference? It is very difficult to tell. But if you listen to what I am saying and remember, the day will come when you will notice yourself that there is a difference. GETTING RID OF THINKING WILL COME TO YOU BY ITSELF LATER ON, WHEN YOU ENTER INTO MEDITATION PROPER. You take a few deep breaths. You will think. You will force your memory. This time, instead of forcing yourself not to think, you will have to force yourself to think. The condition is accomplished already, is it not? You are aware of the presence of God within. Now, you think. In other words you ask yourself: “Am I clear with my conscience? Do I foster any resentment towards anything? Do I resent myself? Do I have any resentment towards my wife? Towards my father? Towards the Prime Minister of Canada? Towards Hitler? Towards the Prime Minister of Israel? 227
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Towards any one at all? Towards my next-door neighbour, my boss, or the partner given to me by the police department in an investigation, and who is an idiot? Do I carry resentment of any kind?” You have to think, to screen it in your mind. Screening needs thinking, so contrary to many traditions, our tradition, instead of saying you don’t have to think, urges you to think in the preparatory stage of meditation until you enter into the stage of meditation proper. You start by thinking these things at the beginning; the state of not thinking will come later on. First of all, you have to eliminate any resentment. That is why in a group prayer, before you start you ask the three questions. It is a process that has been practised for a long time. You ask yourself the same questions when you are alone. “Do I have any resentment, do I feel any anger, even just temporarily, for somebody or for something that happened today? Tomorrow, I know that I shall still love this person and I will forget, but right now, I am sitting for meditation. What is my condition? Do I have resentment?” You have to question yourself about three things: the first is resentment, the second is resentment, and the third is resentment. If you have it you cannot meditate. Go and take a glass of wine and drink it. It will serve your purpose better. It will increase your love; you will start singing, dancing, joking and you will become intoxicated. But do not meditate. Resentment and meditation won’t go side by side. It would be like starting a fire under a lake—you cannot do it, no matter who or what you are, even if you are a highly attained person. If even for one moment your ego kindles any resentment in you, you cannot meditate, even if you insist for a year. You cannot overcome this hurdle. The chain of oneness has a broken link. You have to eliminate it. You may think that your resentment can remain and you can go ahead and have your meditation, your communion, but there is no way it can work. It will not work even if you are a fluent and advanced meditator. THE RING OF ONENESS IS BROKEN; there is no juice in the circuit. POSTPONE THE MEDITATION, DEAL WITH YOUR RESENTMENT, REPAIR YOURSELF, MAKE YOURSELF WHOLE IN YOUR ABODE OF UNION, THE EIGHTH LEVEL ON THE CHART OF TRANSFORMATION (Figure 3).
Exercise for the Elimination of Resentment To eliminate resentment, for anyone, there are many methods. You can behave like a salesman cornering a prospective customer until you have 228
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him sign the contract and complete or close the sale. You ask questions, you corner him, bringing him to the gate of the corral, and then you put the blessed beams at the gate and get him corralled! First, think: Why do I have this resentment for this person? Or maybe it is for yourself that you have resentment, saying: I did this or that to this person—it bothers me. The particular name given to self-resentment is ‘sense of guilt’. If you have a sense of guilt you cannot meditate. You can pray for healing, for vitalizing, for bliss, for overcoming your distress and so on. What I am talking about when I am mentioning meditation is MAKING COMMUNION WITH THIS POWER WHICH IS LIFE, and I beg you to understand it in this meaning and not in any other. Many people include in meditation visiting the parts of the body through the vehicle of the mind, and breathing to revitalize them. It is true that meditation can lead to such things as a by-product, but the fundamental effects of meditation are not these. If you visit the anatomical parts of your inner body, starting from your head, and travel with your mind, imagination and breath, from the head to your right shoulder, right arm, left shoulder, left arm, heart, limbs and everywhere, you will get rest, you will be relaxed, you will gain new power as if you had slept for ten to fifteen hours in a comfortable bed. But this is not the meditation I am talking about. Never lose this objective in your mind. Those things are only preparation for meditation. To rid yourself from self-resentment, you should think as follows: “What kind of effect has my action had on me? What I feel as a result of it, is a deep remorse. I shouldn’t have done it, but I have done it. I am sorry. I repent. I wish I had behaved differently, but I failed. I am not going to allow it to settle in me as a self-resentment or sense of guilt. I am human, but I am not perfect. I am vulnerable. I am prone to make mistakes. Instead of allowing it to settle as a sense of guilt in me and oppress me, I shall consider it as a sorrow that will help me to take a lesson from it and make it a means of strength to help me not to do such a thing again. I am grateful to have made such a mistake from which I learn and earn the wisdom not to do it again. My living my life without knowing what I came to know as a result of this unfortunate event would have been worse, because it would keep me vulnerable at all times. I am stronger now; I will earnestly seek an opportunity to apologize and reach forgiveness and reconciliation. I will remedy it, and restore a relationship of love with whoever suffered from my mistake. Praise the Lord! Thank you Lord. I know I have done something wrong. I won’t do it again. Anyone is capable of doing a similar thing, because we are human beings; we are not perfect, we are sinners. 229
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Next time I will think more seriously but right now let it pass. Let it be finished here. I have done it; I am sorry; I repent. I am sorry that it happened. I am willing to redeem it as much as it is within my power to do so.” This address that you make is to your intellect, the language of which is REASON; in this address you are speaking its language. Your intellect itself does not have the power and faculty of restoring your inner peace, but once it is persuaded by the sincerity and logic of your address it will mobilize your subconscious mind to do the job for you, because your intellect understands your language and also speaks the language of your subconscious mind. You don’t yet speak the language of your subconscious mind; you are still in the process of learning it. The language of your subconscious is LOVE. You do not speak it directly yet. You will learn it after having met your MARJAH (Higher Self, Soul, God within), as a result of the work you will be doing after having made contact with It by means of MEDITATION. Marjah shall teach you the language of love. This is the way you can forgive yourself, you can accept yourself and you can get rid of the sense of guilt, which is self-resentment, and replace it with SELF-ACCEPTANCE. If your resentment is for someone else, ask yourself whether you have not done something similar in your life to another person. Think. Go deep in your memory. There are 99.99 chances out of a hundred you will find something that you have done. If you cannot find such a thing, then say: “All right, what is the reason I have never done such a thing? Being a vulnerable human, how is it that I have never done anything like this? I have never done it, because when I was in Grade 5, there was a certain teacher whom we called Ruthless George. He put in our minds such a great and deep understanding of the negativity of doing such a thing that it protected us, practically the entire class, from doing it. That is why I did not do it. But what about this poor guy for whom I have this resentment? Did he have a teacher like Ruthless George? If I had not had Ruthless George as my teacher, perhaps I would have done what he did. So, instead of feeling angry, hurt, or resentful at this person, I should have sympathy for him, I should have pity for him, because he was not as lucky as I was.” If you think this way, most of the time your pity for the person will become a reality. Once the pity becomes reality it will very easily be turned into compassion. Once compassion comes, it is easily converted into love, and love is an elixir, the antidote of all negativity. There isn’t any negative 230
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force in the world love cannot melt and change into better, higher and lovable. So this is the way you can get rid of your resentment. If it happens that you fall within the category of the 99.99 percent of people who have done the same thing as was done to you some time in your life, then you think: “Well, who am I to blame him? I did a similar thing to so and so. Am I any better than he who did this to me? The person who did this to me was a human as I am; if I am hurt he was hurt too. I should be grateful to this person who has hurt me now and helped me to understand what I once did to someone else.” If you practice these methods daily, strongly, you will find that you can become the most passionate lover of everything. Everything will be lovable to you—no problem—and no resentment will visit you. Actually, whether you meditate or not, at least once a day, either in the morning when you wake up or in the evening when you go to bed, you should be thinking: “Either in the past or in yesterday’s experience, did I have any resentment for anybody and did this resentment settle in me, or did I cause any resentment in anybody?” Solve it and then go to your daily task. Never allow it to stay in you. Resentment left in you is worse than cholesterol; it is worse than any psychological or physical junk that needed to be eliminated from your body as poison, and was not. It will be a cause of sickness. It will cause cancer, ulcers, depression. It will cause all kinds of negativity. It will make you a bad spouse, parent, friend, and neighbour.
Meditation Proper So now, having solved the resentment, you open yourself to the Life-force within. If you want to find where the Life-force is within you, on what point you should concentrate, you should know that there is no such place or point. But let us say that such a question visits your mind. I will tell you where it is. If you have a pain, it is there. You do not have to seek for very long. If you do not have a pain, but you have joy, something will be fluttering in you, like a little bird fluttering in the branches of a tree under the first morning sunshine, or like the moment when you know that tomorrow morning you are going to the airport to meet a person whom you have missed very much. Once in a while, you are like a kid on Christmas Eve, with a kind of joy fluttering in you, but you don’t know why, and then you remember 231
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the sock hanging at the fireplace or the present under the Christmas tree, waiting to be opened ... this kind of thing. If you feel such a thing, wherever you feel it, the Life-force is there. Sometimes you may be experiencing something very painful, such as a boil on your flesh, and you think that if it was on your arm instead of being on your leg it wouldn’t hurt so much. Or you have a decaying tooth, and you think that if it was a broken bone it wouldn’t hurt as much, wouldn’t give you as much pain. But if tomorrow it happened that way, you would still think the same thing; if it was somewhere else or something else it wouldn’t hurt so much. Instead of thinking like this, think for a moment at which part of your body you would feel a physical pain more intensely than at any other part. For instance, if someone was beating you with a stick, would it be more painful if the stick was hitting you on your palms or on your shins? I would say that my shins would hurt more. In that case, that is where you should concentrate; the Life-force is there. If you do not have anything like that—no pain and no special joy— then concentrate on your solar plexus, which starts where your thoracic bone ends. It is in the angle just under where your chest bone, your sternum, ends. And think that it is the light, the clarity, the ‘isness’ of your being—your awareness—and communicate with it. The main thing is communion. Call. Make your silent call: “I am opening myself to you without words and I am expecting your voice, I am expecting your call, I am expecting your address to me. What do you say? Do you have any good news for me? Or any bad news for me? Or just a song? Or just a ‘Hi!’?” And then you repeat, you repeat, you repeat. And you grow finer and finer, and finer. And you will notice your results. For a while you do it and you report anything you feel, any intuition you get. Any connection you feel you are experiencing, you must report to your guide. And discuss with each other if you belong to a brotherhood. And be very, very, very genuine, honest, sincere. There are certain things that may visit you which you may wish to get rid of; the most important is impatience. “Gee, I am doing it for a month or two and nothing happens. I am dull. My mind wanders here and there, goes other places.” Yes! It goes other places because you are impatient! The main thing I said at the beginning is, Relax! Relax! Nothing else, just relax. You are not trying to achieve anything. You are contacting your real Self which is right there in you. And you have to know that this thing, in the form of intelligence in you, wants this communion at least ten times, one hundred times, 232
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one thousand times more than you want it. But unknowingly you are obstructing it. How? How are you obstructing it? By not relaxing. That is the only obstruction. You don’t have to be crippled by any sense of guilt. It will respond to your call not only if you are good. It will pour on you like rain pours on the good and the bad. The difference is in the receptivity of the good and the bad. Nobody is good enough to receive and nobody is bad enough not to receive. The defect is in the receptivity, not in the blessing. It doesn’t have anything to do with the giving; it has mainly to do with one thing—relaxation. And there is a little bit of technicality you need to know, as I am now relating it. It is not very complicated. The technicality is in knowing, free of any doubt, that It is in the form of intelligence, this Cosmic Energy in you, and suitable, capable and willing to respond to your call, but that It won’t waste Itself if you fail in receptivity. There isn’t anything else. If you cannot get a response to your call, now that you are free from resentment, the only other reason could be that there is something wrong in your relaxation. If you are too tired, go to sleep first. If your stomach is too full, take a walk, be with Nature, go out somewhere, or wait until your system advances a little more in the process of assimilating the food, and then meditate. The main thing is relaxation and loose clothing. Even some light elastic around your waist, around your underpants, will be too restricting. And of course, in time, there are many things that can be said about it. As a starting point, that is all you have to know. If you cannot get rid of the habit of looking for a colossal white-bearded man in the sky as your concept of God, don’t try to meditate. You won’t be able to get anywhere. You would do better to worship and pray or do nothing; you may get your share of blessings. Cosmic Intelligence, which I personally do not hesitate to call God, because the word God does not irritate me at all and does not lead me in any wrong direction, will receive anything you give, positively, with goodheartedness and good-will, and you will have a response in the form of good health, in the form of love, in the form of beauty. You will become more beautiful. The shape of your nose will stay the same, your eyes will stay the same, your complexion will stay the same, but you will be more beautiful. Nobody will be able to tell what exactly has changed. But everybody looking at you will think that you are a beautiful person. If you are not fitted for those things, do not meditate. Just worship and pray. Sing hymns and recite prayers. Even memorize them, but carefully dwelling on the meaning. You shall still have your benefit, your blessings. As for meditation, this Being in the sky has to disappear. He should get smaller and smaller, small enough to get into your secret place, which some people call heart. And from there He should re-grow, so that you do not have any other concept within you to think of. If the word God is a hindrance to you, 233
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change it. Call it Higher Self, Spirit, Cosmic Energy or Absolute Truth, call it anything you want, the only thing that should remain unchangeable being what you mean by your call, and this should be: The Eternal Spirit of Creative and Sustaining Force within you. And sometimes, until you enter into a proper mode of address, if it proves too difficult for you, seek to enter into it in the form of dialogue. As long as you stay in that form, you won’t enter or obtain the true and proper results of meditation, but it may open the way. Suppose that your intellect, your thinking mind, interferes with it too, enter into a dialogue. For instance, you say: “I know you are there. I know you are willing and able to answer. I know you are able to fill me with light. Because of this knowledge and assurance I want to hear you. I want to get in touch with you.” Keep talking and talking. Whatever words come to your mind or mouth in the way of seeking a dialogue, say them. At first it won’t be a dialogue; it will become one. It certainly will not be a meditation, but it may open the path to meditation little by little in you. And you may make your communion. But know that a dialogue is not a meditation. Your objective is meditation and you don’t have it yet. If you cannot do anything, just keep breathing, and at every exhalation just imagine or think or be assuredly aware that all the negative things in you, EVERY NEGATIVE thing—not only psychological, mental, but also chemical, physical, all the negative things within you—will be going away. If you have any deteriorating tissue from aging or in the form of ulcers, cancer, gangrene, anything physical or chemical that is negative will leave. As well as anything in the form of negative thought. The most important is resentment. Get rid of EVERY RESENTMENT. Think of whether there is anything in the past you remember that you resent, both something somebody may have done to you as well as something you may have done to somebody. If you can find something, just allow these two actions to cancel each other out. If it is a person to whom you feel you caused resentment, and that person is alive, tell him that at such-andsuch a time you did something that may have caused resentment in him, and this is bothering you. You are sorry; you apologize. Tell him he was right, you were wrong, even if you still don’t believe it to be that way and even today you still ask yourself what else you could have done other than what you did. Just change it in yourself. Tell him that he was completely right, you had been totally negative to do such a thing and you are sorry. Get rid of this resentment. It is a very strong poison, a very strong toxin. Forgiveness is the strongest healer. And forgiving is very easy. We are 234
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all sinners. We are all wrong-doers. None of us is perfect, so whatever it is that is bothering us, there is a strong possibility that we did a similar thing to somebody else. If you cannot remember, which is very rare, then refer to the other method I am always mentioning. If you have never done such a bad thing as this person did to you, always think how lucky you are that in your time of molding, in your time of edification in your early youth or childhood, they knitted you into a proper human being. That is why you didn’t do it, not because you are a superhuman. And then think of what this person did. He grew up, let us say, among criminals, or he grew up among people with little faith, among people who were just materialistic moneyworshippers. And then think, what if this poor man had grown up, let us say, among the people with whom you were raised. Think of some of your teachers who inspired you so much, or an uncle, an aunt, a father, a mother, a friend or anything, any book, any movie that you were lucky enough to fall upon, and that perhaps this person in those circumstances would have been better than you. Perhaps if you had grown up in his conditions you would be worse than him. And then start to nurture purposefully a sense of pity for this person. And very easily it might turn into compassion, and then compassion might turn into love. And love can solve every problem. Forgiveness comes from it, as does every good thing. And find the person. If you cannot find the person, write a letter. If you do not have a clue of his whereabouts, just talk with him in your mind. Enter into an imaginary dialogue with this person as if he were there. Talk to him, expressing your sorrow, your apology and ask for forgiveness. Get rid of this bitterness. Then you’ll be able to sleep very peacefully; you will wake up really vigourous, healthy and beautiful, really physically beautiful—you’ll be filled with love. While these feelings of cleansing are filling you, it is a good time to seek the light within; always seek a possibility of communion and this meditation proper, which is in the realm of mysticism. It is the abode of the mystic. While doing this, practising this again and again you will change, you will change. You will be shiny, loving, lovable. Even when you are walking on the street, people will notice you and will feel saintliness in you. I hope it has become quite clear by now that reaching spontaneous awareness of the Life-force of the whole Universe within you is the indispensable pre-requisite to be able to meditate. If you have not reached it, do not try meditation. You cannot do it. If you want to have a mystical experience, there are three ways to do it: the first is meditation, the second is meditation and the third is meditation. Meditation can be reached as a result of fermentation in the proper and right conditions. The phenomenon of cumulative effect is one of the main aids to achieve this. One has to persevere without despair, and learn to be 235
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thankful with whatever can be reached, however small. It is just like in the story of Mullah Nasruddin when he visited Tamerlane after he had conquered his town, and Tamerlane got angry with him and started throwing figs at Nasruddin’s head. Every time a fig hit his head he said: “Thank you Lord! Thank you Lord!” Tamerlane said, “Why do you thank me for what I am doing?” Nasruddin replied: “Before I left home to come to see you, I asked my wife whether I should bring you quinces or figs as a gift, because those are the only two kinds of produce our town is famous for. She told me to take quinces because they are bigger and more spectacular. I am lucky that I brought figs, because I believe that one should always consult his wife and then do the opposite of what she says. If I had brought quinces, imagine what would have happened to my poor head. So I am lucky and I thank you for that.” There is a way of being thankful for anything. There is a possible pitfall in the practice of meditation. It is when you try to meditate without getting the preliminary pre-requisite established, that is: without reaching the spontaneity of awareness that God is in you. You may feel satisfied with the intellectual understanding of it, which is not enough. This does not mean that I suggest denying or overlooking the omnipresence of God—God is everywhere, as It is an Electromagnetic Energy with consciousness, and engulfs, comprehends, embraces the whole Universe, as atmosphere embraces the whole of Earth’s globe. But, as far as establishing our spontaneous awareness of God’s being within us for the sake of a successful application of meditation, we are interested in God in just one of Its many million locations, and that is the one which is in us, called our Higher Self or Soul, or in Kebzeh language, Marjah. We can reach more easily something that is close to us, so we should know better the God that is within. The other thing—God that is everywhere, creating everything—is just knowledge, something that we know and has de facto nothing to do with us when we meditate. Again, to meditate is to get in communion with the power within. If you do not have it (you do not have the communion, that is) and you meditate, you will get the benefit of the first two of the three addresses of the creature to the Creator, which are worship, prayer, and meditation. Worshipping, which is a yearning that is inherent in human and is peculiar to human, is a yearning for something you aspire to in the spiritual field, in the creative field. That is why most of the time where there is transcendence, higher development, the upward journey of human, there arises a worshipful attitude that very easily turns into love. This manifests itself in the incidents of love between teacher and student, especially in the fields related to fine arts. It is quite common for a music student to fall in 236
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love with his or her teacher. If you are an aspiring musician, you will have a worshipful attitude towards the artist in whom Chopin, for instance, is embedded. That is how it works. Worship and prayer are for everybody who is a believer and who practises them. But meditation is only for people who have reached the spontaneous awareness of the withinness of God as an unshakeable and experiential knowledge. We all know that, especially for the last thirty years, starting from the 1970s, many, many seekers have been practising meditation with no guidance, or with unauthenticated guidance without authority. There is nothing wrong with this EXCEPT ONE THING; it is not meditation. It is rather a prayerful worship, which may bestow the blessing and benefit of prayerful worship, but it is not meditation. Meditation is a stepping-stone to communion with God, which is a mystical attainment. An aspirant, thinking that he is meditating while he is not really meditating, but expecting the outcome of meditation, may be disappointed, discouraged, thinking that he has meditated for so many years and it is all for nothing. And this may create a negative attitude. Unless this happens there is nothing wrong with what they call meditation. But this is the pitfall, because it may cause people to drop out altogether. Meditation is not a practice any Joe or Josephine can perform; even under meticulous and well-authenticated guidance, success is very conditional. Relaxed, peaceful perseverance with serenity is needed. Also, a solid grasp of ‘what meditation is’ should be reached. There are many methods of meditation which were and are given by various teachers, and some of them are age-old practices; they are composed differently. In Transcendental Meditation, for example, they give you a mantra from which it seems you receive some guidance from the guru. Because it is supposed to be kept secret, it is a kind of talisman, a spell between you and the lightholder, a guru, and also a means to keep your mind concentrated, to prevent your mind wandering, thinking, which may disturb your concentration. I have never heard from any student of this form of meditation that there is even a mention of, let alone considerable importance being put on the spontaneous awareness of the withinness of God. Perhaps these methods of meditation were established that way in times when people had blind faith. And they stayed as such, never changed. Kebzeh is an active teaching and it is meant to act in our daily life. There is no dogma in it, and there is no such thing as: “It is established this way, and this way it will remain unconditionally.” Always its essence has to be understood and applied according to the milieu, to the era, to the cultural standing, social standing, vocational standing, of the life conditions of the time. Whoever got the Kebzeh message never applied it in a stereotypical 237
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way. Mevlana did not, Mohammed did not, and Jesus did not. Other methods of meditation have some different aspects. For instance, the way they recommend sitting in Yogic meditation is impossible for a Westerner. It cannot be comfortable. How can you meditate if you are not comfortable? In earlier times, when it was established that way, it was comfortable. From childhood, people were used to sitting that way. It is similar in a Sufi zikr meeting. The way they sit, a Westerner cannot sit that way and be comfortable. So we cannot copy these things, but we can acquire the same posture with comfort, sitting in a different way. Likewise, other requirements change. I cannot say they are wrong. They were not wrong in their time. Maybe the reason they didn’t mention so strongly the awareness of the withinness of God was because blind faith was stable enough. But no more. After all the scientific discoveries we have witnessed, we cannot expect to be the same any more. I already mentioned what the pitfall is in the way the work of meditation tends to be presented, but I shall repeat it once more. It may be that the word meditation, which is chosen to express this work, leads Westerners along a wrong way. This is just an assumption on my part. The dictionary meaning of the word ‘meditate’ carries the inherent implication of thinking deeply. When this phenomenon of meditation was first talked of or written about, the word ‘meditation’ was found fitting when translating from the original spiritual languages. I do not know what the word for meditation is in the languages of the East from which that spiritual work came to the Western world. But in the Abkhazian language, which is one of the Circassian languages used in Kebzeh teaching, the word meditation is ‘Apsinkha’, which means ‘Soul-work’. Apsi means soul, and nkha means work. Perhaps we would gain some facility in teaching meditation in the Western world if we changed the word meditation into the Greek word APOTHEOSIS, because the essence of the task of meditation is communion with God or becoming one with God. If we can totally drive away the implication of thinking from the concept or from the nature of meditation, we shall have a less distorted orientation to point us in the right direction. As long as we stick with this word, aspirants will remain stuck with ‘thinking’. In fact, although the preparation for the meditation stage of the exercise is involved truly in deep thinking, once engaged in the proper main task of meditation, thinking ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT EXIST AT ALL. Conversely, we cannot say the same thing for CONTEMPLATION. The word ‘contemplation’ carries a similar meaning to meditation but it fits the nature of the task involved in contemplation, because contemplation, by definition, is the art of thinking with the subconscious mind rather than the 238
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conscious or intellectual mind alone. Now, when we come to explain where the pitfall lies in presenting the work of meditation the way it is done in today’s field of spiritual teaching, it becomes very clear and obvious. The reason for the pitfall is that what the students of meditation are doing may become prayer, may become worship, but not meditation. They do it believing that they are meditating and they think and expect that they will obtain the anticipated fruits of meditation. But they will not do so, because they do not have the pre-requisite— spontaneous awareness of the withinness of God. So they will be disappointed, they will drop out. Nothing will happen to them. But from their socalled meditating they will reap the harvest of prayer and of worship, not of meditation. That is all. The TRUE meditation is APOTHEOSIS; the TRUE meditation is being one with God. IT is Godization; it is entering and living in the flower garden created by the first fourteen verses of the Epistle to the Ephesians in the Holy Gospels.
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There are a few more words to be said relating to inner body preparatory work for meditation. The whole thing is a phenomenon of memory. It is within the scope of memory, and memory, which comes into existence as a part of intellect and as a result of developing, acquires its abode, its eventual abode, in the Cosmic Energy of Consciousness where it finds its eternality, if its bearer does his homework in spiritualizing his memory while alive on Earth. As a rule, the storage place of the memory is the Bank of Cosmic Energy of Consciousness, whether its individual bearer does any refining spiritual work on it while here in life, or not. But if the individual did some spiritual exercises on the memory to make it reach spontaneity while on Earth, after the individual’s translation to the world of spirits the individual soul will not proceed there, leaving its memory behind, but will be there unseparated from its memory. It will not therefore forfeit its individual entity and identity; in other words, it will live forever. The storage place of the memory of human is not within this physical body. If you understand properly what a living thing is in reality, whether in the case of a human being or not—in its technicality, in the way it works— you understand that we are part of the whole and we also contain the whole. This is exactly the same for an object, an ant, a wasp, a horse, or a human. Living things, which have senses and live by instinct, by reason or by will, exist and manifest their existence. They belong to the central Creative Power 239
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system; they are not separate, they belong to the same whole. They are individualized by the phenomenon of incarnation of this substance which gives life in a different body, such as in the body of a thing, an ant, a horse or a human, but the whole thing is one, the whole existence is one. What is incarnated in the body allows this body to function as a reflector of the Centre—of the Central Making Power, the Central Creative Power, the Central Emanating Power. This is how it is in general. Life is a complicated phenomenon, and that is why it was presented to human beings in a very childish way, for them to understand. It was called God, and people were taught that God is a separate thing out there, somewhere obscure. The human has grown up this way for millennia, and today we are the product of this wrong teaching. In earlier times, this wrong or simply incomplete teaching was not wrong teaching for us as humans, but it started to be wrong when our intellectual development reached the point where it is now. It no longer satisfies us because we cannot believe it. So many things that were nothing but mysteries before are no longer mysteries. So we cannot give this opium to people, including ourselves, any more. We have to go to the real, absolute truth, not just a palatable truth, conceivable truth, receivable truth or perceivable truth, but Absolute Truth, and we are able to do that through mystical experience as a means, but we need to start by understanding it. So the work is mainly intellectual to begin with, but cannot remain so. According to the teaching of the Absolute Truth, everything exists in Cosmic Existence, which is the generating central Creating Energy. We are reflectors, and the reflector is the body, the vehicle, but what makes it function is this non-dimensional force that is incarnated in it, which is the very Creative Power of the very God in you. The body is a reflector analogous to a radio or a television as reflectors of electricity. To activate such a device, a certain force is needed, which we call electrical power. If we do not plug a device into the electricity, it won’t work, despite its ability to reflect it. The animating power, the activating power has to be there, and this is the very thing incarnated in the body that makes it work as a reflector. The specific body or instrument is important, because if the body in the analogy were not a radio or a TV, no matter how much juice we put in it, it wouldn’t do the work. On the other hand, if it were a perfectly made instrument, such as the best type of radio, without this specific activating juice it wouldn’t produce anything. AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, IF THE FOURTH DIMENSION, WHICH IS THE OBSERVER OR THE INTERPRETER OF THE REFLECTION, IS MISSING, THE REFLECTOR WOULD HAVE NO MEANING AND THEREFORE BE WORTHLESS. Memory is not stored in this system, which is the nest of the Creative 240
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Power, WHICH IS MIND. In the beginning there was Mind, it is written in the Bible. It is phrased as: “In the Beginning there was the Word,” because it (Word) is the highest manifestation of Mind. By saying Word, instead of saying “Mind” in general, Mind, the highest manifestation of THE MIND on Earth is specified, meaning ‘HUMAN MIND’, because the highest manifestation of Mind on Earth is its reflection on Human, and Word is peculiar to human. And it is also clarified that by the phrase, “In the beginning”, is meant: ‘relative to human’—in other words, when human first apprehended God. It doesn’t mean the beginning of God, because God doesn’t have a beginning and an end, nor any discontinuity in between. Just as electricity became a reality to humans only approximately 160 years ago, around the time of the scientists Ohm, Faraday and Maxwell, it had in fact existed in the Universe for aeons, and is assumed to exist without beginning, without end, and without discontinuity in between. THE BEGINNING OF ELECTRICITY IS A MYSTERY, BUT ELECTRICITY IS NOT A MYSTERY. EXACTLY LIKE GOD. THE BEGINNING OF GOD IS A MYSTERY, BUT GOD IS NOT A MYSTERY. There were other people who knew it some 30,000 years ago, but we didn’t know that they knew. Now we know too, as much as they did, if we want to. This is what we are doing; this is what Ahmsta Kebzeh is about. When you want to recall something, and you call it from your memory, you are bringing it forth from Cosmic Memory, which is spaceless and timeless. Because it is spaceless, it is very far away from you. Because it is spaceless, it is very close to you. If it is spaceless, it works both ways. Far is spaceless, when pushed to its extreme. And close is spaceless, when pushed to its extreme. And this is where the notion of infinite comes from: It is a mathematical truth that:
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which is so close to us that we can know it by eliminating certain obstacles. What comes to us is in the Cosmic Memory. Whatever is in the Cosmic Memory comes to us in the form of reflecting in us, through two causes, two reasons: one is circumstantial, the other is ‘at will’. There is a third cause, which is the combination of circumstances and Will. It may start by circumstances and, like a substation in electricity, is pumped somewhere further. Accelerating it can be done at will. On the other hand, at the very beginning we may have begun the process at will, regardless of circumstances. The application of meditation can be learned through exercises, which should be done under supervision.
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CHAPTER XV
Further on Meditation Meditation is the stepping-stone for most mystical experiences, as we shall see as we proceed in a series of them. To reach the meditative state is essential first, and from that state progress ensues by the application of diverse means of grace to other spiritual journeys in the realm of Oneness between human and the Eternal Spirit of Creative and Sustaining, Life-giving Energy.
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n this chapter I shall deal further with meditation, especially the preparatory stage of it. I was pretty sure that I had covered it enough in the previous chapter, and that I had been quite clear about the two phases of meditation, the first being the preparatory phase and the second that of meditation proper. But after having checked with my students who were applying themselves to practising the meditation, I discovered that they needed more elucidation. Considering the possibility that some of the readers of this book may have the same questions as my students, I decided to clarify the subject further. It is of utmost importance that this phenomenon of meditation should be covered thoroughly, because it constitutes the very backbone of the whole Ahmsta Kebzeh teaching. Unless the fruits of true meditation are harvested, every spiritual teaching is doomed to be restricted to its theoretical or at best its intellectual dimension; it will never be experienced in fact and in ultimate truth, ultimate truth being the experiential realization of the creature and Creator being in One, to form a whole. And this realization is the heritage and destiny of the human alone, as it is expressed in the Holy Gospel (Eph. 1:1-14). Meditation, when completely and truly achieved, will ferment by itself into contemplation, which will continue all through the life of whoever achieves it. In other words, contemplation will be the state of being of a successful meditator all his life. An attained Human will live a contemplative life at all times; no matter what he is involved in doing, he will do it while being contemplative. People who progress as good meditators will become good lovers and above-average sexual partners; they will be skilled in giving some meaning to their love-making. If they pair with another accomplished meditator they will have more chance of performing in their togetherness what is called unitive sex. In many of the succeeding chapters, where many mystical exercises are 243
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described, the reader will notice that the principles of meditation are instrumental in composing the exercises and in explaining them intellectually. Because of the inter-relatedness of these chapters, some direct and indirect touches will be made to meditation along the way, and when necessary, further explanation will be added to the teaching of the practice of meditation. For the time being, I shall rephrase and sum up certain explanations given, so the reader can understand the entity and some characteristics of meditation. Meditation is a spiritual exercise performed with the purpose of reaching, making contact and forming Oneness with the Eternal Spirit of Creative and Sustaining Power of the Universe, which is an electromagnetic energy by nature and consciousness by kind, and is called God.
Performing the Exercise of Meditation The performance of the exercise of meditation has two phases: A. First and preparatory phase; B. Second phase on meditation proper.
A. Preparatory Phase of the Exercise This phase may be considered in two aspects: 1 - Physical Preparation; 2 Mental Preparation. 1. Physical Preparation The physical aspect of the preparation for meditation consists of the refining work that needs to be done on the five energy nests in the human nervous system. This operation is very similar to the physical gymnastics applied to the human body’s muscular system to prepare it for physical accomplishment in a particular kind of sport such as equestrian work, boxing, wrestling, swimming, and exhibition events like gymnastic competitions or figure-skating. We went through a lengthy explanation in Chapter III and subsequent chapters about the five main nervous plexuses in the human nervous system that govern the five main functions of human participation in life during its sojourn on this planet. These five nervous plexuses are called nests of Cosmic Energy; they comprise but a spectrum of the whole LIFE ENERGY, which ramifies into innumerable auxiliary plexuses and secures in it the infinite participations of human in the Life of the entire Creation, including its Creator. This function of participation is a composite of electromagnetic, 244
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electrochemical phenomena which occur strictly in conformity with the laws of the sciences of physics, chemistry, biology, physiology and psychology. The five nests of energy are: Physical Body Energy of Consciousness, Intellectual Body Energy of Consciousness, Spiritual Body Energy of Consciousness, Ecological (altruistic) Body Energy of Consciousness and Psychic Body Energy of Consciousness. Because they are forms of energy, they manifest themselves through vibration, each one vibrating in a frequency and consequently a wavelength peculiar to it and resonating with the corresponding form of energy in the entity of Cosmic Energy of Consciousness. As a result of this resonance, the human’s nervous system vibrates in resonance with Cosmic Energy, and therefore the human subject resonates with Cosmic Energy and reaches a communion with Cosmic Energy, which is Omniscient, Omnipresent and Omnipotent. Thus, the human becomes Omniscient, Omnipresent and Omnipotent, the levels of all these Cosmic attributes being proportional to the intensity of the vibrations attained by enhancing qualitatively and quantitatively the vibration of the reciprocal energies of consciousness, one by one and ultimately as a whole. Left to function in its natural and normal level of frequency, the human system maintains its connection in vibration with Cosmic Energy just enough to maintain its life physiologically—in other words, to be alive. However, by enhancing the vibration of the nests this connection can be made more intense, and the Oneness of human with Cosmic Energy can be intensified, as I said above, just as any form of gymnastic training enables the human body to tackle a task above its ordinary daily activities. Thus, all the inner body exercises given in Chapters III, IV, and some subsequent chapters, are for the purpose of enhancing the vibration of the five main nests of the spectrum of Cosmic Energy in the human nervous system. These exercises are to be performed under the care of a trainer; they can be done and learned by doing. In doing these inner body exercises, any vibration discovered to be fitting to vibrate and resonate with each nest is used to create the resonance in question; doing them diligently for days and months activates the nests and results in better and higher participation with Cosmic Energy and prepares the human in question for communion with God and thus for meditation. The whole of Life is made up of a very complicated composition of vibrations. This activating of the vibrations of the nests is nothing but a means of increasing the spiritual inspiration of human consciousness. Nature and its innumerable inspirations offer all available means to enter into a silent dialogue with them. One can open oneself to the beauties of Nature, and put oneself in a meditative receptivity and practice all the time the state that is called living, with and in Nature, and use every inspiration as a means of activating the vibration of the nests, and in this way count on the incidence of good fortune. 245
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The reason for choosing the vibrations created by colours is just because the vibrations of colours are easily controllable and have been determined to be easy to use. Also, in another sure and easy way, musical sound can be a good source of vibration. In the history of the teaching, music was used also, but in those times it could not have been a very practical way, because the aspirant was dependent on the availability of a live musician, which could create a considerable restriction for the individual practitioner. But it was practised in communities in meditation classes with a musician present. Today it would not be a problem to have a CD recording made for the purpose. In Nature, in a beautiful Mediterranean, Middle-Eastern or Caucasian forest, in the early morning, the concert of hundreds of kinds of chanting birds, including nightingales, would make an exceptionally impressive milieu for meditation. When I was 11 years old, I was enrolled to learn breathing and visiting various parts of my body and inner organs, directing my breath to those spots by my inner vision, and then later on to my nests of consciousness, gaining some sensitivity on the effects of those breaths on the nests, after having fixed, in my visual memory, certain particularly chosen colours. At the same time, I was being taught about the marvellous characteristics of the phenomenon of vibration. That the miraculous-looking things of my time, such as the telegraph and telephone, were some effects of that marvellous phenomenon of vibration, was explained to me. I was also told that some time in the near future these things would work without wires, using only thin air. Of course, I did not understand it, but I believed it. I was also told that in some far distant future it would become a very common thing for people to speak to each other free of space and time, that no matter how far away from each other they would be in the UNIVERSE their words would reach each other. It seemed a tall story to me, but I still believed it, because those people were such marvellous-looking people. Later on, at twelve or thirteen years of age, when I started studying the Bible, I always felt Patriarch Abraham must have looked like one of these people, who was, they said, 179 years old. Those people were such a special-looking human race, particularly this man who at the age of 179 looked so handsome and dignified—his name was Maaf. My sister, who was several years younger than me, said, when she was four or five years old: “When I grow up I shall be the bride of Uncle Maaf.” At times, I was given the exercise of breathing to my nests with the help of a musical sound in my memory; that was when we had the good fortune to have a musician with us who was an expert in playing a shepherd’s flute, making sounds that had the precise vibrations of those five nests. I was extremely impressed; it was like being in Heaven. The musicians who had this special skill of composing music influential on the nests were very rare and very precious 246
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people. At present this is a totally lost art, lost in the history of mysticism. For a very short period of time in my childhood, I enjoyed the presence of such musicians. Later on, when I grew up, I made it my business to travel among villages of the Circassian Diaspora in Turkey to look for such musicians, with no luck at all; I was even subjected to sarcastic laughter by some Circassians; it was considered to be archaic. Sometimes a fanciful idea visited my mind in those times. I would wish so much that one such as Mozart, Chopin, Schubert or Beethoven had happened to live among them, had developed an interest in Kebzeh and composed a rich genre of meditation music to be the heritage and legacy for the world today. Incidentally, there is a similar situation today. I am striving to put down in black and white the teaching of Ahmsta Kebzeh, which is said to be 26,000 years old and was all the time kept as an unwritten knowledge. That knowledge is completely lost today, and I am the last person on Earth— though certainly not the best—who was trained in it to some extent. I am trying to finish my work before I pass away to another realm. If I cannot, it will be left unfinished. It seems that the predestination of the Caucasus is such, as it was for the Incas, Mayas, Aztecs, Atlanteans, the Pharaohs, and now is for the Caucasus. It would be advisable at this stage for readers to go back to Chapters III, IV, and V, and to view the Chart in Figure 3 to refresh their knowledge. 2. Mental Preparation As I said, the physical preparation aspect is to make the human vehicle suitable for entering into the action of meditation. Just as all that we do in sports to prepare ourselves, for example, for the action of boxing, takes a much longer time than boxing itself, the same happens in meditation. Inner body exercises to activate the nests of energy in the nervous system to reach a much higher frequency of vibration, will take much more effort and time than meditation itself. The mental preparation aspect also takes greater effort and time to achieve than meditation itself. Mental preparation consists of two parts: i) Erasing totally the concept of God as a Creator who created the Universe and pulled Itself apart from Its Creation, settling somewhere in the sky to watch and judge; establishing a spontaneous concept of God, who creates the whole Universe and settles Itself in Its Creation as a part of It and sustains It without beginning, without end and without discontinuity in between; and seeing, feel247
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ing and knowing spontaneously at all times the withinness of God; ii) Purging any negativity or resentment within, for anybody and any thing, including one’s self (called ‘sense of guilt’). The explanation given in Chapter XIV was well understood by the students. Therefore I am adding no further explanation to it.
B. Meditation Proper A short explanation has been given on meditation proper in the previous chapter. For a seeker, the act of entering into meditation proper usually occurs as if it happened all-of-a-sudden at a particular moment of the process, because it is the result of a lengthy fermentation, during which it feels as if there were no progress, but when, with no sign of its going to happen, it appears. It happens in a way similar to any processal work, like swimming, target shooting, or wind-surfing. The practitioner strives to master the discipline for a long period of time, failing many times in despair, coming very close to giving up the whole thing, and when the moment comes, all of a sudden he notices that he has got it. It comes like a big surprise to him. As the saying goes: “The penny dropped.” After repeated, persevering and patient effort, as a result of the phenomenon of cumulative effect, it matures and hatches, so to say, all of a sudden. Experiencing meditation is the greatest achievement of human life. It is the initiation to mysticism. But it is only a handshake with God. It is the first step of a journey, the destination of which is infinite. All the mystical experiences are based on it. The gifts of meditation open the door to all manifestations of mystical life. It is instrumental in contemplation, levitation, extra-sensory perception, clairvoyance, projection of consciousness, omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, freedom from time and space, resurrection at will, immortality, abundant life ... everything imaginable. Meditation proper cannot be learned by studying or from education in a rational way, only by practising under the supervision of a valid trainer. No matter how many chapters, books or tapes are made about it, it will not reach the factual result. But in spite of this, we have a few more words to say on it. The first fruit that a meditator will gain from achieving proper meditation, as soon as he experiences the climax of communion, is to truly KNOW WHO HE IS; as soon as he shakes hands with God he will meet his Higher Self, True Self, Soul or Marjah. He will know all at once that nothing in this human life, as long as one wants to keep it only human (not beastlike, not animal), if one wants to speak like a human, to feel like a human, to express anything like a human, one has to know oneself as he knows himself at that very moment. He will know that all the time he lived before this last mo248
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ment was nothing but waste. All this he will know on the spot, in one blow. He will feel that it is hard to bear. But he will bear it with painful joy. Where are we, in meditation? I would like to reflect here one of our group discussions in the form of a dialogue, which took place in the process of my teaching meditation in our community. This will give the reader a taste of how the work developed in a typical North American gathering. This meeting is taking place on 8 April 1993 in Vernon, British Columbia. The dialogue is mainly between the guide of a group of meditators and myself. MURAT: Before I ask Joan whether she has some new questions that arose from some difficulties or stalling points in meditation, or whether there is any not-quite-clear grasp left from previous questions which I shall answer, I want to say one thing: Did I tell you how important it is to do meditation twice a day, as much as possible at the same time every day? JOAN: Yes, but you can reinforce it and tell us again. MURAT: It is very important—don’t forget that. It is more or less, I can say, the only way you can go deep enough in the subtlety of your subconscious mind, and if not the only way, then the most important—repeating every day, twice, at the same time and for the same length of time. It is very important. And again, I want to draw once more your attention to the importance of grasping, feeling in your experience at the same time, what the phenomenon of cumulative effect is. I don’t know whether you have come to feel how important cumulative effect is in everything. Even when it comes to upsetting your stomach, unless you give time enough to the stomach to digest, to assimilate and do a cleaning job on the toxins before putting anything else in it, no matter how small, you are building up toxins. It is another phenomenon of cumulative effect, in a negative aspect. When you do meditation, the cumulative effect will help you to advance. What you are doing is diving deeper and deeper in subtlety, in the finesse of the subtlety of your subconscious mind. The deeper you go, the longer you will achieve keeping your intellectual mind free from thought in the course of the meditation proper. This is the only thing you should consider. Don’t think about what will happen to you or what it means to actually achieve successful meditation; don’t worry about it. “Seek ye first ...”, keeping your intellectual mind free from thoughts, “... and all the rest will be added unto you”; it is none of your business. The cumulative effect will be given a chance to manifest itself through repeated performances at the right time twice a day. 249
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The work will progress, even if you don’t feel it. When you step over a certain point in your subtlety of mind, everything will happen all of a sudden. There is an all-of-a-sudden character to it; it seems like an individual, personal Big Bang. But it is not really all of a sudden at all. It is not all of a sudden, but you will swear a hundred times it was. And you are right, and when I say it is not, I am right also. How can I be right and you be right at the same time? You will answer the question yourself when you really experience the phenomenon of cumulative effect. Now I am repeating this: If every preparatory requirement is reached, physical and mental (as I have explained more than enough so far), the secret of success in meditation is in the phenomenon of cumulative effect. In order to experience the phenomenon of cumulative effect, you have to go through inner body exercises just to be able to drive one department of your mind (intellectual) unconscious to gain more consciousness in another (subconscious). That one is done. If it is not done enough, go back to work on it some more. You know how. It remains for you only to achieve the manifestation of the cumulative effect, and this you can do by repetitious practice. This is the only way. To be able to do that you have to keep yourself alert—all your nests alert, vigilant, not to go to sleep. Those things are done, and now you are in the process of applying cumulative effect which can be obtained by repetition, twice a day, regularly in time and duration. What I want to say now is this: you should start thinking now of discontinuing your group meditation every morning. If you feel it is not the right time yet, I don’t say you should stop, but start thinking of it. You should not continue like this indefinitely. You should come together in group meditation twice a week—once on Tuesday and once in your sohbet evening, Thursday. In case the evening is a business meeting, or prayer meeting, always give half an hour to meditation first. This should constitute your group meditation as long as you have the opportunity of living in community all your life; if not, on any occasion you can find, meditate with people. But as long as you are here, keep faithfully to twice a week. Meeting every morning was for you to exercise it, not for your entire life. Just start thinking of it. If you feel it is not yet time to discontinue, don’t stop. But start considering. It will accelerate, it will have an effect of accelerating your achieving your exercise period positively. JOAN: You say “If ... it is not time.” What do you mean? MURAT: If some brothers or sisters still need the support of the group synergy, keep doing it. And if it takes too long, then little by little emancipate people—reduce the group in number to those who need. The rest should do it by themselves in the morning. Those who are married should, 250
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preferably, meditate together with their spouses and taste the joy of doing it together. And they should share with you their progress and questions. So, now tell me where we are. JOAN: There are some left-over questions. After these, I shall open the floor to everyone and they will have a chance to ask you their questions. The question that I am about to ask you is very difficult to put into words. If I cannot make it clear, I will try again and then I’ll have to give up, I think. After the preparation period, when one moves to meditation proper, some people have questioned whether they are actually meditating or not, because they have images that come in a sequence sometimes, and maybe that’s thought ... Do you understand me? ... Some people hear voices talking to them. It is hard to tell what is intellect—whether the intellect is masquerading or whether we are actually meditating. Can you shed any light on this? MURAT: All these things are normal. They just happen to appear. And then you may hear a voice you will surely take for the voice of the Father. And the voice may even address you, saying: “My Son”—that is a common thing and it is lovely. You are not thinking necessarily, but in those cases, if something like that happens, don’t answer by voice yourself. Only listen. Meditation is listening to within, don’t forget. And—only listen. Sometimes it may tell you “Answer me.” Do not answer. If it asks “Why don’t you answer me?,” think in your mind, “Because I enjoy listening,” but don’t answer by voice, neither in inner words. Only allow yourself to think that much, “Because I love listening.” And when you say, “They don’t know whether they are meditating or not” my answer is, they are not supposed to know whether they are meditating or not. The only thing they are supposed to know is whether they are thinking or not. It is very simple—all you have to notice is whether I am doing nothing or I am doing something. And actually if you are doing nothing, you are doing a very great thing. This is the greatest thing you can do in your life. You are not supposed to know whether you are meditating or not. Your knowing it, will come as a Big Bang. Like the very moment of a child’s birth. It will be all of a sudden, and from then on, when you think, learn how to punctuate when you are thinking by yourself. Question yourself on meditation, not meditating. When you are checking yourself: “How did I do?”, “How was my meditation today?”, “Did I fall into thought or not?” If you are formulating phrases in your mind while you are thinking, learn how to punctuate these phrases or sentences now. And use only one sign—not a comma, not a semi-colon, not a colon, not a question mark, only one, one point—PATIENCE. Remember, patience. Don’t hurry, don’t 251
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hasten—put this in your mind. More particularly when you are meditating, but no matter what you are doing. Any haste you bring to anything you do, any time you bring it into the picture it will go away taking one part, one chunk, one load of love from you. You will lose your love in what you are doing by the mere fact of hastening. Whether what you are doing is cooking, pouring tea, drinking tea, chewing your morsel, doing your daily work, making love, talking, no matter what you do, hurrying and hastening will take away the feeling of love. Loving your food, loving your work, loving whatever you do, are many, many forms of manifestation of love. Haste will take away the joy of these things from you. And it is a recognized fact of life that the people who make hastening their life-time habit are short-lived. Learn and teach yourself how to be quiet, slow, and ‘live’ every single thing you do. Do it living with. Especially concerning things relating to creativity in which Love is more important. No haste! This is the answer. If it is not satisfactory, ask again. JOAN: It is not unsatisfactory. It is that we enter uncharted territory. The state of meditation is uncharted territory—new territory. So what happens there is always suspect. MURAT: I am not saying you shouldn’t question. Why do you say that? JOAN: What I said was ... your answer was not unsatisfactory. It is just that it is impossible for you to give an answer that is going to cover all the bases here. You cannot give it. MURAT: I cannot? JOAN: No. Because the state of meditation itself is infinite. MURAT: OK. As far as I understand the question you posed, it is that some people are saying they don’t know whether they are in meditation or not. JOAN: Yes. MURAT: My answer to that is that they are not supposed to know. All they have to know is whether they are thinking or not. JOAN: Got it. OK. That is fine. MURAT: All they are supposed to know is whether they are having any thoughts in their intellectual mind. If they have, they should greet each thought with loving patience, and thank it and send it away. Not get irri252
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tated. Not consider it a waste of time. A person who is used to haste, doing everything hastily, and thinks that doing things quickly is a skill, will have more difficulty in meditating because it is not easy to free your system from haste. There are so many things said in many languages against haste, such as: “In a hasty job Satan will have a share.” “He who walks slowly will reach his destination. He who walks fast will have his skirts tangled around his feet.” Do not forget every hasty action will take away a part of love from you. JOAN: In that same category of haste, people are still having trouble meditating the second time in the day, after work. It is very difficult. People are still reporting a lot of difficulty in calming themselves enough to sit down and be quiet. MURAT: Well, this is an art you have to learn. JOAN: Any hints or tips on how to do that? You mentioned if we are too tired, to take a nap. You mentioned that. MURAT: Yes. The clue is in the secret of the magic of cumulative effect. When you try to do it, you will come to train your system to be able to do it. JOAN: So, just keep at it. MURAT: Yes, but if you take a nap, a siesta in the afternoon two days in a row, then the third day the body will ask for it again, and the fourth day it will be inevitable. It will become a habit. It is another phenomenon of cumulative effect. If you don’t mind making it a routine, take every day a short nap and then a shower and then do your meditation, it will be an excellent solution. If not, try to overcome it by avoiding it. After all, that also can be developed as a habit, and your system will learn how to bear it. JOAN: OK. As we progress in the fluency of the meditation, should we be shortening the preparation period and lengthening the meditation period? MURAT: Shortening the preparation period, yes. But lengthening the meditation period, no. JOAN: No? MURAT: Your meditation shall be for twenty minutes. JOAN: OK. 253
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MURAT: In group meditation, on the other hand, even if you may be ready for meditation in less than five minutes, for the sake of some other participants who may be slower, keep your time in preparation period with the rest. Later on, in your solitary meditation, you will shorten it. Sometimes to a second, and sometimes immediately as soon as you think of meditating, you will go into it like all of a sudden opening the curtain of the window to a bright sunny morning when there is snow all over and the whole light hits you at once. All of a sudden you feel something rising in you, and you enter the corridor of vibration with all the colours of light at once. I am answering your questions considering that we are practising meditation for the sake of meditation alone, just to further our efficiency in meditation. As I have already told you, meditation is also entered into as a stepping-stone to some other mystical experiences. In fact, every mystical phenomenon is experienced in the vibration of the meditative state of being, whereby meditation becomes a prelude to other mystical happenings. This stage, at which meditation is a prelude to another mystical experience, is reached when the seeker needs higher states of spiritual energy to handle the higher and subtler level of work to live his life more abundantly. According to the Ahmsta Kebzeh teaching, the attributes of God manifest themselves in three characters: Omnipresence, Omniscience and Omnipotence. Human possesses all the attributes of God, at a level it needs to master the tasks of the daily, common requirements of its human life on this planet. And it uses these attributes to exist at higher or lower levels. The higher its ability to use them, the higher and more abundant will be its life on the planet. The reason Jesus said: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly,” is that He came to teach us to use these attributes of God in a better and wiser way. The way human uses the attributes of God is by reflecting them by the nests of energies of consciousness it possesses in its nervous system, as explained, and as shown on the Chart of Transformation (Figure 3). Some of these nests reflect the energies needed for survival and some subtler ones for higher purposes, to provide the human with its yearning for higher levels. Inner body exercises given in the early stages of this teaching are for the purpose of training the human in the ability to use these attributes more intensely by increasing and enhancing the activities of these nests. Meditation is a means to perform this task with the help of those specifically energized nests. Human’s upward enhancement is infinite; therefore there is no limit to the extent the human can activate and use his ability to reflect the attributes of God. With regard to these attributes, I would like to clarify certain facts. These three attributes of God make a spectrum of infinite attributes engendered by the three main ones. Imagine these three attributes to be the three strings of a musical instrument that only has three strings. These three strings are capable of composing a complete music without limit in an infinite radius of 254
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time and space. The three attributes contain infinite numbers of attributes. There is no limit to it, to how it can be expressed by a number, no matter how formidable and colossal this number might be. In Sufi teaching the attributes of God are expressed by the number 99. That again is nothing but the expression of the spectrum of those attributes. The final attribute of God is THE HUMAN, which is the keystone to the vault. And meditation is the means to make a man become this keystone. Jesus said that His job was to complete the work of His Father (John 4:34). So without human God is not and cannot be complete. And without God human wouldn’t be at all, wouldn’t exist at all, wouldn’t come to existence on Earth. As for your questions, we are working at this stage of our development to gain fluency in meditation only, in which case one nest being kept awake is good enough to keep you awake. But later on, when you all become fluent enough in meditation, the time will be ripe to use meditation as a stepping-stone for some further mystical developments. At that time the situation will change, and I shall start insisting on your having more than one or all the nests awakened, and being at work unanimously and harmoniously together in unison, depending on what is involved as the aim. It is another chapter on meditation. Meditation happens to be your tool, your chisel. You are sharpening it to make it usable, efficient. Once it is sharpened enough, you don’t do anything more to it, for its own sake. You just use it. JOAN: Exactly. The last thing I have to mention is not a question; it is just a comment. I am asking you to comment on it. Several people have reported that during the day, as they go about their business, they get flashes of the colour vibrations of the corridor. The corridor will just appear and then go. Not like a blinking light, but randomly. Please comment on that. MURAT: It is OK. It is a manifestation of visual memory. It is a sign that the phenomenon of cumulative effect is beginning to work. JOAN: Those are all the questions I have. One more thing that I have remembered. Some people have reported waking up at night and not being able to go back to sleep, so they want to meditate then. Now, should they get up to meditate? Can they lie in bed to meditate or should they get up? MURAT: No, they shouldn’t meditate when lying down, not yet. Because they are still at the level of gaining the discipline of meditation. It would be like feeding a pet while you are sitting at the table—untimely. It will make it develop a bad habit. Later on, when you are mature, you can do it any time. JOAN: But you are suggesting that if they want to meditate they must get up and meditate. 255
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MURAT: If they want to meditate, they should get up and meditate. But I don’t understand why they should want to meditate then. You are not in a performance. You are not composing the music; you are playing scales. That is what you are doing. Why should you get up? Try to keep resting. Later on in time, when you learn how to apply meditation to other aims, if you feel this, you might be having a call; get up and meditate. Use your meditation maybe to see, to pay a visit to a friend who lives in Toronto, or Moscow or wherever, to find out what he is doing. Or you may be needed to sit down and send your healing vibration to someone. You do it for something, some purpose, not for meditation per se. So, now that you are only learning meditation, you should not do it. Don’t meditate when you are lying down. Don’t get up to meditate. JOAN: Only at the appointed time. MURAT: Only at the given time; meditate then. Because this is the only way—your God, your guide and you need cumulative effect. And this is your only need now. And if some people, as you told me, had some meditation practices from before, if they can manage it, they should forget them. But if they enjoy them, and they don’t want to seek anything more later on, they can go ahead and do them. Even if they reach the result of true meditation doing it their way, they will get stuck with it and they will know only meditation. By doing that meditation they may not succeed in reaching a stepping-stone, a means of going over to some other mystical exercises. It will be like playing musical scales all the time: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do — do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do — do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do — do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do, and so on. JOAN: You are a good musician, Mr. Yagan! MURAT: Whatever you say. JOAN: OK. MURAT: I am telling you, if you had been meditating before, and you reached some success, forget about it, or continue with it and give up Kebzeh meditation. JOAN: Good point. I have no more questions. So I open the floor to Mr. Yagan. LUCY: Murat ... MURAT: Ask Joan. Perhaps she will answer you. 256
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LUCY: OK. Sometimes when I am tired, and there are too many things on my mind, I find I have difficulty to keep my mind without thought. What helps me is what Murat called the only one mantra in Kebzeh, which is “I is God”. And I find, if I keep repeating it, not very often, slowly enough, it keeps my mind open and I enter a very peaceful, beautiful state; what I feel to be a meditation. But it is still in the back of my mind— ‘I is God’. OK. So I am just wondering, is it appropriate and is it all right to do this? JOAN: It is appropriate, yes. MURAT: Yes, you can do it. Yes. Your preparation period didn’t go deep enough. If it goes deep enough, you will know, you will concentrate automatically on what you are seeking, what you want to meet, and you will say “‘I’ is God.” It is exactly towards this ‘I’ that your trip is going, right? Me to I ... me to I. If your preparation work had full effect on you, you wouldn’t need it. But it is not having full effect. It is not a sign of any shortcoming, not a sign of disability, not a sign of being driven astray. Sometimes you may be more vulnerable to disturbance than at other times. And then, if it is the time, take it easy, take it gently, never get angry, never get tense, never get irritated, never get impatient. Spend as little time with the thought as possible. Then come back to when you say: “I is God,” or “I am God,” or “Amarjah” or “Anal Hak”—all meaning the same thing. Then it takes away, chases away, the thought and occupies the field. That’s good. Do it, no problem. Then in time you won’t need it at all. Because all the time you will walk on the street, you will play your piano, you will talk to people, knowing that ‘I’ is God. RALPH: That’s what I understood Lucy to be saying. Her mind is disturbed and it takes a longer preparation period. MURAT: Yes. JOAN: Any more questions? GREG: With the colours appearing, sometimes there will be one colour that will come up very strongly, the others being in the background. Isn’t this a problem at this point? Shouldn’t it be encouraged that I begin to notice the other ones and bring them up more? JOAN: I will answer you, and then refer to him. OK? My answer to you is: No, this is not a problem, that it is as it is. And, as he said, with one nest awake, it is enough. Later on, it may be a problem. Right now, it is not. GREG: Thank you. 257
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MURAT: Have you understood why it is not a problem now; later it could be? GREG: Yes. MURAT: Let me shed some more light for you on this matter. This one colour vibration will carry you all the way through the meditation, if your purpose is only to do meditation. That is why to have the colour vibration active in only one nest will be enough to succeed in reaching a successful meditation. But if your purpose was to use the meditative state for accomplishing another mystical exercise and you were using the meditation as a stepping-stone for that exercise, having only one nest activated may not be intense enough to support you, and you might need to activate more nests. Sometimes one more nest or several others, or all of them. GREG: Thank you.
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Furthering the Meditation to the next stage in mystical exercises As I said before, meditation is the stepping-stone for most mystical experiences, as we shall see as we proceed in a series of them. To reach the meditative state is essential first, and from that state progress ensues by the application of diverse means of grace to other spiritual journeys in the realm of Oneness between human and the Eternal Spirit of Creative and Sustaining, Life-giving Energy. No matter what we want to experience as a mystical phenomenon as our ultimate goal, the next step after having reached the meditative state will be naturally the contemplative state as a second stepping-stone. A description of this exercise is given below: After having attained the meditative state of consciousness as described earlier in all its details and conditions, start breathing the mother breath, 72-7,* covering all your body—gentle, slow, long: - MEDITATION is sitting still, doing nothing—particularly not thinking intellectually. _________ * This form of breathing is a part of inner body exercises in Ahmsta Kebzeh teaching (please refer to Chapter III). In this particular exercise use Moon Breath, i.e., breathing through the left nostril, which will enhance your parasympathetic nervous system. 258
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THE PURPOSE is: Meeting your Higher Self, your ‘I’, your subconscious mind. Your intellectual mind is your ‘Me’. Your subconscious mind is your ‘I’.
The first thing you have to do as a beginner, to come in touch with your subconscious, is to rest your intellect. TO RELAX. When you are advanced in practice, you can keep in touch with both simultaneously. When your intellect is put to rest, you enter into a different mode of thinking, which is thinking with your subconscious mind, thinking creatively, thinking with your feeling instead of your reasoning. To reach this state, the first thing to do is to relax and go deeper in the relaxed state, which will yield to a state of tranquillity that will put you in communication with your subconscious, which on its part will lead you to communion with your Higher Self. And this is called contemplation. So what started as meditation shifts to contemplation, the definition of contemplation being: sitting still and doing nothing but thinking with your subconscious and intellectual mind simultaneously. In this state you can stay as long as you wish, or as long as your purpose needs. THE FUNCTION OF CONTEMPLATION IS VIBRATING IN RESONANCE WITH THE VIBRATION OF COSMIC ENERGY, WHICH IS THE VERY POWER THAT MADE YOU FROM NOTHING AND THAT CAN HEAL YOU, RESTORE YOU, STRENGTHEN YOU AND MAKE YOU BORN AGAIN TO A NEW LIFE OF ALTERED DIMENSION. FOR THIS EXERCISE YOU NEED: Strong desire - - - - - - - unlimited Determination - - - - - - - unlimited Patience - - - - - - - - - - - unlimited Practice - - - - - - - - - - - - unlimited Practice - - - - - - - - - - - - - unlimited Practice - - - - - - - - - - - - - - unlimited The length of time to achieve the result can be a month to a year, depending on: 259
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1 - Genetic readiness. 2 - Discipline and regularity of practice. 3 - Preparedness through inner body exercises as given in Ahmsta Kebzeh, including colour, light and spectrum exercises, and the spontaneous concept of God within (Amarjah), given previously for meditation. Or it might be a complete failure. Let me go into some detail and sum up briefly the whole process. This may be presented roughly in 4 steps, and here I am going to lead you through these steps. STEP I. GO INTO RELAXATION –
Sit comfortably, in loose clothes - especially around your waist should be loose - in a quiet place, free from disturbance, very softly lighted.
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Keep your head straight, fix your eyes on a spot ahead on the wall or on the line between wall and ceiling, or, if outside, on any spot available, and FOCUS.
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Concentrate your attention on that spot, and continue breathing mother breaths, approximately 7-2-7, but don’t count in your mind, go by the habituated guess of 7 seconds inhaling—2 seconds stop—7 seconds exhaling. If your eyes begin to feel uncomfortable and want to close, let them do so gently with loving consent.
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Slowly relax your muscles from head to foot, continuing to breathe deeply. Change the mother breath to a single continuous breath—one long inhalation of 7 seconds and one long exhalation of 7 seconds, using both nostrils. Count down your breath from 21 to 1, making one count at the end of each exhalation. Use your abdominal muscles to breathe, thoracic diaphragmatic breathing. You will reach relaxation with your pulse rate getting slower. When you reach the count of 1 you’ll be completely relaxed, with a melting feeling covering your whole body.
STEP II. GO DEEPER IN RELAXATION –
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Visualize yourself wafting slowly down with a gliding continuity on a swing which has its ropes attached far up in the sky, with a long, long pendulum of swinging, as if you were descending to Earth from a high mountain on a kite or a parachute—a sweet and pleasant glide, very gentle, like a feeling of melting within, gently floating down or soaring down on a flight.
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With this image in your mind breathe deeply, slowly, gently, with long breaths, in and out. Count down slowly, one count per second, from 14 to 1, breathing and counting every exhalation as a number. Each count will make you more relaxed .... When you have counted down to 1, take a moment to FOCUS within. You will feel you are at a place that is peaceful, serene and tranquil.
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Spend a few moments of quietude at this place, with a feeling of belonging, a feeling of being at home there.
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You are now in a deeper state of relaxation, a tranquillity as if you were out of this world, your subconscious very positively, hungrily receptive, like the first signal of a Climax.
STEP III. COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS –
While in this deep tranquillity, talk to your subconscious, to your Higher Self, to your ‘I’, to your Marjah, suggesting the purpose you want to achieve—changing, transformation, healing, giving up smoking, getting rid of your fear of flight, communion with your ‘I’, climax in Oneness, or anything at all.
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Ask your ‘I’ if It will help you to achieve your goals, and wait gently, submissively, patiently with loving innocence, for an answer. Stay in this state as long as you enjoy it. Feel the touching and tangible reality of your Kinghood, Queenhood, your being ONE, the awesome grandeur of your entity. YOU ARE IN THE GLORY OF AN AWESOME ECSTASY OF CELESTIAL ORGASM, INCOMPARABLE CLIMAX. Sit free from any impatient and irritated, insistent expectation. Dwell deeply on the meaning of every condition mentioned here.
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Visualize the results of achieving your goals, how happy you will be, how great a pleasure your life will be. Then visualize that your goal is reached, your sickness is over, your pain stopped, your communion with ‘I’ materialized. Now your life on Earth will be transformed and enhanced. Be patient. Persevere without being insistent. Remember, patience means ‘endurance with love’. Swim and be immersed in love at all times, now and for ever.
STEP IV. BRING YOURSELF OUT OF CONTEMPLATION –
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At the count of 6, open your eyes. At the count of 7, you will be totally out, energized.
NOTE: Read again and again this description until you naturally memorize it, until your memorizing becomes spontaneously fluent. Repeat and repeat it, when you do not have to use your thinking to perform your daily jobs, when all you are doing is mechanical work like walking, driving or nailing a large roof shingling, where the movements of your hammer become machinelike. When I was a very young man, my best time was when I was riding on horseback, in the quietude of an evening, over some five leagues from field or town to the ranch, when I let the horse take its beautiful, joyful gait freely on its own. Sometimes I strongly and deeply felt the vibration of my horse obviously meditating with me. Oh! How I wish that every human could experience this thrilling awareness of comradeship between a rider and his horse.
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Here I would like to reproduce another dialogue which took place on 23rd May 1995, in Vernon, British Columbia, during one of our community meetings, which will reflect to the reader the level and character of participation of the followers of the teaching. RALPH: Earlier today, I had enquired with Murat about the possibility of going through “Further on Meditation” practice in the group and having some discussion about it. Murat said basically that it was not a good idea, given that some changes need to be made and Joan is working on them and she is currently not here. Maybe we can have a bit of a discussion about the changes and why. MURAT: It will not be a very lengthy discussion; I will just report what happened. Some people are having better results in reception from the version I gave you under the name “Further on Meditation,” than from the meditation and contemplation based on a continuation of Kebzeh innerbody exercises. Also, Patricia said yesterday on the phone that she was experiencing much better oneness with this practice, so much so that she had begun to have better co-ordination, better co-operation and better relationships with the colour vibrations. She felt that she had entered into a field of meditation and contemplation through this exercise, and now as a reflection of it she has a better connection than before in these colour vibra262
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tion exercises. When we were discussing what Joan was discovering from her contacts with people, some of them, as we spoke of at our last meeting here, were having a better relationship through their previous practices. As I told Joan, I am just trying to help you to enter the vibration of meditation in any way I may discover fits you and then, if you still want, we can go back to inner body exercises to see, if as a result of having received something better from the “Further on Meditation” exercise, you can have a better grasp of the colour vibration exercises. I had discussed this with Joan and I told Joan that first of all, to enter all of the exercises, the written text that is given has to be learned. I wouldn’t say absolutely memorized, word for word by heart, although it is better, but it should be learned so that paragraph by paragraph you know what you are doing. The difficulty is that somebody has to read the text while leading the meditation and then shift from there to contemplation, while the rest are listening, so they can follow step by step. It is very difficult both to do it and to read, perhaps even impossible. So then I asked Joan to make a tape of it so that everybody works from this tape. I cannot say that it is a good thing to do the exercise while all the time listening to the tape. But in time, as a result of doing it at the same time as listening to the tape, the text will be automatically memorized. There are so many poems I learned in the past by heart, just because I liked them so much that by thinking about and reciting them repeatedly, I memorized them. I memorized them not because I wanted to memorize them, but rather by reading them they seeped in and became memorized. I started by reading by myself and especially by reading to other people while they were entering into the vibration of the uplifting elements of the poetry. I was benefitting from the synergy produced. But this synergy could be produced also by myself between the poet and me, when the poetry was memorized. Memorizing it came from my liking it, my finding something electrifying in it. I have never sat down and memorized it, making memorizing a job. So it is a much better way than memorizing it without any feeling. Also, consideration should be granted to whether one receives the reading in an inspiring mode and nature. So I asked Joan to read it into the tape, the way we revised it together, changing some words she said it was better to change. I don’t have any serious objection to it, albeit I believe that the fact that it looks like a hypnotic exercise is creating some kind of resentment in this group, and that is superstition; it is an allergy without any significant roots. This should be overcome, because if somebody asks me what are the two things in the world between which it is important to make a distinction, I would say that hypnotizing somebody and self-hynotizing are two totally different things. Can we find another word for self-hypnotizing? I don’t know. If we still have an objection to it, even when we understand what selfhypnotizing is, and we keep having a reaction towards it, as we have to 263
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being hypnotized by somebody or hypnotizing somebody else, then we can think of changing the words. Call it self-suggestion or whatever you like. If you look at the definition of Prayer or Master Desire in Kebzeh, you will understand that by self-suggestion you are making your inner trip, your advancement—you are approaching your Deeper Self. If you study everything carefully you won’t need any extra teaching on what God is, what Creation is, what Evolution is, what the formation of everything in this world is, and what is the way they work. We have to understand that even certain things still in our language, in my teaching to you here, need to change, because there are certain truths I couldn’t tell you yet. In one way, I am like another St. Paul, who said: “I am feeding you with milk, because you cannot digest solid food.” Because there are certain things I did not explain to you yet. I shall tell them when I feel the time is right. I don’t know how to explain without opening a little bit what in the old days people called ‘Secrets’. When you mention the name of a Saint who was a mystic, you say for example: “Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi (May God bless his secret.)” So there was some secret that was not divulged. If it was revealed there would be no mystics left; even more of them would have been destroyed than were. For merely saying: “God is in me” they were skinned alive, impaled, burned or hanged. I said to you: “There is no God unless I Am.” But my explanation of it, to you, is not complete yet. I explained it in quite a lukewarm way. What is the difference between saying that, and saying, “There would be no electricity unless there was an Ohm, a Faraday, a Maxwell,” or, “Electricity wouldn’t have light unless there was a Thomas Edison?” I don’t know whether I can tell you more yet. Perhaps even talking about ‘God-within’ created in some people a loss of their innocence and therefore their ability to pray. If there isn’t a Superior Power over them, somewhere way up, then what is the meaning of praying? People still cannot get rid of this hurdle. They cannot conceive that this superior power can also be in their very Self. How can I open myself further? How can I say: “God doesn’t have a Will, but God is the Will?” Everybody would just strangle me if I said that, but that is the Truth, absolute Truth, but I am not saying it! How can I talk to people who still think that God has love, God has mercy, God has justice, and yet at the very moment they see a four-year old innocent, lovely child crushed under a truck, they all of a sudden realize that God doesn’t have mercy and they lose all their faith, all their reliance. It is difficult. So far, I don’t see that you have understood everything when we say, “Everything is One,” that you understand ‘atonement’, that you understand in mystical teaching what is ‘Oneness of all Beings’. I am talking about just understanding intellectually, scientifically, which is not reached, grasped yet. When I am saying, God doesn’t have Will, it is exactly like 264
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saying, electricity doesn’t have light. Electricity is an abstract, invisible energy and when harnessed one of its reflections is light and comes in the form of a light-bulb; then there will be light. Electricity itself doesn’t have light. This is where this ‘love affair’ in all yearning is. This is where the function of completing by the completed Human comes in. But do we really understand? Unless completed, brought to completion by human, God cannot exercise any Will. I have said so many times that God did not create anything by willing it. Everything came into being because there is God, and as a result of Its ‘Isness’, from the nature of Its ‘Isness’, everything happened. When it happened, as a result of the Evolution of what happened, everything became completed. And therefore the human evolved to completion and became completed and therefore was able to complete the work of God. Human reached the level of completing the manifestation of the Isness of God (John 4:34). Now, there is one way of divulging the secret, disclosing the secret, but this is simple. There are more complicated, more complex ones. This way I dare to tell you that God does not have Will; God is the Will. Thy Will be done means: May I be reflecting the Will. May I be able to ignite the Will which is potentially in your treasure. Like Thomas Edison was able to ignite the light in electricity. Jesus revealed the mystical content of the Torah, and Sufism revealed the mystical content of the Koran. RALPH: It seems that one of the greatest difficulties for me in what you are talking about, in thinking about it, is distinguishing between who we are essentially and what we have been conditioned to believe in terms of shoulds and shouldn’ts, how to behave and not to behave, etc. ... So that we have to get rid of this ignorance, this complication of conditioning, to respond naturally to the impulse of the energy called God, to be able actually to reflect it. MURAT: Only if you consider that the starting point of the teaching of Jesus to the disciples, something he gave as a message to laymen, ‘Thy Will be done’, implies that God has Will separate from human’s own will and that you are to be subservient, submissive, obedient to God’s Will. If it is: “You are going to the gallows,” you should accept with a “Yes Sir, thank you, Thy Will be done.”, and walk to the gallows. It was understood this way since the beginning, since the very day Jesus drew breath on this Earth, and never changed. How can I talk about these things? How can I say to people in a public talk: “You are the power of the World.” How can this be said to the public really the way it should be said? RALPH: How can one respond to the impulse that comes from within and 265
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in terms of conscience, know what is right, what is wrong at any particular moment? MURAT: Human as a result of its edification should know what is right, what is wrong—not be told by anybody else. RALPH: Yes, from within. No absolute do’s and don’ts. MURAT: There are no don’ts; why should there be? You can do anything you want, but your wanting it to be done the way you do, determines your level of ascension as a human. Nobody can change it except you; your conscience makes it to be in harmony with divine Will. If you are willing to reflect the Will, it is open to you but you have to work on it. If you are not willing to reflect the Will, nobody can make you do so by any external power, even punishing you, forget about putting you in Hell in the future. Even putting you on the gallows does not help. The problem is that every single human has the necessary means to be able to do it by the mere fact of being human, and it is a completion, it is a companionship, it is a togetherness, it is a oneness. There is no Creator, there is no creature, there is only one thing which can be expressed only by one word—One, One, One. The more this Oneness is completed, the more the Creative Power will manifest Itself, will show Itself. Without our participation, It cannot. It needs our help. God is pleading with us to help It, to save It. Human is the uplifter of God. IVAN: It seems that our conditioning has told us that all these things should be kept on an altar some place and worshipped, and our Kebzeh teaching is telling us to look for them, take them outside and use them. MURAT: When you are sitting in this meditation-contemplation, it is like you’re putting your luggage on the shelf when you jump on to a train or plane and prepare yourself for the trip. When you sit down to meditate, the Eternal Spirit of Universal Joy is vivified, filled with anticipation, saying: “I have a companion; he is trying to come to me.” That is what you are doing. GREG: There is some writing by Nikos Kazantzakis who wrote Zorba the Greek. The book is The Saviours of God, and it is saying the same thing: Unless humans take their place, God will be lost. MURAT: That is what human responsibility is. GREG: That God is not all powerful. In fact, God is very vulnerable unless humans actually exercise their participation in the divine phenomenon.
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MURAT: It is very powerful but It is left incomplete. Very powerful, a sleeping LION. How can the relationship between electrochemical power, which is in flesh and bone, and electromagnetic power, which is universal power, creative power, be established? How the relationship between these two can be established is given by explanation in Kebzeh and by application in Ahmsta Kebzeh. Its whole purpose is to complete and make real that power which is called God. Unless it is done it will be like the radio and stereo combination I had seen in an Abkhazian village in the mountains, sent to this family by one of their sons who was working in Germany. He had sent it as a present and they thought it was a china cabinet and were using it as such. That is how it is between poor God and poor human beings. (Please refer to the story in Chapter IV.) Perhaps, instead of referring to allegories like learning how to play music, ride a bicycle, swim, or learning a foreign language as a second language, there is another thing I can refer to, because in this generation nearly everybody has experienced it, experienced it as adults, so they may remember all the difficulties they faced—it is wind surfing. When you start to learn how it works, when you see other people doing it, you understand that it is possible. How many times when you tried, how many times did you come to the strict, absolute conviction that it was impossible to learn? How many times did you feel desperate, and you quit? And later on, when you overcame it, all the irregularity of the waves, the wind blowing first one way and then turning the other way, all that never disturbed you. So how can you fail to understand the power, the powerful work of what we call the phenomenon of cumulative effect? How come you cannot realize that by insisting, by persevering, by practising, practising, and practising with patience through endless repetitions we can achieve the benefit, the blessing of the working of the electromagnetic and electrochemical on this planet. We are the electrochemical; we are nothing but walking batteries and the battery has a memory; we have a memory. All these things will be explained to the minutest point very soon. Even then, I wonder whether it will help. We have put a great work together—all these transcripts, all these published books, the books that will be published as scheduled and those which are being planned for the future—for the first time in the 26,000 year-old history of this tradition, which lived as an unwritten knowledge carried on from generation to generation orally and through practical application. We reveal now only part of it, hoping the next generation will complete it. We have to join forces doing everything possible to make it work.
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CHAPTER XVI
Contemplation Contemplation is using parallelly, in full co-operation and simultaneously, your rational thinking and your subconscious faculty of perception.
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ontemplation is continuing to sit still, relaxed and concentrated after having reached the meditation state with the intention of obtaining the co-operation, collaboration and harmoniously parallel working of intellectual thinking with subconscious thinking simultaneously. In other words, contemplation is activating and harnessing the full and complete faculty of human mind to work in full to tackle the facts of human life by means of the wholeness of human MIND. Or, more briefly expressed, contemplation is sitting still and doing nothing but thinking in the fullness of human MIND. Exercising contemplation starts with meditation, and after reaching the meditative state, furthering it into contemplation and staying in the contemplative state as long as it is needed to reach the goal, or as long as it is desired. This exercise of starting with meditation and furthering it into contemplation is a master mystical exercise to step into any other mystical exercise of the entire mystical domain, including, among too many to enumerate, extra-sensory perception, clairvoyance, projection of consciousness, omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, freedom from time and space, resurrection at will, immortality of the essence, abundant life, healing, reflecting, visualization, and Master Desire. The laws of Nature mentioned in Part Two (Transformation of Human), in Chapters IV to IX, such as the Law of Cause-effect and Effect-cause, the Law of the Phenomenon of Cumulative Effect, the Law of Imitation Creates the Truth, the Law of Contentment, the law of doing love, the law of polarity of the Life-force, and so on, are applied to the human vehicle, which is prepared by inner body exercises and made sensitive to being responsive to these laws after the aspirant has reached the contemplative state according to the purpose he desires to reach. Each particular purpose is subservient to the general purpose, which is living this life abundantly, in full capacity of a human whose job is completing the work of the almighty Creator (John 4:34). Once an aspirant reaches the contemplative state, he applies one or more of the laws of Nature, which will be instrumental in his reaching whatever is the purpose of his sitting. By doing so, he shall activate the 269
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neuro-pharmaceutical laboratory in the human nervous system to produce the functional biochemical material, which in turn will produce the necessary vibration of consciousness that resonates with the corresponding Cosmic Consciousness, and establishes a connection with the Cosmic Energy of Creative and Sustaining Power called God. This power, being the WILL of the Universe, shall manifest as the will of the very aspirant involved in the exercise. The pleading: “Thy Will be done ...” in The Lord’s Prayer shall be materialized. The mechanism and the technique of this phenomenon have been explained in the chapters in Part Two mentioned above. The student is kindly referred once more to these chapters. What we are talking about here is the very phenomenon called ALCHEMY in the language of mystics.
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I would like to take the reader, here again, to our dialogues in the seekers’ groups, at a time when I was giving seminars to convey the teachings of Ahmsta Kebzeh to the grasp of North American students. I hope that whatever questions may arise in the minds of students sharing the same cultural background might be similar to those that came up in these dialogues, and that my reader will get some help from these observations. The following dialogue took place in our class on 11 March 1993 in Vernon, B.C., Canada. MURAT: Today we are going to talk about contemplation for the first time, and we shall have some dialogue as our method of approach. During this series of two or three sessions of dialogue, we shall try to reach the intellectual understanding of contemplation. We shall do our intellectual study of what contemplation is, and what it is good for. We are not going to start doing it as a practice yet. Contemplation is very difficult to understand intellectually. Some people who studied psychology will be better able to understand it. Others, maybe because they studied psychology, will be more confused and won’t understand it at all. So nobody can predict. It is very difficult to understand. It is not simple like meditation; it is not easy to understand what it is, unlike meditation, but it is perhaps a hundred times easier to practise than meditation—difficult to understand but easy to do. The clear understanding of it shall be reached in the very near future by the further development of positive science in co-operation with mysticism; it will no longer be an enigma. Actually, there is only one single technique in meditation, which can be 270
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summed up in a very short phrase, which is: Doing nothing. If you can achieve doing nothing, really nothing, you may meditate, and in contemplation you do a lot of things. I am going to start from the person on my left side in the circle and I’ll probe with everybody, what you think contemplation is. Ralph, what do you think it is? RALPH: I would say thinking about every single aspect that I can bring to mind concerning a particular topic, question or idea—whatever I want to explore. MURAT: So the main aspect of it is thinking? RALPH: Yes. MURAT: OK. Dawn, what do you say? DAWN: I guess I would say thinking. MURAT: Well, Wayne, what do you say? WAYNE: Maybe it is having a particular focus in mind, but leaving yourself open for whatever thought comes into your head with regard to that. MURAT: So, thinking. Contemplation is thinking? WAYNE: No, I don’t think I would say that. It is being open for anything. MURAT: Well, what are the main verbs you can use about it? WAYNE: Not having any pre-conceived idea, not starting it with anything in mind that you want, just letting it come. MURAT: Thinking? Correct me, what is it? WAYNE: I can’t put my finger on it, but thinking does not seem to be the right word. MURAT: Well, we say meditating is thinking, contemplating is thinking—all these things are so much mixed with each other because for generations we used certain words so freely without meaning their true significance. We forgot their true meanings. So whatever you say, you are forgiven, because you grew up confused about it.
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WAYNE: OK, maybe I’ll use imagining. MURAT: Imagining. OK. Bob, what do you say? BOB: All I know is based on what you said last time. Contemplation is application of will to meditative state. MURAT: Diane, what about you? DIANE: Maybe having a question in mind, and then staying open and listening and observing. MURAT: Gordon, what do you say? GORDON: Reasoning through whatever it is you are thinking. MURAT: Yes. Pam? PAM: Contemplation is using subconscious mind and intellectual mind in full awareness of the use of both. MURAT: You are a Kebzeh girl; this thing is looked upon that way only in Kebzeh. AL: You said something in November that had to do with it. You said it in a prayer, and it was very similar to persuading the intellect, not so that it would communicate to the subconscious later, but working with it almost as if the working of it would open a door now, when you were working with the intellect. So it is using intellect to open a door to the subconscious, in the very process. MURAT: Yes, very good. Very close. Yes, Susan, what do you say? SUSAN: Thinking, observing, and pondering. MURAT: So you are using meditative state in the meaning that is used in our daily language, not in Kebzeh meditation. SUSAN: Yes. MURAT: What do you say, Mrs. McIntyre? JOAN: I think contemplation is a combination. If I were to choose my 272
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words carefully, I would say it the way Pam says, but I have another way of saying it: It is a combination of spiritualized mind and rational mind functioning at the same time. MURAT: Have you both come to say this from your own thinking and past experience in Kebzeh teaching or is it just dawning on you? JOAN: Well, certainly you have mentioned this. It is not something that just came to me, but when I contemplate it is more than rational thinking to me. It is not just the intellectual mind. MURAT: But is intellect involved? JOAN: Intellect is involved, but there is also a deeper part that is involved. You mentioned it the last time we were together. MURAT: Yes? JOAN: Yes. MURAT: I must have been crazy. What do you think? Maybe you shouldn’t say anything; neither of you should say anything. You’d better shut up. Yes, Mary Anne? MARY ANNE: I have something different to say anyway, very slightly different, but ... MURAT: OK, if you insist I shall listen to you. MARY ANNE: I insist. I think it has to do with gaining access to your subconscious mind, applying your intellect to make that understandable to yourself, and there must be a certain specificity to it, so you would contemplate on a ‘subject matter’. MURAT: Very good. Yes, Jinny? JINNY: Using the intellect to focus on a particular thing, and the will to evoke a state of receptivity to receive inflow from the subconscious mind. My understanding of contemplation has always been that you go into a meditative state, and you have a particular prayer or quest and you use your intellect to focus on the mood of what this subject matter evokes in you, and you open yourself to it and it is for that purpose and no other purpose.
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MURAT: OK. Lucy, what do you have? LUCY: I think that contemplation belongs to the realm of grasp, using intellect as a flashlight on the subconscious realm. MURAT: I see that each one of you has some close understanding of contemplation and some even hit the right spot where the ‘guy’ hides itself. We may think that we can only think in the first place with our intellectual minds. But the mind, which consists of both departments—intellectual and subconscious, or conscious and subconscious—is the home for the whole mind. Therefore it is the home of subconscious mind at the same time that it is the home of intellectual mind. Why shouldn’t there be a common line between them? Now, what could be a scientifically observable common line between them, can be observed in the technique we talked about when we were studying the phenomenon of ‘Master Desire’, because you can communicate with your intellectual mind through the language it understands, which is the language of REASON. Through this language of reason, like a life insurance salesman cornering the prospective client, you corner the intellect and you persuade it. As soon as the intellectual mind is persuaded, it integrally transfers the persuasion to the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind is the home of your Higher Self; subconscious mind is Cosmic Mind; subconscious mind is God. Only in your subconscious mind, individualized in you, can you manifest yourself to a certain extent, not exactly at the level of God, because your cultivation, your attainment is only advanced to that extent. But it is not doomed to stay there, to stop there. Your evolution of consciousness is unlimited until the end of the cycle, which has no TRUE END—only appears to have one. Can you follow me? RALPH: Yes. MURAT: From there, we have to try a way to understand what is the common line, the common ground, the common front between subconscious and intellect. Contemplation uses them both. The application of contemplation, which will involve a lot of exercises (they are very interesting and amusing), will be done when we reach some achievement in meditation. Because, what will happen in this field when you obtain some results in meditation is that there will be some methodological change in what I gave you when we were talking about Master Desire. Now you can only manipulate with your will, your reasoning, and reasoning is the only language your intellect understands. However, it speaks the language of the subconscious. When you can persuade the intellect, intellect shall be your servant, your emissary, your attorney to subconscious mind, and then this situation will 274
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help you whatever you want to do, whether you want to overcome your fear of flight, or heal yourself, or develop clairvoyance, whatever may be your aim, your Master Desire. By this means you cannot have direct connection with your subconscious mind. You have your connection through the intermediary of intellectual mind, but when you achieve results in meditation, you can have contact with your subconscious. Contemplation is using parallelly, in full co-operation, simultaneously, your rational thinking and subconscious faculty of perception. If we want to express it by a word other than thinking, we can replace thinking by PERCEIVING if you like the word. Is it all right? RALPH: Yes. MURAT: It is an art to reach this interdependence. Contemplation becomes the art of developing and cultivating interdependence between reason, desire (love) and psyche. Or, briefly, between reason and will. To explain here “why not”, I put a note: The nervous system being the home of the Mind, becomes the field of manifestation and action for the whole mind, which is formed of intellectual and subconscious mind. Although these two departments of mind seem to be two absolutely different faculties, they intermingle with each other at will or spontaneously, because they live, exist, manifest in the same common home—the nervous system. There is a possibility of mistaking subconscious perception for intellectual reasoning, and this mistaking happens in such a way that we may even feel like we are experiencing reasoning with our subconscious mind, but in fact be reasoning, and by feeling so we may justify spending money and buying something we like but do not need, sincerely believing that we buy it because we need it. Actually, it is not reasoning, because the desire, which is a manifestation of love, belongs to the subconscious mind, not the intellectual mind. When we desire something, we say in our daily language; “My heart is speaking!”, but we actually mean something like “My heart is reasoning.” In loving somebody or something, like a mother loves her child, no matter what the child does, it does it right. Only the son’s bride is wrong; her son cannot be wrong. This is a good example of how they get mixed, and the mother-in-law syndrome manifests. When the gangster John Dillinger’s mother heard about what happened to him, she said: “He did no harm to anybody, my poor boy”—this is what the heart’s eye is. All these things help us to understand and get acquainted with the nature of contemplation. We are not doing anything practically. We are not learning how to contemplate yet, but we are analyzing so far the nature of contemplation. So, can we check what you understood so far? Does anybody volunteer to say what he or she understood so far? 275
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IVAN: Basically, contemplation is engaging the psyche with the reasoning capacity and witnessing the results. It brings to mind the Sufi saying: “Heart is the subtle organ of perception,” so there is a different view to be had from that particular thing. It is engaging in creating a consciousness as a bridge between our lower nature and higher nature, between our conscious and our subconscious, making our conscious mind aware of our subconscious capabilities. MURAT: Good point. I would like to hear more people, but in between I am saying this: We are going to clarify this subject by revelations you will have while we are tackling it. Eventually it will develop, and then the transcripts of the talks of three or four sessions we will have on contemplation will need a lot of editing to make one piece. And then we shall see what we shall obtain, and we shall work on it. When we come to working on contemplation (there are certain works on contemplation), you reach a certain accomplishment through contemplation when you apply it, but it should be done after having obtained some results in meditation. When we practice contemplation, with what we put together with the transcripts, we shall bring about a very valuable teaching on contemplation, I hope. Does anybody volunteer? So far, what did you get? LUCY: Through contemplation we learn how to hear the language of the heart, and we learn how to translate it into understandable, intellectually conscious language. MURAT: What do you think the eventual goal in edification of the human vehicle is, in contemplation? What do we hope? LUCY: I think we want, through contemplation, to reach Union. We want to know what God wants. So through contemplation we shall know the Will in God and we shall know how to align our will spontaneously with the Will in God. We become vehicles for God in this physical plane, to manifest Itself. Reasoning based on knowledge plus perception of subconscious is exactly the work Stephen Hawking is doing.* MURAT: And so what happens if we do?
_________ * We shouldn’t be surprised if one day in the near future the world’s elite start using a new scientific discipline under the name: Contemplative Positive Science. MY. 276
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LUCY: We shall be aware of who we are. MURAT: Does anybody have something to say ... in a different phrase? SUSAN: We shall take our place in the relay race of humanity, our place in evolution. MURAT: So you relate it to evolution? SUSAN: Yes. MURAT: Yes. You should think of how a glimpse of hope appears possible concerning our evolution, the evolution of consciousness through contemplation. JOAN: But also, wasn’t Lucy right previously when she mentioned that the field of creativity can be reached and brought into manifestation through contemplation? MURAT: Yes, she was. But you rephrased it better. PAM: Which brings a question. Is contemplation always just a quiet activity or can it be happening while we are active, while we are doing something? MURAT: No, contemplation is not a quiet phenomenon. It is not quiet at all; it is noisy; it is a dancing, chanting, fidgety field. Contemplation is not like meditation. PAM: Once, when we were ministering Communion in church, I felt as though I was in a field of love and drawn to that, but I also felt the responsibility to do what was needed, to act appropriately, and I felt what seemed to me an absolute must to use those two faculties, in as much as I was able, at the same time. So it seems that the ability to contemplate is useful, as Lucy was saying, in order for us to activate the will in God. MURAT: Does anybody have any question about anything that does not seem clear so far? DIANE: No, but I would like to add something. It seems as if the fruit of contemplation is becoming unconditional love on Earth. It is like unconditional love finally taking form and expressing fully. MURAT: Yes, true, but it is the side product of contemplation. What con277
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templation does is to unite you with your maker; this union has a climax of its own, which makes you swim in an ocean of love. If we asked a simple peasant: “What can we expect from contemplation?”, he would tell us: “I would get my plough pulled by two horses instead of one.” So simple contemplation is just two things, which in many instances appear to us as if they were antagonistic, going to be hitched in team. There are a few more things to be told on contemplation, but we shouldn’t try to do it and mix it with our meditation period right now, because we are not yet in the higher accomplishment of meditation. When some results will be obtained from meditation, we shall start working on it. Right now we are trying to understand it, and I have to find more possibilities to relate to you what it is. This is why I want to know how much you got from it tonight. First of all, is there anything different in your mind between the time you came and sat here tonight and now? Did you get anything, any new acquaintance with contemplation you didn’t have before? Did you? GROUP: Yes. MURAT: Can you say in a few words, what you did get? JOAN: Well, you have given a name to a process that happens in me that I have had no name for, where I really have doubted what is happening because I recognized both the intellectual and the spiritual components, but didn’t have a place to put it. MURAT: It is a very enjoyable thing, a very beautiful thing. Contemplation is something which brings colour, which brings life, which brings hope, which brings existence and substance to the daily life of a person. JINNY: Contemplation, or the contemplative state, would be a wholistic state ... a wholistic life. MURAT: Of course, when we are talking about abundant life, first of all we are talking about wholistic life, period—nothing else. No matter what we do, our drive is to wholistic, which is not to neglect anything we can have working for us; we live without missing anything in our faculties that can have some kind of service for us, that is all. Simple. This meditation and contemplation are actually what is meant by worship, and every aspect of devotional life. PAT: You have spoken about contemplation after you spoke on meditation.
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MURAT: Yes, because we cannot tackle contemplation before we accomplish meditation. Meditation is like building the foundation of a building on very unco-operative, unfavourable land, such as marsh, muskeg, or steep rock. Sometimes this may be more difficult, more time, effort, and moneyconsuming than the whole building itself, but all it is for is to be able to raise the building on it. You certainly have to build the foundation first. Also, we are starting to get acquainted with it. We cannot go too much into it yet, because meditation is yet to be accomplished. PAT: So this is my question: Is contemplation a higher function than meditation? MURAT: I don’t know whether there is any person who can answer this question in a short way. The answer will come subject to many conditions and ‘ifs’, and still won’t be clear cut. From the functional point of view, contemplation is a higher function than meditation, yet meditation is much more difficult to accomplish. Meditation comes first, because it is a pre-requisite to contemplation. If one’s purpose is relaxation or joining in Oneness with one’s Higher Self, contemplation is not needed. Meditation is enough; one can skip the contemplation. If I have to give an all-comprehensive answer, I have to go on and on. It is like, when she was a little child, Maisie asked her father, “Look, Daddy, you have four children. Which one of us do you love the most?” He replied: “Look, my dear, how many eyes do you have?” “Two,” she said. “Which one of them do you love more?” Tonight I will say only this much. I would like to invite you to think about it. Ponder on everything we talked about so far.
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INTRODUCTORY EXERCISE FOR CONTEMPLATION Here I am going to present to the reader the introductory exercise of Contemplation, the way it was given to the community of the Kebzeh Foundation of Canada in a meeting on 30 August 1994 at Vernon, British Columbia, Canada, with twenty-three members participating. This I think will help the reader to get a little more weight on contemplation.
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Once meditation and contemplation are thoroughly grasped and mastered, the most important pillar of mysticism will be attained. MURAT: It is not the whole application-part of the exercise, but the introductory to it we are talking about now. We came to a point where it may be dangerous for your nervous system, meaning simply your mental health, to try to advance unless you have mastered previous exercises. You should keep this in mind. If you cause any harm to your system, I want you to know beforehand that I am unable to help you. Nobody from without can help you. According to the understanding of the Truth, God himself cannot help you. That is where we fall into a paradoxical concept when we say God is omnipotent. Through religious and spiritual teachings, we hear that God wants us to be and behave in a certain way. If He is omnipotent why does He not make us do things the way He wants? He doesn’t make it that way, because HE CANNOT. What is in the way? What is in the way is human WILL, because the formation, the creation of human was to be a reflector to the complete Cosmic Power, which is God Power. So for that, every necessary faculty had to be given to human, and the most fundamental one of these was WILL. And the responsibility of administering it was left to human. When Will is given, human becomes a different entity, unless he wills not to be so. Is it understandable so far? It is like this: if any father, mother or parents don’t understand the concept of putting a line between their child’s adolescence and adulthood, and they do not change their attitude in dealing with the child, they will create rebellion in the child. The child is no longer the same entity. They are there to help the child, not to impose on the child to be like them. The child may want to be something else; he has his will and this will is now developed completely to be his own. The parents should imitate God in the way He behaves, if they want to raise the child properly. The person who caused this mental health disorder in himself is the same person who can reverse it, if ever he can. But once it happens this same person does not exist, because he derailed himself, so the will this person had when he was doing this exercise of playing with his inner faculties did something untimely, created a spiritual indigestion, created a spiritual hernia that resulted in the subject’s being unable to use his will, which has shrunk. The person from without can only help him to help himself directly. Human is the only creature who has a different level of consciousness. Even a piece of gravel has a consciousness. If you heat it and throw it in icy water, it cracks. This is one manifestation of consciousness. If you have further means to understand deeper its consciousness, and you can go to 280
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the sub-atomic level in studying it, you will find life movement in its atom. You will see that this piece of gravel is not as immobile and as lifeless as you may think. There is a whole little galaxy dancing in its atom. Human is the only being who has the consciousness of being conscious. All the animals have consciousness, but they don’t know they are conscious. But the human has consciousness and he knows he is conscious of being conscious. So he becomes unmeddleable (here I am creating a word). Nobody can meddle with his job, with his business, including God, unless he can compose himself to ask for help. I gently but firmly draw your attention to this point. If you are very zealous and you want to do something, please use your zeal in growing in your meditation. So far, while we were at the level of meditation, I have never talked to you like this, because there is no danger in meditation. You can make all kinds of mistakes, provided you don’t advance too much in these mistakes. Don’t forget that your trip now is to the bridal room. You are going to join a procession in which you are about to make your first contact with your bride, and if you go to this bridal room unauthorized, you know what will happen. In some countries you will get killed. The second warning (this warning doesn’t carry any danger) is that there are only four pages here. It is a very small exercise and it is only part one of the whole exercise. This exercise won’t tell you very much maybe ... or will tell you too much. But what it tells you is what it would tell you if, for example, I am a gymnast helping you to build muscle. If I am teaching you how to make very muscular arms, to develop your biceps, the instruction I will give you or the text I will give you will perhaps be only one line, such as: “Take two-pound weights in each hand and do this movement”—nothing else. You do it for 10 days, then you increase the weights to two-and-a-half pounds in each hand, and you do it for another 10 days. Next you increase to three-pound weights, and you go to five-pound weights by increasing half a pound each time, every new addition in weight being for 10 days. Seven times 10 days = 70 days altogether. This little instruction may be of six lines only, but it is a work of 70 days; considering the resting days in between it will take approximately three months. I am going to read now and I will stop whenever an explanation is needed. I shall read very, very slowly, so slowly that it won’t look like reading. That is how it should be. I want to draw your attention to these first three paragraph-looking things. They look like repetitions, but they are not repetitions and I shall ask 281
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when I finish reading up to where they occur, who detected the difference. They are not the same, but it is difficult to detect the difference. There is a trick there, for sure. I am warning you in advance. I didn’t warn you last time, but this time I am warning you that there is a trick here; there is a difference and I will ask you where the difference is. Listen to me. Do not read your papers. I think perhaps we should give this up, because you have already started being hasty. You will harm yourselves if you are like this. As soon as you got it you started reading, so you will do the same when you have finished with it. I am telling you once more. Don’t expect any help from me later, if you behave this way. Perhaps Ralph may help you, because he is a clinical psychologist, but not me! The only way to help is by depriving you of your will through means such as hypnosis, and I don’t know how to hypnotize. I refused to learn it; it is against my tradition, because I cannot interfere with human will, whether it is for good or evil, period! I am reading and you listen by looking at the written paper and following my reading, but not reading independently on your own. Listen to me at the same time you follow but don’t read by yourselves. I named it: “An Introductory Exercise of Contemplation.” This Introductory Exercise is the whole exercise, concerning phase one. I purposefully call it “Introductory”, because the exercise here constitutes one thousandth part of the whole exercise. Very simple, but it is only one thousandth part of it. This exercise relates to: “Unification of the Nests”, and the second will be: “Life in the Abode.” It is written there. Whatever unification of nests is, you will get acquainted with it, hopefully. These pieces of statement here make one out of a thousand parts of it. So they are the real essence, like a real cognac. You know, the real cognac is made by aging the grape juice for at least seven years in a particular kind of black oak barrel. This is the only way you can make real cognac, but you can make cognac in seven minutes in inorganic chemistry. The difference between the two will be that the cognac you make in seven years through aging will cure ulcers, and the other one will produce ulcers. Don’t forget! The difference is expressible in one short line of words, but with a very, very big difference in between. I am reading now: ‘AS MEDITATION IS SITTING STILL NOT DOING ANYTHING, MORE PARTICULARLY NOT THINKING; CONTEMPLATION IS SITTING STILL AND DOING NOTHING BUT THINKING WITH ALL MY MIND, WITH THE MAIN, CAPITAL AND MASTER PURPOSE OF EXPANDING MY MIND TO JOIN AND FUSE WITH COSMIC MIND.’
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I am reading again, something similar but not the same. I wouldn’t warn you if it was the same. At the beginning I would play tricks, but I gave up this idea, because I don’t want to spend too much time circumnavigating around the corners. I say only, it is differently said, but can you find it? The difference may be a comma, or a little difference somewhere. That is up to you to find out, but I tell you that there is a difference. I am reading again. When I finish reading, I shall give you two-and-ahalf minutes to think and then I shall start asking what the difference is. When I say ‘Say it again’ here, it is a trick to mislead you, to play with you like a cat playing with a mouse. I also admit this. Yes, I admit it. I am behaving tonight like Professor Vasfi Rashid played with us. When I was in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Istanbul, he came to us. He was a professor with an international reputation and recognition in the Faculty of Law and he came to our class to teach us Legal Medicine. He used to say, “The best way to learn something is to find a stupid man and lecture to him; by doing so, you shall learn. God gave me 400 stupid people and I am here to learn.” I shall play with you all, without exception, like this in a very devilish way. This is what I am here for. That is why I say it again, I say, but I don’t say it again. ‘AS MEDITATION IS SITTING STILL NOT DOING ANYTHING AND MORE PARTICULARLY NOT THINKING; CONTEMPLATION IS SITTING STILL AND DOING NOTHING BUT THINKING WITH ALL MY MIND, WITH THE MAIN, CAPITAL AND MASTER PURPOSE OF EXPANDING MY MIND, TO JOIN AND FUSE WITH COSMIC MIND.’ I am saying it again: ‘AS MEDITATION IS SITTING STILL NOT DOING ANYTHING AND MORE PARTICULARLY NOT THINKING; CONTEMPLATION IS SITTING STILL AND DOING NOTHING BUT THINKING WITH ALL MY MIND, WITH THE MAIN, CAPITAL AND MASTER PURPOSE OF EXPANDING MY MIND TO JOIN AND FUSE WITH COSMIC MIND.’ Now I shall shut up for two-and-a-half minutes. Two-and-a-half minutes elapse. That is enough. Is there anybody who volunteers to say something? RALPH: You are asking about the difference between the three recitations? MURAT: Yes. 283
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RALPH: The difference I perceive in it is in the semi-colon. Here is a period with a comma underneath, here it is a period with a semi-colon mark directly under it. Here there is an actual semi-colon and here there is a period plus comma. MURAT: All right, anybody else? BOB: It is a beautiful statement and all three are the same. MURAT: You are wrong. You can think further. But it was a privilege and also with a tempering attitude that I told you that you are wrong. Otherwise I wouldn’t say anything. I would keep playing with you, but I gave you this chance. Do not forget this goodness of mine. RALPH: May I say further what I think, on this colon, semi-colon business, or should I leave it at that? MURAT: If you didn’t finish, go ahead. RALPH: I think it is an expression of the phenomenon of cumulative effect. The difference is created by the phenomenon of cumulative effect. JOAN: I think so too. I think exactly, without the semicolon. I am not worried about that. Each time you read this, or reread it, it has a different impact because we have heard it before. So the second is different from the first time, and the third is different from the second. The difference is caused by the phenomenon of cumulative effect. I look at it not from the intrinsic difference in the words or the punctuation, but from the position of the observer or the reader. MURAT: I didn’t understand what you said, but I shall leave it there. Is there anybody joining forces with her? MAISIE: I shall. MURAT: What? All of you, you join forces with them? BOB: This is like the story you’ve just told about weight-lifting. MURAT: So you say it is the same thing? Anybody else says it is the same thing? IVAN: The second two paragraphs. 284
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MURAT: Are you saying something else? IVAN: Something else. MURAT: OK. IVAN: The second and third paragraphs start with, “Say it again.” MURAT: And the first one doesn’t? Is this the difference? IVAN: Yes, that’s right. MURAT: Any other difference? IVAN: I agree with all that they said, as well. MURAT: So, is there any logical reason to put ‘say it again’ in front of the first one? IVAN: Well, you haven’t said it yet. MURAT: In that case there is no logical reason; this is totally immaterial. Of course ‘say it again’ shouldn’t exist there. If I put it there you would fire me, because you would think that I fit in an asylum. Or you would tell me to go and learn the language, and then come. OK, you were lifting up your hand, Wayne. Are you saying something else or joining with Joan and the rest? WAYNE: I am saying something else. MURAT: OK. WAYNE: If you look at the first statement, or any of the statements, they are made up of three important factors, important enough to be concentrated on alone. If you read the first one and you take it all in, but you concentrate strictly on the first part, not doing anything, and more particularly not thinking— that is one. When you read the second part and you follow along, you hit the second important section which is: sitting still and doing nothing but thinking with all my mind—that is two. And when you read it the third time and you follow along and you hit the third important section, it says, with the main, capital and master purpose of expanding my mind to join and fuse with Cosmic Mind. Each one of these is important enough to have a separate section to concentrate on. 285
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MURAT: So as a result of this, do you come to agree with the kind of jargon they are using, such as phenomenon of cumulative effect? WAYNE: I don’t think so. MURAT: So you do not agree with them. WAYNE: Yes, I do not agree with them. MURAT: What are you saying? From what you say, more or less the same thing is understood, which is: If there is anything you missed in the first reading you got it from the second reading and there again, if you missed something, the third one will help, and this is the difference. Isn’t that also what they say? WAYNE: Well, if that is what they say, that is fine ... you said there was a trick involved? MURAT: Yes, I said that, and that was to confuse you people. Yes, Diane, what do you say? DIANE: I agree with them. MURAT: What do you say, Greg? GREG: I agree on the cumulative effect. MURAT: OK, Joan, you were right. In the first place, I understood very well what you said, but because I am cantankerous tonight, I said I didn’t understand you. I just confess this. I apologize. But also because you were the first in line; if I had openly agreed that you were right, the dialogue with the rest of the group wouldn’t have been possible. I gave a definition of contemplation here in a comparative way with meditation. If I had to give a more concise and shorter definition of it, from the same phrases we could deduce the following definition: CONTEMPLATION IS EXPANDING THE HUMAN MIND TO JOIN AND FUSE WITH COSMIC MIND. Does anybody feel like adding something to this last definition? Maybe something could be added to it by saying something further to be more aggressive. RALPH: You are not eliminating that.
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MURAT: No, but to make this last one more aggressive, I can dare to say: “Making my mind Cosmic Mind.” We shouldn’t be afraid or hesitant to be going too far, because we are not sitting in a dialogue group of an orthodox religion. It is not daring too much to say: “Of course I can make my mind Cosmic Mind.” It is my birthright to say that, but if you don’t want to say it, it is still good enough to say: “expanding my mind to join and fuse with Cosmic Mind”, which means “being One with It.” BOB: If I am out of line, please tell me to be quiet. I had been thinking in terms of lower self becoming the bridegroom, which is the Higher Self. In terms of Higher Self, what is it then? What is happening here? Is our consciousness moving into Higher Self? Is that what is meant by becoming Cosmic Mind? MURAT: Moving to Higher Self? BOB: Yes. MURAT: No, moving to Higher Self is meditation, where you get acquainted. You shake hands with Higher Self as an accomplished end of meditation. Now here, in contemplation, you BECOME the Higher Self and you ride it, you use it. In meditation you don’t use it. Do you remember from the chapter “Further on Meditation”? The meditation turns into contemplation. BOB: So, Higher Self is the vehicle that takes you to Cosmic Mind? MURAT: It is not the vehicle, It is It. It is “being It” factually. You become It. Your question is not out of line; it is a good question. You reach Higher Self and make your acquaintance with It face to face as a result of meditation and now, in contemplation, there is something you can do with It. As if you paid sixty thousand dollars and bought this extraordinarily noble horse, and now you have to see what you do with it. BOB: The danger here is that after having mastered the meditation, if you don’t master the contemplation, you may be on this wonderful horse but it may throw you. MURAT: That is right! It is like mastering how to play the right music to make the serpent dance. If you didn’t learn the music and if accidentally you play music from which the serpent gets the message to attack you instead of dancing, what will you do? No matter how much I frighten you, I cannot exaggerate it. Be careful.
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UNIFICATION OF THE NESTS MURAT: So much for the definitions. Now I come to the first phase of the ACT OF CONTEMPLATION, which is Unification of Nests. What is “Unification of Nests”? When I gave you the first inner body exercises, in which I introduced you to certain facts, doctrines, understandings and teachings of Ahmsta Kebzeh discipline, I gave you first the presentation of the entity of human. In this entity of human, I said, there is ‘I’. At that time, this thing may not have clicked in your minds. Later on we stayed a long time on the word ‘I’ (maybe you should go back to read it): The entity of human is ‘I’, and it manifests itself in four ways: 1. 2. 3. 4.
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‘I am’ is the entity, and the other three are the attributes of the entity. Every entity is made of ‘I’, but not every entity has all three attributes. For instance, a plant has ‘I am’, because when you look at it you say, “This is a chrysanthemum”, “This is a carnation”, “This is a rose.” So one ‘I’ that is ‘am’ is with plants—‘I think’ doesn’t exist, ‘I feel’ exists, ‘I will’ doesn’t exist. Let us say that with an advanced animal you can say: ‘I am’, ‘I think’, ‘I feel’, but the fourth doesn’t exist. In every animal, the second and third may differ in degree. According to scientific discoveries there is consensus that the dolphin thinks better than other animals. I gave you the five functions of the human body, and I said that if these five functions work simultaneously, equally, parallelly and spontaneously, there isn’t a single thing for a human, in the Universe, that will remain unknown. What does it mean? It means that human will be omniscient. In other words, there won’t be a single secret left in the world that you wouldn’t know. Sometimes things, such as expanding your mind to join and fuse with Cosmic Mind, happen to you accidentally, under the force of accidental circumstances such as a big impact, big fear, big pain, or high fever—even at times without any discernible cause—and it stays with you for a moment. This moment is a non-dimensional expression of time. The definition of moment is zero time, which is theoretical, doesn’t exist materially, but without it the whole teaching doesn’t exist. Like the definition of point is a non-dimensional geometrical figure, which means zero dimension. By the mere fact of saying “zero dimension” we are classifying point as a hypothetical concept, but it happens to be the most tangible thing, the most 288
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concrete thing, when you do geometry. So we shouldn’t belittle things because they are little or even seem to be non-existent. The moment can give you the knowledge of things you had no awareness of at all, because you, for this moment, become omniscient, which means knowing as much as Cosmic Mind. It is not as easy as the theory of reincarnation to explain the situation to people, how it can happen. Now, today, it is easier to explain and substantiate scientifically, because science is working in the sub-atomic level, in subatomic and quantum science. When our science is manifesting itself at this level, it is very easy to talk freely about Kebzeh teaching, which was the knowledge of humans before the Fall. They were the humans who made the original legends. The mythology we are reading about Narts is nothing but the story of human beings before the Fall, before eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. There were, according to the Abrahamic Holy Books, entities walking and talking with God in the Garden of Eden—none other than the very planet Earth we are living on now. After the Fall, it was very difficult to explain. A Master of Hindu teaching, a true ascended Master, knows what the real explanation of it is, but cannot tell it to people. He had to concoct something like reincarnation. Abraham composed his teaching the way he did, because he couldn’t give the message any more clearly to people after the Fall. His Higher Self under the name of Melchizedek told him “Give them the message this way.” This is why Abrahamic teaching doesn’t accept reincarnation. This is the message I am waking you up to hear; “Give it to them the way you think you can give it.” He told him to exercise his own will. So Abraham gave it the way it is, to make it understandable. If we find something that either we cannot understand or we cannot accept in the Holy Books, we should still cherish and respect it, because it served the purpose of helping some people who couldn’t receive it otherwise. You read the verse of St. Paul when he says he has a thorn in his flesh. He then says: “I have fed you with milk, and not with meat; for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.” (I Corinthians 3:2) It was a thorn in his flesh; he was disturbed by it, but he couldn’t do anything about it. He couldn’t speak more openly, but later on he did, in the first twelve verses of the first chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians. Do you understand these things? All these things here, if you didn’t yet achieve the effect of the vibrations produced in the form of colours on your nests when you were doing inner body exercises, you will see them later on yourselves if you persevere truly in your spiritual exercises. In our language we call them nests of energy or nests for short. In some other languages they call them centres or yet in others, chakras. I have to keep faithful to the terms we (in Kebzeh) use. 289
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Am I speaking unnecessarily too much? RALPH: No. MURAT: So, that is why you must have experienced this effect of the vibrations on your nests. If you didn’t feel the response to the vibrations of colours on the nests, or if you don’t have, like Bob for instance, sensitivity to colour, there are other forms of vibration sources to create it, such as musical sounds, as it was mentioned in previous chapters. All this teaching is based on light. When we say light here, there are various considerations to be given to the implication of light. The concepts of light and colour have a common ground between them. Both belong to the faculty of VISION. Speaking from the premises of the science of physics, there are instances when we speak of light and colour when we are speaking about the same thing. We should realize that when we refer to light as a tool for engendering vibration, we are referring to the solar spectrum. We have to conceive the light as the solar spectrum, as it is seen on the rainbow as so many colours. When the light comes it is white light, but in it, this spectrum exists. In the white light there are lights in many shades of colours which have vibrations for each particular nest. The first thing we have to do in this exercise is ablution. A little later, if we have time, I shall invite you to ablution, but I shall renew your understanding of ablution first. Of course, in this tradition ablution is not washing your face, your hands and feet. Ablution is cleansing yourself from negative feelings, thoughts and deeds—the opposites of human virtues, the spectrum of LOVE that is given in the Holy Gospels in the First Epistle to the Corinthians, Chapter 13, the LOVE CHAPTER, the whole Chapter being only half a page altogether. We have to cleanse ourselves from these opposites. In the Longevity book I mentioned these under the name psychological toxins. Do you remember that? So, this is what ablution is. The main negativities are: resentment, anger, sense of guilt, fear, jealousy, inferiority complex and ego. As a human, after you have freed yourself from ego, you are free from any ego-trip. Your ego-energy becomes your friend. The first thing in ablution that we have to do on the spot here, is not the whole of the spectrum of love, cleansing ourselves from all the opposites. We have only to free ourselves from resentment, judgments, the sense of guilt and other important things, and to come to one single commandment that Jesus gave, which is enough. It is the sign of being cleansed from all psychological toxins: “Love your neighbour as yourself,” (Matt.22:39), meaning: love him as much as Jesus loves. And this exercise is there, to make you Jesus. Contemplation is to make you Jesus, Moses, Abraham, Mohammed, or Buddha. 290
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I told you the method, how to do it, how you can love your enemy or how you can love a person you hate or you resent. After ablution, I am reading the rest and I shall stop wherever it is needed. Now you came to the point of sitting still and entering into an inner dialogue with yourself. You sit down quietly, still, the most comfortable way you feel. You can cross your legs, you can do anything you want provided you are comfortable. Start breathing, deeply. The form of breathing I am giving you is just for the purpose of contemplation. You breathe deeply, quietly, smoothly, freely, your in-breaths and out-breaths as long in duration as you can. At the end of each inhalation, the strength of your inhaling dwindles little by little but you don’t stop, you come to a continuous gentle ebbing. Very close to the end of this ebbing, you turn into exhaling through a gentle change rather than a stop. This is called continuity in breathing, instead of intermittent breathing. So far I didn’t talk about it, I guess. This is the kind of breathing you do. You don’t make the length of your exhaling and inhaling forcibly long, but smoothly and gently long. You start thinking at the same time that you are breathing, and you say: “Under the guidance of my Point of Contact, ...” In contemplation there are many things you get involved with. One of them is visualization. You have to visualize everything you say; everything you pronounce here inwardly into your breathing has to be visualized simultaneously. “Under the guidance of my Point of Contact and under the grace of the Source, (Now, what you do here, you cover divine grace and guidance.) I, as the third person of the Oneness, ...” (which means you form one with your Point of Contact, with the Source and your Self. So you become ‘I’ as the third person of the Oneness. You are one with the Source, which is the entity you will in fact become. You, right now, form three legs of the energy that is called Cosmic Power. These are: Source, Point of Contact, and your ‘I’). “Under the guidance of my Point of Contact and under the grace of the Source, I, as a third person of the Oneness, sit still. I sit still, still, still and still.” You visualize going slowly, slower, gentler as you think: “I am still, still, still and still”, and visualize it along your breath also. You don’t orbit your breath, you don’t rhythm your breath, you don’t locate your breath, you don’t qualify your breath yet. 291
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“I breathe deeply, freely, gently in unbroken continuity.” Put your attention on unbroken continuity. “I breathe the Light, in and out.” Now there is qualifying coming into the picture, slowly. You qualify now. What you breathe in is light. You never think of oxygen or air. You are breathing in and out THE LIGHT - - - - - - - - - the light of the solar spectrum, another step of qualifying the breath, by specifying “of the solar spectrum.” When you say “light” you allow yourself to be in some kind of a general concept of light. You don’t think of the headlights of a car or sunlight as it appears. You use your knowledge that there is a spectrum in it. When elements of the spectrum are strong enough, they are not fragmented; they look white. Through certain means it can be fragmented and shown in its separate nuances, shades, colours, which we call spectrum, and this is what you think of. “I breathe the light, the light of the solar spectrum. I visualize all the colours of the spectrum distinctly but yet all together.” So when you take it in, you know that all the food the nests need, you give to them; you understand this from your previous experience. You can see it with your inner eye; it comes to you from your knowledge of the spectrum of light that exists in this whole light. Your bare eye doesn’t see it, but from your knowledge you know it, and if you don’t see the spectrum in the white light because you are colour blind, from the knowledge you receive from the teaching that there are lights in the spectrum that affect the seven nests in your physical body. We have seven nests in the physical body, and with our whole entity, with all our person, we have fourteen nests. We know that these seven nests respond by being activated in both ways—dwindled and accelerated. They are activated to shrink. They are activated to expand. The same colours do it. How? Very simple: Action comes from the physical effect of colour. Direction comes from the electrochemical effect of mind. Like in a car, action comes from the engine. The direction forward or backward comes from the gear-box. “I visualize all the colours of the spectrum, distinctly but all together running gently, quietly, smoothly through the galaxy of the nests. My seven nests, I consider all together like a galaxy. I run this breathing, 292
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and with it the colour, through them smoothly, to all my five functions.” Now the time comes to organize these super-activated functions into a team for achieving a particularly and purposefully aimed-at result. This teaming work is called: Unification of the nests. The general spiritual principles that enable the aspirant to achieve these results have been explained in earlier chapters in Part Two. You must know all of them. If you feel the need you may go back to Part Two and refresh your knowledge. Energized nests forming an activated team to tackle a specific function make themselves ready and eager in the journey to Cosmic Mind, which is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent, and they join the procession with joy, love, anticipation and hope. This joyful anticipation shall be the anticipation of somebody going for his first date. “With the enthusiasm of being in the procession to go to meet one’s bride, the journey is to the heart nest.” The gathering point, gathering field of this procession is in the heart nest. Whatever will happen, will happen there. When you start this exercise, breathing, passing it through the Galaxy, the heart nest will change colour of light. It will change colour from purple to pink, exactly like a pink crystal, like when you put a light bulb in it, a crystal sphere—purple but when you put the light on, it turns pink. You will see it. When you start doing this exercise, you will see when the journey is given the destination in your mind. It is like a cavalry charge: “Pull the sword! ... There Shall be charge! ... Chaaarj! ...” Immediately the colour changes there, and all of a sudden it grows. It grows at the end, into something like a few thousand times bigger than you are. It is awesome, without hurting—friendly and sweet. “The journey is to the heart nest, a crystal sphere of brilliant pink. The journey is slow. The journey is smooth. The journey is gentle. I am in the singing music of the journey and I sing: I am gathering together unto Thee. I am gathering together unto Thee. Unto Thee shall the gathering of all my nests be. I am gathering together unto Thee.” Now, starting from this point, you keep singing, singing together with visualization, singing and breathing. This will take you, your procession, to the destination. Or you can make some stop in-between, sing again and again, when you feel like it. Actually what happens, when you get the spontaneity of the exercise, you start doing it without thinking. What you should 293
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think of, what the words were, and so on—all these things you will memorize in time. Never sit down and memorize them mechanically. While you practise the exercise, you will progress, and all these words here you can put on a paper, in front of you, and read, and read, and read while you are practising, and then you think of it with or without pronouncing the words out loud, but if you keep pronouncing inside at the beginning it will help. While you are singing, you think of your Point of Contact. Think: “My Point of Contact is with me. I put my hand into his hand, we are together, we are hand in hand. All is love, nothing but love, in the light of love. All is love, nothing but love, in the light of love. All is love, nothing but love, in the light of love. The destination is the heart nest.” You localize now. You localize it now. We had some qualifying of breath and now we localize also. “It becomes a crystal sphere glowing brilliant pink. It belongs to the vibration of the frequency of purple.” You don’t need to think of various colours of the spectrum. You don’t have to, particularly, put your visualization, the attention of your visualization, to picking up this colour purple, to affect the heart centre. You do not need it; your knowing it is good enough. “It belongs to the vibration of the frequency of purple. When it becomes the gathering field of all the nests it becomes a crystal sphere glowing brilliant pink.” All these you visualize. As the procession enters into it. Now the procession comes and enters into the heart centre, as a WHOLE. You wanted to unify them, right? They will be unified there. As the procession enters into it, the brilliant crystal sphere grows. Every time you exhale into the Universe, the brilliant crystal sphere grows. Every time you exhale into the Universe, the brilliant crystal sphere grows, and your breath pours into the Universe like a river pouring into a cascade. The procession remains in the brilliant crystal sphere, continuing to ride the breath, filling the sphere, brilliant pink and growing. You think and visualize: “This phenomenon wholly belongs to the infinite. It means this whole 294
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phenomenon belongs to infinite. It is infinite. Infinitely it flows, it runs, it bubbles and infinitely grows the crystal brilliant pink sphere. I am in it. I am It. I grow infinitely. I become ‘I’, The True ‘I’ forever, ever, ever. I am Spirit. I am a master in all and everything I do. And I AM. I am what I was. I am what I am. I am what I shall be for ever. Now I am the Cosmic Mind. I think as Cosmic Mind, and I shall think as Cosmic Mind.” The next step will be: “Life in the Abode.”
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CHAPTER XVI I
Further on Contemplation Life in the Abode You only need to know one thing in this specific context. When they (the nests) operate all together, simultaneously and parallelly, there isn’t a single place in the world where you cannot be; there isn’t a single thing in the whole Universe you cannot know; there isn’t a single thing in the Universe you cannot do.
B
eing in this infinitely great, brilliant, pink sphere is being in LIFE IN THE ABODE, the abode which is the birthright of human, of the human endowed with the power against which there is no resistance. To advance further in enjoying success in the facts of LIFE, the dwelling in the abode needs to be consolidated. This consolidation is achieved by applying the fourth aspect of the breath, which is orbiting of the breath. To explain how this orbiting is applied, I shall refer again to a seminar conducted with a group of seekers on 1 September 1994, at Vernon, B.C., Canada (Dr. Ralph Maddess was administrative leader of the group at that time): RALPH: Tonight, Joan (Curriculum Director) asked me about a number of questions that people had addressed to her, and suggested that she could use at least part of this evening, if not all, to address these questions concerning contemplation. And given that you want to be as clear and careful as possible, I agreed with her that we should answer, or look at and discuss, all the questions that have been raised. So I turn it over to you, Joan. JOAN: Mr. Yagan, what I am hoping for this evening is for the group members to have the opportunity to ask you the questions they have in their minds and their hearts concerning this introductory exercise to contemplation. I was humbled by their questions. Because you gave us such a clear warning against doing the exercise over-zealously, it is very important that when we do this exercise, we do it correctly. These questions have come up and I would like to ask you people to direct your questions to Mr. Yagan so that he can answer you specifically at first hand. 297
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Diane, would you start please. DIANE: In what direction do the colours of the spectrum, distinctly but all together, run through the galaxy of the nests and end up in the heart nest? Where does the procession start? MURAT: The procession starts at the very moment you start breathing and when together with your breathing you put your mind on what you think is happening; what you think is happening is understood and known by you (see Figure 7, which shows the orbit of that particular breath).You will think that what is happening is that you are breathing in and out, taking the breath as if your nose were in your heart, or your nose is where it is but you are pulling your breath, passing it through your heart. It does not have a particular orbit, but by the mere fact of doing it that way, the orbit happens. You pull your breath through your heart, you inhale through your heart, and you don’t stop anywhere and you exhale into the Universe. You are exhaling into the Universe because it is a breathing system with continuity, and at the end of your in-breath and out-breath, a moment comes when you cannot inhale or exhale any more, right? At that time, instead of stopping, you slow down the inhaling or exhaling, and without any stop there is a sloweddown period there. That is why you don’t stop. For instance, sitting like this, you inhale deeply, the breath comes up, and you come to the end of it. You exhale it to the Universe, like one continuous line. When you exhale at the end of it, you come to a point where you don’t stop, but there is a slow length of time, and this time happens to be the continuation of the orbit, and the breath comes again. In other words, when you are inhaling you bring your inhaling from below your genital organs. It goes through the heart to the top of the skull, then back down to the heart, and at this point, when you come to the end of your breathing, you exhale. When you breathe in, you pass it through your heart at the same time as it is coming through your nests, right? And from the heart it goes out and pours to the Universe, but it is like a procession that doesn’t fall like a waterfall. It stays in one place, like a circling field of space. Now you give to the Universe and then, at the end of it, without stopping, you pick it up again from below and you go through the orbit again. This has nothing to do with your breathing; everyone knows your breathing takes place in your lungs. You are not circulating your breathing, but what your breath brings in and gives to your bloodstream is circulated to the minutest and farthest part of your system. Did you look at the diagram of the orbit that I gave you, at Figure 7? When the breath is brought back down to the heart nest, the thymus, it continues its orbit in a circle down in front of the body, makes a circle turning backwards and then climbs up to the heart nest again and past 298
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that nest, and exhales into the Universe. At this point it spreads in two directions: one goes forward and disperses, the other continues up, circling above your head backwards, turning down, going all the way, following your body line and dispersing past your body down into the Universe. Try to fix in your memory this whole orbit. Do you follow me? JOAN: I certainly do. MURAT: Did you see that I particularly pointed out this fact, towards the end? JOAN: So it is explained there. MURAT: Now again, breathing doesn’t carry anything other than O2 and thought. This should be understood. Your breathing never goes to the end of your spine or your head. If it does, it is a fatal situation. Your mind goes everywhere with your breath. Oxygen goes everywhere; that is why you do the orbiting. What you are doing is controlling your circulatory system with your mind. The effect of the breath on the circulatory system goes everywhere. JOAN: That is clear. Diane, are you clear? DIANE: Yes. JOAN: Who else has a question for Murat? LUCY: You say there are seven nests in the body. Just tell me if I understand it right. We have five colours corresponding to five nests in the body. MURAT: Yes, there are five colours, but there are fourteen nests in the whole body—main body, head, and limbs. Seven of them are fundamental, and seven are auxiliary—these we call counterparts in the head, and they work together with the seven fundamental nests. For instance, at the top of your head you don’t have an anatomically existing nest in the form of a plexus or ganglion, but if you look at it from the phenomenal point of view, it is like electrical juice; it is everywhere.* They function like substations or transformers of differing importance and capacity. Some of them are just in _________ * Refer to Figure 8, The Nests. 299
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the form of a trace, but they exist. On the other hand, colour vibrations, which are expressed in five levels, also form nothing but a determined spectrum of a great ocean of vibrations, working at the fundamental level with the fundamental nests, and becoming complex orchestrations of mixed nests. They may manifest themselves in a complexity of variations. It is like the spectrum of music being seven notes in the scale, but the complexity of the music orchestrated by these notes being infinite. After all, the whole Creation is nothing but a colossal, gigantic electromagnetic and electrochemical phenomenon we have to consider in its wholeness. Nothing is complete unless whole. I suggest that the reader refers to Figures 2, 8 and 9. You only need to know one thing in this specific context. When they operate all together, simultaneously and parallelly, there isn’t a single place in the world where you cannot be; there isn’t a single thing in the whole Universe you cannot know; there isn’t a single thing in the Universe you cannot do. This was told you at the beginning of the teaching. This is your main, concentrating, focusing point— knowing that when these five functions that you are given are operated by co-operation of these nests, simultaneously, spontaneously, equally and parallelly, you become, in brief, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent. LUCY: Thank you. I am clear. WAYNE: On Tuesday night, when you were giving us the warning about not being too enthusiastic doing this exercise, I was wondering whether, when you mentioned that we had first to master meditation, you meant that we shouldn’t do it. I wasn’t clear. MURAT: Yes. That is what I meant. I wanted to give you this exercise, but I didn’t want you to attempt to actually do it until after you have mastered the meditation. There are a few rules in the whole system that we have disregarded already in many instances. I wanted to give you this exercise now, because I don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Either pretty soon we may not have the time, or I may not be with you. These are things that I have to be physically with you to give. I don’t know. I am like St. Paul, I have a thorn in the flesh. I think I should give these things to you. If I rephrase what I told you about the cautioning aspect of it, I can rephrase it this way. I didn’t say don’t be enthusiastic. You have to be enthusiastic. The word enthusiastic comes from the words en and theos. It means 300
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‘in God’. Anything that belongs to love, to joy, to happiness, to generosity, to altruism, to sacrifice, makes us enthusiastic, which means puts us in God. But don’t work, don’t look again and again at these papers. Instead, look at where you are in meditation. So this is how I can rephrase it, if it is better understood. If you don’t insist and you do only enough to enable you to do the physical aspect, like breathing and understanding what the order is, and remembering this writing more or less without looking at the paper, and take it easy, that is fine. To remember the text, don’t sit down and memorize it. Only, at the beginning, read slowly as if you think slowly. Think by looking at the paper. Do it again and again whenever you have time. There is not a given number of times you have to do it, nor does it have to be at a certain time of the day. This is unifying your nests. JOAN: Is that clear to you now, Wayne? WAYNE: Yes, thank you. JOAN: Does anybody have any more questions they want to ask at this time? PAM: On page 3, near the top, you say, “Destination is the heart nest, solar plexus, around the thymus gland.” MURAT: Yes, so what is the question? PAM: Is the solar plexus here? Points. MURAT: Well, this is debatable. There is not an expression of solar plexus in Kebzeh. At the time I gave these subjects in Kebzeh at the very beginning, as an introduction to the nests, I consulted Dr. Alan Grant. I talked with him about what is told when it is taught in Kebzeh teaching. He named them and I put them there, to make it understandable in the familiar language of the country. Later on it became a cause of argument among some others, as it is now. Alan agreed and certain things were changed. And this “solar plexus” expression was one of those slippery ones at that time. If it is misleading .... RALPH: Generally, the solar plexus is considered to be at the lower chest, radiating into the upper abdomen. MURAT: Some people say it is not considered to be there. If you consider this .... 301
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RALPH: Exactly, but in a medical context I am surprised that Alan would say it is up here (in the upper chest). If the solar plexus anatomically is here, if you just eliminated this, the heart plexus is here (points) around the thymus gland. You don’t even need “solar plexus.” MURAT: OK, cross it out. At that time, I remember that I said the same thing. I feel as if I am repeating the same thing. So all we have to know is the central part of your chest. RALPH: You are specifying around the thymus because the heart plexus actually has its core in the middle chest and it goes down into the solar plexus, and up here into the throat area. So, you specified the heart plexus around the thymus gland. MURAT: You are repeating exactly what Alan said again. He talked, I remember, about this ramification. RALPH: Yes. In an anatomy textbook it looks like the bottom right here (points), in the middle chest of a root of a tree, and the roots go up into the upper chest, and they go down into the solar plexus. What you have specified is the heart nest, which is right around the thymus gland. MURAT: Shall we erase “solar plexus?” RALPH: Yes. MURAT: Now, when you are doing this exercise you don’t concentrate on which colour vibration you are sending where. You are only, as I described to make it understood, having a series of various farm animals, including dogs and pigs, in your yard, each one of them having their manger. You put the proper food in for each one of them; you just provide it there for all of them together, and when the farm animals come, you open the gate, they come in, they run to wherever their corresponding food is. All the animals will find their way; they just jump on the procession and go to their proper compartments.
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MURAT: Did everybody have time to look at these papers? Joan, what did you do?
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JOAN: I read it aloud several times and I really savoured the language. The language spoke deeper than just the intellect; it went deeper than just the intellect and I tried to do, at the time, what was suggested. But I read the paper over many times before I actually tried to visualize. Then I started visualizing as I read. MURAT: If you read the paper in a focusing manner and slowly, going deeper, as much as you can, into the meaning the words bear, without visualizing, just like reading an ordinary text, does it have any effect on you? JOAN: Absolutely, yes. Especially, there are various places where it has a pronounced effect. MURAT: So if you do the visualizing aspect of it, wherever it is pointed out, does it have an increasing effect? JOAN: I didn’t get competent with my visualization yet. MURAT: When you were reading it, did you read very, very slowly? JOAN: Yes. That is because the language was so delicious. It was like an inner quieting, especially where you said: “still, still, still.” MURAT: I just wanted it to be like that. I am glad to hear that. JOAN: You were successful. MURAT: Does anybody want to speak of his own experience, as if Joan had said nothing? IVAN: I’ve just read it. I didn’t try and get into it at all because I understood we weren’t supposed to. MURAT: Well, it wasn’t so at all, but that’s all right—no problem. You will have a lot of time. At the end I said: Only God knows how long it will take. Anybody else? RALPH: I just read it through once, slowly, as Joan mentioned she did more than once. The only thing different, not to repeat what she said, was that I experienced a distinct separation and yet simultaneous operation of thinking and feeling. MURAT: That is what the job of contemplation is. 303
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RALPH: I think that the way you laid this out, as Joan was pointing out, it definitely has this poetic aspect that evokes the heart. MURAT: OK. What do you say, Diane? DIANE: It has an effect on the nests just reading it. MURAT: Perhaps I should disclose what I want to hear. When you read it slowly, like drinking a delicious drink drip by drip, did you feel that this response on the nests to the colour vibrations you were sending to them— without its being more specifically directed to them, but only as a bunch in which they had their own share—was felt even a little bit better than you could feel in the MEDITATION exercise? LUCY: I felt it actually when you were reading it Tuesday evening. I had an experience of something like that—what you are talking about. MURAT: By yourself, did you read? LUCY: No, I didn’t, because I know myself as zealous and I didn’t want to be zealous. MURAT: Like Ivan. PAM: I read it after meditation yesterday and today and I had a strong awareness of the core, as if all the nests were joining together in my own core, and it felt like all the colours were there in the very core. I did not see them specifically attached to different nests, but I just felt it all together. There was a very strong vibration of love and of yearning and it was very beautiful. MURAT: Marvellous. You are one step forward. LUCY: Actually I want to add something. After Tuesday when you were reading it, when I did just meditation, the way the corridor came, it came in a different way. PAM: That happened to me, too. RALPH: I was just going to say: what Pam and Lucy were saying reminded me of something. I had a feeling of a certain kind of pain.
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JOAN: Sweet pain? RALPH: Yes, I guess it fits to say sweet pain, longing, something like that. GREG: I had a similar reaction in terms of feeling uplifted, like experiencing poetry or music. There wasn’t anything specific, any one particular nest or another, but just the feeling of upliftment. MURAT: OK. In that case I would like to go into it a little bit further. I want to make a few remarks. I am addressing more particularly, if not solely, five people who just spoke, describing their experiences in feelings and reactions during their involvement in this exercise. These five people are: Joan, Pam, Lucy, Ralph and Greg. I see they are on the way—on the way to reaching the sought-after result. To help my own analytical approach to discovering the proper way to further lead those five people to the result, I shall ask a few questions. I am asking from all of these five people: Can you liken those feelings and reactions you experienced to any other involvement in your lives, in the course of which you can FEEL similarity. For example, Joan mentioned “a pronounced inner effect ... inner quieting ... delicious effect.” Pam mentioned a “strong awareness of the core as if all the nests are joining together in my own core ... like all the colours were there in the very core.” It gives a picture like a churning taking place in the whole system at the very core. In what other instance or experience in human inner life could something similar be found like it? Then she continues and says: “I did not see them specifically attached to different nests, but I just felt it all together as ONE.” She felt a very strong vibration of love and yearning, and stretching to reach something very beautiful—“It was very beautiful.” Can you imagine any other phenomenon in human life that may be likened to that? Could it be that when attending a poetry reading similar inner vibrations may visit, or attending a musical performance, a dance performance, a sports game, a very impressive sermon, or anything else, especially anything else? Ralph says: “A distinct separation and yet simultaneous operation of thinking and feeling ... poetic aspect that evokes the heart ... feeling a sweet pain,” like the pain of love, or pain of excess of pleasure. Like separation of polarity and the ecstasy of union of poles that follows. Lucy says: “I felt an expectation of excitement with a sweet impatience.” Greg says: “A feeling of upliftment like one feels in poetry and music, in my whole system.”
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What are all these things leading you to think of in the search for a similarity from among human phenomena? Think about it. This is your homework. I am not going to tell you. Why? Because if I tell you now, it shall lead to a series of sohbets, dialogues, classes. And the time for these did not yet come, but I hope it will come. Actually, I am sure it will come. Wait and see. If it doesn’t come, it will be because you did not prove yourselves ready for it, in which case you will read about it in the book I am presently writing.
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MURAT: Do you think that you have understood, and your putting your attention to your breathing in its orbiting, qualifying and locating aspect won’t divide your concentration and won’t take your attention? Can you do it without weakening your attention, can you do it spontaneously, or would you like to go first to exercise breathing only to gain fluency first in the practice aspect of breathing, before you do it within the process of the contemplative exercise as a whole? JOAN: Let’s try it in the whole way. MURAT: OK. In that case, I would like everybody to sit in a comfortable way, without any condition in your sitting other than being comfortable, and take your papers in hand. Don’t close your eyes. Be comfortable. This is one condition, and the second condition is: disregard any rule, only try to hear. Try to hear well and don’t close your eyes. Look at the paper and listen to the reading. Everybody follow the paper, breathing in the way that is easy and not trying to insist on its being very accurate. Only think of what you are doing. Put your mind on what you understand. That is why you put your attention on hearing, and as for the others, if it doesn’t disturb, doesn’t distract, do it too. Breathe any way you want. Read it. If I don’t think that you are reading it in the right way, I shall interfere at the beginning, but later on, even if you couldn’t find the right mode, I won’t interfere. Joan reads ....
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MURAT: It took ten minutes to read. You read very well. I would like to have some more reading. I would like to add something to it. I don’t want to write the words; I don’t think it is needed. If you want me to write, I shall write and give it to you later. When it comes to ablution, you have to make your ablution; practise it. I shall give you a sample. You don’t have to say the same words, or if you want, you can take it from the tape. An introductory exercise of contemplation doesn’t need to be read and the phrase: “Unification of Nests” also doesn’t need to be read. And ablution may be as simple as this: “As long as I am in my physical body to experience this life on this planet, I am not perfect. I have never been perfect, and I will never be perfect, no matter what my attainment will be, as long as I have to come back to my physical vehicle, after any trip I may be granted by the grace of the Source. Knowingly or unknowingly, I express my acknowledgment of all the wrongs I did, and if in the meantime I hurt anybody, I ask for forgiveness, just as whatever I felt I received from others, I forgive. I have no resentment, I have no blame, as I have no sense of guilt for anything which happened to any such person. I forgive anybody from whom I experienced any hurt, because I love them as much as my Lord loves them. I take refuge under the love of my Lord and I humbly beg forgiveness from everybody I may have hurt. Believing in the sincerity of my repentance, I feel cleansed, purged, washed from all resentment, pain and any sense of guilt I may feel after remembering them later.” Would you do a reading, Diane? Diane reads .... MURAT: The readings are improving. Good! Is there anybody who will volunteer to make another reading? LUCY: Murat, can I ask you a question before that? When we exhale into the Universe, do we visualize any colour? Is it a pink colour we exhale? MURAT: You exhale the same spectrum you are in. You are in the light all the time; you don’t stop being in the light. Free your attention, visualize. Nobody wants to read? Now, this time the person who reads should read and the rest should only listen with closed eyes, trying to go deeper in yourselves. Mary Anne reads .... MURAT: Excellent. Any more questions? PAM: I guess it is OK to say we are in a procession to meet our bridegroom.
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MURAT: What do you mean? PAM: Well, it says bride; I was just stating the obvious. MURAT: You can say bridegroom. You can say, if you want, Rex Harrison. LUCY: I have a question. MURAT: Yes, dear. LUCY: When we breathe in the spectrum of colours, we take it to the heart centre, and breathe out from the heart centre. So, are the two nests in the head also involved? Do we breathe colour vibrations into the head nests too? MURAT: When you breathe in the spectrum of colour vibrations, you take it to the heart centre and you don’t direct it out from the heart centre right away; you orbit it in a trajectory of an 8-shape through your head, calling at the head centres, and then the lower loop of the 8 goes through your body centres and back to the heart centre. You exercise in between stoppages of breath at the heart centre, and then you exhale it. Look at Figure 7 to see it. So, not only in the head but also in the whole body, the nests are visited and made part of the process. When your inhaling comes to the heart centre, at the end of the 8-shape trajectory, you come to a diminishing or ebbing of the in-breath, a near stoppage, which lasts two seconds, after which you start exhaling, your exhaling starting from the heart centre and not from the nostrils, which normally is the rule. As soon as your outbreath leaves your nostrils, it forks out in two directions: one goes straight ahead and immediately disperses into the atmosphere; the other goes upwards, following the outside contour of your face, over your skull, the back of your head, the nape of your neck, your back, and at the end of your body disperses in the atmosphere, at which time your exhalation comes to an ebb, near stoppage. After that, you start inhaling the next breath. Is that clear to you? LUCY: Yes, very clear. Thank you. MURAT: Thank you, Madam.
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CHAPTER XVI II
While in the Abode The ultimate goal to attain, as the result of contemplation in truth, is nothing less than reaching a particular and peculiar-to-its-kind ORGASM, in the love affair of human with its Marjah that is within us and with us.
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he main and fundamental spiritual exercises, such as plugging into the Universal Powerhouse, healing energy, extra-sensory perception, and projection of consciousness, are done while in the abode. To put it shortly and clearly, the practice of meditation-contemplation is the means of putting the human in the state of mind to be perceptive and receptive to the vibrations of the above-mentioned exercises as pre-requisites to some other ensuing results. What the practice of meditation-contemplation establishes in that whole series of exercises, is to develop the co-operative working of the intellectual and subconscious energies of consciousness in togetherness—simultaneously, parallelly, harmoniously and spontaneously. Working in this manner grants to the human, access to the omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence of the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power, therefore to God. By reaching omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence, human becomes able to do all the things God does, except one, and that is creating from nothing. And of course God does not plug into the Universal Powerhouse, because God IS the Universal Powerhouse Itself. In Abkhazian, the Universal Powerhouse is called Amtsadoo, which means ‘great fire’ and is used as synonymous to God in Abkhazian esoteric language. This also implies that since antiquity the wise men knew and taught that the Eternal Spirit of Creative Power was an Energy, electromagnetic by nature and Consciousness by kind. And for the last 150 years, after electricity was discovered and harnessed for the use of human, electricity was called, in Abkhazian: Amtsadoo. The teaching aspect of Kebzeh reaches its completion in true understanding of it, at the very moment the phenomenon of meditation-contemplation has reached its final cooking-level, because at that level its student has come to the vantage point where he no longer needs a teacher. At this point he enters into the infinite field of creativity to undertake the rest of it himself. Consequently I shall dwell on it a little more in order to reach the very 313
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sealing point. I shall refer to midway through Chapter XVII, where I had put a recess sign, after which the dialogue starts with the words: “Did everybody have time to look at these papers?” If the reader reads once again the whole dialogue between the attending students and myself in that chapter, he will observe that by asking the students to what other phenomena in human life the state of feeling, vibration and consciousness experienced in these exercises could be likened, the students (more specifically, five of them: Ralph, Pam, Joan, Greg and Lucy) came very close to describing the starting sensation of an orgasm. By my leading the dialogue, encouraging them to think and ponder further, I was trying to help them add to their descriptions of their personal experience so that eventually they would come to say: “It feels like the starting phase of a sexual orgasm.” But such a concept was such an unthought-of thing that it never occurred to them to dare to say it clearly and confidently. However, if we turn our attention once more to exerting some efforts in perusing the literature of our religious and spiritual teachings at their esoteric level, we shall find that the relationship between divine and human is expressed, more often than not, by the words: bridegroom, lover, climax (in Sufi language vuslat, arus), and many things referring and relating to a love affair. This is precisely what I mean when I mention “reaching the final cooking level of contemplation.” Despite being familiar with the above-mentioned expressions in the esoteric aspect of spiritual teaching, our having missed what directly and clearly they meant, derives from the fact that we take them purely in their symbolic meaning as expressed in romantic and implicit language. We never think that what is being described is a phenomenal experience of a physiologically factual character. Now it is time for us to come clearly into the field of science and, experimenting with it from a scientific platform, understand in truth why Kebzeh says in Chapter XI, “God is sexual energy”, and comprehend that this is a purely scientific statement and NOT an allegorical one. Let me express it further as follows: The ultimate goal to attain, as the result of contemplation in truth, is nothing less than reaching a particular and peculiar-to-its-kind ORGASM, in the love affair of human with its Marjah that is within us and with us. All the exercises applied towards that sublime goal are nothing but a methodical and sophisticatedly-formulated form of ‘masturbation’, created over thousands of years in time, and as a result of thousands upon thousands of years of experiences in the esoteric spiritual teaching of Ahmsta Kebzeh. Its translation from masturbation to the real phenomenon of lovemaking can be reached by applying the acquired wisdom of becoming ONE with 314
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the SOURCE to our daily life occurrences, to triumph in reaching the abundant LIFE. And without this phase of the real phenomenon mentioned here, all of Ahmsta Kebzeh will be nothing but a delightful dream.
STUDY OF THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THAT MASTURBATION When the word masturbation is uttered, its immediate meaning is: “Reaching sexual orgasm by self-stimulation sexually without a real sex partner to represent the other pole.” The Oxford Dictionary gives its definition as: “Arousing oneself sexually or causing another person to be aroused by manual stimulation of the genitals.” The definition given by Webster is: “Stimulation of the genital organs to orgasm achieved by manual or other bodily contact, exclusive of sexual intercourse.” From these definitions it is immediately obvious that these are very incomplete definitions of masturbation. In fact, any way of reaching sexual orgasm without the actual presence of the polarity of the opposite sex is masturbation. This is point number one. And the second point is that masturbation is not performed by manual or any other bodily contact alone, but also by activating the mind by fantasizing or visualizing by evoking mentally sexy images, or remembering sexually stimulating observations from daily occurrences of the facts of life, looking intensely at a picture or movie and intensifying or further activating this process, or by using some sound, colour or smell vibration that stimulates the sexual nests in the nervous system of the human body. Even by using all these auxiliary means and without using manual or any other bodily contact, orgasm can be achieved. In such cases it is still masturbation, because they are auto-suggestive without the presence of a sex partner, therefore void of true polarity, and polarity is engendered by visualization. Furthermore, there are some other extremely pleasurable phenomena which have nothing to do with sexual pleasure or anything to do with sex, but are related to some other pleasures such as self-esteem, vanity, the yearning to be appreciated, to be loved, to be envied, to be found utterly impressive, brilliant, an utterly successful and highly skilled performer in sports or the fine arts. Some people can go from wave to wave of ecstasy just sitting in solitude in a private corner and day-dreaming through visualized, imagined pictures of concocted episodes and other forms and kinds of orgasm, absolutely asexual, and should this become a habit, they may become addicted to it to the extent of being unable to do their daily work. All this is also masturbation without being related to sex. But such people certainly have their orgasms. Many young children may become drop-outs from school just because 315
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they cannot give up their day-dreaming orgasms. To distinguish these from sexual orgasms let us call them climaxes, but it doesn’t make them any different. They are orgasms by masturbation. Masturbation of all kinds is detrimental by nature unless it is exercised consciously for the purpose of being a preliminary experience to true climax or orgasm, to get acquainted with climax and then seek and reach the real and true partner of climax. Also, if too long a time is spent on masturbation, the physiological and psychological system gets so used to fantasizing that it becomes later on totally alien to living the real experience and thus utterly incapable of focusing on oneness and true union with a live partner. The performer keeps making love to the partner in his imagination rather than to the one he is holding in his arms; it is a true tragedy. This situation is valid in both sexual and asexual cases.
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After having covered the generalities concerning the nature of masturbation and orgasm, I would like to specify my observations in the case of contemplation. Again I would like to start from a broad general character and taper it from there to the specific case of contemplation. Orgasm, which is the ultimate vibration of the human emotion of sex, manifests its steps of accelerando and crescendo differently in the case of the male and the female, from the point of view of its characteristics— physical, chemical and its field of activity—and ends up also in a totally different kind of ebb. The most accentuated difference is that the female orgasm does not involve ejaculation to make its contribution to the procreative aspect of sex. This contribution, which is made by the male in the chemical context of the ejaculation in every case of intercourse as a part of each orgasm, is made by the female in a manner totally apart from sexual intercourse, as a periodic supply each month, whether the female gets involved in sex or not. The involvement of ejaculation in the case of male orgasm contributes to male orgasm a material character in the form of chemical matter, making it the very manifestation of orgasm. This fact, therefore, makes male orgasm an electrochemical phenomenon while female orgasm is an electro-psychological, and consequently magnetic phenomenon. This difference attributes an active character to male orgasm whereas female orgasm manifests a passive character. While male orgasm manifests a giving character, female orgasm implies a receiving character. 316
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While the accelerando of male orgasm is fast and the ebb is abrupt, the accelerando of female orgasm is slow and deep, and the ebb is like a beloved slowly disappearing into the horizon’s misty embrace. The contemplative climax is an electromagnetic phenomenon, more like a female orgasm manifesting itself in either a male or a female. A female subject engaged in the exercise of contemplation is naturally more apt for successful contemplation than a male, and she will find herself more readily at home with it. But on the other hand, a male, when successful in contemplative orgasm, will experience the joy of it more delightfully, as a totally new, heavenly experience, like an unknown delight to him. If we look at the experience of orgasm generally in human sexual intercourse, we shall discover frequent cases of failure. A great majority of men, some 98 percent, may reach orgasm in sexual intercourse, but the quality of orgasm will be good in very few cases, maybe 20 percent. The reason for this is MOSTLY the lack of sex edification available to men to enhance and to bring the quality of their application of sex up to a proper level, and PARTLY the natural difference between male and female orgasm with respect to the velocity of the accelerando of orgasm between them. A great majority of women, some 80%, cannot experience orgasm in sexual intercourse because the man completes intercourse too fast, and because the woman did not yet get to the height of her accelerando to orgasm, it ebbs away in disappointment. We shall cover these matters in wider detail in Volume II, and I shall leave it now after having said this much. Here I shall go into further detail on masturbation in its more comprehensive aspects and meanings—in other words, not only exclusively in its direct sexual aspect, but also and mostly by expanding to its mental and spiritual aspects. For the student to be able to follow easily my explanations here, I would advise him to go back to Part Two, Chapters IV to XI, where human transformation is tackled. The laws of Nature and the methods of applying those laws to upward transformation of human Energy of Consciousness are explained there, more particularly in Chapter IX. As a result of the exercise of contemplation, when the student, after “The Unification of the Nests”, arrives at the stage of “Life in the Abode” and then “While in the Abode”, where he becomes endowed with the attributes of Omniscience, Omnipresence and Omnipotence of God, he exer317
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cises his newly acquired FACULTIES in processing his ascension in the levels of the spiritual Energies of Consciousness, using those laws of Nature explained in the above-mentioned chapters on transformation by applying visualization and imagination, in deep concentration in the method of ‘Imitation leads to Truth’. Thus he will materialize, by the activated pharmaceutical products engendered by the neuro-pharmaceutical laboratory in the human nervous system, which on their part generate the aimed-at-result of reaching Union with Marjah, the very person of the ‘Eternal Spirit of Creative and Providing Power’. The Climax of this Union is the successful result of the contemplation, and all this endeavour is what I call ‘Spiritual Masturbation’. This is only its theoretical and scientific explanation. For it to occur in practice takes time and uninterrupted, steady focus and perseverance. I cannot continue further here on this topic without entering into the explanation of a personal episode from my own life. To be able to see deeper and more clearly into the phenomena of nervous vibrational waves that take place in successive accelerando to climax in a spiritual ecstasy, it would help if the human sensation in sexual ecstasy were taken as a simulative example in sexual masturbation. Now, at this particular spot of my relating to my reader, I am urged to confess a very personal and private fact. While all I relate concerning the mystical experience of SPIRITUAL MASTURBATION comes from my personal firsthand experience through my involvement with mysticism, what I am relating concerning SEXUAL MASTURBATION comes from my keen observations and analyses in my lifelong close contacts with acquaintances and students seeking my teachings and advice, simply because I did not have the chance to experience sexual masturbation personally in my lifetime. The reason for that is a long story, but I think I should take the trouble to tell it. In 1916, when my grandfather, Agan Sad, immigrated with his whole family from Ashkara, Caucasus Mountains to Istanbul in the Ottoman (or Othman) Empire, I was a 14-month old baby. The family of my grandmother, who was originally from Ubukh, Caucasus, on the Black Sea coast, had already immigrated to the Ottoman Empire 51 years earlier, during the Great Caucasus Exodus, and settled in what is Western Turkey today, in the district of Bandirma. As soon as my grandfather’s family arrived in Istanbul, it doubled in size by joining my grandmother’s family, already considerable in number. When the news came of my grandfather’s arrival, all my grandmother’s relatives came to welcome us newcomers, Bandirma being not too far from Istanbul. Throughout the following four years, namely until my grandfa318
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ther’s death and the death of my grandmother six months later, and the subsequent four years spent in the tumult of the War of Independence waged by the Turkish nation against the invading Greek army (ending in the triumph of the Turks and the declaration of the Republic of Turkey), our home in Istanbul became a place that was frequently visited by the Ubukh clan of Berzek Degum-yikua. Among them was a young cavalry officer in the Turkish Army by the name of Hosrov Medjid Berzek, whom we called Uncle Medjid because he belonged to the family of my father’s mother—my father’s uncles and aunts. Later on, in 1922, he was seriously wounded in the War of Independence. He survived the wound for a few months, but despite highly skilled treatment he passed away. My father took him all the way to Switzerland for treatment on a special train, but it did not help. May God bless his soul; he was a very remarkable person—a strikingly handsome, meticulously dressed, attractively behaved and highly dignified gentleman. Because he was stationed in one of the military barracks in Istanbul he made our house his home and permanent residence and lived with us until he passed away. His greatest interest in the house was ‘the children’. We were 15 children in the house (brothers, sisters and cousins). His most serious job was to see how properly we were being raised, how well we behaved, how we got along with each other, what our weak points were, and how generously we behaved with one another. We had a huge playroom at the north wing of the house. In winter we would play in this room, only occasionally going out when the weather was favourable. In the late afternoon, when Uncle Medjid came home from his daily work, instead of entering the house from the main door, which was in the middle of the building between the north and south wings, he would continue his walk to the north wing and use the north wing door to enter, stopping first at our playroom to check with us what we had done during the day. If we had done any handwork such as drawings, paper work or woodwork, he would ask who had done which. Then he would question us about what we had done and what we intended to express by it. He would find hundreds of things to talk about. He would enquire how we got along, whether anybody had any complaint concerning not being treated well by anybody. If there were any such complaint, he would establish a court case between parties to dialogue. He always found a good way for parties to get reconciled, apologize, forgive, shake hands, hug each other and so on. I was the oldest—28 months older than the next in age, a cousin of mine, my uncle’s son. I was the only child born before we came to Istanbul. All the others were born within the four years following our arrival, children of three ‘uncles’ who were cousins of my father. 319
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When I was five years old, I was sent to a local school run by an elderly lady and her son, a private school sustained by the parents of the attending students. It was a Koranic school. Although we did not belong to any religion existing in that country, the Elders thought that it was a good thing for me to go to a Koranic school, Islam being the religion of the country we were in, and also that it would speed up learning the language of the country as well as allowing me to get to know the children of the neighbourhood. Uncle Medjid was out of town for a month or two when I was sent to school. Upon his return he quickly noticed that I was writing my homework with my left hand. He was horrified. He made it his most serious business to stop this terrible and unacceptable tragedy, and settled himself to the task. He forced me to use my right hand for hours and hours, sitting like a bird of prey beside me. If he had to go somewhere for ten minutes or so, he would tie my left hand to my belt at my back. When I took my homework to school the following day, my teacher reprimanded me, saying I hadn’t paid enough attention to my homework and had my mind on the playground. I couldn’t tell him my dilemma because it would be like complaining about my Elder, and that was unacceptable in our tradition. For a couple of weeks I cheated both my Elder and my teacher. I wrote my homework with my right hand at home, and on my way to school, taking a short cut through the backyard of a small mosque, I stopped at the open shed where there were marble tables on which coffins were placed during the ceremony of funeral prayers. On those tables I re-wrote the homework with my left hand and thus gained the teacher’s acceptance. In the meantime, to punish myself for the unethical attitude of cheating, I put in double, triple, quadruple time to practising writing with my right hand, until my right-hand writing became acceptable to both my uncle and my teacher. For the rest of my life I have never used my left hand for any task except that of holding the reins of the headpiece of my horse’s harness, so it remained always an auxiliary second hand. Uncle Medjid was a very keen and sharp observer and would never miss an opportunity to teach something to a growing youngster. He would always welcome any inquisitive question from a child, answer it with great joy and meticulous truth, and would make sure his answer was understood. One evening, in 1921, when I was six years old, a big banquet was being held in the house. (In those days such occasions were very common. It was the time my father was involved in guerrilla warfare, smuggling weapons and ammunition from occupation armies and Ottoman arsenals in Istanbul to Anatolia at places on the Black Sea coast. Every once in a while in the evening and all through the night until dawn, the house and the vast 320
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yard around the house would be crowded with Circassians and Black Sea people who handled maritime traffic to help the national army in the War of Independence. And also once in a while, the occasion to celebrate a victory would not be missed.) On that evening, many dozens of tables were set in the big dining hall. People had taken their places around the tables. Some younger people were standing against the walls. They would not join the formal banquet but would eat later on. Uncle Medjid was standing near the main door of the hall and I was close to him, slightly behind him. An elderly Abaza dressed in a gray Circassian outfit got up at the table to toast for grace. He spoke in the Abaza dialect, which was the dialect of my clan; that is how I knew he was an Abaza. I understood that dialect better than any other Abkhazian or Adigeah dialects, although I understood them all just well enough to know what people were talking about. Our house was a place, in those times, where Circassians of various tribes lived, and many Circassian dialects were spoken, including Chechen and Avar. This Abaza’s discourse took at least five minutes. It consisted of praise of the tradition, an explanation of the reason for the present gathering, prayers for those who worked and strove for the nation, and so on, and then he said: “May the Mother of all Creation support us to never forget our identity and tradition, and never leave us without trouble.” I was not sure whether I had heard the last word right or not. I pulled at the skirt of Uncle Medjid’s uniform and enquired whether I had heard right. And he told me that I had indeed. I asked him how it made sense that he was asking for trouble from ‘Mothers’ (which means God the Creator in the Abkhazian language). Uncle Medjid said: “Look, unfortunately now is not the most suitable time to answer your question. But even if it was you would not understand the answer in depth now, but perhaps later when you grow up. I shall give you an answer anyhow—a short and concise answer. You will memorize it now, and later, much later, you will understand: “No God-given trouble can be worse than a human-concocted one.” “Repeat it,” he said. I repeated it. He made me repeat it three times. Ten years later, when I was 16 years old, deeply involved in delving into every available source of wisdom in search of knowledge to decipher the mystery of what is called God, I ran across a verse in the Koran, the Holy Book of Islam: La yukellif-ullahi nefsen illa vus’e-ha, meaning: God won’t charge your self with more than it can bear. It reminded of the saying of Uncle Medjid, but didn’t click in my mind exactly so that one could say: “the penny dropped.” However, another eight years later, when I was 24, right after I graduated from the chilleh work during my time in the Bektashi Tekye, I came across another similar verse in the New Testament of the Bible, First Corinthians, Chapter 10, verse 13: “No temptation has seized 321
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you except that is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out, so that you can endure it.” At that time, I presume, I was ripe to receive the message. When I came to the end of my sixth year, the curriculum in the local district Koranic school was going to include more subjects besides reading and writing from the Koran, and those subjects were to be arithmetic and some Turkish grammar. Uncle Medjid pulled me aside and delivered to me a long and eloquent discourse. Although this discourse was very descriptive and elaborate, I shall sum it up succinctly as follows: “Now,” said Uncle Medjid, “this coming year after the summer vacation, you are going to start arithmetic and grammar classes. Your Turkish is developing very well. You have a very slight accent on certain words, your brothers and sisters being Turkish born are better than you in conversation, but your knowledge of the language is far superior. You won’t have any problem in that subject. I would like to talk to you mostly about arithmetic. It is a general attitude in school years to consider arithmetic—and mathematics in general—as a major and most difficult subject; there is even a phobia developed about it being a redoubtable one. This is nothing but prejudice; it is just a wrong concept. Mathematics in general is the simplest and most easy-going subject, which does not require long reading, studying and tedious memory work and so on. There is only one thing to achieve and it is to develop some understanding of it. But the most important achievement which is needed is never to allow that phobia to develop in your conceptual mind towards it at the very beginning of your involvement with it, and I know a very efficient way to achieve this. It is to enter the first class of arithmetic fully and superlatively prepared for it—feel yourself to be the best in the class and get comfortable and thoroughly at home in it. This state of being, which is nothing but a state of mind and simple concept, shall stay with you for the rest of your life. To gain that state of mind of superiority, the best thing to do is to learn the TABLE OF MULTIPLICATION fluently, free of the slightest hesitation, prior to attending the arithmetic class, during the summer holidays preceding it. This is what we are going to do this summer.” Sure enough, that summer Uncle Medjid worked me on the table of multiplication, and everything worked out exactly the way he had described and explained. Years later in my baccalauréat examinations I won a scholarship in geometry from a French business company. So far I have talked about how much I learned from Uncle Medjid. Now I come at last to the final thing he taught me, and that is the one I wanted to 322
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arrive at. From the narrative I have given above, my reader must have built up some idea about Cavalry Lieutenant Hosrov Medjid Berzek Degumyikua. Uncle Medjid used to take us—the six boys of the family’s fifteen children—to hike on the Bosphorus hills or walk in the neighbourhood’s many city parks. Every one of these trips contained many learning experiences. From our observations from all around he would never miss picking up an opportunity to teach something. On one of these excursions, which happened to be the last one, he was taking us for a walk to the small park on the seashore across the main street, down the hill from our house. After that, we didn’t see him for a longer time than usual, and when we saw him he had been wounded in battle and never again got up from his bed. He passed away in a few months. When we came down the steep cobblestone street from our house to the sidewalk of the main street, we stopped to wait for a gap in the traffic to cross the street. Some twenty feet away on the sidewalk a boy was lying— shuddering, jumping, convulsing in great agitation and brusque movements. His whole body and face, with his foaming mouth muddy with the dust of the sidewalk and his bulging eyes, exhibited a terrifying view. He looked about 12 to 13 years old, quite well-dressed and nice-looking, despite all this. There were a couple of men beside him, not knowing what to do. Obviously the boy was epileptic. I was eight years old at that time. All of us were utterly distressed. The two younger boys in our group started crying; they were five years old. Uncle Mejdid immediately gathered our attention, turned to me and said: “Do you know why this boy happens to be like that?” I gave him a sheepish, enquiring look. “This boy,” he said, “went to an obscure corner where nobody could see him and played with his private parts. That is why he is now suffering this incurable curse.” I could hardly restrain myself from bursting into uncontrollable sobs of fear, thinking that perhaps my touching my private parts, even when urinating, would cause such a curse to fall on me. For a long time after that I was careful not to touch my private parts even for necessary reasons, and when urinating I opened the front of my pants in such a way as to avoid this. In time, this phobia concerning the touching in urination passed away, but playing with my private parts, and even thinking of such a thing, was buried in oblivion, and sexual masturbation never occurred nor developed in my life.
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Now, as for spiritual masturbation, which is what I call all the mystical exercises, and certainly more so the exercise of contemplation, I would like to relate to my readers the way I experienced it for the first time, which surprised me a great deal, and delighted me as well. It was in 1938. I was 23 years old, and at the time I was in my third year in the Bektashi Tekye of Shah Kulu Dergah at Merdiven Koy, Ich Erenkoy, Istanbul, Turkey. I was considered by my sheikh sufficiently matured to be put into chilleh work with its mystical drills and exercises. To describe and discover thoroughly what the chilleh work in Sufi mysticism of Islamic discipline is about, could take a 300-page volume. Briefly and extra-concisely expressed, it is: Testing and developing the endurance of an individual applicant to face triumphantly, with loving patience, the ordeals of life in its multi-million kinds of hardship. Traditionally it is stated that an applicant is allowed 1001 days of work and strife to ‘cook’ in the ordeal of chilleh, which means 24,024 hours. This time can be reduced to a much shorter duration depending on the aptitude and genetic inheritance of the subject individual, but as for its taking longer than 1001 days, this is never even considered, let alone attempted. According to the conditions of the times in human history—the geographical, climatic, vocational, social, and educational characteristics—the programming of chilleh work has been practised, and the facts of life in all its imaginable aspects tackled. From the questions people have asked me, I came to understand that many think of chilleh work as consisting of living in a cell or cave in absolute solitude for a tremendous length of time. It is true that some chilleh work is done in the solitude of a cell or other type of confined conditions, but also in some up-country life conditions that require considerable endurance, and hardships in human social relationships are involved as well. The true fundamental goal of any mystical traditional practice being to gain the ability of living this life here below, in this Garden of Eden, abundantly, it is essential that an attained person does everything he is entitled to do in his daily life in the best possible way and at the highest level that this particular thing may be done. If an individual is a very well-trained and efficient person in his or her profession, but otherwise a very poorly behaved person as a father, mother, brother, sister, neighbour, friend, human and so on, he or she will be a very mediocre member of humanity as a mystic. The individual value of anything, be it human, animal, thing or tool of any kind, will be praised and evaluated according to its performance in team work, in a system. In my personal case, as soon as I was received into the Tekye in 1935, when I was 20, I was taken under training and a guide (rehber) was assigned 324
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to me. My whole training consisted of my chilleh work. My sheikh had a high opinion of me and he held Circassian people and their tradition in general in high regard. Within the very first week after I was welcomed to the Tekye he said to me: “You are going to learn a lot in this place. But I also have a lot to learn from you.” I did not really understand at first. Ten years after graduating from the Tekye, I started understanding, and my understanding grows with every passing day. There is no limit to human evolution of consciousness. At this specific time in my chilleh work, as I started relating above, I was engaged for a length of time in mystical exercises in and around meditation and contemplation. Two weeks before this particular day I was confined to a cell to go deeper in my exercises (vazifah), at the same time that I had to start fasting on water alone. I should talk a bit about what a cell is; the reader may visualize an awful image of a cell for chilleh work. A traditional cell for this purpose is a very small room, approximately nine by eight feet in dimension, kept meticulously clean, very cheerfully and extremely simply furnished, nicely illuminated by rather small windows installed high up, and richly decorated with kilims and carpets. The furnishings consist of a divan alongside one of the walls (on which at night the occupant lays his bedding, and in the morning picks it up and puts it in a closet), a few cushions or fleeces on the floor, and a low small table on which to place a pitcher of water and some small things. Outside the room, in the corridor, there is a washroom for every four or five cells. In this particular Tekye the running water in the washroom system was among the highest quality of drinking water in Istanbul, coming from a nearby mountain called Kyishdagh, and the water itself was called Yakadjik suyu; it was sold in demijohns in the metropolis of Istanbul, for drinking. I started fasting for an undetermined period of time, until my guide would tell me it was enough, my being allowed only water and that to be taken sparingly. The date was 13 May 1938, when I confined myself to the cell and started meditation, contemplation and fasting at the same time. My daily programme was as follows: rise at 5 a.m.; do one hour of physical exercises ending with skin dry-brushing and skin-rubbing all over the body; toilet and shower; two hours of meditation-contemplation; half an hour’s walk and fresh air in the garden; one hour reading; one hour noon break; free time; two hours’ meditation-contemplation; one hour hymn singing, music; two hours’ meditation-contemplation; one hour keeping my daily diary; one and a half hour of hymn singing, music, zikr. Between each of the seven vazifah there would be a 15-minute recess, making nearly two hours. So there were 13 hours a day spent on vazifahs and two hours on recesses—a 15-hour daily programme from 5 o’clock in the morning to 8 325
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o’clock in the evening. Bedtime was at 9 p.m. The time schedule was strictly observed. In a case of shirking, which was extremely rare, you would be sent to the kitchen to cut firewood for a period of time determined by your guide. In my case, the first day of fasting was very welcome—enjoyably received by my system. My meditation-contemplation sessions were deeply sensed and very enjoyable. I retired for the night with a heart full of gratitude and happiness. The second day, some time in the early afternoon the direction of the wind changed. It started coming from the side of the kitchen, and brought in a delicious smell of baking bread. Or perhaps it seemed that way to me, but in any case I felt hungry. My meditation-contemplation became very enjoyable. In my readings I felt more receptive and I applied myself more concentratedly. My tendency to sleepiness when reading did not visit me as persistently as usual; I enjoyed my readings better. During my walk in the orchard my guide joined me; we talked a little. I asked him whether I could stay longer on contemplation because I had begun to enjoy it much more. He said: “No, definitely no. Keep on schedule.” He told me I didn’t drink enough water—I should drink at least five glasses a day—and added that I was doing well. On the third day, I felt strongly that I could handle and enjoy a good lunch. I drank a little more water. In the afternoon my reading was very much disturbed by sleepiness; I could hardly understand and follow what I was reading. The day dragged on. But I made it. Late in the afternoon my guide visited and checked with me. He had a look at my diary and said that, for sleepiness, I could add a session of garden walking in the afternoon or spend more time outside in the fresh air in my recesses. He asked me how my bowel movements were. I said they had been all right until yesterday, but that day I had not yet had any. He told me to drink more water. If it persisted, I should drink warm water. The fourth day, my feeling of hunger had subsided somewhat, but I felt very low in energy. My mystical exercises that were only on meditationcontemplation were lacking in Life-force. I felt like a mosquito in October. That day my guide appeared during my meditation session, and checked with me by asking some questions. He told me that if I felt sleepy, to yield to it and go ahead and sleep and when I woke up to check my watch and resume my schedule. It happened to be a very mischievous day. When I set myself to meditate, I felt very sleepy. When I let myself go to sleep I couldn’t sleep. Then I set my mind to meditate and then I slumbered. I did a lot of singing in a very low voice most of the time. I couldn’t compose myself to write my journal; I gave up. I ignored all my schedule. I took off for a walk and fresh air. It felt very good and enjoyable. I felt a bit guilty about ignoring my schedule and questioned myself on whether it was all right. Immediately 326
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my guide appeared, smiling and said: “It is all right, very much all right.” In the evening my bed seemed very comforting and welcome. I had a good night of deep sleep. The fifth day, I got up somewhat recharged. My morning physical exercise, brushing, rubbing and shower became attractive and lively. I sang funny Circassian songs all the time I was doing them. My feeling of hunger had changed into something different. Instead of calling it hunger I would be more inclined to call it appetite for life in general, meaning for everything that is a part of life and something enjoyable. It felt like freedom from a burden—a feeling of independence, self-sufficiency, even security. I felt as if I could live the rest of my life without eating. The brothers I met for short intervals in my recesses were asking me questions about how I was doing. Their greatest concern seemed to be about smoking; they were inquiring mostly how I could bear not smoking, and when I said I didn’t smoke anyhow they said that in that case I could fast for ages. It was exactly how I felt that fifth day. When I went out for a break to do my walking in the garden, I felt like running and jumping. I felt so much springiness in my legs, and I did run a while. I felt new blood in me. That afternoon I wrote my journal for the previous day also. It felt as if a new and noticeable clarity of mind was flowing into my whole system. On the sixth day and for the following days until the thirteenth day— seven days in a row—I can say, without any exaggeration, that I enjoyed the most delightful type of life of my entire period of living on this Earth. I felt as if this meditation-contemplation exercise was feeding me with a totally different heavenly nourishment which contained an unknown feeding and sustaining strength. My potentiality had increased in every type, line and kind of activity. My mental grasp and reach showed an amazing creative capacity, my physical strength manifested to a point I had not known before, my endurance and speed in running, high jumping, long jumping, amazed me. In my contemplation, whatever might be the form of an idea or thought that came to my mind, I knew all the results and consequences of its ramifications. Anything I wanted to know, instantaneously I came to know it. Any desire, attraction and yearning that dropped into my thinking became a tangible reality—I had it, I reached it, I conquered it. I could bring to my presence anybody I wanted instantaneously—touch them, talk to them, exchange material things with them. One day, during the eleventh day’s evening contemplation, I wanted to experiment with a corroborative test. I wanted to visit my mother at home, which was in downtown Istanbul, across the Bosphorus, to give her something and check with her later. I projected myself to her presence. She was lying asleep on the divan in the third floor hall, taking an afternoon nap. I put a ten lira bill in the hollow of her hand and came back. When I checked with her later on, she had received the bill all right and didn’t know where it had come from. 327
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Within this seven-day period from the sixth to the thirteenth day, many things developed in my spiritual quest. I wouldn’t be exaggerating a bit if I said: UNTIL THIS VERY MOMENT (the sixth day of June 2001), IN THE 85 YEARS AND 173 DAYS I HAVE LIVED ON THIS PLANET, THOSE SEVEN DAYS ARE THE ONLY TIME I TRULY LIVED, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THOSE SEVEN DAYS I REACHED AND TASTED THE CLIMAX OF THE RESONANCE OF UNION WITH MY MAKER (WHICH I CALL SPIRITUAL ORGASM), FREELY AND RIGHTFULLY, VOID OF PREJUDICE. I shall continue in full detail the story of this seven-day period, and then the remaining six days until the end of fasting, as the whole fast lasted nineteen days, at which time I was told by my guide to stop and break it, upon the order of my sheikh, Sheikh Hasan Tahsin Baba (May God sanctify His Secret).* Like every other aspect of my connection with the myriad phenomena of life, my meditation-contemplation exercise also exhibited much greater effects and magnitude. When I refer to the daily diaries I kept of those days as part of my vazifahs, I discover in meticulous detail the bewilderment I frequently experienced regarding those effects. My receptivity to divine inflow and my sensitivity for picking up so promptly some little messages, previously almost imperceptible to me, had never before been an aptitude so fully possessed by me. I discovered that I knew so much about everything that earlier I had been entirely callous or even ignorant about. All these things started showering upon me like the much desired blessings of rain, and I was experiencing a vivid life-renewing effect. Among many astounding developments, the most astounding was happening in my meditation-contemplation exercises. I do not know how to elucidate properly all the phenomenal manifestations I found myself experiencing in the field of contemplative vibrations. One thing I noticed very clearly and repeatedly happening was that as soon as I had the thought of setting myself in contemplation, I felt as if, in the middle of a scorching desert, I was surrounded by the cool and refreshing stream of a crystal-clear waterfall. It was a feeling unmistakably similar to the time I had thought of a greatly missed mistress, in full force of my sexual energy, in full force of my burning desire, in its utmost disarming ecstasy, appearing in the glorious beauty of her nakedness in front of me, just within ___________ * May God sanctify His Secret = Kaddes-Allahu Sirra 328
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my immediate reach. My whole being shuddered with an irresistible vibration of ecstasy of orgasmic accelerando in all my nervous system, but with no manifestation in my circulatory system, meaning without an erection. The area of concentration of the whole phenomenon, instead of being centered in my genital nests, was felt multifold in my heart nest, having its roots at my back, slightly under my shoulder blades, and spreading from there, not over my whole body alone, but spreading from there to the whole Universe, mushrooming like an atomic explosion, only in the brightest rosy colour fully endowed with the captivating sweetness of sexual energy. In one instance I felt I was dying. Oh! Was it sweet! And later on, when I became aware of not having died, I experienced one of the deepest disappointments of my life. Thereupon, for the first time, I cheated both my sheikh and guide. Unbeknownst to them, I increased my exercises of contemplation to full time. I discovered later that they had indeed been aware of it, but they were lovingly and condoningly generous and forgiving. I enjoyed my life in the Heaven of those vibrations until the thirteenth day of my chilleh work. On the thirteenth day, at 1 o’clock in the morning, something, a change, happened in my experience. I woke up with an extremely high frequency of sexual impulse. I felt so ‘horny’ that I cannot remember neither before nor later in my life having experienced any similar level of horniness. I was experiencing an erection I had never experienced before. I immediately got up from my bed, and went to the washroom to empty my bladder, thinking that unusual pressure was causing the situation. It was not practically possible to urinate because of the stiffness of the erection. It was impossible to soften it. I wondered if I was passing a kidney stone or something like that, but I didn’t have any pain. I had something firmly blocked somewhere—I wasn’t able to tell what. I took an icy cold shower. As I prolonged showering to two or three minutes, some soothing effect started to be felt. In five minutes or so the pressure and consequently the erection softened. I was able to urinate. I took a walk in the fresh air for half an hour, then I went to bed and slept peacefully until 5 a.m. My sexual impulse and horniness persisted all day. I could not understand and make sense of the whole situation. Was I being fed by the hunger of the fast? As for hunger, I no longer felt it. Where did I get all this energy— physical, sexual and mental? One thing was certain: I experienced an unusual potency in all these areas. The high tension of my erection was no longer with me, but I was in a continuous state of what I would call half or near-erection. I skipped my sessions of contemplation in the morning and 329
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afternoon, thinking I was too alert sexually to dare play with sexual energy. In mid-afternoon I took a walk in the fields. Some dervishes were working on the irrigation system, putting the channels in good order for summer irrigation. I joined them for an hour, digging ditches and shoveling earth, thinking it might help my horniness. Later that afternoon I had a visit from my guide. I discussed with him all my experiences, hoping he could throw some light on their cause. He listened quietly to me, with deep concentration, but the only response he gave was a sweet smile of compassion, and he left quietly, saying: “You are such a blessed soul of the Almighty.” After he moved away, I felt like a hungry cat left without being fed. In the early evening, the lady dervish I called Virgin Mary, (mentioned in my book I Come From Behind Kaf Mountain), dropped in to greet me. She had been appointed as my ‘companion on the path’ two years earlier by my sheikh and I had gone through some mystical experiences with her. And we had had a very deep friendship and comradeship. She was some twenty years older than me. I had given her the name Virgin Mary, which pleased her greatly, and our closeness developed very much in fullness of the name. She had brought a pitcher of water with her as a visiting present, saying: “This is the same water you are drinking, the only difference being that it has my blessings and prayers for you in it.” Seeing her pacified and soothed my tensions with a healing effect. When she was leaving she said: “Baba is in very close contact with you and is very pleased by the way you are progressing, and he says that you have brought some renewal of hope with you to his life and to the life of this community.” Certainly I have never felt alone. On the following day, the fourteenth day of my fasting work, I woke up at 1 a.m. again, and immediately I checked whether I was in the same situation as the day before, meaning horny and in erection. I discovered to my delight that I was not. I jumped out of bed anyway, paid a visit to the washroom and took a quick shower. I had missed my contemplation so much. I felt a strong desire to have one—a short one at least. I settled in my cell. An altered state of mind was reached in a couple of seconds. My journey to the bridal-room terminal was exciting, emotional and ecstatic, as I had experienced so many times within the previous week. But the last moments of throbbing of the orgasmic accelerando in the wholeness of my nervous system, following its manifestation at the heart nest as I described above, and spreading from there to the whole Universe and mushrooming like an atomic explosion, carried me with it to be a part of this mushroom, as I became the very explosion itself. It was a full ejaculation in its greatest wholeness, unbearable in a way, at the same time that it was impossible to do without. I felt I was emptying myself into the whole Universal space, 330
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even filling the whole space. I saw millions of Universes at once and in Oneness, a colossal, formidable, awesome Oneness, and I became myself the mighty mother of it. There was nothing in the millions of Universes I couldn’t know, I couldn’t reach, I couldn’t have, I couldn’t understand, I couldn’t do. I was that ‘GREAT SHE’; I was ‘THE ANCHOE’. It seemed to me that it took some couple of hundred years to come back to myself, and also it seemed that it took only a moment. It was hard to tell. As soon as I came back to myself a great sadness fell upon me. I clenched my two hands at the back of my head and leaned against the back of my seat. How was I now going to clean up the mess caused by such a huge ejaculation? I remained without thought for a moment, then I tried to feel the mess. I didn’t feel anything. I checked. There was no ejaculation. Incredible. I had felt it so abundantly. Was it a mirage? Then my all-knowing SELF told me: “Remember, you became the Great Mother, your orgasm was the motherly orgasm, NO MATTER involved in it. ALL SPIRIT.” This opened a great new paradigm in my grasp of the difference between male and female orgasm. Male orgasm was more ‘down to earth’ and female orgasm was more ‘up to Heaven’. May we be able to bless properly our women who are potential, if not actual, mothers—all of them, at any age. Seeing the fact in an experiential way, a man, by putting himself in the knowledge of behaving in his spiritual bodies of energy, can experience an orgasm that is naturally peculiar to woman, while he is still a man. And by so doing he can see how much more beautiful the female orgasm is, albeit much more difficult to experience.
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I enjoyed fasting for another five days after the 14th, all the time together with my heavenly contemplation until the 19th day on which, as I said above, I was ordered to break it on 31 May, 1938. That evening I was invited to dine with my sheikh in the main hall of the Tekye compound, at a banquet organized in my honour. While everybody enjoyed a big meal and lots to drink, I was allowed only one slice of whole wheat bread, seven olives, and linden tea, which I enjoyed tremendously. My sheikh was beaming with happiness and he blessed me on many occasions and pronounced a speech of inauguration in honour of my humble person.
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The following day, on 1 June, 1938, our baccalauréat exams started at the college. I wrote the first exam, on geometry, in the strength of the wholeness of my faculties, newly acquired by my new growth through contemplation, and it caused me to win a French scholarship to study in France. Surely, HUMAN is the masterpiece of the Eternal Spirit of Creative and Sustaining Power, for those who know WHO they are. May God help us not to lose our Soulhood. Anchoe hapsuara iumyrdzyn.
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CHAPTER XIX
Will, Will of God, Will of Human The Completion and the Completing Phases of Evolution WILLING IS A FACULTY UNIQUE TO HUMAN, AND IN EXERCISING IT, IT IS THE PRIVILEGE AND RESPONSIBILITY OF HUMAN TO ADMINISTER THE ORDER AND WORK OF GOD.
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s I stated in the previous chapter, once the phenomenon of meditation-contemplation is fully and thoroughly achieved, the whole Ahmsta Kebzeh ceases to be a teaching for the applicant; it becomes a skill to be applied to daily life on the planet to live this life abundantly, because the applicant no longer has anything he needs to learn from any teacher. Whatever he might want to have access to, he himself shall find the way. He possesses the whole support of the omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence of the Eternal Spirit of the Creating and Providing Energy of the Universe. He himself becomes, not only physically, but also consciously, part of it—an inseparable, integral part. With regard to the difficulties and hardships of daily life, it is like becoming a wolf to live among wolves. It is a generally unchangeable fact that achieving thoroughly the phenomenon of meditation-contemplation is not something that can be commonly expected, particularly in an environment alien to the tradition of Ahmsta Kebzeh and in which it is next to impossible to create a proper community life. Without creating the community life, which brings together with its creation the vibration of brotherly love and altruistic character in human groups, learning and applying the teaching of Kebzeh and growing to the Ahmsta level of that teaching cannot be achieved. In such a situation the struggle and determined devotion of the individual effort will fall short of the expected development and growth. Synergistic support of the communal atmosphere is the most important pre-requisite of advancement in the attainment. Without this, only a dogged discipline applied by a determined and devoted student might generate serious advancement. In 25 years of working with seriously dedicated aspirants in North America, I was rewarded by very few who showed noticeable results, at least for the time being. On the other hand, I had many students reaching 333
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great knowledge only about Kebzeh as a result of their seriously studying the text material without understanding and grasping the essence of it and applying it to their lives and becoming Kebzeh persons. I feel I have difficulty in conveying satisfactorily what I mean here, so I shall try to express it through an example. During our school years, many of us have come across students who study very diligently their course of mathematics; they learn very well the definitions, theorems, postulata and so on, but without understanding the core of it, and as a result they cannot solve the problems; they cannot activate their reasoning in the context of mathematics. These people cannot learn, for instance, geometry, but they learn a lot about it. There is a tremendous difference between knowing something about a thing and knowing this very thing, because this particular thing cannot be learned only by studying, but also needs to be understood. The student finds himself dead-locked and unable to advance. Every applied science exhibits the same dilemma. By studying electricity one may become a scientist or even an electrical engineer, but wiring and installing the electrical power in a building needs a different experience. One has to be an electrician; it may need less theoretical learning but more learning by doing and solving practical problems. Consequently, having revealed everything on Ahmsta Kebzeh by completing the chapter “While in the Abode”, where I covered some practical necessities and gave clues to the answers to some questions that might arise, I shall continue with a series of short and concise chapters for those seekers who were unable to achieve the practice of meditation-contemplation. These chapters will be independent self-contained chapters, and will constitute Volume II of this book.
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Will, Will of God, Will of Human The Completion and Completing Phases of Evolution Will is one of the faculties of the field of consciousness unique to Human; it is manifested by no other entity in the whole Universe. In some teachings the Will of God is mentioned and completely misunderstood, and this misunderstanding caused and continues to cause many mistakes in the life of the planet under the rule of human. God does not manifest any action of Will. God is the source of Will as It is the source and provider of every imaginable thing that exists, but It manifests none of them. Like any other form of energy, by its existence many things are manifested, 334
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but not by willing it. Only as consequences of this energy are those things manifested, but not because this energy WILLED it. Similarly God, which is an electromagnetic energy, created everything solely because of Its ‘ISNESS’, but did not WILL it. Wind produces movement because it IS movement itself, but not because it WILLS it; wherever there is wind there will be movement, whether the wind wants it or not. But Human, who can manifest WILL, which we express by the word WILL-POWER, has the ability of taking any faculty from any form of energy and applying it to manifest any possible result. So God is the source of Will, because It is The Will, but It needs Human to have it manifested. By definition, WILL is the faculty of making a decision of one’s own choice. Willing is one of the attributes of Human and of Human alone. Every Nature-created living thing has attributes bestowed on it by Creative Energy, and every man-made thing has attributes bestowed on it by its maker—whether he is a craftsman, artisan or artist, whatever he makes, carries the spirit of the maker. Indicators of entities: 1) Things and Plants
2) Animal
3) Human
4) God
I am
I am
I am
I am
I feel
I feel
I feel
I feel
I think
I think
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I will
I will I create from nothing
When those faculties peculiar to human are acquired as a result of achieving meditation-contemplation, the next step to consider will be what to do with those faculties. Should one become a recluse in a cave, and enjoy one’s bliss? Or assume servanthood for humanity and the planet, and work? What is our job? Jesus said his job was to complete the work of His Father on Earth (John 4:34). How can we do that? What are the tools and means of empowerment we have at our disposal? We have: 335
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1 - Physical energy, which provides mechanical faculties. 2 - Intellectual energy and five senses to reason and act. 3 - Spiritual energy to endow us with the wisdom and charisma to lead the way for other people, and to do it in a rosy cloud of love—altruistic and unconditional love. 4 - Creative energy, which is a faculty generated by the combined activation of intellectual and subconscious Energy of Consciousness and making them work in cooperation simultaneously, harmoniously and parallelly, to tackle all the daily facts of life, especially those tasks which can no longer be handled by the intellect or subconscious alone. This is because even common everyday problems are becoming ever more complicated with every passing day as a result of the rapidly developing advancement and enhancement of discoveries in technology, both technical and scientific. 5 - Human will-power, meaning the ability and skill of putting in action the faculty of Will in the human being, further empowered by the higher attainment of human. From all that we have covered so far in the field of Ahmsta Kebzeh, and from what we explained in the short introduction at the beginning of this chapter, we can conclude that we are at the threshold of a major revolution in the life of our planet, if we human beings understand our responsibility as human beings—in other words, if we realize that we should assume our roles as co-workers with the Eternal Spirit of Creating and Sustaining Energy of the Universe, and comprehend our responsibility as completers of the work of that ENERGY. And it is imperative that this revolution take place in the field of EDUCATION and EDIFICATION. When we look at the history of education on our planet, before we advance very much in that study we can notice that institutionalized education started on Earth under the auspices of religion. The first literate people on Earth were clergy. Education continued to be administered by religious authorities for a long time, until the advent and discoveries of advanced positive science, when scientific truth seemingly began to oppose the truth of the developed religions, thus impeding the advancement of scientific research. Ideas on the secularization of education then began to develop, ultimately resulting in the establishment of an independent secular education system. The antagonism between secular education and religion continued virtually until the early 1900’s, when Albert Einstein introduced the fourth dimension in the paradigm of positive scientific truth, which can be 336
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expressed in my opinion as “The creativity of the positive scientist determines the scientific truth,” thus contradicting fundamentally the view of René Descartes, who had been dubbed the father of positive science since 1620. And today, the campaign launched by Einstein has developed in the education field to such an extent that every positive scientist is, to a lesser or greater extent, a mystic. It is also time for us to launch a full-force revolution in our education system and develop religious grasp parallel to it, if we want to handle efficiently our human responsibility on Earth as Completers of the work of the Creating and Sustaining Universal Energy. Since EDUCATION on Earth started under the light held by religion and was processed by it in the beginning, the revolution I am talking about should also start simultaneously in secular education and religious truths, and they should be processed together. When I am talking about religion, I do not mean any particular religion, such as Christianity, but RELIGION on Earth in general, particularly all religions in the Abrahamic line, such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam, as well as all other known or unknown religions existing and being preached on Earth in their own truth. Briefly, my aim is not only to restore the lost wisdom of Ahmsta Kebzeh of the Caucasus Mountains, but also under its light restore the educational, religious, moral, political, social, spiritual, artistic and sexual tenets, concepts and practices on Earth, covering the concerns of the whole Earth. To achieve this REVOLUTION we do not have to change any belief, tenet or concept in the Holy Books of any religion, but only to reach the deeper truth in them all under the light of Ahmsta Kebzeh, as once upon a time a council of Moslem scholars did to the Koran, and Sufism, the esoteric presentation of Islam, was established. Without prejudice. Starting from the great French Revolution, so many political systems have been applied on Earth. All of them came, exercised their effects and ebbed away, leaving only traces behind. From among them only democracy, to which we adhere, is left. But it is clearly evident that this also is failing in most instances to render positive results unless restored on very solid and truthful grounds, its main pillars of support being the principles of equality, freedom, fairness, solidarity, respect, responsibility and brotherhood. Democracy today is certainly far removed in character from what it was in Ancient Greece. The democracy manifested by Kebzeh is certainly and obviously closer to its spirit and principles, and more authentically resembles that of Ancient Greece. One of the main elements that drives democracy from its genuine character is that democracy was originally cut out 337
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for an elite type of human society. Whenever and wherever human society is dragged down in quality, the majority of humans exhibit a level of mediocrity. Democracy is a system where decisions are made by the majority, and the decisions reached under these circumstances are reached by those at the level of mediocrity and not by those at the elite level; the elite melts away in the tumult. Handled under the light of Kebzeh, democracy, like religions, can be restored and better applied. Making Ahmsta Kebzeh the edificational system of our education shall certainly raise the quality of democracy as it does the quality of religion. Our religions, if understood truly and thoroughly in their profound essence, shall have no reason at all to be afraid of the advancement of positive science, nor shall they create any obstruction for the enhancement of positive science. On the contrary, both parties shall harmoniously support each other. Before I close this chapter, which is the last chapter of this first volume of Ahmsta Kebzeh: The Science of Universal Awe, I would like to sum up again in a short and comprehensive statement the main and fundamental teaching of Ahmsta Kebzeh, without which the entire wholeness of divine Truth shall be disrupted and lost, and Universal Order shall surely be undermined and turned into a dysfunctional farce: WILLING IS A FACULTY UNIQUE TO HUMAN, AND IT IS THE PRIVILEGE AND RESPONSIBILITY OF HUMAN TO EXERCISE IT BY ADMINISTERING THE ORDER AND WORK OF THE ETERNAL SPIRIT OF CREATIVE AND SUSTAINING ENERGY OF THE UNIVERSE, KNOWN TO US AS ‘GOD’. AS IT IS DESCRIBED AND EXPLAINED SO FAR THROUGHOUT THE CHAPTERS OF THIS BOOK, IN ITS NUMEROUS MANIFESTATIONS, GOD IS THE WILL AS ONE OF ITS ATTRIBUTES AND THEREFORE IS THE SOURCE OF WILL, BUT IT NEVER MANIFESTS WILL ITSELF BY PUTTING IT IN ACTION. ONLY GOD REFLECTED IN HUMAN WITH ALL ITS ATTRIBUTES SHALL HAVE IT MANIFESTED IN HUMAN THROUGH A PHENOMENON WE CALL ‘WILL-POWER’. IN ALL THE HOLY BOOKS OF PAST AND PRESENT RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD, GOD IS PRESENTED BY THE PROPHETS AND THE TEACHERS THAT FOLLOWED THEM ALL THROUGH HISTORY, AS A POWERFUL ENTITY ACTIVELY INTERFERING WITH THE AFFAIRS OF EARTHLY LIFE. THUS THE WILL OF GOD IS WRONGLY CONCEIVED AS WILL-POWER OR WILLING POWER OF GOD ACTIVATED BY GOD ITSELF, AND THUS IT WAS INTRODUCED INTO THE MINDS OF HUMANS THROUGHOUT HISTORY, BECOMING INCULCATED SO 338
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FIRMLY IN HUMAN MIND THAT NOW IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CLARIFY THE CONCEPT AND MAKE IT SPONTANEOUSLY ESTABLISHED IN HUMAN MIND. ALL THE PROPHETS AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE TEACHERS WHO FOLLOWED THEM THROUGHOUT HISTORY, USED A SYMBOLIC LANGUAGE IN WHICH THEY PUT THE CREATOR IN AN ACTIVE AND EXECUTING POSITION IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THE UNDERSTANDING OF AN IGNORANT AND ILLITERATE POPULACE, JUST AS JEAN DE LA FONTAINE COMPOSED HIS MORAL TEACHING FABLES, MAKING ANIMALS, PLANTS AND ALL THINGS SPEAK AND ACT LIKE HUMAN BEINGS. THERE IS NOTHING THAT IS WRONG OR DEVIATING FROM THE TRUTH IN THE HOLY BOOKS IF THEY ARE UNDERSTOOD IN DEPTH AND PROPERLY. IS THERE ANYTHING WRONG, FOR INSTANCE, IF I SAY: “THE AIR WE LIVE IN WILL REWARD YOU IF, IN THE FRESHNESS OF THE MORNING, YOU GO TO THE COUNTRY-SIDE AND WALK AND DEEPLY BREATHE”? EVERY FORM OF ENERGY WILL REWARD OR PUNISH YOU AS A RESULT OF ITS ‘ISNESS’. WIND WILL PRODUCE MOVEMENT ON ANY REFLECTOR BECAUSE WIND IS MOVEMENT ITSELF. SO GOD WILL CREATE EVERYTHING FROM NOTHING BECAUSE CREATING IS ONE OF ITS ATTRIBUTES AND IT CANNOT HELP IT, NOT BECAUSE IT WILLS IT. In Volume II of the book we shall see in every chapter the application of the above statement, and in adequate detail.
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GLOSSARY ABKHAZIA: the native land of the Abkhazian people, which stretches eastward from the Black Sea coast into the heights of the Caucasus Mountains. ABKHAZIAN: a Circassian from the country of Abkhazia, located in the Caucasus Mountains Sierra and on its northern and eastern flanks. ABODE: the dwelling place of a human in the Cosmic Intelligence; station. ABSOLUTE KNOWLEDGE: the knowledge of God; the knowledge of Christ. ABUNDANT LIFE: life lived to 100% of human faculties; wholistic existence; living life fully and being conscious of wholeness with body, mind, soul and ecology. ADEPT: a person attained in the above-expressed wholeness. ADULTERY: the addition into anything of a foreign ingredient to disturb its purity. AGAPE LOVE: unconditional love; the love of love itself; selfless love. AHDAHB: plural of Edebh (see Edebh); used to express a set of rules of social behaviour. AHMSTA: a noble, elite human. AHMSTA KEBZEH: the tradition of the Circassian people, teaching the inner body work practised with the intention of awakening and developing latent human faculties under divine grace and guidance; the tradition of the elite; the science of achieving abundant life. AKH: Abkhazian word for the head; temporal, political, social, military and spiritual head leader of an Abkhazian tribe; an Ahmsta elected by the council of Ahmstas to be in charge of a tribe. ALCHEMY: the ultimate state of purification of the biochemical produc341
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tion in the neuro-biochemical laboratory of the human nervous system; achieving the infallible attainment of spontaneous control of the functioning of vibrations of the various forms of consciousness reflected in the human nervous system, so that all the vibrations received by the nerve ends are positively in goodness, and consequently, the corresponding biochemical products become the agencies of engendering harmony with the divine sublimity of the eternal WILL. ALEISHWEH: Abkhazian word for ahdahb. Application of Kebzeh in social conventions as an expression of harmony, solidarity, and respect; etiquette; civility. AMARJAH: Abkhazian word for God within. (See also MARJAH.) AMTSADOO: Abkhazian word for the Universal Powerhouse, Universal Electricity. ANGEL: a form of energy with a unique property, carrying one of the myriad aspects of Cosmic Energy. ANIMISM: belief that every existing thing in the Creation has a mind of its own, consciousness of its own, and its own participation in life. ANTCHEH: Abkhazian word for all-encompassing God, which is one and unique and the cause and essence of every existing thing (also ANTSWA, ANCHWEH and ANCHOE). APPROPRIATENESS: the character of accord with the need of the moment; the product of love and humbleness; the fruit of living in the Abode of Justification. ARISTOCRACY: the recognition of the acquisition, through genetic means, of positive faculties and qualities from past generations. ART (FINE): ability to express the Spirit. ASHKARA: Abkhazian region in the highest Caucasus, natives of which are called Abaza. ASTRAL JOURNEY: travelling to the unknown in full consciousness. ASTRAL PLANE: one of the planes of existence within, belonging to the Mind. 342
G L O S S A RY ATONEMENT: a state of being reconciled, of being at One. ATROPHIED FACULTIES: human faculties that became latent through disuse. ATTAINMENT: everything that has been grasped by a person and which can be produced at will. The levels of attainment are: Abode Abode Abode Abode Abode Abode Abode Abode Abode
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ATTENTION: a concentrated alertness of the whole being. AURA: the energy field around the body, sometimes discernable as light. AWARENESS: the state of being vigilant with the totality of one’s mind; continuous spontaneous attention to one’s inner and outer life. *
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for the task of existing on the planet Earth. BREATH: inhaled and exhaled air; the vehicle of the Mind. BROTHERHOOD: a group of humans sharing the same frequency of vibration, being in harmony, and thereby in the way of forming a community. BURNING: the heat of yearning for the Beloved; the physical awareness of activated energy. *
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CALL: an awareness of spiritual yearning. CAUCASIAN: a human race which originates from the Caucasus Mountains. CAUCASUS MOUNTAINS (SIERRA): a 1420 kilometre-long range of high mountains extending between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, dividing Europe from Asia. CHARISMA: the ability to put into action the faculties of the subconscious mind supported by the intellectual mind. CHILLEH: ordeal; a training applied to a dervish to dissolve his conditioning and open him to love and endurance. CHRIST: God activated in human in fullness; a completed-to-wholeness human being. CHRISTIAN: a human aiming at Christhood. CHURCH: a gathering of people in worship. CIRCASSIAN (Tcherkess): native peoples of the Caucasian Mountain Sierra. CLARITY: an open channel between intellect and subconscious mind which is the result of freedom from resentment. COMMUNION: a Christian ritual in which bread symbolizes the Truth and wine symbolizes the Enlivener, LOVE. COMMUNITY: the level reached by a group of adherent humans which is created by the synergy of the group. 344
G L O S S A RY COMPLETED HUMAN: a Christ-realized Human. COMPLETING HUMAN: a Human completing God’s work on Earth at its highest level. CONCENTRATION: a work of mind; a way of activating one’s mind directed to a certain purpose; intense focus on a point of thought. CONSCIENCE: the judgment of Higher Self. CONSCIOUSNESS: grasp of life on all levels of subtlety; the form of invisible energy which engenders the awareness of an organism with its ecology. CONTEMPLATION: sitting still and doing nothing but thinking, using parallelly in full cooperation and simultaneously, reasoning and the subconscious faculty of perception. COSMIC MEMORY: the state where all of human past experiences can be reproduced. COSMIC MIND: the Essence in its aspect of omniscience; the subtlest form of everything; God. CREATIVE ENERGY: the result of the proper use of sexual energy that makes one co-creator with God through an act of will. CROSS, THE: the horizontal beam is love of fellow man, the vertical, love of God; where the two meet is the heart, the point where human meets God and reaches Christhood. CUMULATIVE EFFECT, PHENOMENON OF: the building up of one form of consciousness upon itself by successive repetitions until the consciousness becomes spontaneous. CUSTODIANS OF WISDOM (or SECRETS): the people who started and who constitute the Source (see Source). *
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DEMIURGE: a person able to reflect every attribute of God. DERVISH: a participant member of a Sufi tekye.
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DEVELOPMENT (SPIRITUAL): learning how to use human faculties under divine grace and guidance. DISCERNMENT: the ability to make spontaneous distinctions. DISCIPLINE: the skill of harnessing an energy (spiritual or material); methodical pursuit; the state of a person who does nothing randomly, but does everything intentionally–such a person can always answer the question ‘Why?’ DIVINE GRACE AND GUIDANCE: everything which comes out of goodness. DIVINITY: the presence of God. DREAM: a form of consciousness that can be controlled through edification and can be used to learn more from the subconscious mind. DYING BEFORE DYING: reaching the tangible awareness of the existence of eternal life through personal spiritual experience. *
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ECOLOGY: one’s relationship with one’s environment. ECSTASY: the experience of meeting the life-giving force in you and getting drunk with it. EDEBH: Arabic word meaning shying away from shame; civility. EDIFY: to lift up to the Truth. EDUCATE: to bring someone to the point of learning something. EGO: the intellect acting for its own survival rather than for the benefit of the being as a whole; the product of psyche and Eros; the self-righteousness of the intellect, leading to separation. ELDER: a respected person; a mature carrier of the Teaching; a lightholder of the Tradition. A Head Elder is elected from among the elders by the body of elders in the community. ELEMENT: an energy form created by the mind, which can be individualized from its creator by becoming matter.
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G L O S S A RY ELITE: attained Humans who have reached the highest manifestation of their faculties in wholeness. EMANCIPATION: freedom from the fear of loss; freedom from bondage to a belief system. ENERGY: all of existence, or any aspect of it, expressed as vibration in matter, in phenomena, in feelings, in thoughts, in emotions, in motions, in space, in time; that which brings existence from stasis to kinesis. ENERGY OF CONSCIOUSNESS: the original creative force of the Universe. ENLIGHTENMENT: the ability to vibrate at any velocity at any level. ENTITY: a being existing and functioning in its own right and sufficiency. EROS LOVE: love of the lovable; love of the senses. ESOTERIC: the inwardly hidden; the deeper nature, discernable by the initiate. ESSENCE: the creative power out of which everything stems and which has neither beginning nor end. ESSENTIALIST: one who sees things in essence, or sees the essence in everything. ETERNITY: a state of being in the present moment beyond time and space. EVIL: the absence of good; the fruit of ego, which is separation from Higher Self. EXOTERIC: the outwardly displayed; the superficial form. *
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FEMALE DIGNITY: regulating force of sexual energy in its practical application in life, peculiar to the female, engendered by the vibration of motherhood in the female. FOOL: one who perceives by senses and feelings, being deprived of intellect. FREEDOM: knowing who you are and acting with the authority of that knowledge; self-mastery. FRIEND, THE: Higher Self. *
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GARDEN OF EDEN: the planet Earth; anywhere at any given moment on Earth where there are people who walk and talk with God. GATHERING ONESELF: coming into a focused awareness; becoming nothing to everything except one’s ‘I’. GNOSTICISM: motivation under the light of knowing only by means of esoteric knowledge (the seventh way of acquisition of knowledge). GOD: the Essence, especially in the aspect of creative power; the subtlest form of everything; the Cosmos as a whole; Energy in all its manifestations; the non-dimensional point which is the essence of everything and beyond which there is nothing; the first cause from which all effects flow; the highest form of consciousness, the cause of which is unknowable, and that is the only mystery. GOD-REALIZATION: immortal existence. GOD THE FATHER: Essence. GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT: an electromagnetic field in which everything exists. GOD THE SON: the highest manifestation of THE ESSENCE. GODIZATION: activation of the Higher Self. GRACE: the God-given gift of all things in love; the agency of divine protection, especially from the ego; the Holy Spirit, which is always around us and available gratuitously.
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G L O S S A RY GRASP: to understand with one’s whole faculty–conscious mind, subconscious mind and five senses. GRATITUDE: awareness of privilege. GUIDE: one who provides the means to make contact with the Source. *
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HE-PEP: male sexual energy generated in the body. HEALTH: wholeness and well-being of the body/bodies resulting from being plugged into the energy available to us through right reflection from the Universal Power Plant of the creative energy. HEART: subconscious mind; all the faculties of mind which are non-intellectual; love; emotional power used in the process of transformation; a unique nest, engendered by the activation of all the other nests. HEAVEN: the spiritual realm; the place of no separation; being in God’s presence. HELL: the absence of God; the realm of separation from life as a result of ignorance; intense desire with no hope of fulfilment. HEREDITY: genetic line through which tendencies and attributes are carried and passed on according to the Mendelian genetic laws; the work of process done by ancestors and inherited in the genetic line. HIDDEN TREASURE: the Higher Self, which is the true ‘I’; the Self with unlimited potential; the Universe in microscopic size–the human being is the miniature and the agencies are the heart and mind of the soul. HIERARCHY: system of relationship within a Kebzeh brotherhood which goes hand to hand, hand to TRUTH. The TRUTH is passed hand to hand by those more developed to those less developed. HIGHER SELF: Manifested God in personal soul; God within; Marjah. HOLY SPIRIT: any activity of the Spirit which is evaluated by the human mind as good. HOME: the state in which one lives truly in freedom from resentment. 349
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HUMAN: the highest witness of God, the masterpiece of Creation; the completing force of God in physical manifestation (John 4:34). HUMBLENESS: the awareness and acceptance of one’s dependence on God. *
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‘I’: indicator of an entity. Example: I am, I think, I feel, I will. ILLUMINATION: enlightenment through grasp. IMAGINATION: creative visualization. IMMACULATE CONCEPTION: the conception of a human being whose genetic inheritance derives from an ancestor who is attained to the level of reflecting the three main attributes of God, namely: omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence, in full manifestation–in other words, who has reached Christhood. IN LOVE: a state of being captivated by love. INCARNATION: Spirit’s becoming individualized soul within a body and sustaining it to participate in LIFE. INDIVIDUALITY: being manifested in a unique entity peculiar to itself. INITIATE: one who came to know something by doing it and then being it. INNER BODY WORK: discipline of gymnastic exercises related to the human nervous system, aimed at harnessing the human mind and training it to respond and communicate with neuro-electrochemical secretions in the nerve ends, and enabling the person to take under control the functions of the mind by means of a set of breathing methods, thus awakening and developing a superior functioning of otherwise latent human faculties. INSPIRATION: spiritual knowledge, drawn in through the breath. INTELLECT: the part of the mind activated by reasoning and by willing, as well as by instinct. INTELLIGENCE: the ability of putting the consciousness in action to receive perception.
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G L O S S A RY INTERDEPENDENCE: a state of mutual support for the greater good of the whole; the need of human beings for each other to attain the fullness of life on all levels. INTUITION: the faculty of knowing through the subconscious mind. INVOCATION: calling to one’s Higher Self. INVULNERABILITY: the state of knowing who you are. *
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JESUS: historical figure who was unique because he was born in Immaculate Conception; founder of the Christian religion. JOY: the sound of the overflowing of the soul. JUSTIFICATION: the station at which everything that one does is spontaneously proper and beneficial; the second plane of attainment. JUSTIFIED ATTITUDE: acting always with careful observation, correct interpretation, and practical application; watching, studying and applying within, without deliberate effort. *
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KANAAT: spontaneously knowing that you have; spontaneous contentment. KEBZEH: Abkhazian word for tradition of social concepts and rules. KHODJAGAN: the council of attained Moslem scholars in Central Asia who took the process of Kebzeh, applied it to interpret the Moslem Holy Book (the Koran), and called it Sufism. KINGDOM OF HEAVEN: all that is good in the human being. KNOWLEDGE: state of awareness attained through seven levels of knowing: By being told, by sensory experience, by studying, by understanding, by doing, by feeling (subconscious), by direct contact (Spirit plus nothing). *
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LATENT HUMAN POWERS: faculties of the Homo sapiens human entity that have become atrophied through lack of use as a result of taking the easy way. LEADER: a person who is lifted by a group in order that the group might be lifted. LIFE: the creation of the Creative Power; one of the names of God. LINK: a member of a group or system which is attempting to form a chain of connection to the greater part. LONELINESS: a state of being where sharing is not involved. LORD: one’s point of contact with submission. LOVE: the resonance of any vibration of beauty with a corresponding nest of consciousness in the human nervous system; an electromagnetic field of affinity which has an element of mystery in it; the most fundamental reflection of God; attraction, the binding force which holds all things together. LOVING: keeping the nests of consciousness in the human nervous system open to cosmic inflow. LOWER SELF: the platform of oneself which sits on four legs: ego, selfrighteousness, selfishness and greed. *
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MAGIC: the art of occult performance; empty mesmerization. MAGNETIC FIELD: a field of attraction in the shape of a sphere without radius, having at its centre a mysterious, invisible point which is love. MARJAH: Higher SELF; God within human. MARRIAGE: the destination of the process of sexual maturing with a mate. MASCULINE ENERGY: the masculine pole of sexual energy that puts the seed in the matrix. MASTER: ruler; willer; creator.
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G L O S S A RY MASTER DESIRE: an all-consuming desire which eclipses all and any other desire. MEDITATION: the art of sitting still, doing nothing, particularly not thinking. MEEKNESS: the endurance developed by patiently bearing injustice. MELCHIZEDEK: faithful and dependable angel; the one who came from the Source to initiate Patriarch Abraham. MEMORY: a mental state of recognizing that which has made contact with Mind before. MIND: the faculty of consciousness which is the reflection of Cosmic Mind by the human nervous system. MIND, COSMIC: the subtlest form of everything, God. MIND OF CHRIST: pure Spirit. MIRACLE: a supernatural, divine phenomenon which cannot be understood by the intellect. MOBILIZE AND GATHER ONESELF: to become nothing to everything except to one’s ‘I.’ MOMENT: a non-dimensional element of time; a name of God; the theoretical concept of zero time. MYSTICISM: a faculty peculiar to human, relating to or resulting from his direct communion with God or Ultimate Reality, that is neither apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence, but which can be experienced through developing the finest receptivity, down in the deepest realm of the subconscious mind. MYTH: a presentation which is created by an elite to symbolize the truth and to aid humanity in grasping the truth. *
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NERVOUS SYSTEM: home of the MIND. NESTS: plexuses of the human nervous system which gather, reflect and 353
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transform the energy emanated by the ESSENCE. NEW AGE: the age of the marriage of new positive science and mysticism. NEW COVENANT: the Covenant of Love, brought by Jesus. NEW SCIENCE: positive science after Einstein as opposed to Cartesian science, quantum physics; the science of reality; science with four dimensions, the fourth being the observer, scientist—the scientist being an integral, inseparable part of the science he is developing where probability is sustained. NOTHINGNESS: the point reached by utmost subtilization. *
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OCCULTISM: the development of latent human powers without divine grace and guidance. OLD COVENANT: the Covenant of Law, the one brought by Moses. OPEN CHANNEL: one who has reached the seventh level of knowledge. OPENING: removing conditioning and accepting the flow of life in a morally justified manner. In other words, emancipating oneself from conditioning and substituting justification for it. ORIGINAL SIN: separation from God as a result of wrong functioning of WILL, which engenders self-righteousness of the intellect. The SIN of ADAM in Heaven. ORTHODOX RELIGION: a closed religion which has lost flexibility and inspiration. A religious group which says, “We have the truth and the rest are wrong.” ORTHODOXY: blindly following established rules; meticulousness regarding ‘right doctrine’. *
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G L O S S A RY divine message from the old Covenant of Law to the new Covenant of Love; the first time known in the history of Christianity that human made his mystical contact with the Divine. PEP: a physical substance generated within the chemical endocrine system of the human body. PERFECTION: the station of having secured one’s journey in the direction of perfect. PERSEVERANCE: bearing based on hope. PERSONAL GOD: manifestation of Essence in oneself. PERSONALITY: essence developed and edified to meet the ecology. PHILOS LOVE: love generated by a shared common interest in the same object. PIR (pronounced PEER): elder; the founder of a Sufi line or the current representative of such line. PLANE: platform of existence. POINT: the theoretical concept of zero space; the non-dimensional geometric figure. POINT OF CONTACT: a person or any means through which one can establish all the contacts one needs for higher spiritual development; the person through whom one gains access to Higher Self. POSITIVE SCIENCE: the science introduced by Descartes, Pascal and Newton, which was entirely intellectual, subsequently changed by the discoveries of Albert Einstein, who brought the fourth dimension (the observer) into positive science. PRACTISING THE PRESENCE OF GOD: keeping the conscious awareness that God is present in all you see and in yourself as well, and that everything is holy. PRAYER: a conversation from you to You; talking with God within. PREDESTINATION: knowing who you are; the finding of the Lord within; 355
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finding the greater Self; attainment of Christhood; to have life and have it abundantly (Eph.1:3-12). PROJECTION: journey of consciousness into various levels of subtlety. PROPHET: one who comes with a divine teaching for all without discrimination, not just for a chosen elite. PROSELYTIZING: thinking and behaving as if you know how to put someone else’s house in order. PROTECTION: being under divine grace and guidance in the process of life. PSYCHE: spiritualized mind; the subconscious mind at its highest state of subtlety; the transcended state of mind between reason and spirit. PSYCHIC POISON: psychological toxin created by not living true to oneself. PUNISHMENT: the result of what has been missed of the benefits and blessings of life in one’s Earthly chapter of existence. *
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QUALITY: essential substance that is immanent in all life. QUANTITY: the amount of the prime ingredient that is in all Creation. QUEST: a journey towards knowledge; an insatiable yearning towards selfrealization which can take the form of following the path of a teaching. QUESTION: anything which comes to mind and if pursued in a focused manner will lead to clarity through reaching an answer. *
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REALITY: that which is apparent to the observer and is relative to the level of perception and degree of attainment of that observer. REALIZATION: to merge with one’s perception; the fulfilment of something or someone’s potential. REASON: thinking which is the product of the marriage of memory and will. 356
G L O S S A RY RECEPTIVITY: openness to edification through osmosis. RECONDITIONING: edification which follows the deconditioning of the conditioned entity. REFLECTOR: anything which mirrors energy with an element of transformation (like a concave rather than a flat mirror). REINCARNATION: theory (which is not sustained by Kebzeh teaching) that once the soul has incarnated, it can incarnate again after the death of the physical body. RELAXATION: letting go of barriers and becoming open to divine inflow. RELIGION: an institution with social aspects and a system of beliefs and practices designed to encode the essence of truth of a revelation, but often obscuring it. REMEMBERING: an act of WILL, resurrecting on demand the presence of an engram from Cosmic Memory. REPETITION: a method of maturing the settling of memory. RESONANCE: sympathetic vibration between two or more bodies of vibrations. RESURRECTION: to rise from death and come to life again. RESURRECTION AT WILL: the ability to reconstruct a ‘physical body’ after death; the fruit of the highest attainment a human can reach. RITUAL: any act done in a predetermined order. *
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SAINT: one who has the ‘go-ahead’ order to work at the esoteric level with a chosen group of elite ones. SALVATION: being under the protection of a lightholder; the first plane of attainment. SANCTIFICATION: the abode of having one’s natural instincts and interests developing in a different direction from carnal; the fourth level of attainment. 357
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SATAN: ego as master. SATANIZATION: activation of small self, ego. SECOND COMING OF CHRIST: the awakening of the majority of people on the planet to Christhood, having the mind of Christ. SEEKER: one with a quest. SELF-REALIZATION: the point at which one becomes aware of one’s entity. SENSES: faculties of physical awareness: touch, hearing, smell, taste and sight. SEPARATION: declaring one’s independence from the whole; sin; the absence of God; being ruled by ego. SERVICE: the spontaneous manifestation of our connection with Cosmic Energy. SEX: any energy exchange, subtle or tangible, between male and female, between a positive and a negative charge of love. SEXUAL ENERGY: the primary Creative Energy; the mother of all energies. SEXUAL UNION: the merging of essences without loss of identity. SEXUALITY (HUMAN): the potential to express the vibration of a certain electromagnetic attraction and to receive from it the means of elevating oneself to LOVING. SHAMANISM: the art of developing human potential for the purpose of attaining power or for healing. In Turkish: wise man (literally, sha = light, glory; man = human). SHEIKH: a shepherd for humans. The Islamic Sufi name for a leader responsible for the spiritual welfare of the followers; an Arab tribal chief. SHE-PEP: female sexual energy generated in the body as counterpart to he-pep. SHIRK: to avoid the duty and responsibility of being a producer.
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G L O S S A RY SIN: saying “No” to God; ‘apparently’ separating oneself from the Essence. SLAVERY: bondage to fear, conditioning of the ego. SLOTH: an urge to get more for less. SOHBET: a friendly group conversation with a purpose; a Kebzeh form of informed but directed study in a group under the leadership of a teacher; a discipline of a learned dialogue; a seminar. SOUL: Spirit individualized, incarnate in a body. SOURCE, THE: the mind of completed human, which is one with Cosmic Mind (Consciousness of Creative Power); the first point at which God becomes available to humankind; the Essence in visible form; the Demiurge; a group of people in a hierarchical set-up who live in full realization of all the ninety-nine attributes of God, plus the hundredth, which is Human. SPIRIT: any invisible energy; angel; that which brings forth existence from motionlessness to motion; the first manifestation of God; the indefinable Abstract that can be known without words or thoughts. SPONTANEITY: acting from intuitive knowing. SPONTANEOUS AWARENESS: unconditional awareness. SUBCONSCIOUS MIND: the heart; all of the mind which is not intellectual. SUBMISSION: lower self bowing to Higher Self; patient obedience in love and yearning. SUBTLE: not apparent to the senses. SYMBOL: a means to express inner vision in the search for meaning in outer facts. SYNERGY: the result, in form of energy, of the harmonious working together of all the parts of a system; the creative energy which is released or reflected when the goals of individuals within a group keep in unison, and which is greater than the sum of constituent energies. *
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TANGIBLE: that which can be experienced by the senses. TEMPTATION: the human tendency of wanting to take the easy way. THOUGHT: application of the reasoning process by the intellect. TOXIN: secondary refuse in the body. TRADITION: a perspective and a perception of the TRUTH, which is passed down from generation to generation. TRANSFORMATION: a change of station of being; a move to a new plane; an increase in consciousness which increases the awareness of existence. TRUTH: another name for God. *
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UNCONDITIONAL: without any condition of purpose whatsoever, except that of spontaneous action from love and of being justified from the appropriateness point of view. UNION: making love with God and reaching spiritual climax. UNION OF WILLS: indissoluble marriage resulting from unitive sex. UNIQUE: that quality of an entity that distinguishes it from any other entity; the result of the incarnation of individualized Spirit into a body. UNITIVE SEX: sex between male and female, each in full conscious awareness of being simultaneously a sexual and a spiritual being; making human sexuality and spirituality work parallelly in full co-operation. UNITY: common purpose. *
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VEHICLE: human body (physical, intellectual, psychic, spiritual and ecological), in which the soul rides on its journey through Earthly life. VISION: seeing at a non-ordinary level of perception, either in dreaming or wakefulness. 360
G L O S S A RY VISUALIZATION: the ability to creatively construct with the inner eye the appearance of the outer world. VULNERABILITY: not being under the protection of a higher hand and therefore open to attacks from one’s ego. * * * WAY: a path or tradition of the Truth connected to the Source, with a chain of transmission from generation to generation through personal revelation and by being consciously linked with those who have been on the same path before. WHOLE MAN: one living wholistically in body, mind, soul, spirit and ecology. WHOLISTIC: existence in full use of all faculties vibrating spontaneously, simultaneously, parallelly and equally. WILL: the faculty of making decisions of one’s own choice. The child of the marriage of psyche and love. WILL-POWER: the conscious exercise of WILL. WISDOM: the unitive function of intellect and subconscious, or brain and heart. WITNESS: every manifestation of God, evidences of creative and sustaining power. WORD: a sound with a meaning which is the same for the utterer of the word and its hearer. WORSHIP: loving respect for a higher spiritual power or for someone who represents such a power; a natural faculty of human which expresses yearning for spiritual evolution. *
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YEARNING: a tender or urgent longing given to human by love; an awareness of the need to unite and become one with something, which leads to union to make whole. *
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ZERO: the starting point; the vacuum or nothingness created by unlearning 361
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inculcated things which creates space to fill with truth, or in other words with substance, thus allowing one to become a new entity.
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INDEX
INDEX Abaza, xv, xvi, xvii, xxiv, 128, 157, 163, 182 see Ashkara, 342 Abkhaz language, xv-xvii Abkhazia, Abkhazian(s), xv-xvii, 80, 83, 128-9, 141, 146, 157, 195 hospitality, 194 see Glossary, 341 see Akh, 341 see Aleishweh, Amarjah, Amtsadoo, Antcheh, Ashkara, 342 see Kebzeh, 351 Abkhazianhood (Apsuara in Abkhaz), xvi, 167 Ablution, 158, 160 in Kebzeh tradition, 290-1, 307 Abode(s), 41, 45, 62, 96, 212, 223, 228, 235, 239 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 of attainment, movement through, 50-1 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 ABODE OF GOD, 113 Life in the, Chapter XVII, 297-311, 317 While in the, Chapter XVIII, 31332 see Glossary, 341 see Appropriateness, 342 see Attainment, 343 Abraham, Patriarch, 78, 144, 246, 289 initiation by Melchizedek, 147, 168-9 see Melchizedek, 353 Abundance, 5, 12, 31, 32, 34, 46, 69, 74, 101, 103, 111, 116, 145, 149, 153, 161, 189 concept and criterion of, 100 For to everyone who has…, Matt. 13:12, 25:29; Luke 19:26, 100, 102 Abundant life, xxiii, xxv, 22, 32, 74, 88, 90, 109, 113, 115, 122, 150, 157, 194, 207, 216, 248, 269, 278, 315
...life...more abundantly, John 10:10, 32, 46, 161, 254 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 definition of, 116 see Glossary, 341 Adigegha (Adigehood), 167 Adultery, adulterate(d), xix, xx, 4, 35, 114, 132, 157 see Glossary, 341 Aguyitow, 170-1 Ahdahb, 129 see Glossary, 341 see Aleishweh, 342 Ahmsta, xvi, 149 see Akh, 341 see Glossary, 341 Ahmsta Kebzeh, xix, xx, 4, 5, 6, 8, 20, 33, 36, 75, 83, 87, 114, 116, 128, 129, 148, 158, 161-2, 169, 204, 222, 243, 254 Chapter III, 21-8 word origin, xvi, 149 definition of, xx, xxi, 149, 203 Introduction to, xxiii-xxvii Content of, xxiv-v What is, xxv-xxvii Transformation of Human in, 33 Work concerning methodology, 34-6 Work concerning operations, 369 Work concerning…means..., 39-51 scientific explanation…, 68, 88 author as product and writer of, 149, 247 Kebzeh says, 161 nothing but a delightful dream without..., 314-5 in revolution in education, 336-8 main and fundamental teaching of, 338-9 see Glossary, 341 Akhashvara, in ritual kinship, 198 363
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Alchemy, 67, 71, 76-8, 89, 90, 204, 270 see Glossary, 341-2 Aleishweh, 140, 154, 160, 162, 168, 195-6 description of, xxiv as Circassian way of DOING LOVE, 89, 130 Aleishweh, 128-200 The Application of, nine headings, 132-9 detailed description of nine items, 162-93 In the Milieu of Circassian Daily Life, 139-40 historical facts to assist in grasp of, 140-53 complementary cases in, 194-5 see Glossary, 342 Altruism, 205, 301 in spectrum of love, 33, 55, 122, 126 Altruistic, 25, 44, 151, 245, 333, 336 consciousness, 51 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 Amarjah, 260 (see also Marjah) see Glossary, 342 Amtsadoo, 144, 313 see Glossary, 342 Anchoe, 331, 332 see Antcheh, 342 Anchweh, 144 see Antcheh, 342 Angel(s), 147, 353, 359 see Glossary, 342 see Melchizedek, 353 see Spirit, 359 Anikha (sacred place), 169 Animism, 142-8, 151-4, 157, 160 see Glossary, 342 Antcheh see Glossary, 342 Antswa see Antcheh, 342 Appropriateness, 108, 118, 119 see Glossary, 342 Apsinkha (in Abkhazian, meditation or soul-work), 238 Aristocracy, 154, 222 see Glossary, 342 364
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Art, Fine, 101, 131 see Glossary, 342 Ascension, 96, 162, 212, 266, 318 in subtleties of mind, 38-41, 44-5, 55, 112, 205 Chart of Transformation (Ascension in Subtleties of Mind), Figure 3, 42 Aspirant, 27, 36, 47, 49, 114, 223, 237, 269, 270, 293 Atonement, at-one-ment, 63, 87 see Glossary, 343 Attained, xix, xx, 8, 20, 65, 73, 147, 159, 161, 243, 245, 324 see Adept, 341 see Elite, 347 see Immaculate Conception, 350 see Justification, Khodjagan, 351 Attainment, xxiii, xxv, 4, 17, 36, 47, 734, 76, 91, 95, 101, 105, 106, 109, 111, 113, 115, 119, 144, 148, 152, 157, 158, 169, 206-7, 212, 223, 237, 274, 307, 336 of scientist, 7, 8, 65 states of, on Chart, 40-1, 44 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 role of community in, 115, 333 see Alchemy, 341-2 see Glossary, 343 see Justification, 351 see Predestination, 355-6 see Reality, 356 see Resurrection at Will, Salvation, Sanctification, 357 Attribute(s), 51, 63, 67, 71, 73, 90, 215, 245 of God, 14, 64, 68, 145, 147, 254, 255, 335, 338, 339 of human, 22, 53, 54, 101, 288 of Human, 335 see Heredity, 349 see Immaculate Conception, 350 see Source, The, 359 Awareness, 8, 15, 26, 32, 40, 41, 44, 100, 101, 111, 148, 170, 206, 262, 289 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 development of, 44, 45, 46, 48 of the bilateral resonance of Marjah, 63
INDEX Awareness (continued) result of the absolute, 86 memory is…of, 205 of our breath, 217-8 in meditation, 227 spontaneity of the/spontaneous, of the withinness of God, 225-6, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239 the ‘isness’ of your being, your, 232 in contemplation, 272, 304, 305 see Glossary, 343 see Burning, Call, 344 see Consciousness, 345 see Dying Before Dying, 346 see Gathering Oneself, 348 see Gratitude, 349 see Humbleness, 350 see Knowledge, 351 see Practising the Presence of God, 355 see Senses, 358 see Spontaneous Awareness, 359 see Transformation, Unitive Sex, 360 see Yearning, 361 Awe, 10, 17 Awublah (see Melchizedek) Baraka, 43, 49, 169 see Glossary, 343 Battery, 227, 267 a word which means, 8 greatest discovery of all time, 65 Bear, bearing, 195 I Corinthians references, 289, 322 verse on, in Koran, 321 see Glossary, 343 see Meekness, 353 see Patience, 354 see Perseverance, 355 Beauty, beautiful, 55, 89, 117-8, 119, 328 see Glossary, 343 see Love, 352 Beginning, 10, 15, 16, 32, 122, 143, 160, 228, 241, 247 in the, John I:1, 9, 16, 61, 241 see Essence, 347 Beigua, Omar, 144
Bektashi Order, 213 Belief, xx, 4, 6, 154 see Animism, 342 see Glossary, 343 see Emancipation, 347 Belonging, 44, 118, 122, 206 see Astral Plane, 342 Birthright, xi, 7, 44, 50, 193, 287, 297 Ephesians 1: 3-12, 7 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 Blueprint, Divine, 212 Body Energy(ies) of Consciousness (general), 40, 41, 48, 101, 212 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 (see also: Physical, Instinctive, Intellectual, Emotional, Spiritual, Psychic, Ecological, Global, Universal and Christ Body Energy of Consciousness) Body, human, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 77, 89, 244, 288, 315 evolution of, xxvi nests in, 24-5, 62, 65, 245 human has a, 54, 161 see Body, 343-4 see Pep, 355 see Vehicle, 360 Breath, breathing, 21-6, 33, 35, 41, 83-6, 208, 215, 220, 246, 258, 260 Sun, 22, 216 Harmony, 22, 26, 216 Moon, 22, 24, 216 Sun Breath, Figure 1, 23 master, 24, 26 (MASTER) EXERCISE, 25, 26 story of snoring man, 83-4 Chapter XIII, 215-20 rhythming, qualifying, locating, orbiting, 216 mother, 216, 258, 260 Full Diaphragmatic, 217 Conscious…, 217-8 The Pause Between Inhaling and Exhaling, 218 The Three Abdominal Diaphragms, Figure 6, 219 in meditation, 227, 229 in contemplation, 294, 297, 306, 308 see Glossary, 344 365
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Breath, breathing (continued) see Inspiration, 350 Breath, orbit, orbiting, 24, 216 in contemplation, 291, 297-9, 308 in Applied Contemplation, Figure 7, 309 Brotherhood, 35, 86, 115, 123-4, 138, 170, 193, 198-9 see Glossary, 344 see Hierarchy, 349 Call, 232-4 see Glossary, 344 Careful observation, 21, 34-6, 208 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 see Justified Attitude, 351 Cause-Effect, Effect-Cause, Law of, 39, 43, 53, 76, 89, 92, 95, 204-5, 208, 269 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 Chapter V, 53-6 in creating community, 115, 125 Chakras, 289 (see Nests) Chilleh, 93, 321 experience of, in Bektashi tekye, 324-31 see Glossary, 344 Christ, 20, 74 Second Coming of, 20, 109, 159 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 see Absolute Knowledge, 341 see Glossary, 344 see Completed Human, 345 see Mind of Christ, 353 see Second Coming of Christ, 358 Christ (Body Energy of) Consciousness, 40, 51 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 Christhood, 14, 74 claiming, according to Ephesians 1: 3-12, 7 see Attainment, Abode of, 343 366
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see Glossary, 344 see Cross, The, 345 see Immaculate Conception, 350 see Predestination, 355 see Second Coming of Christ, 358 Christian, 6, 146, 153, 206, 213 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 see Glossary, 344 see Communion, 344 see Jesus, 351 Christianity, 140, 141, 142, 146, 153, 155, 159, 213, 337 author and, 6 see Pentecost, 354-5 Church, 3, 155, 277 see Glossary, 344 Clairvoyance, 205, 248, 269, 275 Clarity, 6, 65, 88, 153, 203, 232, 327 see Glossary, 344 see Question, 356 Colour(s), 11, 21, 255, 300 EXERCISE, 25-7 related to nests, Figure 2, 28 in meditation, 255, 257-8, 262 in contemplation, 290, 292-4, 302, 304, 307-8, 329 Communal, 121 Love Developed in Every Aspect of Love, 117 Communal Decision-making, 137 in Circassian world, 154 COMMUNAL SOCIAL ACTIVITIES, 182 COMMUNAL DECISIONMAKING, 186 Communicate, communication, 9, 18, 27, 48, 68, 76, 116, 144, 212, 259 Chapter II, 15-20 Unconscious, 15-6 Conscious, 16-20 author’s, with omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, 149 WITH YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS, 261 Communion, 43, 48, 63, 68, 129, 148, 226 with God, 20, 111, 126, 222, 224, 245 DIRECT and INDIRECT, 96 in meditation, 227-9, 232, 235-6, 238, 248
INDEX Communion (continued) in contemplation, 259, 261 see Glossary, 344 see Mysticism, 353 Community, xxv, 35, 50-1, 74, 90, 100, 108, 193, 333 Chapter XI, 105-200 BUILDING UP A KEBZEH, 11327 What is a, 115 How a, can be developed, 117-27 imaginary bus trip, 123-7 edification in Kebzeh, via Aleishweh, 128-40, 160-200 sex education in a, 130-2 women in the, 211 see Glossary, 344 see Elder, 346 Complete, completed, completer, xix, xxiii, 20, 27, 51, 65, 173, 265, 335-6 nothing is, unless whole, 46, 300 to, the work of His Father, John 4:34, 255, 335 see Completed Human, 345 Completing, 13, 41, 78, 203 abode of, 51 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 the work of God/Creator, John 4:34, 14, 265, 269 Chapter XIX, 333-9 …Aspects of Evolution, 334 see Attainment, Abode of, 343 see Completing Human, 345 see Human, 350 Completion, 266 abode of, 51 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 the work of God/Creator, John 4:34, 112, 265 Chapter XIX, 333-9 …Aspects of Evolution, 334 see Attainment, Abode of Human, 343 Composite, 11, 12, 244 biochemical, 204-5 Conditioning, 3, 21, 37, 85, 265-6 deconditioning, reconditioning, unconditioning, 37-8, 208 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52
see Opening, 354 see Slavery, 359 Conscience, 39, 227, 266 (see also Marjah) Chapter VII, 61-9 see Glossary, 345 Consciousness, xxvi, 6, 8-10, 33, 45, 53, 63-8, 76-7, 79, 87, 96, 99, 100, 105, 108, 112, 126, 149, 152, 154, 161-2, 183, 203-8, 212, 222, 226, 236, 241, 250, 269, 313, 314, 334, 336 Energy of, (see Energy of Consciousness) evolution of, 14, 40, 274, 277, 325 Positions and Functions of Nests, Figure 2, 28 Chapter IV, 31-52 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 love as transformer of, 54-5 in personality, 72-3 schematic illustration of, 95 in sexuality, 111-3 and Aleishweh, 128-9 in animism, 143-4, 152 in meditation, 245-6, 258 in contemplation, 270, 276 gravel has a, 280 of being conscious, 281 see Alchemy, 341-2 see Animism, Astral Journey, 342 see Glossary, 345 see Cumulative Effect, Phenomenon of, 345 see Dream, 346 see Energy of Consciousness, 347 see God, 348 see Intelligence, 350 see Love, Loving, 352 see Mind, 353 see Projection, 356 see Transformation, 360 Consciousness, Christ, xxvi, 51, 73, 95 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 Consciousness, Cosmic, xxvi, 62-4, 72 in human vehicle or body, 62-4 connection between individuals 367
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Consciousness, Cosmic (continued) and, 72 making one’s connection with, purpose of meditation, 221 in contemplation, 270 Consensus, 43, 124, 137 Contemplation, 18, 39, 43, 95, 208, 215, 243, 248, 259, 266, 269, 272,313, 314, 317, 333, 335 by Princess Satanay, 75 definition of, 238-9, 259, 269 exercise of, 259-62 Chapter XVI, 269-95 dialogue on, with students, 27095 INTRODUCTORY EXERCISE FOR, 279-95 ACT OF, 288-95 Chapter XVII, 297-311 dialogue with students on, 297308 Orbit in Applied Contemplation, Figure 7, 309 result of exercise of, 317-8 author’s experience of, in chilleh, 324-31 see Glossary, 345 Contemplative state, 258, 269, 278 Contentment (Kanaat), 39, 43 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 Chapter X, 99-103 four keys that unlock the doors to, 99 concept of, 100 For to everyone who has…, Matt. 13:12, 25:29; Luke 19:26, 100, 102 see Kanaat, 351 Co-optation, 155 Correct interpretation, 21, 34-5, 208 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 see Justified Attitude, 351 Corridor, 254-5, 304 Cosmic Mind (see Mind, Cosmic) see Glossary, 345 see Mind, Cosmic, 353 Covenant, New see Glossary, 354 see Pentecost, 354-5 Covenant, Old see Glossary, 354 368
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see Pentecost, 354-5 Creation, xx, xxvi, 15, 17, 45, 48, 53, 54, 61, 63, 65, 66, 76, 78, 86, 91, 92, 94, 105, 147, 157, 190, 203, 207, 212, 222, 247, 264, 280, 300, 321 Chapter I, 3-14 five phases of, 10-14 natural laws in, 39, 204 human in, 112, 206, 215, 244 most precious gift of, 130-1 Circassians receive homeland, 138 and animism, 142-4, 151-3 see Animism, 342 see Human, 350 see Life, 352 see Quantity, 356 Creativity, 111, 277 and human, 7, 58, 152 of scientist, 8, 337 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 and love, 74, 252 and sexual energy, 112, 131, 138 Creator, 12, 17, 65, 66, 147, 152, 157, 183, 206, 222, 236, 243, 244, 247, 266, 269, 321, 339 in original religion of the Caucasus, 140, 154 in animism, 144-7 see Creative Energy, 345 see Element, 346 see Master, 352 Cross, 40-1 abode on, Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 see Attainment, Abode on, 343 see Glossary, 345 Cumulative Effect, Phenomenon of, 39, 43, 76, 77, 92, 94, 207, 208, 267, 284 game of memory, 18, 92, 125 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 Chapter VI, 57-9 in community, 115, 123 in breathwork, 216, 218 in meditation, 235, 248-50, 255 in contemplation, 269 see Glossary, 345 Dance, 62, 65-6, 67, 69, 168, 180, 194
INDEX Dance (continued) Dancing, 137-8 Circle, of Invocation, 171-4 Dance of Invocation, Figure 5, 172 DANCING, 187 Democracy, 213, 337-8 Dervish, 129, 213-4, 330 see Chilleh, 344 see Glossary, 345 Descartes, René, 19, 33, 337 see Positive Science, 355 Determination, xxv, 10-13, 14, 15-6 Diaphragm(s), Full Diaphragmatic Breathing, 217 The Three Abdominal Diaphragms, Figure 6, 219 Diaspora, Circassian, xv, xvii, 75, 128, 139, 156-7, 162, 175, 247 Dignity, Female (see Female Dignity) Dimension, Fourth, 4, 7, 19, 20, 336 observer of the reflection, 240 see Positive Science, 355 see New Science, 354 Divorce, 106-7 DNA, xxvi, 16, 212 E = mc2, 8, 10, 34, 48, 53, 61, 76, 92, 105, 143, 222 Law of Energy and Matter, 94 Ecological (Body Energy of) Consciousness, 44, 51, 245 Positions and Functions of the Nests, Figure 2, 28 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 Ecology, ecological, 18, 40, 41, 44, 50, 51, 62, 68, 71, 88, 126, 142, 145, 149, 150, 151, 158, 207 nests, 21, 25, 40 Positions and Functions of the Nests, Figure 2, 28 in process of transformation, 35 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 in animism, 152, 157 see Abundant Life, 341
see Consciousness, 345 see Glossary, 346 see Personality, 355 see Vehicle, 360 see Whole Man, 361 Edification, edify, xxiv, 49, 63, 71, 72, 88, 90, 95, 101, 109, 159, 161, 209, 211, 266 sexual, 106, 110, 113, 130-1, 317 in official education system, 108, 336 of Energy of Consciousness, 118 in community, 119, 128, 154 men and women as edifiers of each other, 211-2 see Glossary, 346 see Receptivity, 357 Education, seven levels in, 114 Education, Revolution in, 108, 158, 210, 336-8 Educational System(s), 44, 46, 47, 101 Ego, 44, 49, 50, 90, 99, 100, 117, 205, 208, 228, 290 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 as THE psychological toxin, 87 see Glossary, 346 see Evil, 347 see Grace, 348 see Lower Self, 352 see Satan, Satanization, Separation, 358 see Slavery, 359 see Vulnerability, 361 Einstein, Albert, 4, 8, 19, 61, 143, 169, 336 admonition of, 210 see New Science, 354 see Positive Science, 355 Elder(s), xvi, xxiii, 83-5, 132, 137, 174, 178, 179, 181, 184, 185, 186, 194, 221-2, 320 Place and Function of, 133 PLACE AND FUNCTION OF, 162-71 Traditional Role of, in Dispute Resolution, 165-71 see Elder, 346 see Pir, 355 369
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Electricity, 9, 13, 16, 17, 34, 46, 78, 117, 203, 208, 240-2, 264, 265, 313 called Amtsadoo, 143-4 see Amtsadoo, 342 Element(s), 11, 13, 17, 72, 183 see Glossary, 346 Elite, 4, 20, 149, 152-4, 159, 162, 276, 338 Tradition of the, xxv see Ahmsta, Ahmsta Kebzeh, 341 see Elite, 347 see Myth, 353 see Prophet, 356 see Saint, 357 Emotional (Body Energy of) Consciousness, 46, 49, 121 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 Energy, 8, 18, 38, 39, 74, 76, 77, 78, 82, 90, 93, 94, 99, 117, 125, 127, 134, 143, 144, 145, 154, 183, 203, 206, 212, 222, 236, 240, 243, 244, 254, 258, 265, 270, 313, 329, 331, 333, 334-5, 336, 337, 338, 339 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 ego-energy, 290 three legs of, called Cosmic Power, 291 intellectual, 336 physical, 336 see Angel, 342 see Aura, 343 see Burning, 344 see Consciousness, 345 see Discipline, 346 see Glossary, 347 see God, 348 see Nests, 353-4 see Reflector, 357 see Sex, 358 see Spirit, 359 Energy of Consciousness, 13, 34, 41, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 61, 62, 63, 65, 66, 68, 88, 89, 91, 92, 93, 96, 101, 105, 112, 142, 147, 148, 152, 205, 212, 245, 336 Cosmic, 239 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 370
UNIVERSAL AWE
M U R AT Y AG A N
see Glossary, 347 Energy, Cosmic, 11, 24, 44, 45, 48, 62, 63, 64, 92, 131, 208, 215, 216, 218, 223, 233, 234, 239, 244, 245, 259 see Angel, 342 see Service, 358 Energy, Creative (creative), 9, 10, 12, 17, 51, 53, 54, 63, 64, 66, 67, 68, 69, 96, 105, 111, 112, 118, 119, 122, 142, 190, 335, 336 see Creative Energy, 345 see Health, 349 see Sexual Energy, 358 Energy, sexual (see Sexual Energy) Energy, spiritual, 105-6, 112, 119, 144, 254, 336 Entity(ies), xxv, xxvi, 15, 16, 25, 40, 41, 45, 46, 62, 92, 94, 96, 161, 169, 183, 216, 239, 245, 261, 335, 338 five-fold functioning of human, 21-2 indicators of human, 53, 54, 215, 288 human, and will, 280, 334 in contemplation, 291-2 see ‘I’, 350 see Latent Human Powers, 352 see Self-realization, 358 see Unique, 360 see Zero, 361-2 Esoteric, xx, 67, 144, 154, 313, 314 see Glossary, 347 see Gnosticism, 348 see Saint, 357 Essence, 13, 41, 53-4, 59, 62-3, 64, 73, 74, 107, 269, 282 Chapter VIII, 71-8 Essence, 71-2 see Antcheh, 342 see Beloved, 343 see Cosmic Mind, 345 see Glossary, 347 see God, 348 see Nests, 353-4 see Personality, 355 see Religion, 357 see Sexual Union, 358 see Sin, Source, 359 Evil, 224, 282 see Glossary, 347 Evolution, xix, xxvi, 9, 13-4, 16, 40, 79, 87, 138, 144, 145, 148, 152, 277, 325
INDEX Evolution (continued) Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 Chapter XIX, 333-9 The Completion and the Completing Phases of, 334-9 see Worship, 361 Exercise(s), inner body (spiritual), 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 48, 51, 71, 76-8, 89, 118, 205, 208, 216-7, 225, 239, 245, 250, 254, 260, 269, 313-4 Chapter III, 21-8 Sun Breath, 22-4 Moon Breath, 24 breathwork, 24-6, 215-8, 220 EXERCISE, colours, 26, 289 Sun Breath, Figure 1, 23 and Marjah, 64, 67-8 Imitation and Truth, 93-4 for Elimination of Resentment, 228-31 meditation, 221, 225, 238, 244, 254, 256 Performing the Exercise of Meditation, 244-8 further on meditation (to contemplation), 258-63, 269-70 Chapter IX, 79-97 INTRODUCTORY EXERCISE FOR CONTEMPLATION, 27982, 297 UNIFICATION OF NESTS, 28895 group discussion on contemplation exercises, 297-308 Orbit in Applied Contemplation, Figure 7, 309 contemplation, 317, 324 author’s experience of, 32431 see Ahmsta Kebzeh, 341 see Inner Body Work, 350 Exercise(s), physical, 80-2, 85, 218 for toxin removal, 220 Facts of Life, 32-3, 47, 49, 77, 109, 114, 123, 124, 128, 130, 150, 297, 336 Faculty, faculties, xxvi, 4, 9, 16, 18, 46, 62, 77, 101, 106, 115, 154, 164, 207, 224, 230, 280, 290, 336 of mysticism, 8, 20, 224
as reflector, 15, 16, 215 of will, 101, 148, 152, 280, 333, 335, 336, 338 of memory, 92, 96, 125, 161, 205 atrophied/latent, 91, 149, 209 mdge, translated as, 146 called ATTRIBUTES OF GOD, 147 subconscious, of perception, 269, 275 see Atrophied Faculties, 343 see Contemplation, 345 see Development (Spiritual), 346 see Glossary, 347 see Grasp, 349 see Latent Human Powers, 352 see Mind, Mysticism, 353 see Senses, 358 see Wholistic, Will, Worship, 361 Faith, xx, 125, 144, 237-8, 264 see Glossary, 347 Fall, The, 7, 19, 209, 289 Family, xxv, 44, 108, 117, 134, 135, 136, 174-5, 181-2, 198 Fasting, 220 author’s experience in chilleh, 32531 Father, 147, 251 the work of His, 14, 255, 335 see God The Father, 348 Fear, 145, 146, 261, 275, 288, 290 of loss, 86, 124, 135, 150 see Emancipation, 347 see Slavery, 359 Female Dignity, 120-1, 130 see Glossary, 348 Forgiveness, 55, 90, 122, 229, 234-5, 229, 307 Fourth Dimension (see Dimension, Fourth) Funeral(s), 182-6 Garden of Eden, 8, 19, 45, 209, 289, 324 see Glossary, 348 Genetic(s), genetically, 36, 71, 72, 73, 260, 324 (see Laws, Mendelian) Global (Body Energy of) Consciousness, 40, 51, 161 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 Gnosis, gnosticism, xx 371
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Gnosis (continued) see Glossary, 348 God, xx, 40, 46, 50, 64, 66, 67, 68, 69, 78, 100, 126, 138, 158, 160-1, 194, 196, 206, 207, 209, 222, 233, 254, 264, 265, 266, 267, 270, 276, 280, 289, 301, 321-2 Chapter I, 3-14 God, 5-10, 12 Chapter II, 15-20 Unconscious Communication, of human with, 15-6 Conscious Communication, of human with, 16-20 the Son, 27 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 ISNESS of, 45, 224, 265 within, 61, 63, 223-7, 230, 236-40, 260 The Presence of, 74 and sexual energy, 106, 111-3 ABODE OF, 113 in original religion of Circassians, 140, 146-7 in animism, 143-5 the Mothers, 189 beginning of, 241 in meditation, 247-9, 256 attributes of, 254-5, 317 ‘I’ is, 257 subconscious mind is, 274 is the Universal Powerhouse, 313 Chapter XIX, 333-9 Will of, 334-5, 338-9 see Absolute Knowledge, 341 see Amarjah, Antcheh, 342 see Beloved, 343 see Christ, 344 see Completing Human, Cosmic Mind, Creative Energy, Cross, Demiurge, 345 see Divinity, 346 see Glossary, 348 see Garden of Eden, God-Realization, God The Father, God The Holy Spirit, God The Son, Godization, Grace, 348 see Heaven, Hell, Higher Self, 349 see Human, Humbleness, Immaculate Conception, 350 see Life, Love, Marjah, 352 372
UNIVERSAL AWE
M U R AT Y AG A N
see Mind (Cosmic), Moment, Mysticism, 353 see Original Sin, 354 see Personal God, Practising the Presence of God, Prayer, 355 see Separation, 358 see Sin, Source, Spirit, 359 see Truth, Union, 360 see Witness, 361 Godization, 239 see Glossary, 348 Grace, 39, 43, 49, 74, 76, 169, 209, 243, 258, 291, 307 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 see Ahmsta Kebzeh, 341 see Baraka, Blind Faith, 343 see Development (Spiritual), Divine Grace and Guidance, 346 see Glossary, 348 see Occultism, 354 see Protection, 356 Grail, 168, 169, 170, 171 Apatkha, Abkhazian word for, 169 Gratitude, 141, 169, 176, 183, 189, 326 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 one of four keys to contentment, 99 in meditation, 225 see Glossary, 349 Guest(s), 138, 178, 185, 189, 194, 198 Place and Function of Guests and Hosts, 136 Abkhazian proverb, 194 Guidance, 35, 50-1, 237, 291 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 Hamadani, Yusuf, 214 Hasan Tahsin Baba, 214, 328 Haste, hasten, hasty, 252-3, 282 Healer, 234 Healing, health, 68, 71, 77, 82-3, 86, 88, 91, 204, 220, 225, 233, 269, 313 exercise of Imitation and Truth, in self-healing, 93 see Health, 349 see Shamanism, 358 Heart, 58, 73, 167, 189, 233, 275-6 nest, 25, 293-4, 298, 308, 329, 301-
INDEX Heart (continued) 2, 330 Positions and Functions of the Nests, Figure 2, 28 see Cross, The, 345 see Glossary, 349 see Hidden Treasure, 349 see Subconscious Mind, 359 see Wisdom, 361 Heaven, 12, 67, 113, 162, 246, 329, 331 see Glossary, 349 see Kingdom of Heaven, 351 see Original Sin, 354 Hell, 32, 101, 145, 161-2 see Glossary, 349 History, xv of (Ahmsta) Kebzeh, 106, 116, 137, 163, 246-7, 267 of Aleishweh, 128-9 of handling sexual energy in Circassian life, 131-2 Caucasian/Circassian, 140, 163, 177, 180, 196, 200 of religion, 140-62, 212-3, 338, 339 episode in Islam’s, 213-4 of education, 336-7 see Pentecost, 354-5 Hologram, 206 Home, xxvi, xxvii, 64, 66, 96, 225, 274, 275 see Glossary, 349 see Nervous System, 353 Homeland, Circassians receive their, 138 Homo Sapiens, xix, 16, 36, 143, 144, 145, 148, 151 see Latent Human Powers, 352 Hospitality, 33, 128, 134, 136 HOSPITALITY, 182 Human, xix, xx, xxv, 33, 61, 103, 142, 147, 149, 151, 152, 159, 161, 206, 209, 212, 218, 222, 223, 236, 243, 248, 254, 258, 267, 269, 276, 281, 286, 289, 290, 313, 324, 337 Chapter I, 3-14 Human, 14 the heir, or SON, 14 Chapter II, 15-20 Chapter III, 21-8 entity, 21-2, 40, 215, 288, 335 five nests of nervous system, 24-5, 62, 221, 244-6, 289-90, 297
Positions and Functions of the Nests, Figure 2, 28 Chapter IV, 31-52 examination of Chart of Transformation, 40-51 Chart of Transformation of Human, Figure 3, 42 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 is a soul and has a body, 54 twelve virtues, 33, 55, 122 body, 62-9 elimination of toxins from, 79-87, 161, 220, 231, 239-40 essence of, 71-2 personality of, 72-3 A Thoroughbred Human, 73-4 and Will, 77-8, 101, 105, 148, 152, 265-6, 270, 280, 282 Purification of the human system, 87-90, 99 Laws of Nature…in human transformation, 90-7, 204-6 and sexual energy, 106-13, 121, 131, 314, 315-18 role of community in raising a, 115-27, 161-2 edification of, by means of Aleishweh, 128-140, 162-200 is a hereditary prince or princess…, 158 The Processing of Human, 207-8 woman is not the second sex of, 211-2, 214 mysticism peculiar to, 224 as a reflector, 16, 240-1 final attribute of God is, 255 is masterpiece of the Eternal Spirit of Creative and Sustaining Power, 332 Chapter XIX, 333-9 see Abode, Abundant Life, Ahmsta Kebzeh, 341 see Alchemy, 341-2 see Atrophied Faculties, 343 see Brotherhood, Caucasian, Christ, Christian, Community, 344 see Completed Human, Completing Human, Cosmic Memory, Cross, 345 see Development (Spiritual), 346 see Hidden Treasure, Holy Spirit, 373
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Human (continued) 349 see Glossary, 350 see Immaculate Conception, Inner Body Work, 350 see Interdependence, Kingdom of Heaven, 351 see Latent Human Powers, Love, Loving, Marjah, 352 see Mind, Mysticism, 353 see Nests, 353-4 see Occultism, 354 see Pentecost, 354-5 see Pep, 355 see Resurrection at Will, 357 see Shamanism, Sheikh, 358 see Source, The, 359 see Temptation, Unitive Sex, Vehicle, 360 see Worship, Yearning, 361 Humbleness, 50, 55, 100, 122, 126, 128 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 one of four keys to contentment, 99 see Appropriateness, 342 see Glossary, 350 Hunger, Spiritual, 91 ‘I’, 22, 53, 257, 259, 261, 288, 291, 295 and ‘Me’, 95 see Gathering Oneself, 348 see Hidden Treasure, 349 see Glossary, 350 see Mobilize and Gather Oneself, 353 I AM, 22, 257, 288, 295, 335 see ‘I’, 350 Idolatry, 140, 142-8, 152-4, 160 Imagination, 208, 229, 318 see Glossary, 350 Imitation and Truth, 92, 93-4, 122, 191, 208, 269 Immaculate Conception, 43, 73-4 see Glossary, 350 Incarnation, 240 see Glossary, 350 see Unique, 360 Individuality, 50, 206 see Glossary, 350 Infinite, xxvi, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 374
UNIVERSAL AWE
M U R AT Y AG A N
32, 41, 55, 64, 96, 100, 101, 102, 110, 117, 203, 205, 208, 241, 244, 248, 252, 254, 255, 300, 313 evolution of consciousness, 14, 151 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 origin of notion of, 241 zero equals, 241 in contemplation, 294-5 Inheritance, 71, 72, 73, 75, 324 see Immaculate Conception, 350 Initiate(s), xx, 67 see Esoteric, 347 see Glossary, 350 Instinctive (Body Energy of) Consciousness, 49, 121, 207 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 Intellect, intellectual, 4, 6, 8, 18, 19, 20, 27, 33, 36, 38, 49, 50, 54, 63, 69, 71, 91, 92, 96, 105, 109, 112, 114, 115, 139, 206, 208, 209, 230, 234, 236, 239, 240, 243, 249, 251, 252, 313, 336 as function of human entity, 21, 40 as nest in human body, 25 Positions and Functions of the Nests, Figure 2, 28 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 in Consciousness, 95 as leg of lower self, 100 mind is ‘Me’, 259 in contemplation, 269, 270, 272, 273, 274, 275, 278, 303 see Clarity, 344 see Ego, 346 see Fool, 348 see Glossary, 350 see Miracle, Mysticism, 353 see Original Sin, 354 see Positive Science, 355 see Subconscious Mind, 359 see Thought, Vehicle, 360 see Wisdom, 361 Intellectual (Body Energy of) Consciousness, 44, 46, 49, 101, 121, 125, 161, 205, 245 Positions and Functions of the
INDEX Intellectual (Body Energy of) Consciousness (continued) Nests, Figure 2, 28 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 Intelligence, xxv, 16-7, 20, 35, 48, 63, 64, 67, 69, 71, 209, 222, 224, 226 see Glossary, 350 see Mysticism, 353 Intelligence, Cosmic, xxvi, 117, 129, 222, 233 see Abode, 341 Interdependence, 44, 50, 275 see Glossary, 351 Intuition, 232 see Glossary, 351 Invocation, 208 Circle Dance of, 171-4, 187 see Glossary, 351 Islam, xv, xx, 4-5, 6, 63, 140, 141, 142, 146, 153, 159, 160, 213-4, 320, 321, 337 Isness, 10, 17, 45, 63, 224, 265, 335, 339 of your being, 232 Jamboree, 62, 65-6, 69, 77, 93, 112 Jesus, Jesus Christ, 6, 12, 20, 32, 46, 50, 67, 69, 74, 78, 90, 116, 146, 153, 161, 162, 238, 254, 255, 265, 290, 335 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 see Glossary, 351 see New Covenant, 354 Joy, 92, 105, 107, 110, 111, 113, 125, 127, 131, 177-8, 188, 195, 204, 231, 232, 249, 252, 266, 301, 317, 320 see Glossary, 351 Justification, 149 abode of, 50 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 see Appropriateness, 342 see Attainment, Abode of, 343 see Glossary, 351 see Opening, 354 Kanaat (Contentment), 39, 43, 150 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52
Chapter X, 99-103 see Glossary, 351 Karma, 12 Kingdom of God, Good, Goodness, 13, 101 Royal Family of, 50, 158 Kinship, description of in Kebzeh social tradition, 196-200 Knowing, xiii, 6, 27, 36, 57, 87, 88, 101, 207, 212, 334 seven ways of, 57-9, 114-5 yourself/who you are, 88, 95, 158 one has enough (Kanaat), 99 in meditation, 224, 233, 251, 289 in contemplation, 289, 294, 300 see Freedom, Gnosticism, 348 see Intuition, Invulnerability, Kanaat, Knowledge, 351 see Predestination, 355-6 see Spontaneity, 359 Knowledge, 3, 12, 63, 67, 92, 115, 126, 130, 142, 149, 153, 162, 212, 221, 224, 234, 236, 237, 247, 276, 331 seven ways of acquisition of, 57-9, 96, 114 God is The, 64 see Absolute Knowledge, 341 see Belief, 343 see Faith, 347 see Freedom, Gnosticism, 348 see Inspiration, 350 see Glossary, 351 see Open Channel, 354 see Quest, 356 Koran(ic), 158-9, 160, 214, 265, 320, 321, 322, 337 see Khodjagan, 351 Laws, Mendelian, 36, 39, 43, 71-2, 92, 94, 212 see Heredity, 349 Laws, natural/of Nature, 12, 17, 45, 48, 51, 53, 54, 63, 66, 68, 75, 107, 122, 190, 208, 269, 317, 318 Laws of Nature to benefit from in transformation, 90-7 list of thirteen, 39, 43 and virgin birth, 76 as means of/role in transformation, 125-6, 204-5 375
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Life, xxv, xxvii, 11, 12, 18, 20, 33, 34, 36, 45, 47, 48, 50, 64, 65, 66, 72, 74, 78, 87, 92, 93, 95, 101, 103, 112, 131, 154, 161, 162, 173, 237, 245, 261, 315, 324, 333, 334, 338 and evolution, 13-4 Breath is, 22 I am come that they might have…, John 10:10, 32, 46, 161, 254 facts of, 32-3, 47, 109, 114, 124, 128, 269, 297, 336 and 13 natural laws, 39-40 ‘Way to Eternal,’ 41 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 and resonance, 49, 77 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 Essence of Universal Creative Power and functioning of, 63 secret key which ignites, 76 AFTER DEATH, 96 Conjugal, 134-6 Clan, 136 Aleishweh in the Milieu of Circassian Daily, 139-40, 160-200 an eternal phenomenon, 160-2 CONJUGAL, 175-81 CLAN, 181-2, (in Abaza, Ajlah) Universal, 206 connection to Life, 218 meditation and, 229, 248 the whole, ENERGY, 244 contemplation and, 259 in the Abode, Chapter XVII, 297311 see Abundant Life, Ahmsta Kebzeh, 341 see Animism, 342 see Awareness, 343 see Body, 343-4 see Consciousness, 345 see Dying Before Dying, 346 see Female Dignity, 348 see Hell, 349 see Incarnation, 350 see Interdependence, 351 see Glossary, 352 see Opening, 354 see Predestination, 355-6 see Protection, Punishment, Quality, 356 376
UNIVERSAL AWE
M U R AT Y AG A N
see Resurrection, 357 see Vehicle, 360 Life-force, 15, 16, 77, 95, 208 as life-giving force/energy, 10, 62, 223-4, 226, 243, 258 in meditation, 221, 224, 225, 231, 232, 235 in contemplation, 269, 326 Life, social, 132, 135, 171, 175-6, 188 Some further details on…, 194-5 Semerghoah is a fantasy of Circassian, 187-93 Light, 17, 232, 234, 235 spectrum of, 11, 126, 290 in meditation, 254, 255, in contemplation, 290, 292-4, 307 see Aura, 343 see Gnosticism, 348 see Shamanism, 358 Lightholder, 49, 51, 89, 157, 169, 237 see Elder, 346 see Salvation, 357 Listen, listening, 34-5 in meditation, 221, 251 Love, 8, 17, 18, 33, 44, 46, 55, 63, 67, 91, 95, 117, 118, 133, 134, 135, 139, 160, 204, 208, 229, 231, 233, 235, 236-7, 261, 264, 301 doing, 43, 89, 105, 112, 116, 118, 122-3, 130, 269 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 is result of, 53, 55 spectrum of, 55, 101, 122-3, 126, 127, 290 God is The, 64 field of, 74, 277 is an Energy of Consciousness, 89 as one of four keys to contentment, 99 in community, 114, 116-7, 120, 121, 122, 125-7, 128, 162, 333 and sexual energy, 131 in Circassian communities, 154, 167, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 183, 196, 198 in semerghoah, 187-93 as language of subconscious, 230 in meditation, 243 and haste, 252, 253 in contemplation, 275, 278, 279,
INDEX Love (continued) 290-1, 293, 294, 304, 305, 307, 313, 314 LOVE CHAPTER, I Corinthians: 13, 290 see Agape Love, 341 see Appropriateness, 342 see Bearing, Beauty, 343 see Chilleh, Communion, 344 see Cross, The, 345 see Eros Love, 347 see Grace, 348 see Heart, 349 see In Love, 350 see Glossary, 352 see Magnetic Field, 352 see New Covenant, Patience, 354 see Pentecost, 354-5 see Philos Love, 355 see Sex, 358 see Submission, 359 see Unconditional, Union, 360 see Will, Yearning, 361 Love, Agape, 90, 112, 118, 122, 131 see Agape Love, 341 Love, Eros, 117, 118 see Ego, 346 see Eros Love, 347 Love, Philos, 117, 119, 125, 205 see Philos Love, 355 Love, Unconditional, 86, 88, 89, 90, 277, 336 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 see Agape Love, 341 see Unconditional, 360 Man, men, xix, xxvi, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 173, 199 Fall of, 7 entity of, 22 as edifiers of women, 211 in Aleishweh, 130 God created, in His image, 147 see Whole Man, 361 Manifestation, xxv, xxvi, 10, 12, 16, 17, 18, 27, 39, 61, 64, 66, 77, 88, 204, 206, 241, 265, 275, 280 Manifestation, 13, 14 of sexual energy, 110-13, 121, 131, 316
see Elite, 347 see God The Son, 348 see Higher Self, 349 see Human, Immaculate Conception, Individuality, 350 see Personal God, 355 see Service, 358 see Spirit, 359 see Witness, 361 Marjah, 39, 43, 95, 99, 215, 221, 230 explanation, 63-9 in meditation, 221, 224, 230, 236, 248 in contemplation, 261, 313, 318 see Amarjah, 342 see Higher Self, 349 see Glossary, 352 Marriage, 106-9, 113, 132, 135, 198, 199 of positive science and mysticism (see Mysticism) Conjugal Life, 175-81 see Glossary, 352 see New Age, 354 see Reason, 356 see Union of Wills, 360 see Will, 361 Mary, Virgin (see Virgin Mary) Master, 289 Kebzeh, 36, 37, 161 Jesus, 12, 32, 161 see Glossary, 352 see Satan, 358 Master Desire, 43, 75, 77-8, 264, 269, 274, 275 see Glossary, 353 Masturbation, 314, 318, 322-3 STUDY OF THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THAT MASTURBATON, 3158 spiritual, 324-31 ‘Me’, 95, 257 Mediocrity, 3, 147, 153, 159, 338 Meditation, 18, 43, 68, 75, 95, 96, 208, 215, 266, 269, 270, 277, 280, 281, 304 SECRET of successful, 27 Chapter XIV, 221-42 definition of, 221 Meditation Proper, 231-9 Apsinkha, Abkhazian word for, 238 the TRUE, is, 239 377
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Meditation (continued) Chapter XV, 243-67 Performing the Exercise of, 244-8 Meditation Proper, 248 Furthering the, to the next stage in mystical exercises, 258-62 as pre-requisite to contemplation, 274, 276, 278, 300 difference with contemplation, 281-3, 287 see Glossary, 353 Meditation-contemplation, 266, 313, 333, 335 in chilleh, 325-8 Melchizedek, 147, 168, 289 Awublah in Abkhazian, 169 see Glossary, 353 Memory, 18, 39, 43, 46, 57, 59, 63, 67, 92, 110, 125-6, 255, 299 a battery has a, 8, 65, 267 in process of virgin birth, 76 the Phenomenon of, 95-7 FACULTY OF, 161, 205-7 and the divine blueprint, 212 storage place of, 239-40 see Glossary, 353 see Reason, 356 see Repetition, 357 Memory, Cosmic, 241-2 see Glossary, 345 see Remembering, 357 Mevlana, Jelaluddin Rumi, 238, 264 Mind, xix, xx, 5, 7, 18, 19, 20, 31, 34, 38, 68, 76, 77, 93, 95, 96, 143, 144, 148, 150, 161, 209, 217, 225, 240, 313, 315, 338, 339 attained, of human, source of tradition, xx home of, xxvi, xxvii Spiritual, spiritualized, 8, 36, 96 ascension in subtleties of, 39, 40, 42-7, 55 Ascension in Subtleties of, Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 subtleties of, 59, 63, 65 wholistic, wholeness of, 8, 109, 158, 269 in meditation, 225, 228, 229, 234, 235, 237, 249, 250, 251, 252, 257, 260, 261 378
UNIVERSAL AWE
M U R AT Y AG A N
in contemplation, 238, 269, 272-6, 292, 299, 306, 326, 327, 330 highest manifestation of, 241 see Abundant Life, 341 see Animism, Astral Plane, 342 see Awareness, 343 see Breath, 344 see Concentration, Contemplation, 345 see Grasp, 348 see Heart, Holy Spirit, 349 see Inner Body Work, Intellect, 350 see Memory, Mind of Christ, Nervous System, 353 see Glossary, 353 see Psyche, 356 see Second Coming of Christ, 357 see Source, Subconscious Mind, 359 see Whole Man, 361 Mind, Cosmic, xix, xxv, xxvi, 5, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 33, 212, 222, 274, 293 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 in contemplation, 282-9, 295 see Cosmic Mind, 345 see Glossary, 353 see Source, The, 359 Mind, Subconscious, 58, 73, 89, 95, 114 in mysticism, 20, 224 language of, 230 in contemplation, 238, 259, 272, 273, 275 in meditation, 249, 250 is Cosmic Mind, 274 see Charisma, Clarity, 344 see Dream, 346 see Grasp, Heart, 349 see Intuition, Knowledge, 351 see Mysticism, 353 see Psyche, 356 see Glossary, 359 see Wisdom, 361 Miracle, 145 see Glossary, 353 Mohammed, 146, 158-9, 237, 290 Mother(s), 86, 112, 122, 133, 189, 197, 198, 199, 211 breath (see Breath, mother) Committee of, 137 of all, Anchweh in Abkhazian, 144, 146
INDEX Mother(s) (continued) God the, 189 of all Creation, 321 means God the Creator, 321 the Great, 331 see Female Dignity, 348 see Sexual Energy, 358 Music, 12, 13, 48, 65-7, 126, 254, 293, 300 in activating nests, 246-7 Mystic(s), mystical, mysticism, 18, 63, 67, 68, 74, 76, 77, 126, 204, 214, 240, 247, 264, 265, 330 and (positive) science/scientist, 3, 4, 5, 8, 20, 47, 65, 88, 94, 97, 109, 148, 158, 270, 337 definition of, 20, 222, 224 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 development, 65-6, 96 trinity, 66 ultimate goal of...experience, 129 in meditation, 222, 224, 235, 237, 243, 248, 254, 255, 256, 258, 280, 325, 326 master…exercise, 269 in contemplation, 280, 325, 326 and spiritual masturbation, 318, 324 see Glossary, 353 see New Age, 354 see Pentecost, 354-5 Narts, xx, 74-5, 78, 139-40, 143-4, 156, 162, 169, 289 Legend of Satanay Guash, 75 Nature, 11, 13, 16, 17, 27, 53, 86, 91, 108, 120, 121, 146, 147, 150,152, 160, 204, 226, 233, 246, 335 laws of, (see Laws, natural/of Nature) Nervous System, of human, 22, 47, 54, 88, 204-5, 215, 258, 315 and Cosmic Mind/God, xxvi-ii, 8, 16 nests/plexuses in, 24, 41, 45, 48, 53, 55, 62, 89 ,118, 208, 216 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 soul in, 54 as home of Marjah, 64-5
in virgin birth, 75-7 and natural laws, 92-6 in orgasm, 110, 113, 329, 330 in meditation, 221, 225, 244, 245, 247, 254 in contemplation, 270, 275, 280, 318 see Alchemy, 341-2 see Inner Body Work, 350 see Love, 352 see Glossary, 353 see Mind, 353 Nest(s), 21, 41, 240, 299, 301, 302, 315 (see also Plexus(es)) heart nest (see Heart) five, in nervous system of human body, 24-6, 45, 48-9, 65, 208, 216, 254 Positions and Functions of the Nests, Figure 2, 28 and beauty, 89, 118 in meditation, 221, 250, 254, 257-8 in preparation for meditation, 244-5, 246, 247 Unification of the Nests, 282, 288295 in contemplation, 297, 300, 304, 305, 329 The Nests, Figure 8, 310 see Heart, 349 see Love, 352 see Glossary, 353-4 New Age, 20, 47, 61, 88, 94, 148 see Glossary, 354 Omnipotence, Omnipresence, Omniscience, xix, 43, 58, 59, 62-3, 69, 145, 149, 226, 236, 248, 254, 269, 313, 317, 333 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 see Cosmic Mind, 345 see Immaculate Conception, 350 Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient, 54, 143, 226, 245, 280, 288, 289, 293, 300 One, Oneness, xx, xxvi, 77, 113, 145, 161, 171, 264, 266, 279, 316 being one with Eternal Energy/ Spirit of Creative/Sustaining Power/God/Creator, 9, 96, 211, 379
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One, Oneness (continued) 238, 239, 258 of all Creation, 66, 72, 86, 151, 206, 212, 266 in community, 117, 138, 154, 164 in meditation, 228, 243, 244, 245, 262, 279 in contemplation, 261, 287, 291, 305, 331 with the Source, 314-5 the Absolute, 95 see Antcheh, 342 see Atonement, 343 see Source, The, 359 see Yearning, 361 Oracle, 196, 206 Orgasm, 113, 261, 315 difference in male and female, 110-3, 316-7, 331 in contemplation, 313, 314, 317, 331 Oxygen, 83-5, 208, 215-8, 299 Ozone, 215, 218 Pagan, paganism, 6, 139, 140 Parents, 109, 178, 198, 280 The Place and Function of Parents, 133-4, 174-5 Patience, 55, 122, 126, 130, 267, 324 needed to transform, 35 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 in meditation, 251, 252 in contemplation, 259, 261 see Glossary, 354 Peace, 35, 50, 165, 167, 168, 170 abode of, 50 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 see Attainment, Abode of, 343 Pep, 46, 106, 112, 120, 180 see He-Pep, 349 see Glossary, 355 see She-Pep, 358 Personality, 39, 211 Chapter VIII, 71-8 Personality, 72-4 see Glossary, 355 Physical (Body Energy of) Consciousness, 38, 39, 41, 46, 48, 49, 101, 121, 245 380
UNIVERSAL AWE
M U R AT Y AG A N
Positions and Functions of the Nests, Figure 2, 28 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 Plexus(es), 53, 55, 62, 225 (see also Nest(s)) see Nests, 353-4 Point(s) of Contact, 113, 291 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 in contemplation, 291, 294 see Beauty, Beloved, 343 see Lord, 352 see Glossary, 355 Positive science, scientist, 4, 5, 12, 19, 20, 33, 61, 68, 71, 94, 149, 336, 337, 338 and mysticism (see Mysticism) alchemy will be part of, 78 Contemplative, 276 see New Age, New Science, 354 see Glossary, 355 Practical application, 21, 34, 36, 87, 143, 146, 203, 208, 267 see Justified Attitude, 351 Prayer, xxv, 18, 39, 43, 69, 144, 146, 208, 222, 223, 228, 236, 264, 273 the Lord’s, 12, 64, 270 Chapter VII, 61-9 see Glossary, 355 Predestination, 11, 13 according to Ephesians 1: 3-12, xxvi, 7, 12 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 see Glossary, 355-6 Presence, 218 of God, 74 in meditation, 226, 227 see Divinity, 346 see Heaven, 349 see Practising the Presence of God, 355 see Remembering, 357 Prophet(s), 3, 6, 144, 145, 153, 221-2, 338, 339 Mohammed, 158-9 see Glossary, 356 Psyche, 55, 63, 208 in contemplation, 275, 276 greatest faculty of the whole Universe, 91
INDEX Psyche (continued) see Ego, 346 see Glossary, 356 see Will, 361 Psychic, xix, 21, 25, 40, 62, 71 one of five folds of human, 21 Positions and Functions of the Nests, Figure 2, 28 see Psychic Poison, 356 see Vehicle, 360 Psychic Body (Energy of) Consciousness, 44, 50, 96, 101, 205, 245 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 Psychological, 26, 91, 95, 124, 128, 316 toxins (see Toxins, Psychological) characteristics in female and male sexuality, 109-10 see Psychic Poison, 356 Quest, v, 6, 273, 328 see Glossary, 356 see Seeker, 358 Reason, 8, 12, 34, 58, 89, 239 and the intellect, 18, 20, 49, 95, 114, 205, 274, 336 in contemplation, 275 see Belief, 343 see Glossary, 356 Receptivity, 142, 145, 157, 203 in mysticism, 224 in meditation, 233, 245 in contemplation, 273, 328 see Mysticism, 353 see Glossary, 357 Records, Cosmic, 97 Reflector, reflection, xx, xxv, 9, 15, 16, 41, 44, 45, 64, 67, 68, 78, 211, 240, 241, 280, 339 see Health, 349 see Mind, 353 see Glossary, 357 Reincarnation, 289 see Glossary, 357 Relaxation, relax(ing), 35, 68, 216 in meditation, 225, 226, 229, 232-3 in contemplation, 259-61 see Glossary, 357 Religion(s), 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 47, 119, 129,
141, 147-8, 152, 153, 159, 162, 213, 221, 287, 320, 336, 337, 338 Ahmsta Kebzeh is not a, xxvii influence on tradition, 107, 132, 139, 154-5, 186 original, of Circassians, 140-57, 160, 161 paganism, 140 Animism is not a, 142 Main Components of a Religion, 142-6 see Jesus, 351 see Orthodox Religion, 354 see Glossary, 357 Resentment, 39, 43, 86, 92, 204 in meditation, 227-8, 233, 234, 248 Exercise for the Elimination of Resentment, 228-31 in contemplation, 290, 307 see Clarity, 344 see Home, 349 Resolution, dispute The Traditional Role of Elders in Dispute Resolution, 165-71 Resonance, 39, 43, 48-9, 73, 76-7, 89, 92 LIFE IS, 49 LOVE is the result of, 53, 55 of Marjah with…, 63-9 Resonance of Vibrations, 93 in community, 115, 117-8 in meditation, 245 in contemplation, 259, 328 see Love, 352 see Glossary, 357 Resurrection, resurrect(s), 62, 205, 248, 269 see Remembering, Resurrection at Will, 357 see Glossary, 357 Revolution, in our education system, 108, 158, 209-11, 336-7 Rumi, Mevlana Jelaluddin (see Mevlana) Saint, 206, 264 see Glossary, 357 Salvation, abode of, 50 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 381
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Salvation (continued) see Attainment, Abode of, 343 see Glossary, 357 Sanctification, abode of, 51 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 see Attainment, Abode of, 343 see Glossary, 357 Satan, 49, 253 see Glossary, 358 Satanay, Princess, 78, 169 Nart legend of, 75 Science, 6, 7, 289, 314, 334 Ahmsta Kebzeh is a/an applied, xxiii, xxv, xxvii, 149 Animism is a, 142 Ahmsta Kebzeh is the AllComprehensive, of Universal Awe, 203 see Ahmsta Kebzeh, 341 see New Age, New Science, 354 see Positive Science, 355 Science, positive (see Positive science) Self, xxvi, 22, 27, 39, 43, 62, 77, 90, 93, 105, 206, 232, 321, 331 -righteousness, 44, 50 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 -induce(d) conception, 71, 77, 78 -resentment, 229, 230 -ACCEPTANCE, 230 in contemplation, 263, 264, 291 see Freedom, 348 see Hidden Treasure, 349 see Predestination, 355-6 see Self-realization, 358 Self, Higher, 218, 223, 230, 274, 289 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 Conscience is the JUDGMENT of, 61 as Marjah, 61, 63, 99, 215 as ‘I’, 95 in meditation, 221, 234, 236, 248, 259, 279, 287 in contemplation, 261, 287 see Conscience, 345 see Evil, 347 see Friend, Godization, 348 see Hidden Treasure, Higher Self, 349 382
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M U R AT Y AG A N
see Invocation, 351 see Marjah, 352 see Point of Contact, 355 see Submission, 359 Self, Lower, 287 as ‘Me’, 95 four legs of, 100 see Lower Self, 352 see Satanization, 358 see Submission, 359 Semerghoah,139 SEMERGHOAH, 187-94 Sex, sexual, sexuality, 18, 122, 175, 187, 190, 195, 217, 223, 225, 243 Chapter XI, 105-200 difference between natures of male and female, 109-11, 120 no…attainment…unless sexually satisfied, 113 act as cosmic act, 113 in community, 116, 118, 130-1 in mare and stallion, 120-1 in Circassian marriage, 135-6 woman is not a second, 211, 213, 214 masturbation, 315-8, 323 in chilleh work, 328-30 see Marriage, 352 see Glossary, 358 see Sexuality (Human), Sexual Union, 358 see Unitive Sex, 360 Sex, unitive, 217, 243 see Union of Wills, Unitive Sex, 360 Sexual Energy, 39, 43, 78, 92, 94, 138, 190, 208 The Law of Duality of Sexual Energy in Every Living Entity, 94 Chapter XI, WHERE SEXUAL ENERGY STARTS, 105-13 GOD IS, 106, 314 EVERY SPIRITUAL ENERGY IS, 106 in community, 118, 119, 130-1 with two characters, 121 author’s experience of, in contemplation, 328, 329, 330 see Creative Energy, 345 see Female Dignity, 348 see He-Pep, 349 see Masculine Energy, 352
INDEX Sexual Energy (continued) see Glossary, 358 see She-Pep, 358 Shamanism, shaman, 206, 213, 214 see Glossary, 358 Sheikh, 214, 324, 325, 328, 329, 330, 331 see Glossary, 358 Sin, 32, 160 original, 19, 87, 158, 209 see Original Sin, 354 see Separation, 358 see Glossary, 359 Skincare, Abkhazian, 82 Sloth, 19, 49 see Glossary, 359 Sohbet(s), 35, 249-58, 262-7, 270-9, 297308 see Glossary, 359 Solar Plexus, 232, 301-2 Son, 14, 251 God the, 27 see God The Son, 348 Soul(s) 16, 22, 53, 54, 63, 97, 206, 215, 230, 236, 239, 248, 330 we are, 161 Apsinkha (Soul-work in Abkhazian), 238 see Abundant Life, 341 see Body, 343-4 see Hidden Treasure, Higher Self, 349 see Incarnation, 350 see Joy, 351 see Reincarnation, 357 see Glossary, 359 see Vehicle, 360 see Whole Man, 361 Soulhood, May God help us not to lose our, (in Abkhazian, Anchoe hapsuara iumyrdzyn), 332 Source, xxv of Ahmsta Kebzeh, xix, xx, 5, 8, 15, 49, 76, 87, 151, 207, 307, 315 in contemplation, 291 of Will, 334-5, 338 see Custodians of Wisdom (or Secrets), 345 see Guide, 349 see Melchizedek, 353 see Glossary, 359
see Way, 361 Sphere, crystal pink in contemplation, 293-5, 297 Spirit, spiritual, xx, 9, 12, 13, 14, 16, 20, 27, 34, 40, 41, 51, 53, 54, 62, 63, 64, 65, 67, 76, 86, 89, 90, 101, 148, 152, 153, 160, 161, 179, 183, 189, 208, 211, 223, 313, 331, 333, 335, 336 definition of, 46, 117 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 plus nothing, 58 transformation of matter to, 67 Chapter IX, 79-97 in completing our mental capacities to wholeness, 91 Consciousness through means of, and Love, 95 Mind, 96 spontaneity of memory belongs to, 96 Energy of Consciousness, 101 You wrap yourself in…112 yearning vibration turning to, 112 in animism, 143 Abrahamic God-in-, 147 as invisible ‘quickener’ or ‘enlivener’, 154 world of, 162 in phenomenon of memory, 205-6 intellect at the expense of, 209 in meditation, 224, 226, 234, 243, 244, 258, 266 in contemplation, 295 masturbation, 317-8 HUMAN’S masterpiece of Eternal, 332 HUMAN ADMINISTERING ORDER AND WORK OF THE ETERNAL, 338 see Art (Fine), 342 see Baraka, 343 see God The Holy Spirit, Grace, 348 see Holy Spirit, 349 see Incarnation, 350 see Knowledge, 351 see Mind of Christ, 353 see Psyche, 356 see Soul, 359 see Glossary, 359 see Unique, 360 383
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Spirit, spiritual (continued) see Whole Man, 361 Spiritual (Body Energy of) Consciousness, 39, 101, 112, 161, 205, 245 Positions and Functions of the Nests, Figure 2, 28 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 Spontaneity, spontaneous, 3, 37, 38, 76, 108, 129 altruistic, 44 in phenomenon of cumulative effect, 57, 59, 126, 216, 218 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 in breathwork, 85, 218 in phenomenon of memory, 96, 205, 239 in education in Kebzeh, 114 in preparation for meditation, 221, 224, 225, 226, 235, 236, 237, 247 see Alchemy, 341-2 see Awareness, 343 see Cumulative Effect, Phenomenon of, 345 see Discernment, 346 see Justification, Kanaat, 351 see Service, 358 see Glossary, 359 see Unconditional, 360 St. Paul, 264, 289, 300 Station (as in Abode), 45 see Abode, 341 see Justification, 351 see Perfection, 355 see Transformation, 360 Subconscious (see Mind, Subconscious) Subconsciousness, aspect of Consciousness, 95 Sufi, Sufism, xx, 63, 93, 94, 99, 100, 119, 129, 208, 213, 214, 221, 224, 225, 238, 255, 265, 276, 314, 337 chilleh work, 324 see Bektashi, 343 see Dervish, 345 see Khodjagan, 351 see Pir, 355 see Sheikh, 358 384
UNIVERSAL AWE
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SUPERCONSCIOUSNESS, 95 Synergy, 35, 43, 105 in community, 115, 117, 118, 124-5, 127, 186, 208 in meditation, 250, 263 see Community, 344 see Glossary, 359 Teacher, xxv, 36, 38, 50, 51, 105, 214, 236, 313 necessity of, in transformation, 35 the true, is, 87 as means to successfully get involved in the teaching, 114, 115 woman as, 211 see Sohbet, 359 Thinking, not thinking in meditation, 221, 225, 226-8, 232, 234, 238, 251, 258, 282, 283, 285 in contemplation, 259, 265, 269, 271, 272, 273, 275, 282, 283, 285, 291, 293, 303, 305, 327 see Contemplation, 345 see Meditation, 353 Toast, toasting, xxv, 168-71, 180 Toxin(s) Physical, 87-9, elimination of, 79-86, 220 Psychological, 39, 43 elimination of, 86-7, 88-90, 290 see Psychic Poison, 356 see Glossary, 360 Transformation, 22, 31, 53, 54, 73, 87, 88, 99, 108, 121, 123, 124, 128, 148, 206 of Human, as processing work of Ahmsta Kebzeh, 33 work involved in achieving, 34-9 explanation of Chart of Transformation, 39-51 Chart of Transformation of Human, Figure 3, 42, 43 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 of matter to Spirit, 67 from invisible to visible energy, 77 Laws of Nature to benefit from in human transformation, 90-7 none, without true community, 122
INDEX Transformation (continued) two laws of Nature as means of, 125-6 in aristocracy in Kebzeh, 222 see Heart, 349 see Glossary, 360 Trinity, 63, 66, 113 Truth, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 15, 19, 33, 34, 65, 67, 74, 87, 92, 95, 96, 107, 145, 151, 153, 158, 240, 241, 264, 280, 336-7 OF WHO HE IS, 27 Imitation and, 93-4, 122, 204, 205, 269, 318 known in antiquity, 143-4 in semerghoah, 190-1 ultimate, 224, 243 contemplation in, 313 to reach the deeper, 337 divine, 338 IN THE HOLY BOOKS, 339 see Communion, 344 see Edify, 346 see Fanaticism, 347 see Hierarchy, 349 see Myth, 353 see Orthodox Religion, 354 see Religion, 357 see Tradition, 360 see Glossary, 360 see Zero, 361-2 Truth, Absolute, 3, 8, 50, 58, 145, 159, 161, 234, 240, 264 Union, 63, 316 with Eternal Spirit of Creative Power, 63 abode of, 228 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 in meditation, 228 in contemplation, 278, 305, 318 WITH MY MAKER, 328 see Attainment, Abode of, 343 see Sexual Union, 358 see Union of Wills, 360 see Glossary, 360 see Yearning, 361 Unitive Sex (see Sex, unitive) Universal (Body Energy of) Consciousness, 40, 51, 161
Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 Universal Powerhouse/Power Plant, 39, 43, 149, 206, 208, 313 see Amtsadoo, 342 see Health, 349 Universe, xxv, 9, 10, 12, 20, 40, 46, 50, 62, 66, 77, 78, 91, 109, 111, 113, 144, 193, 206, 208, 212, 222, 235, 246, 247, 288, 294, 297, 298-9, 300, 329, 330, 333, 334, 336, 338 cannot be complete without, 27 greatest faculty of the whole, 91 energy that created the whole, 105, 142, 147, 190 consciousness contagious in, 203, 208 consciousness as starter of, 207 manifests in phenomenon of many Universes, 208 WILL of the, 270 see Energy of Consciousness, 347 see Hidden Treasure, 349 Universes, 160, 203, 208, 331 Vehicle(s), 15, 38, 45, 48, 62, 67, 88, 96, 166, 183, 207, 208, 217, 220, 247, 269, 287, 307 Cosmic Mind manifested in...of Man, 16 of/bears the soul, 54, 161 as a reflector, 63, 240 home of Marjah, 66 preparation of, for transformational development, 79, 87 memory being the, of consciousness, 206 for God…, 276 see Body, 343-4 see Breath, 344 see Glossary, 360 Vibration(s), xxv, xxvi, 24, 41, 47, 49, 50, 54, 63, 66, 76, 85, 92, 105, 115, 176, 183, 256, 262, 313, 315 colour, 21, 24-7, 254, 255, 258, 262, 290, 300, 302, 304, 308 in explanation of Chart of Transformation, 39-43, 47-51, 112 of beauty, 53, 55, 89 of love, 55, 89, 117, 118, 119, 121, 123, 125, 126, 131, 174 385
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Vibration(s) (continued) of Marjah with human energy, 67 of consciousness, 73, 270 negative/positive, 88, 212 Resonance of Vibrations, 93 in orgasm, 110-11, 316, 329 to form community, 124, 333 in breathwork, 216 in meditation, 221, 245-7, 254, 255, 258, 263 in contemplation, 259, 262, 290, 294, 300, 302, 304, 305, 308, 328 see Alchemy, 341-2 see Female Dignity, 348 see Love, 352 see Resonance, 357 see Sexuality (Human), 358 Virgin Birth, 74-6 Virgin Mary, 78 lady dervish called, 330 Virtues, 224 twelve human, 33-4, 55, 122-3, 290 Visualization, 28, 39, 43, 93, 208, 269, 303 one of three ways of qualifying the breath, 24 used by Princess Satanay, 75 in contemplation, 291, 293, 294, 318 in masturbation, 315 see Imagination, 350 see Glossary, 361 Wedding(s), 137, 174 bed, as ABODE OF GOD, 113 Circassian, 178-81 Wholeness, 10, 44, 79, 113, 183, 300, 330, 332, 338 of mind, 7, 8, 46, 47, 91, 158, 159, 269 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 ACADEMIES OF, 158 see Abundant Life, Adept, 341 see Christ, 344 see Elite, 347 see Health, 349 Wholistic, xxiii, xxvii, 4, 21, 40, 109, 210, 278 see Abundant Life, 341 see Whole Man, 361 386
UNIVERSAL AWE
M U R AT Y AG A N
see Glossary, 361 Will, willing, xxv, 15, 49, 63, 67, 77, 88, 207, 239, 266 definition of, xxvi of human/Human, 9, 12, 21, 25, 66, 76, 77, 101, 105, 112, 118, 148, 152, 280, 333, 335, 336, 338 of God, 17, 64, 264, 265, 334-5, 338, 339 of Man, 16, 18 as ‘I’ of human entity, 22, 53, 54, 288, 335 Claiming Your Birthright, Figure 4, 52 Thy, be done, 64, 67, 265, 270 God is The, 78, 264, 265, 338 as one of four keys…to contentment, 99 in semerghoah, 190 resurrection at, 205, 248, 269 in phenomenon of memory, 242 of the Universe, 270 in discussion on contemplation, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 280 of Abraham, 289 Chapter XIX, 333-9 Will, Will of God, Will of Human, 334-9 see Alchemy, 341-2 see Attainment, 343 see Creative Energy, 345 see ‘I’, 350 see Original Sin, 354 see Reason, 356 see Remembering, Resurrection At Will, 357 see Glossary, 361 see Will-power, 361 Will-power, 90, 93, 131, 189, 335-6, 338 see Glossary, 361 Wisdom, xvi , 4, 6, 35, 36, 63, 67, 101, 156, 158, 166, 189, 229, 314, 321, 337 Breath of the entity in/of, 22, 216 knowledge becomes, 59 God is The, 64 in completing the work of the Father on Earth, 336 see Custodians of Wisdom (or Secrets), 345 see Glossary, 361 Woman, women, 130, 199
INDEX Woman, women (continued) as edifiers, 211 true, 211-2 revolt of, 213-4 Word, 151, 152 In the beginning there was the, John 1:1, 9, 16, 61, 241 see Glossary, 361 Worship, 137, 138, 160, 233, 237, 239 as means of conscious communication with God, 18 as expression of yearning, 101, 236 object(s) of, 103 in original religion of Circassians, 140 in animism, 144, 146 in Abrahamic religion, 148 one of three ways by which creature can address the Creator, 222-3 see Church, 344 see Glossary, 361 Yearning, 74, 91, 99, 103, 223, 254, 265, 315 Chart of Transformation, Figure 3, 42 for an unknown better, 49, 74, 100-1, 112, 145, 190, 205 HUMAN, as motivating agency, 50 as worshipping, 236 in contemplation, 304, 305, 327 see Burning, Call, 344 see Quest, 356 see Submission, 359 see Worship, 361 see Glossary, 361
STORIES Cabinet : unfulfilled potential, 31-2 Boy and violin : conditioning, 37-8 Princess Satanay : self-induced conception, 75 Snoring man : lesson on breathing, 83-5 Nephew’s lifestyle : example of Kanaat, 102-3 Mare and stallion : natural female dignity, 120-1 Imaginary bus trip : building community, 123-7 The Caucasus : Circassians receive homeland : 138 Nasruddin Hodja : scientific proof, 149-50 gratitude, 236 Mohammed : interpretation of Koran, 158-9 Goat and trouble in village : dispute resolution, 163-4 Circassians and Funerals : importance of funerals, 182-3 Maisie’s father : lesson on love, 279
Zero, equal to infinite, 241 dimension, 288 see Moment, 353 see Point, 355 see Glossary, 361-2
Uncle Medjid : left-handedness, 318-20 God-given trouble, 320-2 Table of Multiplication, 322 masturbation, 323
387
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OF
UNIVERSAL AWE
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