The Biogenic way of food of the Essenes that is described here, can be supplemented with the Ayurvedic knowledge, that can, amongst other things, give us back knowledge on the use of herbs that was known in the original Teachings (as they were known to mankind in "Vedic" times). According to Vedic traditions food is first offered to the Godhead in a small temple, or altar, before one may eat from it. With the Essenes the body plays much the same role. With them too, the preparation of a meal was a sacred activity, as well as the eating; it had to be fulfilled with devotion and in peace and quiet: for the food was after all brought into the temple of God.
"The Body is the Temple of the Spirit and the Spirit is the Temple of God", the Essenes said. Even in the Bible vestiges of this thought can be found back, like in Acts 17: 24: "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord odf heaven and earth, does not live in Temples made by man (i.e.: God does not live in temples or churches, man-made buildings) and on the other hand (John 14: 2): In my Father's house are many rooms. This is about people, who make it possible for God to dwell in them, in their "inner chamber!" That will of course only be possible if their temple is pure, and if all that is brought into it too is pure, and as much as possible not in an artificial, processed state.
Also in the Gospel of Peace of the Essenes, part 1 can be found what Jesus teaches about this: For the table of the Lord is an altar, and he who eats at the table of God is in a temple. For I tell you truly, the body of the Son of Man is turned into a temple, and his inwards into an altar, if he does the commandments of God. Wherefore, put naught upon the altar of the Lord when your spirit is vexed, neither think upon anyone with anger in the temple of God. And enter only into the Lord's sanctuary when you feel in yourselves the call of his angels, for all that you eat in sorrow, or in anger, or without desire, becomes a poison in your body. For the breath of Satan defiles all these. Place with joy your offerings upon the altar of your body, and let all evil thoughts depart from you when you receive into your body the power of God from his table.
It seems that we have in the human organism about a thousand enzymes, the correlative functions of which are only little known, of which the majority is destroyed by heating and processing. In view that each year we are discovering new enzymes and enzyme-like biochemical substances, we also have to consider the yet unknown and undiscovered factors which seem to be present in natural, uncooked and unprocessed foods, and which probably perform as vital functions in our metabolism and biochemistry as the already discovered ones. It appears that are only on the threshold of the discovery of the great biochemical secrets of life, which the Essenes already knew thousands of years ago.
It is also important not to eat too much, and to fast every now and then, which is something that is also time and again "newly discovered" by scientists, but in fact has been known to mankind from the beginning.We will invariably find that less food heals faster, and that thirty or forty grams of pure protein (provided it comes from uncooked and unadulterated foods) is as efficient as sixty or eighty grams. It seems that in the Essene nutrition there is a tremendous inner biochemical economy, without waste, providing more nutrients from less.
For this reason it is of the utmost importance to eat LIVING food, that in turn again can create life (this is in fact the very meaning of the word "Biogenic"). In that respect in Essene Biogenic Nutrition food is divided into four groups:
- Biogenic food
- Bioactive food
- Biostatic food
- Biocidic food
Click on the link beneath for more about the four groups mentioned above:
