The Mysterious Essenes

I am reading an amazing book called The Isaiah Effect by Gregg Braden there is a passage in the book that is so fitting for those who are interested in going Vegetarian.

Five hundred years before the birth of Christ a mysterious group of scholars formed communities to honor an ancient teaching that began before history as we know it. Collectively known as the Essenes, these were various sects that included the Nazirenes and the Ebionites. Roman and Jewish scholars referred to the Essenes as "a race by themselves, more remarkable than any other in the world." Portions of their traditions are found in ancient writings such as the Sumerian glyphs, dating to 4000 B.C. Elements of nearly every major world belief system existing today may be traced back to this original lineage of wisdom, including those of China, Tibet, Egypt, India, Palestine, Greece, and the American Southwest. Additionally, many of the great traditions of the Western world have roots in the same body of information, including the Freemason, Gnostics, Christians, and Kabalists.
Also known as "the Elect" and the "Chosen Ones," the Essenes were the first people openly to condemn slavery, the use of servants, and the killing of animals for food. Viewing physical labor as a healing communion with the Earth, they were agriculturists, living close to the land that gave them life. The Essenes viewed prayer as the language through which to honor nature and the creative intelligence of the cosmos; they made no distinction between the two. They practiced prayer on a regular basis. The first prayer of the day was offered upon arising in the predawn darkness to work in the fields. This was followed by prayers before and after each meal and again upon retiring at the end of the day. They viewed their practice of prayer as an opportunity to participate in the creative process of their lives, rather than as a structured ritual required throughout the day.
They viewed their practice of prayer as an opportunity to participate in the creative process of their lives, rather than as a structured ritual required throughout the day.
Strict vegetarians by today's standards, members of the Essene communities abstained from animal flesh, blood foods, and fermented liquids. Perhaps one of the clearest explanations of their diet may be found in the following passage from the Dead Sea Scrolls: "Kill not the food which goes into your mouth. For if you eat living food, the same will quicken you, but if you kill your food, the dead food will kill you also. For life comes only from life, and death comes always from death. For everything which kills your food, kills your bodies also". There lifestyle permitted them to reach advanced ages, attaining 120 years or more with vitality and great endurance.
The Essenes were meticulous scholars, recording and documenting their traditions for future generations that they could only imagine. Perhaps the best example of their work may be seen in the hidden libraries that they left throughout the world. Like methodically placed time capsules, their manuscripts provide snapshots into the thinking of an ancient people and a forgotten wisdom.


Taken Directly from The Isaiah Effect, pages 40 and 41, written by Gregg Braden.