Louis Lazar Zamenhof(1859-1917) was born in Polish-Jewish family in Bialystok (capital city of the north-eastern part of Poland, at that time occupied by the Russian Empire. By profession he was a doctor. He is an author of a few humanist projects In the year 1887 he published a booklet "International Language", under the pseudonym, d-ro Esperanto, (a hopeful doctor), by which they later named the neutral International Language by him presented to the world. Esperanto survived its creator, and today it is the most spread (and best known) planed language in the world. IN the year 1901, under the Latin pseudonym Homo Sum ("I'm a Man") L. L. Zamenhof published his booklet "HILELISM", the first version of his religious project aiming to build bridges and neutralise not only the lingual (by the neutral international language), but also religious barriers between people born, grown up and educated in diverse religious traditions. The booklet was addressed primarily to members of the same religious community as L. L. Zamenhof himself, on whom he counted to be the first enthusiasts for his project.. Practising HILELISM as the universally acceptable rational religion (based on the biblical tradition) they would show the right religious and ethical way to all other folks (nations and people) in the world.

Out of a few members of the same religion as L. L. Zamenhof himself who, had had the chance to get acquainted with the booklet (just after its publishing, publisher went bankrupt and the work wasn't possible to get for quite a few years) only a few have shown any grade of interest. In the year 1906 L. L. Zamenhof published (in Esperanto) the second version of HILELISM (soon under the new name – Homaranismo {Humanitanism}). Humanitanism aimed not only for forming the universal religious ethics - but above all – political solving of ethnic problems directly by the humanist cosmopolitanism. In the year 1012 L. L. Zamenhof resigned from the natural guiding role in Esperanto-movement and dedicated fully to Humanitanism (Homaranism). He started preparation to the First Humanitanian Congress, which, according to the plan had to have place in the neutral Switzerland But the I World War exploded and the Congress didn't take place. Zamenhof continued to work on the project, researching for its best form. His ideal humanist projects, in contrast to the linguistic, didn't manage to survive their author. Not long before his death L. L. Zamenhof finished translating the Bible into Esperanto.

L. L. ZAMENHOF ABOUT ESPERANTO, HILELISM AND HOMARANISM

ESPERANTO

1. Existing of an international language, by which cold communicate with each other people of all countries and nations would bring big help to the human kind. (II)

2. If there was in existence an international language, then everything, what exists in the area of the human thought, would be getting translated into this neutral language and many works would be written directly in such language, and (this way) all products of the human spirit would get to be (easy) achievable to anyone amongst us. (II)

3. Introducing of an international language earlier or later necessarily shall become a reality however much rutinists would fight against it.(II)

4. It is true that people educated can learn Esperanto faster, than people uneducated, but also the last ones learn it very easy, even miraculously easy.(II)

5. All grammar of Esperanto consists of only 16 short rules, which anyone can very well learn in duration of even half an hour! (II)

6. Having full and unlimited right to put together every word with every preposition and with any other word, one gets free from learning of the multitude of words, that in all natural languages form by themselves separate roots (II)

7. Every language natural, living ones as much as dead ones, are so terribly difficult that, any even a bit more profound learning of it is possible only to the persons, that posses great quantity of free time and, equally great money resources. (II)

8. Esperantists are not at all such fantasy dreamers, as they look to many so called “wise and practical” people, judging al shallowly, without giving it logical thought. (II)

HILELISM

9. No matter how high the humankind would stand (morally), people without the creed are always identified with people without conscience, with no principles, without ideals. (III)

10. Main principle (of the religion of hilelists) was formulated already over 2000 years ago by Rabbi Hillel, who's name (religion of hilelists) carries. (III)

11. Fundament (of the religion of hilelists) is this natural rationality and this natural religious perception, that are mutual to all people. (III)

12. We feel and recognise the existence of the most high Force, ruling the world, and this Force we call God. (III)

13. His laws God put into heart of every human being in the form of consciousness; this is why, you ought to obey the voice of your conscience, as this is the never silent voice of God. (III)

14. An essence of all laws, given to us by God, expresses itself by the formula: “Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you, and do neither openly nor hidden (indirectly) such deeds, that you internal voice tells you, they do not please God”. (III)

15. To the Hilelism can join with pure conscience any moral person, in whatever religion he'd be educated. (III)

16. HILELISM doesn't have in it anything invented or adapted to the needs of this or the other group of people or party. (III)

17. HILELISM will only then become a future powerful and saving religion, if it will distance itself from all national demands and will carry pure, neutrally human character, so that in any hilelist temple, every hilelist from any whatsoever country should feel truly as in his own temple (III)

18. HILELISM gives to every adept full possibility to belong or count oneself in any whatsoever nationality. (III)

19. Small community (hilelist) will be the fundament and fermentation point for the reborn and brotherly unified humanity. (III)

20. Hileism must be absolutely pure (religious ethics) and mustn't have in it anything a priori invented, so that it will not represent by itself some small sect according to the tastes of such or such handful of people, but the religious unity, unified, not contradictory, and fitting for all, who look for the truth. (III)

21. Thanks to non-presence of invented dogmas in it, the hilelist religion will be never in discordance with the science and with the free human thinking. (III)

22. (Hilelists) will discuss freely and study, questions of the essence of God, and of the morality, and of the essence of the life and death. (III)

23. Existence of some incomprehensible to our mind worldwide Force isn't rejected even by an atheist (III)

24. Hilelist atheist can understand under the word, God, forces of nature and the world morality (III)

25. Hilelists find it necessary to give to their religion also certain external aspects, that would bound them among themselves and remind them about the essence of their religion. (III)

26. Congress of the first hilelists shall work out all external form of the hilelist religion, shall fix weekly and annual festivities, the essence, and rites which shall give warm, poetic religious atmosphere, in which one could rest of the cold prose of life and, collectively strengthen in themselves feelings of the true religion, based on pure idealism and morality. (III)

HOMARANISM

27. How deeply I believe, that after the winter always must come the spring and after the night must come the day, the same deeply I believe, that earlier or later must come the time, when all lands will belong not to this or the other nation, not to this or the other religion, but to all people that were born in this country and live in it. (V)

28. I see in every human being just a human, and I value every man only after his personality value and own deeds (IV)

29. Division of humanity into diverse mutually unfriendly nations and national-religious communities is one of the greatest calamities. (IV)

30. Every country belongs not to this or other nation, but completely equally to all its inhabitants, whatever language, religion or social role one has in it, or wherever supposedly one comes from. (IV)

31. Identifying interests of a country with interests of this or the other nation or religion, under pretences of some historical rights which allow one nation in the country to rule over other nations is a remainder of barbaric times. (IV)

32. In ones private life, every person has every right to speak this language or dialect, which is to one most pleasing to use, and confess this religion, which is to one most satisfying, but in communicating with people of other languages or religions one has to take care in using a neutral language and live according to ethics and customs that are neutral. (IV)

33. My motherland (fatherland) I call the country, in which I was born; my homeland I call this country in which I am a permanent inhabitant with fixed home. (IV)

34. By the word Patriotism, I call service for good of all inhabitants of my home (ones of the same land, rim of M.Š.) wherever they come from, or whatever language, religion or social role they hold. (IV)

35. Deep love of ones motherland and ones home is a matter totally natural and mutual to all people. (IV)

36. Religion must by the matter of a sincere creed, and not play the role as some inhabitant national divisions tool (IV)

37. I call my religion only this religion, or the religious substitute system, in which I really believe (IV)

38. The most high and not understandable to me Force, that is the cause of all causes in the world material and moral, I can call by the name “God” or by other name, but I am conscious, that an essence of this Force everyone has right to present to oneself, as this dictates to one ones heart and teachings of ones church (IV)

39. I must never hate or persecute someone because, ones believe in God is other than my own. (IV)

40. An essence of all true religious commands lies in heart of every human being in the form of conscience, and the main and for all obligatory principle of these commands is: “do onto others as you would wish they do onto yourself”; all the rest in religion I regard as the additions that, mixed together with legends, gave us teachers of humankind from diversity of nations and races, and also as customs that are introduced by humans and which fulfilling or not depends of our own will. (IV)

41. When in the place where I live shall be arranged, with the community consent, fully formed and organised, non-doctrinal community of freethinking believers to which I will be able to apply with full content to my own conscience and for fulfilling needs of my heart, then I will apply to such free believing community and will accept as my own, its non- obligatory neutrally-human festivities and customs, its neutrally-human calendar, etc. (IV)
    
    SOURCES:
    (I) Jeremi Gishron LINGVO KAJ RELIGIO, Eldonejo Sivron, Jerusalem 1986
    (II) L. L. Zamenhof ESENCO KAJ ESTONTECO DE LA LINGVO INTERNACIA (http://www.rano.org/esenco.html)
    (III) Homo Sum HILELISMO, 1901 ( “Fondumo Esperanto” Helsinki 1972)
    (IV) L. L. Zamenhof DEKLARACIO PRI HOMARANISMO, 1913 (O.V. III-9 VASTALTO 5/7/1991)
    (V) Letero de L. L. Zamenhof al Javal de la 9.4.1906 (laŭ: J. Gishron LINGVO KAJ RELIGIO, Eldonejo Sivron, Jerusalem 1986)

LESS KNOWN THOUGHTS OF L. L. ZAMENHOF

ABOUT ESPERANTO

All ideas that will play important role in the history of humanity, meet always with equally the same reception: when they appear, contemporaries look on them with not only remarkable obstinate rejection, but even with some inexplicable enmity; pioneers of these ideas must fight a lot and suffer a lot; they are regarded as creazy people, childishly silly, naïve, or finally even directly as people completely useless...

(From: L. L.Zamenhof  ESENCO KAJ ESTONTECO DE LA LINGVO INTERNACIA

ABOUT "AN INTERNAL IDEA OF ESPERANTO"

By the name, Esperantist, is called every person, that uses Esperanto language, completely equally, for what goals one uses it. But Esperantism has also an “aside-idea”. Sometime, the time will come that Esperanto, becoming the possession of whole humanity, will loose an idealist character; then it will become just a language, they will no longer fight for it, and shall just pull out the profit from it. But now, when almost all Esperantists are still not profiting, but are just fighters for its cause, we are all very well conscious that what instigates us to work for Esperanto isn't the thought of its practical usability, but only thought of an important idea, that the international language carries with it. This idea is – fraternity and justice between all people. This idea accompanies Esperantism from the very first moment of its birth till now... You all feel very well, that what adds to our enthusiasm is not a reciprocal understanding just by itself, not the practical usability, that Esperanto have shown, but an internal idea of Esperantism, that we all feel in our hearts. We feel, that the falling of walls between nations starts, we feel the spirit of all-human fraternity... Anyone who uses Esperanto, is an Esperantist, and every Esperantist has full right to see in Esperanto just a language, cold tool for mutual international understanding But these Esperantists that belong to our cause not by their head, but by their heart, those shall always feel and shall like in Esperanto above anything else, its internal idea... The motto of idealistic Esperantists, never till now precisely formulated, but always clearly felt, is; “ We wish to create neutral fundament, on which diverse kinds of people could peacefully and fraternally communicate one with another, not intruding reciprocally onto each other their national differences...”

(L. L. Zamenhof)

ABOUT HILELISM 1901

We don't have even slightest intention to come forward with some new creed. Appearing of new creed in our time generally is already inconceivable, and even if such an even could sometime show up, In any case it is not us that would be so audacious to be its founder. We don't have even slightest wish to penetrate audaciously into the God's sphere of a creed.

(From: Homo Sum HILELISMO 1901)

My hesitations keep already occurring over more than six years, causing to me very great, and tormenting me internal turmoil, and till now I could not come to some definitive decision... In the year 1903 after many problems I received back all copies of my booklet (“Hillelism” from the year 1901 rim of redactor) and I hid them in my cabinet, because then my convictions already changed a bit. Already more than six years I incessantly hesitate about this, shout I introduce Hilelism first to Hebrews, or immediately propose it to persons from all nations. All the cause of Esperanto is just one part of this mutual, whole, idea, that I call, Hilelism. To explain to you this idea well, I would have to write not a letter but thick book. - otherwise, you won't understand, and the idea, that I was thinking of, all through my whole life, shall seem to you as some simple utopia, even though, it is very easily realisable, and if I shall have sometime a little bit more free time and better health, I will necessarily realise it.

(From: leter of L. L. Zamenhof to Javal, 24.09.1905)
Based on: J. Gishron, LINGVO KAJ RELIGIO Centre "Sivron" Jerusalem 1986
 

FEW LESS KNOW THOUGHTS OF L. L. ZAMENHOF ABOUT HILELISM AND HUMANITANISM

Hilelist

Hilelist I call any person, who signed the "Declaration of Hilelist" and subscribed to one of exciting hilelist circles.

Name "hilelism"

His main… principle humanitanists named "hilelism" not to honour… Hilel*…, but only because, the principle, that gave to humanitanians the possibility to create bridge between all religions, was expressed (however without some special propagating intention) just by Hilel…

Pri la homaranismo
"Ruslanda Esperantisto" 1906
n-ro 5, o.v. III-7
p.v.z. 06-61
registro 1992-09-09

Esentials of the Hilelism

The Hilelism is a teaching, that not ripping out from hearts of the person ones natural fatherland, nor ones language, nor ones religion, provides to one the possibility to avoid all lies and anty-anyone malicious elements in ones national religious principles and communicate with people of all languages and religions on the fundamental platform that is neutrally-human, on the principles of mutual fraternity, equality and justice.

Hilelist Temples

When there will be funded a Hilelist Temple, I must visit it as often as possible. In the hilelist temple I shall listen works of great teachers of the human kind. Until Hilelist Temple doesn't exist in my city, I must as often as possible meet for communal discussions with other hilelists of my city, and if such do not exist yet, I must communicate by letters with hilelists in other cities.

Dogmas of Hilelismo.
"Ruslanda Esperantisto" 1906
n-ro 1, o.v. III-3
p.v.z. 06-17
registro 1992-09-09

Final goal of Hilelism

Hilelists hope that, by constant mutual communicating on the base of neutral language and neutral religious principles and customs, people shall conglomerate one day into one, neutrally-human people, but this will happen slowly step by step, unnoticed and without some break trough's

Esperanto and Hilelism

Even if all academies of the world would accept Esperanto, if millions of people would use it – nothing can guarantee that, in duration of just one year it won't be suddenly thrown out and forgotten for eternity to come!

International language will get strong forever only in such case that, there will exist some group of people, that would accept it as their family language, inheritable Hundreds of such people are for idea of a neutral language a lot more important than millions of other people. I am profoundly convinced, that neither solution to the Hebrew Question, neither planting of neutral language will be ever possible without Hilelism, t.is. Without creating the neutral population. The same as Hilelism can not exist without the neutral language, the same idea of the neutral language can never become truly the reality without Hilelism.

(From: leter of L. L. Zamenhof to A. A. Kofman 15.5.1901
(according to “Literatura Foiro” No 190)

Hilelism and Esperantism

One can not confuse Hilelism with Esperantism! Both ideas are very much related with each other, but are not at all identical. One can be great Esperantist, but still be opposed to Hilelism.

LAST WORDS OF ZAMENHOF

After the 14-th of April 1916 when Zamenhof died, on his desk was left four pages of papers with his last notes that he wrote by crayon, sketching an article:

"All what I now write, was born in my head not now, but some forty years before, when I was in the age of 16 to 18 years old; despite this that from that time I meditated a lot and read various scientific and philosophical works, my thoughts about God and immortality didn't change almost at all, from that time. While in the scientific world I will loose almost all esteem, at the same time in the world of believers I also won't find compensating empathy, probably only an attack, because MY creed is of completely different kind than is THEIR belief... It would be more prudent, if I kept it silent, but I can not. My mother was religious believer, my father an atheist In my childhood I believed in God and immortality of souls in such form as teaches religion I was born into. I don't remember very precisely, in what year of my life I lost religious believe; but I remember that, the highest degree of my disbelieve I riched about the age of 15-16. This was also the most turbulent time of my life. All life lost in my eyes all sense and value. With contempt I looked to myself and other people, seeing in myself and them only some nonsensical piece of meet that became, one doesn't know for what and why, that lives in the infinity less than the smallest, littlest second, soon will rot away forever, and during all the future infinite millions and billions of years it shall never ever reaper again. For what I live, for what I learn, for what I work , for what I love? Because, it is so nonsensical, so ridiculous... I felt, that perhaps the death isn't a disappearance...; that exist some lows in nature...; that something guards me to high goal..."

(From: M.Boulton ZAMENHOF)
 

FROM SPEACHES OF L. L. ZAMENHOF

FROM SPEECH OF L. L. ZAMENHOF BEFORE THE 1 KONGRES OF ESPERANTO

Estimated Ladies and Gentlemen! I salute you, dear fellow idealists, brothers and sisters from the great world family who came from countries close and far away, from the most diverse domains of the world, to mutually hold hands, brotherly, in the name of great idea, that binds us all...In the most remote antiquity, that already long time ago got wiped out from the memory of human kind, and about which non history kept for us even the littlest document, the human family split apart and its members stooped understand each other. Brothers, all created based on one model, brothers that had all equal body, equal spirit, equal capabilities, equal ideals, equal God in their hearts, brothers that ought to help each other and work together for the happiness and glory of their family, - those brothers became totally foreign to each other, went apart seemingly forever into unfriendly little groups. And eternal war started among them. During many thousands of years, during all the time, that the human history remembers, those brothers only eternally fought amongst themselves, and any mutual understanding between them was absolutely impossible Prophets and poets dreamed of some far, far away, nebulous dreamtime, in which people will again start understanding one another and again come together and unite into one family: but this was just a dream. They spoke of this like of some sweet fantasy, but none thought this to be serious nobody believed it.

And now, for the first time this dream of millennia starts to become a reality...

In this moment between my spiritual eyes stands only this high moral Force, which in his heart feels every human being, and to this unknown Force I direct myself with my prayer:
(To You, ho powerful body-less mystery..) Al Vi, ho potenca senkorpa mistero…

from the speech of L. L. Zamenhof before 1-a Congress of Esperantists in Boulogne sur Mer, 05.08.1905, registered by Hirotaka Masaaki (1991-07-05)
(From the collection of works by L. L. Zamenhof http://www2.saganet.ne.jp/vastalto/esp/arkivo.html, prepared by Hirotaka Masaaki)

FROM THE SPEECH OF L. L. ZAMENHOF BEFORE THE 2-d KONGRES OF ESPERANTISTS

If we, fighters for Esperanto, by our own free will gave to the wide world full rights to see Esperanto only from its practical site and use it only for practical usefulness, this of course, don't give to anybody any right to postulate, that we all ought to see in Esperanto just a practical thing. Unfortunately, such voices appeared among Esperantists, which say: "Esperanto is just a language; avoid connecting Esperantism, even quite privately, with some ideals, as otherwise they will think that we all believe in that idea, and won't be looking nice to diversity of people that do not love this idea!" Oh, what words! Because of fear, that we possibly won't be liked by these people, who themselves prefer to use Esperanto only for the matters practical to themselves, we must all tear out from our heart this part of Esperantism, that is the most important, the holiest, this idea , that is the main goal of whole the Esperanto cause, that is the star, that always guided all fighters for Esperanto! Ho, no no, never! With energetic protest we reject such postulate.

From speech of L. L. Zamenhof before 2-d Congress of Esperantists in Geneva, 28.08.1906, prepared by Hirotaka Masaaki (1991-08-25)
(From the collection of works of L. L. Zamenhof http://www2.saganet.ne.jp/vastalto/esp/arkivo.html, prepared by Hirotaka Masaaki)

FROM SPEACH OF L. L. ZAMENHOF BEFORE THE 3-d CONGRESS OF ESPERANTISTS

The world always understood, that Esperantism is strongly united with certain internal idea,and very many persons didn want to use Esperanto just because, they didn't want to be regarded as partmen to some idea, tis is why – tonot scare away from us big masses, vi are forced to make clear by the Boulogne Declaration, that the simple Esperantism, what means using of Esperanto language, forces nobody to become a party to this or some other idea. Esperantist can have such convictions or do such acts, which one wishes, and we re not responsible for ones convictions, neither acts, the same as they do not respond for our.

One can be the greatest egoist, national chauvinist, hater of people or even the most vile criminal, but if such person uses Esperanto language, we can not forbid to that person, name himself an Esperantist. But if he wants to come to Esperantist Congress, or if he wants to subscribe to other institution that carries green flag, then the matter changes. Then he comes to the country, that has own separate laws, own separate customs and principles. At Esperanto-land (“Esperantujo”) rules not only Esperanto language, but also an internal idea of Esperantism.

We constantly repeated, that we absolutely don't wish to intrude into the internal life of nations, but we wish only to create the connecting bridge between nations. The motto of idealistic Esperantists, never till now precisely formulated, but always clearly felt, is: We want to create the neutral fundament, on which diverse human races and nations could mutually communicate in peace and fraternity, not imposing onto themselves reciprocally their own national peculiarities.

Long live Esperanto, but above all long live the goal and an Internal Idea of Esperantism, may long live the fraternity of peoples, long live all that breaks walls between people!

From the speech of L. L. Zamenhof before the 3-d Congress of Esperantists in Cambridge, 12.08.1907, prepared by Hirotaka Masaaki (1991-08-31)
(From the collection of works of L. L. Zamenhof http://www2.saganet.ne.jp/vastalto/esp/arkivo.html, prepared by Hirotaka Masaaki)

FROM THE SPEACH OF L. L. ZAMENHOF BEFORE LA 8-th CONGRESS OF ESPERANTISTS

Now, that the maturity of our causes is already completely sure, I turn myself to you, dear fellow idealists, with a requests, which I was about to direct to you already long time before, but which I postponed to do, because I was afraid to make it to early. I ask you, that you free me from this role that, for natural reasons, I occupied in our cause for twenty five years.

I ask you, that from this moment, you stop to see in me the “master”, and stop honouring me by this title...

Many amongst you carry in their heart the same ideals, as myself, even though not all in quite equal form; but the world must see, that this spiritual “blood relationship” between me and you is from own will, and that the Esperantism and Esperantists can not be responsible for my personal ideas and aspirations, and they are not obligatory for anybody among you. If say or do something that isn't conforming to the taste or convictions of this or the other amongst you, I wish, that none of you be troubled by it and everyone amongst you have the right to say: this is totally private craziness of Zamenhof, and this has nothing in common with an Esperanto movement, in which he is now a completely private person. An Internal Idea of Esperanto, that has absolutely non obligation for every Esperantist apart, but which, as you know, reigns fully and must always reign in Esperanto Congresses, is: on the neutral lingual fundament break the walls between nations and make people use to this, that everyone amongst them see the in his neighbour only a human being and the brother. Everything that is above this Internal Idea of Esperanto, is only the private matter, that can be possibly based on this idea, but never must be regarded as identical with it...

Many, many, very many things, really a lot I would like to talk about today, as my heart is full... but I stand before you today, still yet in an official role, and I do not wish that my private creed be regarded as obligatory creed of all Esperantists So pardon me, that I don't say more...

From the speech of L. L. Zamenhof before the 8-th Congress of Esperantists in Krakow, 1.08.1912, prepared by Hirotaka Masaaki (1992-08-12)
(From collection of works of L. L. Zamenhof http://www2.saganet.ne.jp/vastalto/esp/arkivo.html prepared by Hirotaka Masaaki)