Soil and Health Library
This document is a reproduction of the book or other copyrighted material you
requested. It was prepared on for the exclusive use of Oriana , whose email address is
orianaoriana@gmail.com. This reproduction was made by the Soil and Health Library only for the purpose of
research and study. Any further reproduction or distribution of this copy in any form
whatsoever constitutes a violation of copyrights.WILL POWER 
 
 
THE CREATOR 
OF HAPPINESS 
 
 
EDMOND    BORDEAUX    SZEKELY  
 
 
ESSENE SCHOOL OF LIFE 
 
1. We believe that, in the present state of society, it is possible for 
every one, by judicious use of the best available methods of hygiene and 
individual improvement, to achieve considerable betterment of the quality 
of his life. 2. We  believe that it is the  worth  of individuals which makes the 
worth of societies and which conditions the effectiveness of public 
institutions. 3. We believe, consequently, that every man owes a bounden duty to 
himself, to the community and to the future of Humanity  to make his own 
improvement the essential task of his life. 4. We believe that this work of improvement has the sure effect of 
introducing into the life of the individual a quota of happiness proportional 
to the value of his efforts. 5. We believe that it is the study of  the laws in Nature and in faithful 
adherence to what they prescribe, that man finds the surest guides in his 
effort to improve himself. 6. We believe that human thought  and will have considerable power 
and that they should be used conscientiously in the service of good, that is 
to say, in the service of the force that leads Nature towards ever higher 
forms of manifestation. 7. We believe in the irresistibility of progress and in the certain 
triumph of beauty over ugliness, of truth over error, of good over egotism 
and hatred. 8. We believe  that  expansive love,  fraternity and co-operation are 
the only effective means of collective progress, and that nothing true, 
beautiful or good can be built upon hatred, the spirit of party, cliques, 
rivalry, revenge and oppression. 9. We believe that there cannot fail to be universal sympathy for 
every sincere  effort to  do  good,  even when it seems to  be  in  opposition,  
as the ways  of realizing a better future are as numerous as are human 
temperaments. 10. We firmly believe that we shall overcome evil, not by attacking 
it, but by maintaining an d strengthening the good. Evil exists not;  
    Only the past. The past is past. The present is a moment. The FUTURE is all! ESSENE SCHOOL OF LIFE 
 
DEDICATED TO THE ESSENE RENAISSANCE  
OF HEALTH, HAPPINESS,  
ABUNDANCE AND WISDOM  
UPHOLDS THE ESSENE IDEALS OF  
THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD  
THE MOTHERHOOD OF NATURE  
THE BROTHERHOOD OF MAN  
AN INDEPENDENT—NON SECTARIAN—NON POLITICAL — NON 
PROFIT — EDUCATIONAL. WORLD ORGANIZATION  
SPECIALIZED IN ALLSIDED EDUCATION FOR  
LIFE LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT  
OF HAPPINESS 
 
The First Essene Organization in Europe and America  
Founded in Nice, France, 1928. Transferred to Elsinore, California—1935. FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT: 
Edmond Bordeaux Szekely 
 
MAIL ADDRESS  
Tecate, California, U.S.A. 
 
OFFICIAL LANGUAGES 
English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Latin, Esperanto 
 
BRANCHES AND REPRESENTATIVES  
Australia, Canada, England, France, Ireland, Mexico,  
New Zealand, Oceania, Palestine, South Africa,  
United States, West Africa, West Indies. SERVICES FOR STUDENTS AND MEMBERS  
International Quarterly of the Essene and  
Cosmovitalist World Movements  
Periodicals—Yearbooks—Books  
Weekly and Monthly Lessons  
Courses for University Entrance  
Credits Recognized by Several Universities  
Certificates and Diplomas  
Individual Guidance and Supervision for Students  
Special Co-operative Services for Members 
 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
send 25c for our 48 page Digest and Guide-book, 8½ x 7", profusely 
illustrated with 50 pictures, containing concise condensations of all above 
books with detailed introductions to the Essene Teaching and 
Cosmotherapy. Address THE ESSENE SCHOOL OF LIFE, TECATE, 
CALIFORNIA. First  Edition 1939 
Second  Edition 1941 
Third  Edition 1942 
Fourth  Edition 1945 
 
Copyright 1945 by Edmond Bordeaux Szekely. Printed in United States of America—All Rights reserved. WILL POWER, THE CREATOR OF HAPPINESS 
 
The will plays a more important part in human life than 
any other quality. Lack of will power is the cause of 
unhappiness in ninety per cent of human beings. If it is 
overcome, our other enemies vanish with rapidity. Will 
power can be developed by training. There is a technique for 
its acquisition. If we analyse the will, we find it consists of three 
factors: thought, feeling, and action. All pyschological 
activity is the product of these three components. The most 
vital and important factor is action. When we do a thing, there 
is always a feeling behind the act. Action is the result of a 
sentiment, not of thought. In order to produce right actions, we must therefore cultivate right feelings. But unfortunately 
we are not the masters of our feelings; we are only the 
masters of our thoughts. While we may think what we wish, 
we cannot feel what we wish. There is, however, the possibility of establishing a 
dynamic relation between thoughts and feelings. The key to 
the problem of the will is how to connect our thoughts with 
our feelings in such a way that the latter will create the action 
which we wish to perform. Let us examine the question more concretely. On the 
one hand we have the "powerlessness of thoughts" and on the 
other the '' power of feelings.'' If we observe our neighbours, 
we shall see that many are people with knowledge and good 
thoughts but that they do not use these rightly. Thoughts of 
themselves do not suffice. We know that sober living will 
give us health, yet many of us are gluttons. We know that 
through work we can achieve, yet we remain lazy. Knowledge of the truth is not the carrying out of the truth. But whereas thoughts are incapa ble of leading to action, 
feelings always bring it about. Where knowledge of the rules 
of healthy living is unable to e ffect reform, pain or fear of 
death will make us change our ways. A feeling of jealousy or 
sense of rivalry can produce a tremendous activity, which 
knowledge of the result of sustained effort is powerless to 
evoke. What, then, is the psychological mechanism which 
enables us to dominate our feelings by our thoughts and so 
perform the desired action? We must examine the process of 
the will in its component parts. If we may compare man to an 
automobile, thought is the steering-wheel, feeling the motor, 
and action the wheels. In order to arrive at one's destination, 
all three parts must work in collaboration. Of the three forces—thought, feeling, action, it is 
thought which is the youngest, and, in consequence, the 
weakest in influence. Yet it is intelligence which is man's title 
to nobility. It is intelligence which makes man what he is and 
distinguishes him from animals. Actions and instincts 
characterise every animal, but intelligence is the exclusive 
property of Homo Sapiens. Action and feelings, on the other hand, have a history of 
several hundred thousand years, and it is for this reason that the feelings are so much stronger than thought, that they, and 
not thought, govern our actions. Though evolution shows that 
the power of thought is steadily growing, yet the feelings are 
still predominant. Homo Neanderthalensis had a smaller and inferior brain 
than that of contemporary man. He was exclusively under the 
impulse of his feelings. The activities of his brain were very 
modest beside those of a Millikan or an Einstein. The great 
law of evolution traces the progressive development of 
thought. The blind forces of instinct are in diminution, while 
man's conscious intellectual forces are growing. Each 
generation will see a step towards the eventual dominance of 
the intellectual forces over the forces of sentiment. We stand 
to-day between the past of instinct and the future of thought. What is the logical consequence of this state of affairs? We must aid the course of human evolution by striving to 
ennoble and control the instinc tive sentimental forces. It is 
only thus that we shall be in harmony with the law and forces 
of evolution and that we can sh are in the creation of the man 
of to-morrow. As we are at present, we represent the forces of 
retrogression. Man and Society are being destroyed by the 
play of blind, instinctive forces. They are the cause of all 
crimes and wrongs. All forms of violence and social tyranny 
are the product of irrational and unbalanced instincts. In 
themselves instincts are neither good nor bad; their value 
depends on their quality. If our feelings and emotions are 
sources of energy and harmony, they are of great value. But if 
they are a source of inharmony, they become a danger. The 
practical conclusion to be drawn is that we should ennoble 
and refine the feelings which give us balance, and eliminate 
those which cause disequilibrium. The feelings and emotions 
must be educated according to a certain practical technique. Thoughts and feelings are divisible into two classes: 
those which give us power to carry out actions and those 
which paralyse actions. We must analyse those thoughts and feelings which 
inspire creative actions. When we have done a good deed, we 
should look to see what thoughts and feelings prompted it. All those factors which have helped in its performance should 
be called into the consciousness. Our thoughts are under our 
control, but we cannot provoke the sentiments we wish. A knowledge of the laws of psychology gives us new 
power. The association of ideas and sentiments, coupled with 
the factor of time, constitutes an all-powerful force. If 
thoughts remain abstract, they will not provoke feelings. They must be given colour and vitality. Instead of thinking 
and reasoning abstractly, we must strive to use creative 
imagination. Our thoughts must become living images. This 
art, long practised by Orientals, has been neglected and 
forgotten in the West. If we think of many things, we only produce pale images 
of reality. In the absence of creative imagination, thoughts 
and ideas remain sterile. Instead of experiencing a wealth of 
realities, we create mental poverty. We must always imagine concrete forms of beauty and melody. When we think of the 
word "force," we must form a picture of concrete forms of 
force: the Niagara Falls, the "Last Judgment" of Michael 
Angelo, or Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. In such a way our 
dead and anæmic thoughts and ideas will become strong and 
colourful, capable of provoking strong feelings and emotions 
in us. This technique is important in medicine. Though 
external healing forces (sun, air, water, pure diet, etc.) are 
important and indispensable, the internal forces of the human 
consciousness are even more esse ntial. A good diet in feeding 
is of little use without a diet in thoughts and feelings. If our 
thoughts are disorganised, food, however perfect, becomes 
poisonous. In order to achieve, a successful cure, there must 
be mental harmony and balance. Will is not a momentary process, but one that is long 
and continuous. Its cultivation is the result of prolonged and 
patient effort. Nothing worth while was ever created in a 
second. Will power can be acquired when one knows the 
method and applies it. We must realise that while thoughts 
give direction to feelings, it is the latter which give the former 
force. Will is nothing but a succession of daily persevering 
efforts carried over a number of years. It is like this that the 
great discoveries of a Darwin were made— by long years of 
painstaking, patient efforts. We must distinguish the will from what we may term 
the "pseudo-will." Will is manifested in a series of daily 
efforts, while the pseudo-will is able to make great efforts for 
a short time, but unable to keep them up for long. All the 
great works of human culture are the result of permanent 
effort. Two or three hours of intellectual work every day 
spread over a dozen years are able to produce many large 
volumes. We can illustrate the difference between the true 
will and the false will by comparing the two types of student. There is the student who does a little work regularly 
every day. He learns his subjects  without effort and passes his 
examinations without difficulty when the time comes. His 
activity is a natural product of the will. Another type of 
student will do nothing for months on end, and then, a few 
weeks before the date of the examination, will be overcome 
by a strong emotion—the fear of failure in the test. As a result 
he "crams" day and night in a state of nervousness and 
apprehension. He may or may not pass the examination, will 
remain as lacking in will po wer as he was before, and will 
pay a very high price for his sudden, activity in the form of 
physical and mental exhaustion. When we have learnt to tr ansform our thoughts into 
feelings, we must divide the feelings so created into two 
categories: those that create ener gy and those that exhaust it. In order to acquire will, we have to strengthen all the 
feelings of the former category and avoid all those that lead to 
exhaustion. Superior and valuable feelings are those that 
create, while inferior and worthless feelings are those that 
exhaust. With the aid of time and the appropriate 
psychological processes it is possible to arrive at a state in which our superior feelings create a vast source of energy and 
harmony. Gradually we can eliminate all those inferior 
feelings which lead to weakness and lack of balance within 
us. In brief, we are able to build good character in ourselves 
through the expenditure of effort and with time. The feelings that give us energy are love in all its 
manifestations, individual feelings of ambition, creative work 
(whether scientific or practi cal), and hours spent with the 
masterpieces of human culture. The great works of music, 
literature and painting make us capable of higher activities 
and awake in us a great store of feelings and ideas. One of the 
highest forms of love is an altruistic social activity, which 
provides a great source of energy. The three great enemies of the will, on the other hand, 
which exhaust our energies, are dispersion of energy laziness 
and sensuality. Lack of will is the specific disease of our age, which too 
often confuses will with superficial agitation and noise. The 
active, even hyper-active pers on, who is busy with many 
trivial things, but who accomplishes little, is a very common 
phenomenon. It is only concentrated effort that can get 
results. We can only do one thing at a time if we wish to do it 
well. Here is an example of the dispersion of energies. A 
person gets out of bed, washes himself and then begins to 
dress. In stead of dressing briskly, he does so slowly, thinking 
of many things in the process. He wants to do many things at 
once, moving now here and now there, but never completing 
any one action. He always lacks intensive energy. Laziness is a periodic incapacity for work. It is 
humiliating and deplorable. Idle and lazy people are generally 
unhappy. Work well done is a source of energy and 
satisfaction. Idle people be come sensitive to the small 
inharmonies and discomforts encountered in daily life. They 
are worried by trivialities and find many imaginary obstacles 
in their path. For an active worker these things do not exist. A 
passive life is a short life and afforts a sense of slavery. When 
we look back on an inactive life, we find that the hours and 
days have passed rapidly and that the feeling of slavery leads 
with force and speed towards death. On the other hand, a life 
filled with superior activities ap pears long and gives a sense 
of fertility and harmony. Life is a frame and its value depends 
on what we put in it. What counts is not chronological, but 
psychological time. The third enemy of the will is sensuality. It consists in 
the predominance of a group of inferior emotions. Love, on 
the contrary, is the predominance of superior feelings. This 
sensuality is another specific symptom of the age we live in. Ninety per cent of all nervous disorders are derived from a 
single source—sensuality and its consequences. The material 
source of sensuality is excess of energy and over-secretion of 
the glands. Instead of being turned into useful channels, this 
excess takes the form of sensuality and becomes a blind and 
destructive force within us which destroys us if it continues to 
predominate. It is necessary that there should be instruction in the laws of sexual hygiene, so that young people at the period 
of increased glandular activity may know how to solve their 
problems of sex as they arise. At present they are given much 
useless knowledge, but left without intellectual or moral 
support at a time when they most need it. One of the most formidable enemies of the will is 
disease. Muscular or nervous pain paralyses the will. On the 
other hand, when we are in a dynamic and healthy condition, 
the will obeys our commands. Good health is the will's 
greatest friend. But health itself is rare and is the possession 
only of a small group of people—those that have will power. So often a vicious circle is set up. There are two false conceptions current with regard to 
the will. There are those who hold that the will is entirely free 
and that there is consequently no need to educate it. This is 
indeterminism. At the other extreme is the view that the will 
cannot be educated. This deterministic outlook tends to or 
results in pessimism. The truth is that the will is not entirely 
free nor entirely incapable of education. It has enemies which 
have to be overcome by the use of a certain psychological 
technique. The key to the education of the will is the direction 
of the feelings by a powerful creative imagination. Every great value in human culture owes its creation to 
the exercise of human will. To-day we see many valueless 
politicians enjoying the limelight and gambling with human 
life and happiness, while great scientists who render real 
services to mankind are neglected or even persecuted. The 
latter are governed by will, the former by blind emotion and 
inferior instincts. The true values remaining after the passage 
of an epoch are not the deeds of soldiers and dictators, but the 
patient researches of philosophers and scientists. Man is 
governed by the true values of the past and leaves only true 
values for the future. And these true values are the product of 
the small aristocracy of the will. Will is the master key to the 
future. It is not only necessary for the enjoyment of health, 
but a great moral duty owed to human culture. For health, harmony and balance, three things are 
needed: will, will and will. THE 12 RULES OF THE HYGIENE OF THE BODY 
AND MIND 
 
(Air, Water, Sun, Exercises, Respir ation, Altruism, Culture  Harmony)  
1. Spend as much time as possible in the fresh air. 2. Always take a cold or lukewarm  shower in the morning when you wake 
and in the evening before you go to bed. 3. Devote   one  half-day   a  week   to   alternate   sun-baths and 
waterbaths (swimming where possible). 4. Go for 30-50 minutes walk in the fresh air after lunch and supper every 
day breathing deeply and rhythmically. 5. Do some simple physical culture exercise for 10-15 minutes every 
morning on rising. 6. Always sleep in a cool, airy and quiet place. 7. Follow the middle path of moderation and naturalness in all things, 
particularly in food, rest, work, recreation and sleep. 8. Beware of psychic toxins (inharmonious thoughts and feelings)   even 
more than  of chemical poisons. Be   an   optimist   and   have   
confidence   in yourself,  in human  progress  and  in  the  forces of  
nature. 9. Be a sincere altruist, love and help others. Appreciate people's good 
qualities and forgiv e their bad  ones. 10. Enjoy  the  beauties   of  nature  and  the  masterpieces of literature, 
the arts an d philosophy. 11. Study and observe the natural and cosmic laws and live in complete 
harmony with the natural and cosmic forces. 12. Do everything possible to propagate cosmotherapy, and  spread the 
knowledge  of the contents of this booklet in order to lessen the 
suffering and chaos around you. MEMBERSHIP 
 
Membership shall be open to all persons, of any race, creed, or nation 
who believe in the Essene ideals of the Fatherhood of God, the Motherhood 
of Nature and the Brotherhood of Man, based on creative altruism and 
scientific knowledge of the Natural and Cosmic Laws. The School shall always be free to maintain Essene principles by 
giving its services without charge to any person, member or non-member, 
wherever it considers such action desirable. The membership fee shall be one dollar ($1.00) per month, payable 
in advance, quarterly ($3.00), semi-annually  ($5.50)  or annually  ($10.00). The membership fee has been computed from experience, based 
upon the net administrative cost per member (stenography, printing, 
stationery, postage, etc.). In accordance with Essene principles no other 
charge is made. ADVANTAGES OF MEMBERSHIP 
Quarterly members receive our International Quarterly "Health, Life 
and Wisdom" for a whole year, membership card, 10% discount on all our 
publications, and five semi-monthly lessons. Semi-annual members receive all the above, and in addition, five 
more semi-monthly lessons (a total of ten lessons during the six months), as 
well as systematic help and guidance in their studies by the staff of the 
Essene School of Life. Annual members receive all the above, and in addition, ten more 
semi-monthly lesson s (a total of twenty lessons during the twelve months), 
as well as the personal assistance of Professor Edmond Bordeaux Szekely 
in their individual Life-problems. LIST OF PUBLICATIONS 
BOOKS BY EDMOND BORDEAUX SZEKELY 
 
Health, Life & Wisdom, International Quarterly 
subscription for two years $1.00  
 
COSMOTHERAPY,  COSMOVITALISM  
Guide to Health, Happiness & Abundance .25  
Health, Youth, Longevity  .50  
Cosmotherapy, the Medicine of the Future 5.00  
Scientific Vegetarianism  .90  
The  Cure  of Constipation  1.75  
One Health Day a Week  .75  
The Therapeutics of Fasting  .75  
The Diet Chart of Cosmotherapy  .50  
 
BIOCHEMISTRY, DIETETICS  
Introduction  to  Minerals ,  Vitamins,  Herbs .25  
Mineral Therapy of Biological Functions 2.75  
Vitamin Therapy of Biological Functions  2.00  
Natural Herb Therapeutics  2.00  
The  Biochemical  Diet  Book  2.75  
 
MODERN MAN'S PHILOSOPHY  
Modern Man's Philosophy—Vol. I & II 2.75  
Origin of Christianity—Vol. I & II  2.75  
Sexual Harmony and the New Eugenics  2.00  
The Dialectical Method of Thinking 1.00  
Books, Our Eternal Companions .75  
Natural  Economics  &  Sociology   .50  
One World—One Language  .90  
Esperanto, World  Language  .50  
 
ESSENE SCIENCE OF LIFE  
The Essene Gospel of John $1.00  
The Natural and Cosmic Laws  3.75  
Essene Communions with the Angels  4.75  
Essene  Renaissance    3.50  
The Sevenfold Peace 2.50  
The Ancient Essenes .50  
 
GREAT TEACHINGS OF HUMANITY  
The  Living Jesus .50  
The  Teaching  of Buddha   .50  
Zoroaster, The Master of Life .50  
Quetzalcoatl, the Soul of Mexico  7.50  
The Essenes, by Josephus   .50  
The Future of Humanity .50  
The Meaning of Christmas  .50  
Yoga in the Twentieth Century .50  
Will-Power,  the  Creator  of Happiness  .50  
Sleep, A Source of Harmony  .50  
. Beethoven, Prometheus of the Modern World .50  
Guide to Scientific Thinking .50  
Creative Simplicity  .50  
 
NOT FOR SALE—RESERVED FOR MEMBERS 
Edmond Bordeaux Szekely's Pers onal  Semi-Monthly Letters  
The Art and Method of Study—10 lessons  
General and Applied Dietetics—50 lessons  
The Biochemical Health Garden—10 lessons  
Semi-Monthly Lessons on Vital Subjects
Will_Power_-_The_Creator_of_Happiness_by_Edmond_Szekely.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        Soil and Health Library
This document is a reproduction of the book or other copyrighted material you
requested. It was prepared on for the exclusive use of Oriana, whose email address is
orianaoriana@gmail. com. This reproduction was made by the Soil and Health Library only for the purpose of
research and study. Any further reproduction or distribution of this copy in any form
whatsoever constitutes a violation of copyrights. WILL POWER 
 
 
THE CREATOR 
OF HAPPINESS 
 
 
EDMOND    BORDEAUX    SZEKELY  
 
 
ESSENE SCHOOL OF LIFE 
 
1. We believe that, in the present state of society, it is possible for 
every one, by judicious use of the best available methods of hygiene and 
individual improvement, to achieve considerable betterment of the quality 
of his life. 2. We  believe that it is the  worth  of individuals which makes the 
worth of societies and which conditions the effectiveness of public 
institutions. 3. We believe, consequently, that every man owes a bounden duty to 
himself, to the community and to the future of Humanity  to make his own 
improvement the essential task of his life. 4. We believe that this work of improvement has the sure effect of 
introducing into the life of the individual a quota of happiness proportional 
to the value of his efforts. 5. We believe that it is the study of  the laws in Nature and in faithful 
adherence to what they prescribe, that man finds the surest guides in his 
effort to improve himself. 6. We believe that human thought  and will have considerable power 
and that they should be used conscientiously in the service of good, that is 
to say, in the service of the force that leads Nature towards ever higher 
forms of manifestation. 7. We believe in the irresistibility of progress and in the certain 
triumph of beauty over ugliness, of truth over error, of good over egotism 
and hatred. 8. We believe  that  expansive love,  fraternity and co-operation are 
the only effective means of collective progress, and that nothing true, 
beautiful or good can be built upon hatred, the spirit of party, cliques, 
rivalry, revenge and oppression. 9. We believe that there cannot fail to be universal sympathy for 
every sincere  effort to  do  good,  even when it seems to  be  in  opposition,  
as the ways  of realizing a better future are as numerous as are human 
temperaments. 10. We firmly believe that we shall overcome evil, not by attacking 
it, but by maintaining an d strengthening the good. Evil exists not;  
    Only the past. The past is past. The present is a moment. The FUTURE is all. ESSENE SCHOOL OF LIFE 
 
DEDICATED TO THE ESSENE RENAISSANCE  
OF HEALTH, HAPPINESS,  
ABUNDANCE AND WISDOM  
UPHOLDS THE ESSENE IDEALS OF  
THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD  
THE MOTHERHOOD OF NATURE  
THE BROTHERHOOD OF MAN  
AN INDEPENDENT—NON SECTARIAN—NON POLITICAL — NON 
PROFIT — EDUCATIONAL. WORLD ORGANIZATION  
SPECIALIZED IN ALLSIDED EDUCATION FOR  
LIFE LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT  
OF HAPPINESS 
 
The First Essene Organization in Europe and America  
Founded in Nice, France, 1928. Transferred to Elsinore, California—1935. FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT: 
Edmond Bordeaux Szekely 
 
MAIL ADDRESS  
Tecate, California, U. S. A. OFFICIAL LANGUAGES 
English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Latin, Esperanto 
 
BRANCHES AND REPRESENTATIVES  
Australia, Canada, England, France, Ireland, Mexico,  
New Zealand, Oceania, Palestine, South Africa,  
United States, West Africa, West Indies. SERVICES FOR STUDENTS AND MEMBERS  
International Quarterly of the Essene and  
Cosmovitalist World Movements  
Periodicals—Yearbooks—Books  
Weekly and Monthly Lessons  
Courses for University Entrance  
Credits Recognized by Several Universities  
Certificates and Diplomas  
Individual Guidance and Supervision for Students  
Special Co-operative Services for Members 
 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
send 25c for our 48 page Digest and Guide-book, 8½ x 7", profusely 
illustrated with 50 pictures, containing concise condensations of all above 
books with detailed introductions to the Essene Teaching and 
Cosmotherapy. Address THE ESSENE SCHOOL OF LIFE, TECATE, 
CALIFORNIA. First  Edition 1939 
Second  Edition 1941 
Third  Edition 1942 
Fourth  Edition 1945 
 
Copyright 1945 by Edmond Bordeaux Szekely. Printed in United States of America—All Rights reserved. WILL POWER, THE CREATOR OF HAPPINESS 
 
The will plays a more important part in human life than 
any other quality. Lack of will power is the cause of 
unhappiness in ninety per cent of human beings. If it is 
overcome, our other enemies vanish with rapidity. Will 
power can be developed by training. There is a technique for 
its acquisition. If we analyse the will, we find it consists of three 
factors: thought, feeling, and action. All pyschological 
activity is the product of these three components. The most 
vital and important factor is action. When we do a thing, there 
is always a feeling behind the act. Action is the result of a 
sentiment, not of thought. In order to produce right actions, we must therefore cultivate right feelings. But unfortunately 
we are not the masters of our feelings; we are only the 
masters of our thoughts. While we may think what we wish, 
we cannot feel what we wish. There is, however, the possibility of establishing a 
dynamic relation between thoughts and feelings. The key to 
the problem of the will is how to connect our thoughts with 
our feelings in such a way that the latter will create the action 
which we wish to perform. Let us examine the question more concretely. On the 
one hand we have the "powerlessness of thoughts" and on the 
other the '' power of feelings. '' If we observe our neighbours, 
we shall see that many are people with knowledge and good 
thoughts but that they do not use these rightly. Thoughts of 
themselves do not suffice. We know that sober living will 
give us health, yet many of us are gluttons. We know that 
through work we can achieve, yet we remain lazy. Knowledge of the truth is not the carrying out of the truth. But whereas thoughts are incapa ble of leading to action, 
feelings always bring it about. Where knowledge of the rules 
of healthy living is unable to e ffect reform, pain or fear of 
death will make us change our ways. A feeling of jealousy or 
sense of rivalry can produce a tremendous activity, which 
knowledge of the result of sustained effort is powerless to 
evoke. What, then, is the psychological mechanism which 
enables us to dominate our feelings by our thoughts and so 
perform the desired action. We must examine the process of 
the will in its component parts. If we may compare man to an 
automobile, thought is the steering-wheel, feeling the motor, 
and action the wheels. In order to arrive at one's destination, 
all three parts must work in collaboration. Of the three forces—thought, feeling, action, it is 
thought which is the youngest, and, in consequence, the 
weakest in influence. Yet it is intelligence which is man's title 
to nobility. It is intelligence which makes man what he is and 
distinguishes him from animals. Actions and instincts 
characterise every animal, but intelligence is the exclusive 
property of Homo Sapiens. Action and feelings, on the other hand, have a history of 
several hundred thousand years, and it is for this reason that the feelings are so much stronger than thought, that they, and 
not thought, govern our actions. Though evolution shows that 
the power of thought is steadily growing, yet the feelings are 
still predominant. Homo Neanderthalensis had a smaller and inferior brain 
than that of contemporary man. He was exclusively under the 
impulse of his feelings. The activities of his brain were very 
modest beside those of a Millikan or an Einstein. The great 
law of evolution traces the progressive development of 
thought. The blind forces of instinct are in diminution, while 
man's conscious intellectual forces are growing. Each 
generation will see a step towards the eventual dominance of 
the intellectual forces over the forces of sentiment. We stand 
to-day between the past of instinct and the future of thought. What is the logical consequence of this state of affairs. We must aid the course of human evolution by striving to 
ennoble and control the instinc tive sentimental forces. It is 
only thus that we shall be in harmony with the law and forces 
of evolution and that we can sh are in the creation of the man 
of to-morrow. As we are at present, we represent the forces of 
retrogression. Man and Society are being destroyed by the 
play of blind, instinctive forces. They are the cause of all 
crimes and wrongs. All forms of violence and social tyranny 
are the product of irrational and unbalanced instincts. In 
themselves instincts are neither good nor bad; their value 
depends on their quality. If our feelings and emotions are 
sources of energy and harmony, they are of great value. But if 
they are a source of inharmony, they become a danger. The 
practical conclusion to be drawn is that we should ennoble 
and refine the feelings which give us balance, and eliminate 
those which cause disequilibrium. The feelings and emotions 
must be educated according to a certain practical technique. Thoughts and feelings are divisible into two classes: 
those which give us power to carry out actions and those 
which paralyse actions. We must analyse those thoughts and feelings which 
inspire creative actions. When we have done a good deed, we 
should look to see what thoughts and feelings prompted it. All those factors which have helped in its performance should 
be called into the consciousness. Our thoughts are under our 
control, but we cannot provoke the sentiments we wish. A knowledge of the laws of psychology gives us new 
power. The association of ideas and sentiments, coupled with 
the factor of time, constitutes an all-powerful force. If 
thoughts remain abstract, they will not provoke feelings. They must be given colour and vitality. Instead of thinking 
and reasoning abstractly, we must strive to use creative 
imagination. Our thoughts must become living images. This 
art, long practised by Orientals, has been neglected and 
forgotten in the West. If we think of many things, we only produce pale images 
of reality. In the absence of creative imagination, thoughts 
and ideas remain sterile. Instead of experiencing a wealth of 
realities, we create mental poverty. We must always imagine concrete forms of beauty and melody. When we think of the 
word "force," we must form a picture of concrete forms of 
force: the Niagara Falls, the "Last Judgment" of Michael 
Angelo, or Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. In such a way our 
dead and anæmic thoughts and ideas will become strong and 
colourful, capable of provoking strong feelings and emotions 
in us. This technique is important in medicine. Though 
external healing forces (sun, air, water, pure diet, etc. ) are 
important and indispensable, the internal forces of the human 
consciousness are even more esse ntial. A good diet in feeding 
is of little use without a diet in thoughts and feelings. If our 
thoughts are disorganised, food, however perfect, becomes 
poisonous. In order to achieve, a successful cure, there must 
be mental harmony and balance. Will is not a momentary process, but one that is long 
and continuous. Its cultivation is the result of prolonged and 
patient effort. Nothing worth while was ever created in a 
second. Will power can be acquired when one knows the 
method and applies it. We must realise that while thoughts 
give direction to feelings, it is the latter which give the former 
force. Will is nothing but a succession of daily persevering 
efforts carried over a number of years. It is like this that the 
great discoveries of a Darwin were made— by long years of 
painstaking, patient efforts. We must distinguish the will from what we may term 
the "pseudo-will. " Will is manifested in a series of daily 
efforts, while the pseudo-will is able to make great efforts for 
a short time, but unable to keep them up for long. All the 
great works of human culture are the result of permanent 
effort. Two or three hours of intellectual work every day 
spread over a dozen years are able to produce many large 
volumes. We can illustrate the difference between the true 
will and the false will by comparing the two types of student. There is the student who does a little work regularly 
every day. He learns his subjects  without effort and passes his 
examinations without difficulty when the time comes. His 
activity is a natural product of the will. Another type of 
student will do nothing for months on end, and then, a few 
weeks before the date of the examination, will be overcome 
by a strong emotion—the fear of failure in the test. As a result 
he "crams" day and night in a state of nervousness and 
apprehension. He may or may not pass the examination, will 
remain as lacking in will po wer as he was before, and will 
pay a very high price for his sudden, activity in the form of 
physical and mental exhaustion. When we have learnt to tr ansform our thoughts into 
feelings, we must divide the feelings so created into two 
categories: those that create ener gy and those that exhaust it. In order to acquire will, we have to strengthen all the 
feelings of the former category and avoid all those that lead to 
exhaustion. Superior and valuable feelings are those that 
create, while inferior and worthless feelings are those that 
exhaust. With the aid of time and the appropriate 
psychological processes it is possible to arrive at a state in which our superior feelings create a vast source of energy and 
harmony. Gradually we can eliminate all those inferior 
feelings which lead to weakness and lack of balance within 
us. In brief, we are able to build good character in ourselves 
through the expenditure of effort and with time. The feelings that give us energy are love in all its 
manifestations, individual feelings of ambition, creative work 
(whether scientific or practi cal), and hours spent with the 
masterpieces of human culture. The great works of music, 
literature and painting make us capable of higher activities 
and awake in us a great store of feelings and ideas. One of the 
highest forms of love is an altruistic social activity, which 
provides a great source of energy. The three great enemies of the will, on the other hand, 
which exhaust our energies, are dispersion of energy laziness 
and sensuality. Lack of will is the specific disease of our age, which too 
often confuses will with superficial agitation and noise. The 
active, even hyper-active pers on, who is busy with many 
trivial things, but who accomplishes little, is a very common 
phenomenon. It is only concentrated effort that can get 
results. We can only do one thing at a time if we wish to do it 
well. Here is an example of the dispersion of energies. A 
person gets out of bed, washes himself and then begins to 
dress. In stead of dressing briskly, he does so slowly, thinking 
of many things in the process. He wants to do many things at 
once, moving now here and now there, but never completing 
any one action. He always lacks intensive energy. Laziness is a periodic incapacity for work. It is 
humiliating and deplorable. Idle and lazy people are generally 
unhappy. Work well done is a source of energy and 
satisfaction. Idle people be come sensitive to the small 
inharmonies and discomforts encountered in daily life. They 
are worried by trivialities and find many imaginary obstacles 
in their path. For an active worker these things do not exist. A 
passive life is a short life and afforts a sense of slavery. When 
we look back on an inactive life, we find that the hours and 
days have passed rapidly and that the feeling of slavery leads 
with force and speed towards death. On the other hand, a life 
filled with superior activities ap pears long and gives a sense 
of fertility and harmony. Life is a frame and its value depends 
on what we put in it. What counts is not chronological, but 
psychological time. The third enemy of the will is sensuality. It consists in 
the predominance of a group of inferior emotions. Love, on 
the contrary, is the predominance of superior feelings. This 
sensuality is another specific symptom of the age we live in. Ninety per cent of all nervous disorders are derived from a 
single source—sensuality and its consequences. The material 
source of sensuality is excess of energy and over-secretion of 
the glands. Instead of being turned into useful channels, this 
excess takes the form of sensuality and becomes a blind and 
destructive force within us which destroys us if it continues to 
predominate. It is necessary that there should be instruction in the laws of sexual hygiene, so that young people at the period 
of increased glandular activity may know how to solve their 
problems of sex as they arise. At present they are given much 
useless knowledge, but left without intellectual or moral 
support at a time when they most need it. One of the most formidable enemies of the will is 
disease. Muscular or nervous pain paralyses the will. On the 
other hand, when we are in a dynamic and healthy condition, 
the will obeys our commands. Good health is the will's 
greatest friend. But health itself is rare and is the possession 
only of a small group of people—those that have will power. So often a vicious circle is set up. There are two false conceptions current with regard to 
the will. There are those who hold that the will is entirely free 
and that there is consequently no need to educate it. This is 
indeterminism. At the other extreme is the view that the will 
cannot be educated. This deterministic outlook tends to or 
results in pessimism. The truth is that the will is not entirely 
free nor entirely incapable of education. It has enemies which 
have to be overcome by the use of a certain psychological 
technique. The key to the education of the will is the direction 
of the feelings by a powerful creative imagination. Every great value in human culture owes its creation to 
the exercise of human will. To-day we see many valueless 
politicians enjoying the limelight and gambling with human 
life and happiness, while great scientists who render real 
services to mankind are neglected or even persecuted. The 
latter are governed by will, the former by blind emotion and 
inferior instincts. The true values remaining after the passage 
of an epoch are not the deeds of soldiers and dictators, but the 
patient researches of philosophers and scientists. Man is 
governed by the true values of the past and leaves only true 
values for the future. And these true values are the product of 
the small aristocracy of the will. Will is the master key to the 
future. It is not only necessary for the enjoyment of health, 
but a great moral duty owed to human culture. For health, harmony and balance, three things are 
needed: will, will and will. THE 12 RULES OF THE HYGIENE OF THE BODY 
AND MIND 
 
(Air, Water, Sun, Exercises, Respir ation, Altruism, Culture  Harmony)  
1. Spend as much time as possible in the fresh air.
The Essene School of Life is dedicated to the renaissance of health, happiness, abundance, and wisdom, and is an educational organization that promotes the development of the will and the cultivation of good habits and
What is the primary focus of the Essene School of Life?
The key to the problem of the will is establishing a dynamic relation between thoughts and feelings, which can be achieved through the use of creative imagination.
What is the key to the problem of the will, according to the text?
The text does not explicitly state the enemies of the will, but it mentions "dispersion of energy, laziness, and sensuality" as factors that can hinder the development of will power.
What are the three enemies of the will, according to the text?
The text states that "Lack of will power is the cause of unhappiness in ninety per cent of human beings" and that "will power can be developed by training." It emphasizes the importance of cultivating will power for personal growth and the pursuit of happiness.
What is the importance of the will in human life, according to the text?
The text states that the Essene School of Life offers membership to all individuals who believe in the Essene ideals, and the fees are not explicitly stated, but there are different tiers of membership, including quarterly, semi-annual, and annual fees.
What is the Essene School of Life's policy on membership and fees?