Footnote 1 added by RP—in gratitude to Emily Michael, who has written this wonderful book that links two of the great spiritual teachers of humanity belonging to the Circle of Twelve:
Sealed by the Sun—Life between Rudolf Steiner and Peter Deunov (Beinsa Douno, The Master) by Emily Michael.
The review below first appeared in the Easter/Pentecost 2015 issue of Starlight, volume 15, no. 1, of the journal of the Sophia Foundation, whose administration is located in Boulder, Colorado. Here with a link to this issue of Starlight:
https://sophiafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Starlight_Easter_2015.corrected_sm.pdf
Book Review by Lacquanna Paul & Robert Powell:
This year we received an important book written by Emily Michael from Bulgaria, concerning the thread of connection between the work of the Bulgarian spiritual teacher, Peter Deunov (1864-1944)—also known as Beinsa Douno—and the teachings of Rudolf Steiner (1861- 1925). Emily kindly sent us a copy of her book from Bulgaria as a gift.
As a contemporary of Rudolf Steiner, Peter Deunov’s spiritual mission was as the Teacher of Love—that is, to awaken a new capacity of spiritual love—in the hearts and souls of the Slavic people. He began his mission at the start of the twentieth century. The focus of his teaching activity in Bulgaria was to awaken the true spirit of the Bulgarian folk soul in the hearts of the Slavic people, to awaken them to their future role as transmitters of brotherly and sisterly love as the foundation for the sixth cultural epoch, known as the Slavic epoch.
The seeds of this next cultural epoch, the Slavic epoch, due to arise around 3574 and lasting for 2160 years (until 5734), need to be sown in the Slavic world now. The task of sowing these seeds was given to Peter Deunov as the Teacher of Love, and he began this task in the Slavic world at the start of the twentieth century, in parallel with Rudolf Steiner’s emergence in Western Europe as the teacher of spiritual science, the new science for the future of humankind.
The new coming spiritual “sixth race” of humanity, prepared in seed form by the teaching of Peter Deunov (Beinsa Douno), heralds the community of the sixth cultural epoch belonging to a future time (3574-5734), wherein the capacities of the love (warmth) of the human heart toward gnosis (spiritual knowing) become a literal force-field of Divine Love activating the thinking of the heart. “The preparation of the new epoch starts during the previous one, as the buds of the trees are prepared in the previous year.” *
Emily Michael’s book, written in English, titled: Sealed by the Sun—Life between Rudolf Steiner and Peter Deunov (Beinsa Douno, The Master) [www.emilymichael. info], was published by the author in Varna, Bulgaria in 2014. The book is a biographical “garland of roses” containing rare documents, letters, and photos. It is focused on the link between Rudolf Steiner and Peter Deunov as the corner stones of Western and Eastern Esoteric Christianity, both being inspired by Christ and the Archangel Michael.
*Emily Michael, Sealedbythe Sun—Life between Rudolf Steiner and Peter Deunov (Beinsa Douno, The Master), 437.
Against the background of a biographical panorama of Boyan Boev, a student of Rudolf Steiner’s first Esoteric School, who later became the closest disciple—and subsequently the personal secretary—of Peter Deunov, are woven threads of archaeology, culture, and history. In reading the book one will find answers to questions such as:
- Why did Rudolf Steiner send his devoted student Boyan Boev back to Bulgaria?
- Why did Peter Deunov, after having lived in the United States for several years, initiate his mission in Bulgaria?
- Why is Peter Deunov’s teaching of significance for the whole of humankind?
- And why is his teaching an important part of the great divine plan of evolution for humanity and the Earth?
According to Peter Deunov the question of the new coming spiritual “sixth race” is of significance both for America and for the Slavic peoples: “Now in America the physical type of the sixth race is taking shape, while the spiritual type is arising in the Slavic realm—later the East and West will unite.”** On reading this book one gains an impression as to how the great teachers of humanity work together over the centuries—aware of each other’s mission, even though incarnated in different locations on the Earth—yet each serving to raise the consciousness of humanity in his or her chosen field of activity. This coming sixth epoch was seen in vision and described by the Russian mystic Daniel Andreev (1906-1959), who was a prophet of the coming Slavic epoch, naming it the Rose of the World, which carries a profound symbolic meaning.
See Daniel Andreev, The Rose of the World (Great Barrington, MA: Lindisfarne Books, 1997).
**Words of Peter Deunov (Beinsa Douno), whose works in English translation are available in the United States from www.everabooks.com
Footnote 2 added by RP—in gratitude to Emily Michael, who translated and sent the following Beinsa Douno quotes, which offer additional inspiration in relation to the main theme of the Preface (above):
From the Invisible World will come thousands, millions of advanced Beings, who are now in the heavenly space of Paradise. They will bring orderliness and order to the Earth….
The difference between the Fifth and the Sixth Races is that the Fifth Race seeks to establish order in the world through guns and cannons, through violence, and the Sixth Race through Love. And then Divine Love will be a measure of everything in it….
Now the Race of Love is being born, which will show us the way in which we need to serve God. I call that race, the Sixth, the Race of Love, because it serves from the Love of God. Anyone who serves with the Love of God has already entered the Sixth Race…. Anyone who is not ready to serve remains in the Fifth Race. For anyone who is ready to serve, the Resurrection will come. There is a future for one who is ready to serve and to rise again. Anyone who is not ready to serve with Love, must wait for the second resurrection.
In the Sixth Race, the Sons of God will come and settle into [incorporate into] souls that are ready to cooperate with them. A tremendous creation of new life on Earth will begin. Then there will be Love and Brotherhood [and Sisterhood]. The whole Earth will be like one family. Humans will have one mind and one heart.
Everyone will manifest Love…. Everyone will work with Love….
There is a wave of the Sixth Race that is coming which you should all be prepared for. Its members will be at a stage of transition between angels and human beings. In the Sixth Race, everyone will be clairvoyant. It is the Race of Love that will bring the Kingdom of God to Earth.
A new Heaven and a new Earth are coming. There comes an order in which Love will reign in the world. One Brotherhood [and Sisterhood] will be created around the world. A New Culture is coming! The Sixth Race is coming! The Divine is coming into the world!
Among the Slavs will be born the Sixth Race. It will occur all over the Earth, but Slavdom [the Slavic peoples] will be its cradle. The Earth will be transformed according to the Sixth Race….In the coming times, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, [and] 4th races will be [looked upon as] the roots of the tree, the White Race (5th) will be [seen as] the stalk and the branches, and the Sixth Race will be the fruit. The fruits of the Sixth Race will be freedom and understanding between peoples of the world. They will be one flock with one Shepherd—and this will not be in any kind of legal sense, but [rather] Love will unite all peoples….
Summary: Peter Deunov (Beinsa Douno) is the Master sent to bring the Divine Teaching of the New Culture of Love, the culture of the sixth epoch that will arise during the coming Age of Aquarius. His Teaching is a Teaching of Love, and on this account some of his followers refer to him as “the Master sent to teach Love.”
Footnote 3 added by RP—the Preface above is written in full awareness of the book by Filip Filipov, Preslav Pavlov, and Dimiter Kalev, who are Bulgarian followers of Peter Deunov. The book was written in Bulgarian and an English translation is included in the book. The English title of their book is: The Bodhisattva in the 20th Century: Seeking the Word of the Bodhisattva Maitreya: the 20th century Grail (Sofia, Bulgaria: A♭ Publishing House, 2007).
This book gives an excellent overview of the life of Peter Deunov (the Master Beinsa Douno) interspersed with many of Rudolf Steiner’s indications.
Unfortunately, however, the authors incorrectly identified Peter Deunov as an incarnation of the Bodhisattva individual who will become the next Buddha, the Maitreya Buddha. It needs to be borne in mind that Peter Deunov was born in 1864. The authors evidently did not know of Rudolf Steiner’s very explicit indication—or, rather, they did not know the full indication—which begins by stating that this Bodhisattva individual “was born at the beginning of the century”— that is, around the year 1900. Here with the relevant quote of the full indication by Rudolf Steiner (in italics):
Referring to Jeshu ben Pandira as an earlier incarnation of the Bodhisattva who will become the Maitreya Buddha, in response to a question from Friedrich Rittelmeyer, Rudolf Steiner replied: “Jeshu ben Pandira [i.e. the reincarnated Jeshu ben Pandira] was born at the beginning of this century, and if we live another fifteen years, we shall notice his activity.” This remark, made
in August 1921, points to a birth in the year 1900 or thereabouts. It also indicates the beginning of the activity in the 1930s of the Bodhisattva who will become the future Maitreya Buddha. Rudolf Steiner indicated that this activity would become noticeable by about 1936.
The foregoing is quoted from my article “Rudolf Steiner, Valentin Tomberg, and the Return of Christ in the Etheric” posted under Articles on the Sophia Foundation website: www.sophiafoundation.org
Reading the English translation of the work of the three Bulgarian authors, it is clear that they are familiar with the first part of the above indication by Rudolf Steiner, as they do make reference to this: “Jeshu ben Pandira was born at the beginning of this century…” and also give August 1921 as the date of this indication. Apparently the three authors were not aware, however, of the second part of Rudolf Steiner’s statement. Nevertheless, it is difficult to see how it would be possible—as the three authors did—to interpret Rudolf Steiner’s words “born at the beginning of this century” not to mean the actual birth of this great individual, but the year of the beginning of this individual’s spiritual activity, which in the case of Peter Deunov was around the year 1900. By way of comparison, Rudolf Steiner refers to the birth of Jesus of Nazareth at the beginning of our era, and while revealing the descent of Christ to incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth at the baptism in the River Jordan, which took place in the year AD 29, Rudolf Steiner does not say: “Christ Jesus was born at the baptism in the River Jordan.”
Significantly, the second part of Rudolf Steiner’s statement about Jeshu ben Pandira—“and if we live another fifteen years, we shall notice his activity”—makes it clear that it certainly was not to Peter Deunov that Rudolf Steiner was referring, whose activity was “noticeable” long before 1936. There is much more that could be added here regarding this crucial point, but this would go beyond the scope of this article.
Once again, I wish to emphasize the excellence of the book in Bulgarian, with English translation, by the three Bulgarian authors—with the exception of the incorrect identification of Peter Deunov (Master Beinsa Douno) with the Bodhisattva who will become the Maitreya Buddha in about 2500 years time, instead of identifying the Master Beinsa Douno with the Master Jesus, whom Rudolf Steiner described as the Master who is “the representative of the principle of brotherly Love,” the truth of which is evident if one meditates upon these words of Peter Deunov, the Master Beinsa Douno:
Love stands above nationality.
Love stands above any religion.
Love itself creates the religious.
There are no religions in the divine world. There exists only Love. The atmosphere of the divine world is Love. Therein everything breathes Love.
Religions appear because Love cannot manifest itself on earth.
If you wish to do the will of God, by all means, replace religion with Love. Then everyone who loves you will be priests and ministers in your temple.
The greatest thing in the world is to come to know God as Love. The beauty of our life is in our connection with God, who is Love.
Love contains within itself all conditions, all possibilities, all methods by which the human soul might develop to its fullness.
Only Love can awaken within the soul its hidden potentialities. Science and art cannot be the stimuli for the awakening of the human soul. This is temporary knowledge. The only true work in the world is the science of Love.
It is the great object of learning for the soul….
When the first ray of Love shines out for you, you will experience within your soul such indescribable bliss, such light, such a mighty impulse in your mind, and such a striving of your will, that all obstacles of the world will begin to melt before you.
A few moments of existence within Divine Love are infinitely more precious than a thousand years of ordinary human life spent in great pleasures and enjoyments.
In loving, we seek God. We have to love God in order to receive and experience Him.
In receiving Him, we experience His wisdom.
It is written in the Scripture: “Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself.”
This is the only law that manifests itself in three worlds.
Loving God, you are in the divine world.
Loving yourself, your soul, you are in the spiritual world.
Loving your neighbor, you are in the physical world.
If humans adhere to this law, there will be no power in the world that can resist them, no thought that will not be subject to them and that will not help them to attain their ideal.
Quoted from: Beinsa Douno, The Master Speaks (Sunrise Press: Los Angeles, 1970), pp. 16-17. Works by Beinsa Douno in English translation are available from Evera Books, Email: [email protected] Website: www.everabooks.com
In contemplating the above words of the Master Beinsa Douno, perhaps it may appear to the reader that Peter Deunov could be described as the Friend of God? Let us bear in mind Rudolf Steiner’s indication that the Master Jesus was incarnated in the fourteenth century as the Friend of God from the Oberland—generally thought to be the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland, with its wonderful lakes and high mountains. Evidently the Friend of God, the Master Jesus, reincarnated again from 1864 to 1944, becoming active in the beautiful mountainous region with high mountains and wonderful lakes, the Rila Mountains.
One further point to consider is that Beinsa Douno is addressed in the Englishspeaking literature as Master, a title used, for example, in Freemasonry and in the English-speaking theosophical world and in the German tradition of Masters (great religious or spiritual leaders so designated in relation to their disciples—Meister in German). In this context the use in the western world of the title Master Beinsa Douno has the same connotation as the designation Master Jesus. However, as Harrie points out, in Bulgaria Peter Deunov has always been called Uchitel (spoken ootchitel), which means Teacher.
Here in the space of an article, it is not possible to go deeply into the significance of a Bodhisattva being addressed as Master. Briefly, it points to something very profound, highlighting such an individual as a World Teacher, who continues to incarnate until the end of the evolution of the Earth, whereas a Bodhisattva who becomes a Buddha then ceases to continue to incarnate and, instead, from that point in time of attaining Buddhahood works no longer upon the Earth but continues to work inspiringly from spiritual realms.
Another important point that needs consideration in relation to this book by the three Bulgarian authors is their methodological starting point. In the last sentence of the first paragraph in their Introduction, they write: “…it is an attempt to offer a completely new thesis on the issue [of the “Bodhisattva question”]. And then, in the first sentence of the last paragraph on the first page of the Introduction, they continue: “The first impulses of the new thesis stated in the book date to the spring and summer of 1994.” In the preceding paragraph we read concerning their methodology in proceeding with this thesis: “…immense research in spritualscientific esoteric texts, accompanied by spiritual-scientific analysis and comparison of information; developing of a working hypothesis and theses…” Here we need to remember that their thesis essentially amounts to a reincarnation statement identifying the Master Beinsa Douno with the Bodhisattva who will become the next Buddha, the Maitreya Buddha, who, according to Rudolf Steiner, was incarnated in Ancient Israel as the great teacher of the Essenes—Jeshu ben Pandira—whose mission it was to prepare for the coming of Jesus of Nazareth. On November 4 & 5, 1911, Rudolf Steiner held two lectures on Jesus ben Pandira. In the first lecture, he says:
Who was this Jeshu ben Pandira? He is a great individuality who, since the time of Buddha— that is, about 600 BC—has been incarnated once in nearly every century in order to bring humanity forward…. The successor to the Gautama-Buddha-Bodhisattva was that individuality who incarnated a hundred years before Christ as Jeshu ben Pandira, as a herald of Christ in the physical body. He is now to be the Bodhisattva of humanity until he shall in his turn advance to the rank of Buddha…. In other words, he will require exactly 5000 years to rise from a Bodhisattva to a Buddha. He who has been incarnated nearly every century since that time, is now also already incarnated, and will be the real herald of the Christ in etheric raiment, just as he proclaimed the Christ at that time in advance as the physical Christ. (https://wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA130/English/AP1942/19111104p02. html)
A true esotericist would never hypothesize about the karmic identity, the previous incarnation(s), of anyone. Yet through considering the foregoing words quoted above from their Introduction, it is evident that the three authors are putting forward a thesis/hypothesis that Jeshu ben Pandira reincarnated in the nineteenth/twentieth centuries as Peter Deunov, the Master Beinsa Douno, who will become the Maitreya Buddha in approximately 2500 years. The three authors indicate that they spent much time gathering Rudolf Steiner’s indications in support of their thesis/hypothesis.
A speculative approach to existential questions may be appropriate in certain domains of science. But this kind of approach—putting forward a thesis and gathering evidence in support of this hypothesis—is the antithesis of how a true esotericist comes to knowledge of the truth regarding reincarnation and karma. Consider these words of Rudolf Steiner on this subject:
Perception of the karma of an individual human being, or even of one’s own karma, requires the right attitude, the right mood of soul. The whole study of karma is profaned if this study is pursued in the attitude of mind arising from our modern education and civilization. The mood in which all teachings about karma should be received is one of piety, of reverence. Whenever human beings approaches a truth relating to karma, their soul should feel as though part of the veil of Isis were being lifted. For in truth it is karma that reveals, in a way most intimately connected with human life, what Isis was—the Being designated outwardly as: “I am that which was, is, and will be.” This must still be the attitude of soul in all study of human karma. In truth, only when we study karma in the way we have now been doing and having observed how it takes effect in the process of worldevolution acquire the reverence befitting such study, then and only then can we gaze with the right attitude of soul at what may be our own karma, perceiving how from earlier earthly lives it has unfoldedand taken shape as a result of experiences in the spiritual worlds of the stars between death and a new birth. [Rudolf Steiner, Gesamtausgabe, vol. 239, p. 182 (lecture of June 10, 1924)
— Gesamtausgabe = German edition of the Complete Works]
Rudolf Steiner never put forward a hypothesis about a human individual being the reincarnation of another human being from an earlier time. Whatever he spoke of in the domain of reincarnation and karma is absolutely true—in other words, there is no shadow of doubt about it. This is the only way for true esotericism. For the true esotericist it is forbidden to speculate about reincarnation and karma—or other spiritual matters. Either one knows a reincarnation with certainty or one does not know. And if one does not know, one does not speak about it.
Here, in this context, I can add that it is absolutely true that the Master Jesus incarnated on Earth as Peter Deunov, the Master Beinsa Douno. This is an absolutely certain fact of humanity’s spiritual life that the “Master sent to teach Love”—the Master Jesus as the representative of the “principle of brotherly love” (Rudolf Steiner)—lived from 1864 to 1944 and was the founder of the Bulgarian branch of the Great White Brotherhood.
Finally, here with some words from the Master Beinsa Douno about himself, when somebody asked who he was, again translated from Bulgarian by Emily Michael:
I do not want you to know who I am. I want to avoid that because I know the soul of the Bulgarian people and I do not want to create negative karma for them. Jesus Christ manifested Himself to the Jewish people, but they have not accepted Him and consequently received negative karma. If I do not reveal who I am, it means that I want to leave the people to develop in a natural way….
I can be in my body and out of my body. I am in this hall, and I am outside of this hall. I am in the solar system.
I am in the cosmos, and I am outside the cosmos. Do you understand what that means?
Do you understand this philosophy? You will find out.
I am outside the Earth; I am outside the solar system; I am outside the cosmos. Where is my kingdom? Not in this world.
I have come to Earth to do a service to the Angelic Hierarchies and to you. If I do not succeed, I will come again. I will come until my mission is accomplished—to perfection.
A Master descends to manifest Love. This is not an external process. Through him are passing pure streams of Love toward all that is living. And what is the Love of a Master? He wants to bring souls to the light and to the joy in which he lives….I have come to manifest Love—to bring it to Earth. This is my mission!
….I live in this world and in the other world simultaneously….
Behind me stands the entire Heaven. The Word which I speak is not mine, it belongs to the Beings behind me, and they are millions. My ideas are the ideas of God, of the Great Spirit, which penetrates all Creation.
Excerpted from a private communication, from the Bulgarian archives of Peter Deunov, and translated into English by Emily Michael, received [by RP] on April 7, 2015.
Footnote 4—Master Jesus quotes translated by RP from volume 264 of the Complete Works CW (Gesamtausgabe GA) of Rudolf Steiner.
GA 264, p. 214: (lecture of 12.02.1906) — John the Baptist proclaimed Christ Jesus in the middle of the fourth cultural epoch. Now, on the other hand, the individuality of the Master Jesus is leading humanity from the fifth to the sixth [cultural] epoch— again to John the Baptist, the Water Bearer.
GA 264, p. 215: (lecture of 12.02.1906) — Through the principle of brotherly Love, represented by the Master Jesus, the coming together of humanity in the sixth epoch, based on this principle of brotherly Love, will be effected [and] will lead into the future.
GA 264, p. 217 (lecture of 22.10.1906) — The twelve Masters of the White Lodge have all absolved the entire evolution of our Earth….We have to elevate our consciousness to them. Through the [Esoteric] School they work upon us, and in us and through us.
GA 264, p. 217: (lecture of 22.10.1906) — “Jesus, the leader of his Church, works especially on the feeling life.”
GA 264, p. 238: In response to a question [date unknown, but possibly 1917, and certainly prior to 1923] from Friedrich Rittelmeyer concerning the Friend of God [from the Oberland, fourteenth century] Rudolf Steiner answered that he was [an incarnation of] the Master Jesus, who since the Mystery of Golgotha was incarnated in every century. Regarding the further question whether he was presently [at that time] incarnated, the answer was that at the present time [i.e. shortly before 1920 or shortly after 1920] he was in the Carpathians—and Rudolf Steiner indicated that he was in purely spiritual connection with him.
GA 264, p. 329: (lecture of 01.06.1907) — The Masters always live in harmony….At the head of our Western [Esoteric] School stand two Masters: Master Jesus and the Master Christian Rosenkreutz. And two ways guide us: the Christian [mystical way] and the Christian Rosicrucian way. The Great White Lodge leads all the spiritual movements, and Master Jesus and the Master Christian Rosenkreutz belong to it [the Great White Lodge].
GA 264, p. 387: (lecture of 29.01.1906) — The disciples were a necessity for Jesus— they formed the “ground” of His existence.
GA 264, p. 398: (lecture of 07.03. 1907) — The appearance [on Earth] of Christ Jesus was prepared through a series of individuals, the founders of religions: Zarathustra, Hermes, Moses, Orpheus, Pythagoras.* All their teachings follow the same goal: to allow wisdom to flow into humanity in the appropriate form according to the relevant people.
*In GA 266a, p. 190, also Krishna, Zoroaster, and Buddha are mentioned.
