Prayers and Reflections

 

“The weight of the world
is love.
Under the burden
of solitude,
under the burden
of dissatisfaction

the weight,
the weight we carry
is love.”

–Allen Ginsberg, “Song”

 

Because no one could ever praise me enough,
because I don’t mean these poems only
but the unseen
unbelievable effort it takes to live
the life that goes on between them,
I think all the time about invisible work.
About the young mother on Welfare
I interviewed years ago,
who said, “It’s hard.
You bring him to the park,
run rings around yourself keeping him safe,
cut hot dogs into bite-sized pieces for dinner,
and there’s no one
to say what a good job you’re doing,
how you were patient and loving
for the thousandth time even though you had a headache.”
And I, who am used to feeling sorry for myself
because I am lonely,
when all the while,
as the Chippewa poem says, I am being carried
by great winds across the sky,
thought of the invisible work that stitches up the world day and night,
the slow, unglamorous work of healing,
the way worms in the garden
tunnel ceaselessly so the earth can breathe
and bees ransack this world into being,
while owls and poets stalk shadows,
our loneliest labors under the moon.

There are mothers
for everything, and the sea
is a mother too,
whispering and whispering to us
long after we have stopped listening.
I stopped and let myself lean
a moment, against the blue
shoulder of the air. The work
of my heart
is the work of the world’s heart.
There is no other art.

~ Alison Luterman, “Invisible Work” (The Largest Possible Life)

 

 

‘If we are afraid of being alone, afraid of silence, it is perhaps
because of our secret despair of inner reconciliation. If we have no
hope of being at peace with ourselves in our own personal loneliness and
silence, we will never be able to face ourselves at all: we will keep
running and never stop.”

Thomas Merton(LOVE AND LIVING, page 41)

 

Not going naked, nor matted hair, nor filth,
nor fasting, not sleeping on bare earth,
no penance on heels, nor sweat nor grime
can purify a mortal still overcome by doubt.

The Dhammapada

Mother I’m tired
Come surrender my son
Time has ravaged on my soul
No plans to leave but still I go

Fallin’ with the leaves
Fallin’ out of sleep
To the last goodbyes
Who cares why?

Mother I’ve tried
Wasting my life
I haven’t given up, I lie
To make you so proud in my eyes

Fallin’ out of sleep
Crawlin’ over me
To the last goodbyes
Who cares why?

Tuesdays come and gone
Restless i still drive
Try to leave it all behind

Fallin’, fallin’ out of sleep
Fallin’, fallin’ with the leaves
I go crawlin’, crawlin’ over me

Once upon a time in my life…
I went falling…

Mother I hope you know
That I miss you so
Time has ravaged on my soul
To wipe a mothers tears grown cold

William Corgan (“Once Upon A Time“)

What You See Is What You Get

by

David Aaron

“Daddy, where is G-d?”
“Son, wherever you let Him in.”

— attributed to Rebbe Pinchas of Koretz

How do we open our souls’ eyes to let G-d in?

The Kabbalah says, “There is no king without a nation.” This point requires deep exploration. It may make sense that, in the human world, a king is dependent on having subjects who acknowledge his sovereignty. The last Emperor of China ceased to be emperor when there were no longer people who bowed when he entered the room. Even after the Communist government had exiled him, as long as people recognized him and acknowledged him as their sovereign, he was, in a very real sense, still a king, albeit without the power to rule. But G-d is reality, so how can G-d be dependent on human acknowledgment.

The world that you and I live in is a product of our perception of reality. The philosopher Immanuel Kant probed this concept. He asked: Do we see reality or do we see our perception of reality? Kant’s answer, of course, is that we do not see reality, but only our perception of reality. In other words, is this world reality? No, this world is your perception of reality. Therefore, the focus and clarity of your consciousness will determine the kind of world you live in.

Imagine three people sitting right next to each other in a doctor’s waiting room. Are they sitting in the same room? Let’s say the first person walked in, and complained, “Oh, how small this room is!” The second person entered, and exclaimed, “Look how bright this room is.” The third person came in, and thought, “Ugh, what a messy room.” Now, they are sitting inches apart, but they are not in the same room. The first person is sitting in a small room, feeling really cramped. The second person is sitting in a light room, feeling cheerful. The third person is sitting in a messy room, feeling disgusted.

Essentially, what you see is what you get. The world you live in is a product of what you are looking and willing to see. This is expressed in the Kabbalah classic – the Zohar’s commentary on the story of Jacob as he’s going to Egypt to be reunited with his long-lost son Joseph. Jacob has misgivings about leaving the land of Israel, even to see his beloved son. G-d appears to Jacob and says, “Jacob, don’t worry. Joseph will close your eyes.” The Zohar queries, what does this mean? According to Torah, when a person passes away, someone must close the eyes of the deceased. The Zohar explains that the colors and textures and shapes of this world exist in your eyes. In order to enter a new world, a higher world, after death, the soul must first leave this world. This world exists in one’s eyes, so the eyes must be closed in order to take leave of this world and see a higher world. G-d is announcing to Jacob that he is going to die in Egypt and Joseph will be there to close his eyes to this world, so that he will be able to enter, i.e. see, the next world.

Is the Zohar saying that this world is an illusion? No. The Zohar is saying that this world is your subjective perception. Your consciousness of reality determines the world you’re in. Your consciousness of G-d determines how much of the light and the truth of G- d will be allowed into your world. To the extent that you acknowledge G-d, to that extent G-d will be in your life. This is a very crucial idea. Although G-d is, G-d is not revealed in your perceptual world unless you actively acknowledge and invite G-d in.

A friend of mine had an unpleasant experience with a mother of one his students who was about to be ordained a rabbi. This greatly upset and disturbed this woman who considered herself an enlightened intellectual and looked at organized religion as backward and fanatical. She was very nasty and cynical about her son’s religious convictions. They were on the way to the ceremony when she turned to my friend and said, “Basically, I don’t believe in G- d.”

My friend replied, “O.K., fine! Don’t believe in G-d.” He was the first religious person who had responded to her that way, others tried to convince her. “What?” she exclaimed in surprise.

“You don’t want to believe in G-d?” he said. “Fine, so live in a G-dless world.”

That’s essentially the choice we have. If we don’t want to believe in G-d, then G-d won’t be in our world. That doesn’t mean G-d isn’t real. G-d is real, but not for those who choose do deny that truth.

In other words, if I’ve never tasted papaya, then there’s no flavor of papaya in my life. Whether it’s real or not for others, it’s not in my life. If I’m blind to the color red, then red will not be one of the colors in my life. Mammals do not see colors, so they live in a colorless world. If I’m not willing to see G-d, then my world is godless.

Once I was dating a woman, who I’ll call Daphne, whom I loved very much. I wanted to marry Daphne. It took me a long time to realize that Daphne simply could not acknowledge my love. I did everything in my power to show her that I loved her. Daphne had such a poor image of herself, however, that she couldn’t believe that anyone could love her. It didn’t matter how much I professed my love to her, how many bouquets of flowers I sent her. She couldn’t see my love. So, in a way, it wasn’t there for her.

Everyone is thirsty for love, but how much love you can receive is dependent on how much you believe someone can love you. How much you believe is how much you receive. The more you acknowledge and believe in G-d the more you receive and see G-d in your life.

To the extent that we build our awareness, expand our consciousness, and acknowledge that G-d is the power directing the show, to that extent we see how G-d runs the show for us.

Each one of us has a choice. You can believe that this world is filled with the presence of G-d who cares about it and guides it. Or you can believe that this world is one big accident, a chaotic mess. The choice is yours. But remember what you believe is ultimately what you will see. What you believe creates the world you live in.

The Talmudic Sages taught: “Everything is in the hands of G-d except awe of G-d.”

The Hebrew word for awe, yira, means both “awe” and “will see.” Everything is in the hands of G-d, except for our acknowledging and seeing and being in awe of G-d. If we are in awe we will see G- d. If we are not in awe, if we are not open to seeing G-d, then G-d is not in our world. It’s that simple and that serious.

Some people experience constant Divine presence, which means they see and feel G-d’s care and guidance in their lives. They need $800 to pay for a car repair, and an unexpected check for $800 arrives in the mail. They miss a bus, so they get on the next bus, and the person they sit down next to turns out to be a friend from twenty years ago.

Why are such experiences not part of everyone’s daily life? Because what you see is what you get.

…………….

Rabbi David Aaron is the author of Endless Light, Seeing God and The Secret Life of God

 

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“The Gnostic Bible”
by
Tom Saunders

Part 1

 

Introduction:

The following informal study shows texts listed below, as core Gnostic texts. It reveals things not known about Christianity for nearly two-thousand years. It reveals the existence of Gnostic Christianity since the time of the Apostles. It reveals in part what may be the ‘Great Mysteries’ and ‘Secret Works,’ described by texts in the Nag Hammadi Library, and by Saint Clement of Alexandria.

Part 1. Gnostic Class-Forms, and Frameworks:

True Christian Gnosticism is ‘framed’ or understood from the basic concept of becoming a part of the ‘Pleroma,’ or ”Sophia,’ meaning ‘Wisdom.’  This bonding or function is called apokatastasis, or anastasis. This is what the “Gospel of Phillip” calls ‘living resurrection’ to achieve Gnosis (salvation) or ‘being one’ with the ‘All’ or Holy Spirit. The act of Gnosis is understood in two parts, the elements of the process, and the process itself.

Christian Gnosticism can be described as achieving the process of Gnosis with exclusive Jesus ‘Wisdom.’   One text, “The Gospel of Thomas” can be seen as the ‘hub’ or core text to a cohesive Gnostic set of elements and a cohesive process to Gnosis. The elements to achieve Gnosis are the Soul, Mind, Spirit, and Body, that bond with the Holy Spirit, in a process. The following outlines how the key elements merge with the process and how related texts to Thomas explain themes relative to Gnosis.

Logic Determined in a Frame, and A Tool Using A Frame for Logic  (Model and full explanation for the “Square of Opposition” is below, See Appendix, A)

Key elements can have different characteristics that can also be isolated to a set, or class-form.  Frameworks can be effected by logic, or applied to logic.  Consider the two frames: A. The (Devil) is good, and B. The (Angel) is good.  Logic dictates that A. is not true generally, while B. is true, generally.  When the element of logic is applied to class-forms, in a framework, we see a third element, or application that can be applied to show the nature of a ‘class form’ to the framework, both truth and logic.

For logic, the framework of the “Square of Opposition,” can be shown to virtually transfer the class-form and its frame, into the “frame or structure” of itself. When this happens both logic, and the class-forms, and frames, work in harmony. They can show either something is truth or fact, and logical. This is a variation of the original model of the ‘Square of Opposition.’

(The Square of Opposition was thought to be devised by Aristotle, and used after by many philosophers throughout the ages, see below, Appendix A. See Fries’ theory of frames that can be seen to work as other frames, or frameworks, in Part 2.)

“When two categorical propositions are of different forms but share exactly the same subject and predicate terms, their truth is logically interdependent in a variety of interesting ways, all of which are conveniently represented in the traditional “Square of Opposition.” Point A which is in this model in the upper left hand corner, is arbitrary to where it is used on different graphs.  The nature of the frame and the ‘class-forms’ within, determine the position of point A, within the corpus of the field, contingent upon the nature of the frame or graph.

The process of Gnosis, can be seen as a ‘class framework,’ and the “Square of Opposition” is a ‘class framework,’ in the same way, something like genus and species is a lexicon of a class types.  Class-forms are seen to work within ‘class frameworks,’ similar to the way the frames A. and B. above. These can be shown to fit into a ‘frame’ like the “Square of Opposition” to show logic, or other features. To show truth and logic we need to expand the device or model. First is the model for logic, then in example two, truth and logic.

“All S are P.”  (A)- – – – – – -(E)  “No S are P.”
| *           * |
*       *
|     *   *     |
*
|     *   *     |
*       *
| *            * |
“Some  S are P. (I)—  —  —(O)  “Some S are not P.”
A variation of the square can be seen to show both truth and logic…..

True and logical    (A)- – – – – – -(E)  “Not true, not logical
| *           * |
*       *
|     *   *     |
*
|     *   *     |
*       *
| *           * |
Logcial not true (I)—  —  —(O)  True not logical
Understanding this variation of the model helps to show what is related to a theme or key concept used to construct sets of like or thematically cohesive parts of texts with others, forming a set.

This will be done by showing that ‘class-forms’ are the key elements or concepts that are cohesive to a thematic pattern, in what I am calling the ‘Books,’ menaing sets These are from core texts related to the Gospel of Thomas. I have included one set below that deviates from the thematic model, called the ‘Book of Matters’ to show one non-cohesive set.  In other words the semantic meaning of the term ‘matter’ varies in this example. It is therefor not in harmony, and does not fit the intelligent design of the set.

Intelligent Design, may be one way of explaining creation in nature and language, that could satisfy both philosophy and religion. The relative aspect of what is intelligence, can be demonstrated as a natural progression from the polarities in nature, and not a supernatural being or entity, that has dominion over the universe, and mankind.

If we look at intelligent design as part of the process which enables matter to correlate in the balance and harmony of man and nature, then a theory of intelligent design can be seen as making a lot of sense.  In other words the universe of matter, could be seen to work like a universe of words in a language, which is called a lexicon.  If you had a stock of words, a lexicon, that you could distinguish as somehow separate from one another, but no natural system, or force to put these units into a system of understanding that would be chaos. No way to make this distinction would be a worse chaos, perhaps what the Gnostics called darkness.

If it is the point of the Gnostic to relate the theory of Gnosis in the schema of the design of the universe and to reflect the process of Gnosis as within the scheme of nature, then certain things would be expected to formulate a ‘class of forms’ in a set.  Balance is seen in the following constructions of sets, in that there are eight units that can be put together in the sets.  Octagonal forms are common in ancient philosophical constructions, like that of the I-Ching, and the compass of North, South, East, West, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest.  This is common for both the directions of heaven and earth, South being the primary direction of the heavens, and North being the primary direction on earth, thus polarity.

It should be mentioned that Carl Jung originated his Psychological Model of character types, useing a circular frame, and opposed, thinking, feeling, and sensation, intuition, to graph the relative characteristics to the indication of the point inside the frame. This puts point A, in this model where the personality type most relates to the polarity on the graph.

Jung is known to have possessed the first codex in the Nag Hammadi Library. The use of fields or the inside of frames for study is common in the use of models for Ethnography, and Sociolinguistics. These models use polarity within fields to determine common characteristics, the same as the above models. This polarity between points determines Point A, in models like Jung’s. ( See “Hidden Wisdom,” by Smoley, and Kinney, Penguin Press, 1999)

Gospel of Thomas, The Hub of Gnostic Core Texts

The core texts form a Gnostic lexicon, or Gnostic class-frame, becomes relative to key and set by the standard of, “class meaning.”  Class meaning is that common feature of meaning which is prevalent in every lexical form (q.v.) within a given form-class.” Like logic effects the ‘class forms’ inside the “Square of Opposition,” the Logic ‘class framework,’ the class forms inside the structure of Gnosis must be shown to have like characteristics, relative to the core text, (hub), the “Gospel of Thomas.”  Other Gnostic works can be seen to gravitate around it, if they share thematic cohesiveness. Not all Gnostic works in the Nag Hammadi collection do.

This means that to be most relative to ‘Thomas’ or be a core text to it, the contents of the text, and individual frameworks, must coincide with the  key (‘class forms’) of the set.  The ‘hub,’ is still ‘Thomas.’  Class-forms can be unrelated to the theme of the related texts.  This is not the point of showing class-forms.  The texts have to be thematically linked.  I suggest the following as core texts to the “Gospel of Thomas.”  All found in the Nag Hammadi Library, and the Berlin Codex, where the “Gospel of Mary” was also found.

Core Texts
Gospel of Thomas, translated by Stephen Patterson and Marvin Meyer
The Prayer of the Apostle Paul, translation by Dieter Mueller
The Gospel of Mary, translation found at the Gnostic Society Library
The Gospel of Phillip, translated by Wesley W. Isenberg
The Gospel of Truth, translated by Robert Grant
The Book of Thomas the Contender, translated by John Turner
(On-line see the Gnostic Society Library, for other translations of the Nag Hammadi Library)
( See also, the “Nag Hammadi Library, by Robinson, Harper Press, 1979.)

The elements or ‘class-forms’ of the Gnostic process can be seen as characteristics of the elements of man, and relative to the Soul, Mind, Spirit, and Body, in the act or process of Gnosis, bonding with the Holy Spirit, sometimes referred to with a synonym, like “Sophia.”

Soul, Mind, Body, Gnosis, Holy Spirit, are all, ‘class forms,’ in the Gnostic lexicon, which as a process forms the ‘class-framework. The class-forms can be thought of as key terms associated with the framework, which has like concepts, and in most cases a key word is used, but must at least be implied in the set.  (There is a form of modern study known today as ‘Phase-Structure Analysis’ that can be applied to the way class-forms, and frameworks are observed. It too, is a framework. This model has often been used with mathematics, but has no inherent polarity.)

Time, Space, and the Pleroma

Another factor effects the Gnostic ‘class-forms’ and ‘framework(s),’ time and space. These too, must be seen as both ‘class forms’ and part of the ‘Gnostic class-framework’ and they are the concepts or ‘forms’ of the psyche, the kenoma, (See below, definitions) and the Pleroma. These elements can be seen to effect the way, class-forms, effect the Gnostic ‘class-frame.’

Relative to the “Time and Space” framework of Gnosis are the concepts of “rest and motion.” Time and space, rest and motion all take place in three distinct ‘class forms,’ of the psyche, the kenoma, and the Pleroma, in regard to harmony and balance.  Balance in the Gnostic sense is not just juxtaposition in a duality, but also in regard to kyclos, or cosmological movement like the moon and sun around the earth.

The Empty Frame

Picture a parable, as an ’empty frame.’ Imagine a picture as a frame, and a picture, drawn from the process of the class-forms in those sets of class-frames.  Starting with the idea that the characters in the parables are class- forms  devoid of Gnosis, we can see the usefulness of filling the ‘ parable frame’ with ‘Jesus Wisdom.’  In our own frameworks, (lives) we can see our psyche, kenomic condition, and Pleromic cohesiveness, as class-forms. This is relative to achieving Gnosis by most descriptions, and seems to be the obvious application to the existing parables in the Gospel of Thomas. In other words you fill the void of agnosia in the ‘character’ of the characters in the parables.

Being devoid of Gnosis, the class-forms, (characters) in the parables do not provide any adequate estimation of the comparable or equivalent elements, for the class-forms, to enter the Gnostic class-framework, in the Gnostic process.  Using core elements which are the Soul, Mind, Spirit, and Body, the values or characteristics have to be formulated from elements or influences outside the parables.  There are two possible sources for these elements, and that is within the text of the Gospel of Thomas as ‘the core text,’ and the other thematically related texts.

The Gnostic framework for the process of Gnosis is clear, it is the characteristics of the class-forms that differ.  A set is achieved when the class-forms, are shown to work the same way in the framework.  The framework is effected by the state of the frame in regard to the class-forms of the psyche, the kenoma, and the Pleroma.  These class-forms relate to the time and space of the frame in all aspects of the framework.  The Pleroma is a class form unlike all others, as it is seen to exist in all forms, and frames, everywhere.

The core texts individually may not represent all the characteristics of a particular class-form. The core class-forms, and their comparative values have to be established within the framework of the core texts, to bring further understanding to all.

One way to give specific value to Gnostic class-forms is to show traditional biblical paralleling of word for word similarity, or citation, arrangement and ordering of material, with similar settings or narratives.   Allegorical and synoptic connections also exist for ‘class-forms’ where for instance the term storehouse, allegorically represents the ‘class-form’ of the mind. A host of these analogous terms exist in all Gnostic works, and is characteristic of the Gnostic class-forms. These forms can be contaminated if thematic relationships are breached.

A way of how class-forms can be effected, exists in how authors or scribes who misinterpret their work,
or the translation between languages, can change meaning or the characteristics.  Establishing the Gnostic termanology as the same in all the core texts would reduce these adverse effects.

Parables About Craftsmen  (Craftsman is another name for Pneumatic, and sometimes even Apostle. References to the Craftsman or gifted can be found in 1 Corinthians, by Paul, and Clement’s “Stromata.”)

The main feature of Thomas parables is that they are devoid of human characters that have achieved Gnosis, or Gnostic insight. A parable is in fact a frame, not unlike the frame as a field like inside a picture.  Another model for this same application of class-forms working in a framework, exists in the Thomas parable 98….. Jesus said, “The Father’s kingdom is like a person who wanted to kill someone powerful. While still at home he drew his sword and thrust it into the wall to find out whether his hand would go in. Then he killed the powerful one.”

In this parable the ‘wall’ is clearly a representative frame which the class-forms of man and sword are used to test his hand.  This is a class-form, which must operate in the frame. To a modern martialist this act is like doing a ‘kata’ or specific technique, also understood as a form.  The class-form of thrusting the sword, can be very complex. There is in fact much to know to be a ‘craftsman’ at it. The parable does not relate how much knowledge of sword-craft the character has, this posing another void that must be reasoned.

Another Thomas parable, ‘the woman who baked bread,’ saying 96, is another where the woman could be considered a ‘Craftsman’ also. Here there are key ‘class-forms’ and a framework for baking bread, could be reasoned into the parable.

The “Gospel of Truth” explains Thomas Saying, 107…… Jesus said, “The (Father’s) kingdom is like a shepherd who had a hundred sheep. One of them, the largest, went astray. He left the ninety-nine and looked for the one until he found it. After he had toiled, he said to the sheep, ‘I love you more than the ninety-nine.'”  The “Gospel of Truth” explains……

“He {Jesus the Savior} is the shepherd who left behind the ninety-nine sheep which had not strayed and went in search of that one which was lost. He rejoiced when he had found it. For ninety-nine is a number of the left hand, which holds it. The moment he finds the one, however, the whole number is transferred to the right hand. Thus it is with him who lacks the one, that is, the entire right hand which attracts that in which it is deficient, seizes it from the left side and transfers it to the right. In this way, then, the number becomes one hundred. This number signifies the Father.

…He labored even on the Sabbath for the sheep which he found fallen into the pit. He saved the life of that sheep, bringing it up from the pit in order that you may understand fully what that Sabbath is, you who possess full understanding. It is a day in which it is not fitting that salvation be idle, so that you may speak of that heavenly day which has no night and of the sun which does not set because it is perfect. Say then in your heart that you are this perfect day and that in you the light which does not fail dwells.”

What the “Gospel of Truth’ allegorically says here is the sheep, signifying man, can achieve salvation, through the ‘Light’ or ‘Wisdom’ of Jesus. Perfection is analogous to the Pleromic state.  There are other kinds of analogies notable in the above two paragraphs, but the primary goal here is to show that what the purpose of the parables are. This is to understand the Gnostic class-forms, elements, and how they work in the Gnositic class-framework, process, and fill the frame with this information.

Man’s Hierarchy In the Gnostic Schema

Important to Gnostics is the hierarchy of man.  Man while alive is always thought to be ‘hylic.’

Some comparative values can be made, as some sets of class-forms of man, are known in Gnostic lore.  From the definition of kenoma, as being a flawed state we can determine from some of the characteristics given to the flaw named characteristics. These concepts are from a number of texts, but seem very applicable to the core idea of the flaws of man. The core texts have a number of comparatives that can be done. (See Pt. 2)

Agnosia is the first type of flaw, which means without, Gnosis. (See Thomas Parable-Th- 63)  Agnoia is another known characteristic of man associated with the flaw, agnoia literally means “ignorance” or not paying attention. (See GTh-97)  Aponoia is a state of “unreason” like the misuse of thought. This is different than simply not having thought, as the inability to “put things together” can be worse than not even knowing they do in fact fit. These characteristics are present in the class-forms of the characters in Thomas parables 64, and 65.

The lower forms of the hylic state, are as above, and sometimes are stated as terms, ‘choikus,’ ‘beast,’ ‘robber,’ ‘saklas,’ meaning fool, ‘sarkic,’ meaning of the flesh, or carnal man.  A level known to be higher in this chain of characteristics to the class-form, man, is the ‘Psychic’ which is one who has wisdom, but has not achieved the level of ‘knowledge’ to acheive Gnosis.

The highest level in the chain of ‘class-forms’ above, is the ‘Pneumatic,’ or  Gnostic Craftsman, which   means one who has achieved Gnosis.  There are several terms that identify the “Pneumatic” including, ‘Pneumatophoroi,’ which means…  “One who has united his soul with the ‘light’ (Sophia, Wisdom)    achieving Gnosis which is thought in Christian Gnosticism to be a union with the Holy Spirit.”

Another common name for those who have reached this state are ‘Spirit Bearers.’  Those having reached this state are mentioned in “Acts” and Pauline works. ‘Craftsmen,’ are explained as Gnostics in Clement of Alexandria’s work, “Stromata.”  Literally, man can change his status in the polarity of low hylic, to Pneumatic. This change is a key feature of Gnosticism, and relates to man’s own power with the divine.

(37)

His disciples said,

“When will you become revealed to us

and when shall we see you?”

Jesus said,

“When you disrobe without being ashamed

and take up your garments

and place them under you feet

like little children and tread on them,

then will you see the son of the living one,

and you will not be afraid.”

 

The Letter of Peter to Philip:

“When you strip off from yourselves

what is corrupted,

then you will become illuminators

in the midst of mortal men.”

 

The Second Apocalypse of James:

“For just as you are first

having clothed yourself,

you are also the first who will strip himself,

and you shall become as you were

before you were stripped.”

 

The Dialogue of the Savior:

“when you rid yourselves of jealousy,

then you will clothe yourselves in light

and enter the bridal chamber.”

 

Authoritative Teaching:

“And she learns about her light,

as she goes about stripping off this world,

while her true garment clothes her within,

and her bridal clothing is placed upon her

in beauty of mind, not in pride of flesh.”

 

The so-called “Gospel of the Egyptians”

cited in Patristic literature:  

“When Salome inquired when the things

about which she had asked would be known,

the master said,

‘When you have trampled on the garment of shame

and when the two become one’ “

 

(Note:  this is not the NHL tractate also known

as “The Gospel of the Egyptians”)

 

 

To Gnostics, “clothing” and “garments” had another deeper meaning. They signified things belonging to the dead outer world of the body.  They were to discard these earthly “garments” in order to gain

the return of their Spiritual robe of light. This robe was originally theirs, before they “came into being” as related in the Gnostic myth, The Hymn of the Pearl.

 

I believe the ‘son of the living one’ represents

the mirrored reflection of your Spiritual twin

looking back at you, naked, inside the mirrored

bridal chamber.

 

 

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PARTS 31-40

 

31.

(Mattew 10- 5. These twelve Jesus sent forth, and charged them, saying, Go not into any way of the Gentiles, and enter not into any city of the Samaritans:

(Thomas 31.) Jesus said : “No prophet is accepted in his own town ; no physician heals those who know him.”

(Mattew 10- 11. And into whatsoever city or village ye shall enter, search out who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go forth.

(Mattew 10- 12. And as ye enter into the house, salute it.

(Mattew 10-13. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.

(Thomas 108.) “He who will drink from My mouth will become like Me. I myself shall become like him, and the hidden will be revealed to him.”

(Matthew 10- 14. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, as ye go forth out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet.

(Mattew 10- 15. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.

(Thomas 16.) Jesus said : “Men think, perhaps, that it is peace which I have come to bring to the world. They do not know that I have come to bring to the earth : discord, fire, sword, and war. Indeed, if there are five in a house : three will be against two, and two against three, the father against the son, and the son against the father. And they will stand alone.”

32.

(Matthew 10- 34. Think not that I came to send peace on the earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

(Thomas 98.) “The Kingdom of the Father is like a man who wanted to kill a powerful man. In his own house he drew his sword and stuck it into the wall in order to find out whether his hand would be firm enough. Then he slew the powerful man.”

(Matthew 10- 35. For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law:

(Thomas99.) The disciples said to Him : “Your brothers and Your mother are standing outside. ” He said to them : “Those here who do the will of My Father are My brothers and My mother. It is they who will enter the Kingdom of My Father.”

(Matthew 10-36. and a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

(Thomas 48.) Jesus said : “When two make peace with each other in this one house, they will say to the mountain, ‘Move !’ and it will move.”

(Thomas 55.) Jesus said : “He who does not hate his father and his mother cannot be My disciple. And he who does not hate his brothers and sisters and take up his cross as I do will not be worthy of Me.”

(Matthew 10- 37. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

(Thomas 101.) “He who does not hate his father and his mother as I do cannot become a disciple to Me. And he who does not love his father and his mother as I do cannot become a disciple to Me. For My mother {gave Me death}, but My true Mother gave Me life.”

(Matthew 10- 38. And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me.

(Matthew 10-39. He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

(Matthew 10- 40. He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

33.

(Thomas 27.) “If You do not fast as regards the world, You will not find the Kingdom. If You do not observe the Sabbath as Sabbath, You will not see the Father.”

(Mark 8- 17. And Jesus perceiving it saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? do ye not yet perceive, neither understand? have ye your heart

hardened?

(Matthew 12- 11. How is it that ye do not perceive that I spake not to you

concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

(Mark 8-15. And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven

of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.

(Matthew 12-12. Then understood they that he bade them not beware of the

leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

(Matthew 10- 41. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward: and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.

(Thomas 53.) His disciples said to Him : “Is circumcision useful or not ?” He said to them : “If it were useful, their Father would beget them already circumcised from their mother. Rather, the true circumcision in spirit is in all ways useful.”

(Phillip) “When Abraham rejoiced that he was to see what he was to see, he circumcised the flesh of the foreskin, teaching us that it is proper to destroy the flesh.”

(Mark 8-18) Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?

(Matthew 10- 16. Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

(Matthew 10- 17. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in theirs synagogues they will scourge you;

(Thomas 52) His disciples said to Him : “Twenty-four prophets spoke in Israel, and all of them spoke about You.” He said to them “You have passed over the living one who stands before You and have spoken of the dead.”

(James 4:11. Speak not one against another, brethren. He that speaketh against a brother, or judgeth his brother, speaketh against the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judgest the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

(Matthew 10- 18. yea and before governors and kings shall ye be brought for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

(Matthew 10- 19. But when they deliver you up, be not anxious how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak.

(Matthew 10- 20. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you.

34.

(Thomas 37.) His disciples said : “When will You reveal Yourself to us and when will we see You ? ” Jesus said : “When You strip without being ashamed and take up Your clothes and place them under Your feet like little children and trample on them, then You will see the Son of the Living One, and You will not fear.”

(Matthew 24- 20. For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.

(Matthew 24- 21. Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

(Matthew 24- 22. but I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of the hell of fire.

(Matthew 24- 23. If therefore thou art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee,

(Thomas 42.) Jesus said : “Be passers-by.”

(Matthew 24-24. leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

(Matthew 24- 25. Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

(Thomas 18.) The disciples said to Jesus : “Tell us how our end will be.” Jesus said: “So have You discovered the beginning, that You look for the end ? For

where the beginning is, there the end will be.Fortunate is he who stands at the beginning ; he will know the end and will not taste death.”

35.

(Mary 4:25. Peter said to him, Since you have explained everything to us, tell us also what is the sin of the world?

(Matthew 12- 39. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet:

(Matthew 12- 40. for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

(Matthew 12- 41. The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here.

(Matthew 12- 42. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

(Matthew 12- 43. But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passeth through waterless places, seeking rest, and findeth it not.

(Thomas 50.) Jesus said : “If they say to You, ‘Where did You come from ?’, say to them : ‘We came from the light, the place where the light came into being of itself, established itself and revealed itself in their image. If they say to You :

‘Who are You ?’, say : ‘We are its sons. We are the elect of the Living Father.’ If they ask You : ‘What is the sign of Your Father in You, say to them : ‘It is movement and rest.’

36.

(Matthew 5- 16. Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

(Thomas 24.) His disciples said to Him : “Show us the place where You are, since it is necessary for us to seek it.” He said to them : “He who has ears, let him hear. There is light within a man of light, and he lights up the whole world. If he does not shine, there is darkness.”

(Matthew 5- 17. Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil.

(Thomas 59.) “Look to the Living One while You are alive, lest You die and then seek to see Him and are unable to see.”

(Matthew 5-18. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished.

37.

(Matthew 5- 19. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

(Matthew 22-36. Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?

(Matthew 22- 37. And he said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

(Matthew 22- 38. This is the great and first commandment.

(Matthew 22- 39. And a second like unto it is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

(Matthew 22- 40. On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets.

38.

(Thomas 102.) Damn the pharisees for they are like dogs sleeping in the manger of oxen, neither the dog or the oxen eats.

(Matthew 5-20. For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall

exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise

enter into the kingdom of heaven.

(Thomas 39.) “The Pharisees and the scribes have taken the keys of knowledge and hidden them. They have not entered, nor have they allowed those who wish so to enter. You, however, be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves.”

39.

(Matthew 23-13. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

because ye shut the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye enter not in

yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering in to enter.

(Matthew 23-14. [Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hyprcrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, even while for a pretence ye make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive greater condemnation.]

(Matthew 23-15. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is become so, ye make him twofold more a son of hell than yourselves.

(Matthew 23-16. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, that say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple,

he is a debtor.

(Thomas100.) They showed Jesus a gold coin and said to Him : “Caesar’s men demand taxes from us.” He said to them : “Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give Elohîm what belongs to Elohîm, and give Me what is Mine.”

(Matthew 23- 17. Ye fools and blind: for which is greater, the gold, or the temple that hath sanctified the gold?

(Thomas 34) Jesus said : “When a blind man leads another blind man both fall into a ditch.”

40.

(Thomas 12.) The disciples said to Jesus : “We know that You will leave from us. Who is to be our leader ? ” Jesus said to them : “From where Your stand now, You are to go to James the Just, for whose sake heaven and earth came into being.”

(James 5:16.) Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working.

(James 1:22.) But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves.

(James 1: 23.) For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror:

(Thomas 84.) “When You see Your own likeness, You rejoice. But when You see the images of Yourselves which came into being before You, which do not die nor become visible, how much then will You be able to bear ?”

(Phillip) The world came about through a mistake. For he who created it wanted to create it imperishable and immortal. He fell short of attaining his desire. For

the world never was imperishable, but sons are. Nothing will receive imperishablilty if it does not first become a son. But he who does not have the ability to receive, how much more will be unable to give?

“Samsaric pleasures are like salt water, the more we indulge, the more we crave.” 

~ Ngulchu Gyalsey Thogmed Zangpo, Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas.

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The nature of will and the nature of ego are very close. A person who has labored long that the distinction between with his or her spiritual discipline often has great I illusion-it is all good! All pride. These are the people who have been punc- tilious about the law, observed the fasts, and given much time and energy to meditation and prayer. But this work and devotion have a hidden danger, which is the danger of pride. Pride is not the same as enjoying the labor or even rejoicing in one’s accomplishment. These two feelings rest on the knowledge that life is temporary. Pride, on the other hand, knows of no future other than itself. Filled with itself, it believes that all reality revolves around it.

 

The following story describes the danger that can bring to our practice: Naftali the tzaddik was sitting at home one evening and heard a  knock at the door. He answered. Standing there was a young man dressed in the robes of a scholar.

 

“Rebbe,” he said, “I have come to study with you.”

 

“Really?” said the rebbe. “What have you learned so far in your studies?”

 

“A tremendous amount,” said the young man. ” I have memorized all of Torah and most of Talmud.”

 

“I am sorry, young man, I cannot teach you,” the tzaddik said and closed the door.  A little later there was another knock. He.answered it, and a young woman was there. “Ex cuse me, Rebbe,” she said. “I would like to learn with you.”

 

“And what have you learned of Torah up to now?” he asked sternly.

 

“To tell you the truth, I know nothing,” she said.

 

“Come in, come in,” he said, smiling broadly.  Later his wife asked him the meaning of this  strange behavior.  “The first lesson and the important-the one we must always begin with – every year, every day, every moment-is that we know nothing.  If we come from a place of thinking we know, it is very hard to progress.”

 

–The Klippah of pride (Avram Davis, “The Way of flame”)

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“What meaning is there in that kind of happiness? It is like a dream that just stops in the middle when you wake up. Those who, as the result of some slight positive action, seem to be happy and comfortable at the moment, will not be able to hold on to that state for an instant longer once the effect of that action runs out. The  kings of the gods, seated high on their thrones of precious jewels spread with divine silks, enjoy all the pleasures of the five senses. But, once their lifespan is exhausted, in the twinkling of an eye they are plunged into suffering and fall headlong down to the scorching metal ground of hell. Even the gods of the sun and moon, who light up the four continents, can end up being reborn somewhere  between those very continents, in darkness so deep that they cannot see whether their own limbs are stretched out or bent in. So do not put your trust in the apparent joys of samsara.” 

~ Patrul Rinpoche in Words of My Perfect Teacher.

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Saṃsāra, the Sanskrit and Pāli term for “continuous movement” or “continuous flowing” refers in Buddhism to the concept of a cycle of birth (jāti) and consequent decay and death (jarāmaraṇa), in which all beings in the universe participate and which can only be escaped through enlightenment. Saṃsāra is associated with suffering and is generally considered the antithesis of nirvāṇa or nibbāna