Synopses & Reviews
Representing a synthesis of the author’s decades of multidisciplinary work in meditation, psychiatry, psychotherapy, and spirituality, Creating Peace by Being Peace guides readers in creating peace on seven levels of engagement, from the body to the ecology to God. Author Gabriel Cousens addresses the increasingly urgent need to transform humankind with the ancient peace wisdom of the Essenes, a Judaic mystical group that flourished two millennia ago. He begins by explaining the Essenes and the lessons they can teach us as creators of peace. Individual chapters cover a wide range of possibility, from the personal (“Peace with the Mind”) to the political (“Peace with the Community”). The final chapter, "Integrating Peace on Every Level," presents a comprehensive plan for peace with the body, mind, family, community, culture, ecology, and God as a pervasive experience in life—moment to moment, day by day. Cousens blends documentary evidence with original interpretation to show that the Essenes actually did live this experience of peace. Most importantly, he transfers their gift to modern seekers as a breathing blueprint for realizing this reality as we walk in our lives; work according to our gifts, joys, and sacred design; and live the path of spiritual awakening—the sevenfold peace.
About the Author
Rebbe Gabriel Cousens, MD, MD(H), DD (Doctor of Divinity), Diplomate American Board of Holistic Medicine, Diplomate Ayurveda, is a world-recognized medical doctor and spiritual teacher who teaches in the U.S., the Middle East, Panama, Mexico, Ecuador, North Africa, and Europe. He is the founder and director of the Tree of Life Foundation, which trains Essene priests and coordinates international humanitarian aid programs. The author of
Conscious Eating, Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine, and
There Is a Cure for Diabetes, he lives in Patagonia, AZ.
Table of Contents
Foreword by John Robbins xvii
Introductions to the Author by Michael D. Ratner,
James Twyman, and Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb xix
Authors Introduction xxv
CHAPTER 1. The Essenes and Key Understandings of Peace 1
Four Main Principles of the Essene Path 15
The Essene Way of Life as a Peace Teaching 22
Peace in the Modern World 23
The Modern Living Essene Way 26
A Lecture: The Essenes and Key Understandings of Peace 27
CHAPTER 2. Peace with the Body 49
Peace with the Physical Body 51
Peace with the Global Body 75
Peace with the Cosmic Body 77
CHAPTER 3. Peace with the Mind 79
Peace with the Individual Mind 82
Peace with the Planetary Mind 83
Peace with the Cosmic Mind 86
CHAPTER 4. Peace with the Family 89
The Planetary Family 99
CHAPTER 5. Peace with Community 101
A Peaceful Economy 105
Respect for International Law 111
CHAPTER 6. Peace with Culture 117
Music as an Expression of Peace with Culture 122
Music in the Culture of Life and Culture of Death 136
Acknowledging the Right of the Other Culture to Exist 140
Conclusion 144
CHAPTER 7. Peace with the Living Ecology 147
The Gaia Hypothesis 157
CHAPTER 8. Peace with the Radiant One 161
CHAPTER 9. Integrating Peace on Every Level 165
Resistance to Peace 169
Ways to Overcome Inertia and Make Peace 176
The Full Peace of Wholeness 180
Practicing the Sevenfold Path of Peace 183
Conclusion 183
APPENDIX 1. The Peace Every Day Initiative: Meditating
Daily to Create Peace by Being Peace 187
Transforming Gatherings into Being Peace 190
Scientific Support for Collective Meditation-Prayer 195
Registering Your Commitment 198
Co-Sponsors of the Peace Every Day Initiative 199
APPENDIX 11. The Culture of Life Community:
GabrielCousens.com 207
Suggested Reading 210
Resources 217
Ecology 217
Health 220
Thought Forms for Peace 221
Peace with the Body 222
Peace with the Mind 223
Peace with the Family 223
Peace with Community 223
Peace with Culture 228
Peace with God 229
Economics 229
About the Author 231