ON LOVE; PART CCCXCI
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.
(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.”14
In the last essay we discussed the thirty third saying from the Gospel of Thomas and found it intertwined with our own discussion of the thirty second where we used the references to .proclaiming from the rooftop as the ‘tallness’ of the disciple that would correspond to his being the high mountain as he is there portrayed. We also used the idea of the light on the lamp stand to show that the disciple as the city on he high mountain that can not be hid. In essence, by way of our selection of sayings from the Master that we find in the accepted gospels which we applied to the thirty second saying, we were at the same time discussing the thirty third but, since we do not read much ahead, we did not realize that we had done so. From this perspective then we can marry together these two consecutive sayings in much the same way that we find the combination of ideas in the Gospel of Matthew where we read the Master’s words as:
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
Here we see the same combination of the idea of the disciple being the light and the city on the hill. In all of the sayings that we discussed from Thomas’ Gospel as well as the synoptic gospels of the accepted New Testament we do find the same intent in the teaching; that the disciple is the light and the disciple is the city. As the light he should shine bright and not be hid and, as we see in Matthew, it is in this light that his good works are seen. As the city he should stand tall and be strong, not dissuaded by anything that may come his way; he should fear not death and KNOW that there are none that can destroy the Inner man save he himself. While this last part is not stated clearly, we should understand that as divine beings, as Souls working out Life in form, that we ourselves can not be destroyed and in the parabolic way that the Master frames this, he is telling us that the outer Life is meaningless and we should not fear to lose it but that we should fear for the Life of the Inner man and the one who can effect that divine part. The words from the Matthew and Luke are:
- “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him” (Luke 12:4-5).
- “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
In these two versions of the same saying there is significant difference but from our perspective they do say the same thing and that is in conjunction with the admonition that we be strong and stand tall that we take from Thomas Gospel. In Matthew the Master talks about persecution and we can take this as physical harm in that day as well as the harm that one can bring to himself when faced with a crowd that is calling him Beelzebub; the caution here is that the disciple not shrink back, not worry about the physical harm but to stand strong as to shrink back would be to the detriment of the Soul. Similarly in Luke’s version where we find the the greater detriment to the Soul in the “leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy“, which, much like being called the devil, can deter a man from his work if he is not strong. These ideas are of course parabolic in nature and we should assume that the disciples do understand the Master’s intent which simply put says that the disciple should show no care for the loss of his carnal Life, the death of his body, but should be ever aware of what it IS that he attends to or focuses upon and that he should not perceive the thoughts and the feelings that are engendered in him by others as any threat to his own Soul….that he should not entertain them but that he should do as the Apostle Paul tells us: “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). From our point of view this should tell us ALL that regardless of what one may say about the way that we approach Christ and regardless of the authoritarian position of those who may call us heretics and whatsoever else, that we should stand strong and stand tall as the city on the hill and that we should ever “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven“; and this while we ourselves measure ALL that we say and do, every thought, attitude and action that we entertain or express, against the Wisdom from above and the fruit of the Spirit so that we KNOW that there is no sense of self but only a True sense of service.
The last part of this combination of sayings that we should address here is the most clever way that the idea of hearing is portrayed by Thomas and here we should understand that while we may see this same intent in the renderings of this in the accepted gospels, Thomas gives us here the greater clarity as he reports the Master’s words and perhaps his own thoughts together saying: “What you will hear with your ear {with the other ear} proclaim from your rooftops“. It is in this idea of the other ear that we find this greater clarity which is said so that one does not preach all things he may hear from the rooftops but only those things that are repeated to him in that other ear which listens to the Soul and receives that Wisdom from above. This saying is approached by most translators in this way but there are some who differ and from which we do not get this same idea:
- “Whatever you (sing.) hear with your ear, proclaim upon your (plur.) rooftops into the other ear” (Layton). There must be some meaning here for the writer but we fail to see it.
- “What thou hearest with thine ear, and the other ear, proclaim from the roof-tops!” (Doresse). Here we have the inclusion of ‘and’ which is included parenthetically by others and not at all in our version above.
- “Preach from your (pl.) housetops that which you (sg.) will hear in your (sg.) ear” (Lambdin). In this translation the whole idea of the other ear is left out and the order rearranged.
- “What you will hear in your ear, in the other ear proclaim from your rooftops” (Patterson and Meyer). Here again we fail to see the meaning of this although this could be construed to say the same as our rendering at the top from Patterson and Robinson by changing the punctuation.
- “He who you will listen to in your ear (and?) in the other ear, preach him upon your housetops” (Interlinear Version). The Patterson and Robinson translation that we are using is nearly verbatim from this and, from our perspective does make the most sense and this perhaps because we understand this notion of the Inner ear. Here in the interlinear we have the idea of him rather than what as the source but, from a spiritual perspective these can be seen equal as to listen to Him is to listen to what He says; externally and internally, and perhaps the message here is that when we Truly listen to Him we are listening to our own Inner Christ.
- There is a Greek fragment that is limited to just a few words: “what you hear in the one ear of you” (from the interlinear version) which is translated by Bernhard as “What you hear in your one ear . . .” and by Doresse as “You hear with one of your ears […]“. This Greek fragment is of little use but it is interesting how these three versions vary.
Using our standard Patterson and Robinson translation here we see the greater point and, as we say above, a point that is implied in this saying in the accepted gospels where we KNOW that the idea of hearing is not limited to the outer ear, but to the perception of what it is that enters.
The next saying, the thirty fourth, is the same as we find in the accepted gospels except in the way that it is framed and the lack of the context that we find in Matthew and the note of its parabolic value that we find in Luke. Nonetheless this is a seemingly straightforward saying: Jesus says: “If a blind (person) leads a blind (person), both will fall into a pit“. The variation among the translations here is seen in the use of person versus man and the idea of pit versus ditch or even hole so that the intent does not vary among them. The Interlinear however has some different nuances as we read: “a blind man, if he should lead before him a blind man, they fall, the two [of them], down into a pit“. The commentary on this is short:
- Robert M. Grant and David Noel Freedman write: “This saying is derived from Matthew 15:14; for its substance is presented as a question in Luke 6:39. It follows Saying 34, because the mention of ‘light’ in that saying leads Thomas to think of sight or the lack of it.” (The Secret Sayings of Jesus, p. 151).
- Funk and Hoover write: “This saying has the earmarks of a proverb. As prudential wisdom, it would be appropriate on the lips of almost any sage and it could have entered the tradition at almost any point.” (The Five Gospels, p. 492).
From Matthew and Luke we read this as:
- “And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?” (Luke 6:39)
- In its context we read this from Matthew: “Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? But he answered and said , Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted , shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Matthew 15:12-14).
The intent of all three versions here is the same and from a spiritual perspective we should be able to see the same reality which is that when the teacher is himself teaching things in such a way as they do not represent the Truth, that this teacher, being blind to the Truth, is leading those others that are seeking Truth into the pit with him. The problem that this uncovers is that the man who takes authority but whose teaching is not founded in the Truth can only lead other seekers with him into untruth and this warning is as True today as it was in Jesus time. Many yet profess to have the Truth and proclaim this Truth to others and here we should take note again of the idea from Thomas above about the other ear; it is in this way that we understand that what one must proclaim from the rooftop is not what he hears in the world of men but what he hears in that Inner Light from the Soul, that Wisdom from above, that fruit of the Spirit. Ponder on this.
In this light we can likely see the last three of these sayings from Thomas in an interconnected way and perhaps as a single teaching and we can here understand how easy it is to be deluded by the teachings of others who DO NOT understand the Truth of the Master’s message and, perhaps we can see here the idea that we read in Luke where the Master cautions even His disciples against the “leaven of the Pharisees“. Perhaps here in this discussion we have found a clearer understanding of that saying from the Gospel of Luke that tells us to “Take heed therefore how ye hear” (Luke 8:18); can we see in this the idea of what ear one may hear with?
Next group of sayings for us to discuss are:
(35) Jesus says: “It is not possible for someone to enter the house of a strong (person) (and) take it by force unless he binds his hands. Then he will loot his house.“
(36) Jesus says: “Do not worry from morning to evening and from evening to morning about what you will wear.“
(37) (1) His disciples said: “When will you appear to us, and when will we see you?” Jesus said: “When you undress without being ashamed and take your clothes (and) put 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 be afraid.“
(38) Jesus says: “Many times have you desired to hear these words, these that I am speaking to you, and you have no one else from whom to hear them. There will be days when you will seek me (and) you will not find me.“
(39) Jesus says: “The Pharisees and the scribes have received the keys of knowledge, (but) they have hidden them. Neither have they entered, nor have they allowed to enter those who wish to. You, however, be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves!“
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/
