ON LOVE; PART CCCLXXXVI
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•Α
GoodWill IS Love in Action
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•Α
The Gospel of Thomas
These are the hidden words that the living Jesus spoke. And Didymos Judas Thomas wrote them down.
(26) Jesus says: “You see the splinter that is in your brother’s eye, but you do not see the beam that is in your (own) eye. When you remove the beam from your (own) eye, then you will see clearly (enough) to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.“
(27) “If you do not abstain from the world, you will not find the kingdom. If you do not make the Sabbath into a Sabbath, you will not see the Father.”
(28) Jesus says: “I stood in the middle of the world, and in flesh I appeared to them. I found all of them drunk. None of them did I find thirsty. And my soul ached for the children of humanity, because they are blind in their heart, and they cannot see; for they came into the world empty, (and) they also seek to depart from the world empty. But now they are drunk. (But) when they shake off their wine, then they will change their mind.“
(29) Jesus says: “If the flesh came into being because of the spirit, it is a wonder. But if the spirit (came into being) because of the body, it is a wonder of wonders. Yet I marvel at how this great wealth has taken up residence in this poverty“14
In the last essay we completed our look at the twenty eighth saying from Thomas’ Gospel and we restated our ideas in covering this disputed work which, while we have no True idea of it source save the writer’s testimony, appears to us to capture the essence of what we see in the Master’s teachings from the accepted gospels as well as much that we DO NOT read in them. It has ever been our position that the doctrines of the churches are not expressive of the Truths that the Master brought to the world as they play down the most important and elevate their own rituals and doctrines above some of His stated Truths. We see that in our reading of the Master’s words here in Thomas that the Master’s ideas ARE NOT that far afield from the ideas that we find in the accepted gospels which are not understood by doctrine. This last saying that we discussed is an example of this.
In the twenty eighth saying we saw the essence of what John is saying in the Prologue to his Gospel as we read “I stood in the middle of the world, and in flesh I appeared to them“. Here we see little difference with the idea John puts forth regarding the Oneness of the Christ with the Father and that in essence These ARE at the center of our creation as we are ourselves part and parcel of them as Souls which we take from the Apostle John’s words that “At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you” (John 14:20) and that it is “in him we live , and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28) as the Apostle Paul tells us. Here in this first line from this saying in Thomas’ Gospel is a good example of our point regarding doctrine as they DO NOT see in these words what we see in them. In the reference from John and the words from Thomas, the Master IS speaking to disciples about their own realization of these Truths and the reality IS that these ARE disciples and can have these realizations because the keep His words and this IS the same criteria that is carried forward in time: that is to those who keep His words that revelation will come. In the words from Acts the apostle is speaking to learned men, philosophers and such, who could understand the principal of our existence within the existence of our God and from our perspective and from the words of the Master and His apostles, this IS True on ALL levels of existence; our body within His body, our Soul within His Soul and He within us as well. These ideas are difficult to understand from the perspective of the man in the world; they are vaguely understood by those who read them in texts from various religions and those writings based in the ancient Wisdom, they are realized by those who keep His words and to some lesser degree by those who strive toward that goal as aspirants.
The ideas from the John’s Prologue tell us that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God” and that “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 14) and in our view this IS NO different that what we read in Thomas: “I stood in the midst of the world, and in the flesh I manifested myself to them” as Doresse renders this. We discussed then in some detail the ideas of drunkenness and thirst as well as the blindness that is caused by that drunkenness and we were able to relate these ideas to a number of different sayings from the Master and His apostles in the accepted New Testament and some of the pronouncements of the prophets in the Old that are repeated in the New; in this we are able to see the timelessness of these ideas that the Master is offering in Thomas’ Gospel. The only part where we could not find some ready reference was in the idea that “they also seek to depart from the world empty“; here we found a riddle of sorts and a kind of irony in His words as they and we KNOW that we must leave as we come, empty handed. However, in this word seek we find the idea that by their drunkenness and their blindness, both chosen bythe man in choosing the things of the world over the things of God, that those drunk and blind ARE NOT seeking to bring out the only thing that they can……spiritual collateral. Or, as the Master frames this for us, that we should “ lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20). Here we have then the Master’s idea that these “seek to depart from the world empty” by NOT seeking for those spiritual treasures that they can bring.
Our next saying is again an obscure one from the initial reading and we can think of little in the accepted New Testament that speaks of Life in this way and while we have some general idea of what the Master is referring to here, a glimpse if you will, we will need to find suitable ways to put our ideas into words. The saying goes as thus: Jesus says: “If the flesh came into being because of the spirit, it is a wonder. But if the spirit (came into being) because of the body, it is a wonder of wonders. Yet I marvel at how this great wealth has taken up residence in this poverty“. ALL of the different translations say this same thing albeit with variety of words and there are but few of these words in the Greek fragment for this saying. The Interlinear Version however gives us a slightly different take on the whole as we read: “Said Jesus (this); If the flesh come to be because of spirit, a wonder (it) is; if spirit however, because of the body, a wonder wondrous (it) is; Rather, I myself become amazed at this, that how this great richness was placed in this poverty“. Here we see the idea of this richness placed in this poverty while in all of the other translations we have the idea of dwelling and, while both are true from the perspective of the effect, there is a definite difference in the cause as in the dwelling there appears a personal choice while in the being placed there does not. There are but few comments on this saying:
- Gerd Ludemann writes: “‘Flesh’ is a link by key word to 28.1. The whole is a praise of the spirit which has taken up its abode in human bodies or in the flesh. For ‘spirit’ as an element of light in human beings cf. 24.3.” (Jesus After 2000 Years, p. 605).
- F. F. Bruce writes: “Flesh and spirit are antithetical: spirit does not need flesh as its vehicle, and it is unthinkable that spirit exists to aid flesh. In the conditions of earthly life, spirit is the ‘great wealth’ that resides in the ‘poverty’ of a mortal body (cf. Sayings 85, 87, 112).” (Jesus and Christian Origens Outside the New Testament, p. 126).
- Helmut Koester writes: “Jesus even marvels over how it is that something so glorious as the spirit has become mired in the flesh” (Ancient Christian Gospels, p. 126).
- Funk and Hoover write: “This group of sayings has a strongly ascetic tone. The depreciation of the body is a frequent theme in Thomas (note especially sayings 87 and 112, but also see the remarks on Thom 28:1-4). Such ideas are not confined to Thomas, but appear elsewhere in early Christian literature (John 3:6; Gal 5:16-18; Rom 8:3-11). However, the profile of Jesus as one who willingly associates with outsiders and the unclean and is remembered as a drunkard and a glutton (Matt 11:19//Luke 7:34) does not square with these remarks that belittle the body and recommend asceticism.” (The Five Gospels, p. 489).
- Marvin Meyer writes: “This saying expresses surprise at the close relationship between the spirit, the immortal dimension of human beings, and the flesh or body. Inasmuch as the saying intimates that the spirit within may actually exist for the benefit and salvation of the body, it resembles saying 7.” (The Gospel of Thomas: The Hidden Sayings of Jesus, p. 82).
These comments are very varied in their approach to this saying and in reading them one could wonder is they are all speaking about the same saying. From our perspective we see an continuation of the tone of Thomas recollection of the Master’s words as here again Jesus speaks by a sort of riddle and while this is no more obscure than John’s recollection of the Master’s telling those gathered that the must eat His flesh and drink His blood, it is framed is a much less mystical way. This of course we lay on Thomas whose style is such that he repeats the Master’s words as we see them in his gospel and perhaps we can get the most out of Thomas if we try not to see the words coming from Jesus verbatim; this of course can help us in understanding the accepted gospels as well. Here we have three distinct statements that are tied together which we will separate for our discussion with the Interlinear in brackets after the Patterson and Robinson translation:
- “If the flesh came into being because of the spirit, it is a wonder” [“If the flesh come to be because of spirit, a wonder (it) is“]: This part is for us a statement of fact that sets the tone for the rest of the saying. The wonder is that this is one of those great mysteries of Life that we understand as the reality of Life in form and which needs to be viewed from the perspective that it is offered. From the reality of creation itself there is little or no relationship between the Spirit of man and the body of man and this we have covered in some detail as we discussed the origins of Life from the Book of Genesis; you can find our thoughts over many essays by searching Genesis from the front page of our blog. Here we say that the human animal body is of the same nature as any animal body albeit more advanced through the eons of evolution; as the animal form in the world they enjoyed similar Life to the rest but were at the same time advanced enough to support the Life of the Spirit of man which heretofore had no form as we can understand it. In the beginning then the Spirits of men took control of the human bodies according to the proper reading of Genesis and it is from this point on, through the sexual act of the Soul infused male and the female of the human species, that we come to be born into these bodies and play an active part in their creation; perhaps not in the womb but in the development of the personality. These are yet great mysteries and we do not KNOW when the body is assumed by the Soul, but we surmise that there is an active role played by the Soul in selection of where and approximately when he should be born and to what type of family and culture which would best suit his ongoing need to progress spiritually in his own ability to be as the Master. It is of this need that the Master speaks in this saying; from the individual need of the Spirit to continue on his Path to Redemption we can see that the flesh is for the purpose of the Spirit; for his individual and specific needs with no randomness but only the planned purpose of getting further along on that Path toward being “delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:21).
- The next part, “But if the spirit (came into being) because of the body, it is a wonder of wonders” [“if spirit however, because of the body, a wonder wondrous (it) is“] offers us a comparison of sorts between the Truth above and the common understanding that the body comes into being as the man and he has a Spirit. While the Truth of the body for the Spirit is a wonder, this other view would be a wonder of wonders and here, in Thomas own style, is Jesus statement that this could not be so as it would be ever more wondrous so as to be a false statement. Jesus goes on to confirm this by this next part that gives us the realization that it is the Spirit that is placed in or takes residence in the form. There is much of difficulty in understanding here as we speak from the perspective of the man in the body and it is this perspective that gives rise to the belief that man IS the body and that he has a Soul or Spirit. Hence the way this is framed as in our Earth reality we speak as the man in the form without separation of what is said as Spirit versus what is said as the personality in the form; both utterances are from the personality. One IS of course emanating from the spiritual center of the man, his Soul, the Christ Within, as he speaks through the personality, and the other is emanating from the personality itself as it exists in and of the world and speaking those things that are learned from the world.
- The last part; “Yet I marvel at how this great wealth has taken up residence in this poverty” [“Rather, I myself become amazed at this, that how this great richness was placed in this poverty“] is the Master’s own view at how this ALL works out in Life and His marvel and amazement is not because that this happens; it is a marvel and an amazement that the Spirit has placed himself into a Life in the world that is expressing such poverty when the Spirit KNOWS that he does have the wherewithal to fight for his own expression through the impoverished Life of the man deluded by the vanity, by the illusion and the glamour of Life in the world. It is to the True man to overcome the wiles of the world, to awaken to the Truth of his own spiritual nature and to this end, in Jesus time, the law and the prophets outlined the Way, the Way of God, which few accepted as their own. While this saying is not apparently predictive, this same dynamic exists yet today as men ignore the Truth, the promptings of their own Souls, and the teachings of the Master and His apostles and of every teacher of Truth that has come before and after them. Instead of these ideas changing the way of man, he chooses to ignore the promptings and to substitute doctrine for Truth and he continues in his focus on what the Master here calls poverty as there IS NO spiritual treasure to be found.
We close this with these words from Paul which while lengthy give us this picture from the perspective of a disciple speaking to disciples who may be having some difficulty in maintaining their focus:
“Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh” (2 Corinthians 4:1-11).
Our next group of sayings are:
(30)Jesus says: “Where there are three gods, they are gods. Where there are two or one, I am with him.“
(31) Jesus says: “No prophet is accepted in his (own) village. A physician does not heal those who know him.“
(32) Jesus says: “A city built upon a high mountain (and) fortified cannot fall, nor can it be hidden.“
(33) Jesus says: “What you will hear with your ear {with the other ear} proclaim from your rooftops. For no one lights a lamp (and) puts it under a bushel, nor does he put it in a hidden place. Rather, he puts it on a lampstand, so that everyone who comes in and goes out will see its light.“
(34) Jesus says: “If a blind (person) leads a blind (person), both will fall into a pit.”
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
| Aspect of God |
Potency |
Aspect of Man |
In Relation to the Great Invocation |
In relation to the Christ |
|
GOD, The Father |
Will or Power |
Spirit or Life |
Center where the Will of God IS KNOWN |
Life |
|
Son, The Christ |
Love and Wisdom |
Soul or Christ Within |
Heart of God |
Truth |
|
Holy Spirit |
Light or Activity |
Life Within |
Mind of God |
Way |
Note on the Quote of the Day
This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.
O Thou Who givest sustenance to the universe,
From Whom all things proceed,
To Whom all things return,
Unveil to us the face of the true Spiritual Sun
Hidden by a disc of golden Light
That we may know the Truth And do our whole duty
As we journey to Thy sacred feet.
As with any ancient manuscript from a foreign land, there are many interpretations and translations of The Gayatri available. The version that appears here comes to us in every day English and without the need to have a Sanskrit reference as a key; it is constructed so that all can understand it and use it.
The Gayatri is really quite simple and straightforward in the form that we have here. It begins, as does the Lord’s Prayer, with an acknowledgement of the Majesty of God as the Giver of all Life and as our Source of all things. We ask only one thing in this prayer; that the true spiritual light of God be unveiled to us so that we may see it clearly. The Sun is the giver of light and life to our planet and all that is on it and, just as each of our forms veils the Spirit within, we ask to see and to know the Light that is behind the Sun that which we see.
In saying this we believe that by seeing the true Spiritual Light that we will be able to see and to know the Truth that is in that light. This is the Light that the Buddha and then the Christ brought to us through their lives on Earth. This is the Light that shines in our hearts from our own spiritual selves, the Christ Within.
We close by acknowledging that we have a duty to God, to our brothers and to His Plan and it is this duty that we will perform when we realize the truth as we journey back to God.
Others have said about this prayer that “The Gayatri is one of the oldest invocations, or mantrams, know to man. It carries the power of purpose, the plan of love and the light of truth. It reveals human relationships as vertical alignment with the source of all Energy and horizontal service in the right use of energy. It is a potent tool for use with the inflow of new age energies” (from The Gayatri prayer card of World Goodwill; NY, NY).
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts!
- 14 The Gospel of Thomas; Translated by Stephen J. Patterson and James M. Robinson; http://gnosis.org/
