A series of 10 articles describing the Cathars, a medieval Christian sect who worked tirelessly to liberate people from their sins and from evil. One of their principal beliefs was that death was simply a thin veil which was the only thing separating the visible and invisible worlds.
Goodness is a universal principle, either on its own terms or in contrast to what is not goodness; in other words, human beings need both the positive and the negative […]
The Cathars were a sect of mystical and spiritual Christians living out the truth of love in all of their beings in medieval western Europe. They were hounded as heretics
This is the last article in the present series which looks at the Cathars, a mysterious Christian sect at their peak in the Middle Ages in Europe, from a Buddhist
The whole concept of heresy can only come about when there is a system of external rules. The etymological root of the word heresy is ‘choice,’ in other words, disobeying
The Cathar Perfecti needed great courage and determination to stand by what they believed in during the medieval crusades to eradicate all heretics. Religious persecution has always existed and
The Buddha made it clear that we should create and maintain bonds with the universe even though we have been born into human life. The Cathars also were constantly
If we come into contact with people at large during each day, packed on to commuter trains, or standing in queues because of the delays of seasonal rushes and peak
The Cathars were persecuted unmercifully for many years, their lack of materialistic concerns and their adaptability leading them to flee easily across central and western Europe. Like the Jews, they
The Cathars had an unusual view of consoling or being consoled which greatly inspired me during my time living and training in Roussillon. The Consolamentum was extremely liberating for those who
In Article 2 in this series, I described the Consolamentum, the ultimate blessing given by Cathars to cleanse them of all sins so that they could join the ranks of
