The Template Network

The Template Foundation is a philosophical organization that stems from the work of Raymond Armin, known to members as Leo.

There are groups in Australia, Brazil, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Sweden, the USA and Wales.

Historical background

What was once called the Emin Society or the Emin Foundation is now an international network of independent groups collectively known as The Template Network. As of 2008 there are some 1600 people regularly engaged within these groups. Activities are diverse with interests including personal development, spiritual development, personal religion, psychology, meditation, music, dance, ecology, healing, sustainable development, evolution and well-being.

Philosophical content

The Template Foundation represents an experimental spiritual philosophy. Its first premise is that creation is continuously evolving and that human life is part of that evolution. The second premise is that human life is an opportunity to consciously find one's own purpose within that evolution. Each individual is responsible for their own development and destiny. The [http://www.emin.org/ Emin web site] gives a basic introduction to the philosophy behind the Template Foundation.

Propositions

The philosophy contains work on many areas of life and contains a number of propositions that include:

* That the universe is governed by identifiable laws and is constantly evolving
* That through development a person might offer a return to Creation.
* The human is not alone or arbitrary; rather, is part of Creation and designed to integrate with that Creation.
* The very fact of being alive and conscious offers the possibility of intellectual and spiritual development, which is for any individual to take up, should they so wish.
* Each life is ultimately responsible for the conduct of its own existence.
* An important aim of personal development is to come into living-harmony with the natural laws, and thereby become an active facilitator of the forces that drive the evolution of the universe.
* Human knowledge derives in the first instance from the natural laws, and has aggregated throughout history. The continuing aggregation provides the basis for further development of the human faculty and possibility.

The natural laws

Emin groundwork seeks to discover whether the Universe and what goes on in it, happens through the government and manifestation of Natural laws or not. Where a law is deemed to be a regularity in natural occurrence from which a pattern or principle of understanding can be derived. A law should be observable and verifiable. This includes the physical laws, from which we endeavor to understand subjects ranging from the physicality of matter, for example, Pauli exclusion principle to the nuances of the human psyche. And that this investigation is undertaken to improve self understanding.

Human anatomy and physiology can be seen in dialectical terms and the systems (skeletal system, muscular system, etc.) investigated as possible examples of laws.

entiment

The idea of sentiment runs through much, if not all, of the Emin philosophy. The premise being that a person's sentiment towards anything, including themselves, will largely determine what type of relationship, dealing or interaction they might have with that thing. As an example, if a person has a good sentiment towards the planet then they will respect her and appreciate her processes and will want to help in issues that might affect her well being. And, a person's sentiment towards their partner will likewise determine the nature of that relationship. This can be extended and applied to any matter at all and is viewed as being fundamental to a person's spiritual journey especially where integration is concerned.

The archives

There exists a large body of work which is referred to as the Emin archives. They include writings on psychology and personal development, theology, cosmology, history, meditation and various practical personal development and perception exercises. Most, but not all of these writings, are authored by Raymond Armin.

Comparison to other philosophies

Because freedom of choice for each individual is sacrosanct, it is difficult to talk of a singular 'philosophy'. But for those wishing to seek comparison, certain elements of the Template 'philosophy' can be found in Buddhism, Taoism, Shinto, Anthroposophy, and other eastern and western philosophy and theology. The early writings of Raymond Armin contain many ideas and concepts known from the works of G. I. Gurdjieff, such as The Ray of Creation, the Five Centres and Laws.

Personal development

It is deemed that the human continues to spiritually evolve. The levels of human existence stretch from the physical to mental, emotional and higher and a person can develop to higher levels of consciousness by changes in their behaviour and through repetitive practice.

Every person can become self-determined in how they will form themselves up and if a person wishes to develop, they must expect to work consistently to succeed.

What is meant by personal development? The aim in this is not to necessarily find a conclusive answer but more to extend the mind into the possibilities of personal development. The human is a complex system with millions of interacting, intricate parts. It is deeply integrated with its environment and is therefore not necessarily a simple thing to understand.

Because personal development is considered as specific to the human system - it is completely unbiased in terms of race or creed. All people everywhere can consider the question of personal development equally because we all inherit the same basic human model from birth.

Practices

Exercises include mental and physical conditioning, reasoning, meditation and contemplation. They are designed to regulate and develop the different functional levels of the human system. Many exercises are designed to promote understanding of oneself and of others; and then there are exercises of a more fun nature designed to release stress.

Another ingredient is to seek understanding in order to change the conduct of one's life to come into greater harmony with the higher, spiritual, self. There is, however, no ideal of asceticism or otherworldliness – spirituality is to be realised "through" rather than "at the cost of" ordinary, human life in the world.

Offshoots

There are several charities whose activities are inspired by the Emin philosophy, as well as independent organisations and companies offering courses on a commercial basis, that draw on Emin concepts and practices. These include Blue Rose Wellness, an Emin/Template center of spiritual healing, located in Brier, Washington state, USA and the Ruby Care Foundation, an Emin/Template charity group concerned with grief and loss management.

Books

Emin and Template publications

Various books have been published in limited editions. They include:
* The trilogy [http://www.bookkoob.co.uk/book/0904486028.htm] [http://www.btinternet.com/~occultique/authors_l.html] of Leo's writings:
** "Frownstrong" [http://www.getcited.org/pub/102491600] ISBN 0-904486-02-8 (1974)
** "Gemrod" ISBN 0-904486-04-4 (1976)
** "Dear Dragon" [http://www.getcited.org/pub/101932408] ISBN 0-904486-01-X (there are other, non-Emin, books which also use this title)
* "The Blue Book Writings" (Leo's poetry) [http://www.amazon.fr/dp/0904486044]
* "Towards Yourself" (Leo's sayings) (Leo, Sayings of Leo: Towards Yourself. London: Cobwebs Press, 1978.)
* "Toir".
* "The Tear" by John Turner, Eminent Productions Limited 2003. [http://www.template.nl/en/producten/detail/1874717060.html] ISBN 1-874717-06-0.
* "The Beacon of Hope" by Marion Verweij, Eminent Productions Limited 2002. [http://www.template.nl/en/producten/detail/1874717052.html] ISBN 1-874717-05-2.
* "A new Template of Human Qualities for the Future Bound Scientist" by Anne Marmenout, Eminent Productions Limited. [http://www.template.nl/en/producten/detail/1874717036.html] ISBN 1-874717-03-6.

Books inspired by the Template

*"The Seven Steps of Spiritual Intelligence" by Richard A. Bowell, Boston, Nicholas Brealey Publishing 2004 ISBN 1-85788-344-6. The back of the title page reads: "This book has been derived from and inspired by the philosophical writings and researches of Leo Armin under the title of the "Template".

Books by outside observers

*"The New Believers: Sects, Cults and Alternative Religions" by David V. Barrett, (Cassell Illustrated, a division of the Octopus Publishing Group) 2003 ISBN 1-84403-040-7. 544 Pages. Barrett addresses issues such as why and how people join alternative religions.
*"Spying in Guruland: Inside Britain’s Cults" by William Shaw, (Fourth Estate, London, England) (distributed by Trafalgar Square, N. Pomfret, VT 05053), 1994 ISBN 1-85702-329-3. Shaw, a freelance journalist working under cover, attended various religious groups, and recounts his experiences. Chapter two, "Leo and the Maze" describes a series of introductory meetings in an Emin group in London, and discusses some of the controversies that surrounded the Emin during the early 1980s.
*"Despair and Deliverance – private salvation in contemporary Israel" by Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi, State University of New York 1992 ISBN 0-7914-1000-5. The book analyzes various religious groups in Israel from a psychological and sociological perspective, among them the Israeli branch of the Emin. The discussion of Emin beliefs and practices draws primarily on writings from the mid 1970s that are now somewhat dated.

External links

* [http://www.emin.org/ Emin web site]
* [http://www.templatenetwork.org/en/ The Template Network]
* [http://www.template-netzwerk.de/dp-en-home.htm The Template Network, Germany]
* [http://www.templatenetwork.org/topaz/en/ Topaz Magazine]
* [http://www.feminenza.org/about/index.htm Feminenza - an international women's group]
* [http://www.rubycare.org/ The Ruby Care Foundation]
* [http://www.position-purple.com/ Position Purple]