Gnostic Way's topics - tribe.net

I need a list of the discoveries of gnostic texts

2009-12-18T15:37:55Z

I wonder if anyone can help me get a list of all the major discoveries of gnostic texts since they first came to light which I think was about 1780 something. I have looked on google and it would seem that these are listed some where. Thanks

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Gnostic Connection to Tarot Cards

2009-11-05T13:44:53Z

Is there a possible connection between the arcane designs of Tarot Cards and developments in Spain with the expulsion of the Jews, and much later the Moriscos. The acculturated Catholicised Moriscos, some of whom went to Marseilles, some to Tuscany, another returned to Tunisia/Morrocco and some even to Turkey and Germany. Paul Foster Case suggests Tunisia as the womb of Tarot Divination, Marseilles as the midwife and Italy as the kindergarten. If Moses de Leon was or is the author of the Sefer Yetzirah then that would explain a previous link to Qabballah. In Italy a romantic trend prevailed with cards being played primarily by women (men using chess or draughts as a diversion) with relevant advice in matters of AMOUR and a chivalric code of behaviour.
By 1379 the Arabs and Moors became mercenary soldiers to the Popes Urban VI and Clement VII against other rival Italian Princes. They remained in S. Spain until 1492 where card games were known as "naipes" (from the Arabic word Naib), a word that may have derived from a Flemish word meaning paper (knaep), as commercial trading between Flanders and Spain was common at that time. Contrary to popular assertions, travelling bands of gypsies could not have been responsible for their invention or original dissemination because the Romany people did not appear in Europe until the middle of the 15th century. Other experts have attributed the invention of Tarot cards to the ascetic military order of the Knight Templars founded in 1118 by Hugh Payens to protect pilgrims venturing to the Crusades. This idea is somewhat fanciful but may have some basis in the Templars obscure connection with two other heretical sects; the Cathars of France, associated with Pagan Gnosticism and the Bogomils of Hungary, associated with Manichaeian Dualism. Both of these sects were despised and persecuted by the Catholic Church and the Knight Templars were also later branded similarly and some followers and leaders executed as heretics. Popular games, whether with boards, dice, cards and such-like were common in the eastern cultures and treated with less derision and superstition by their priests and sages. In many respects they became a means of instruction and education, many of which have percolated into contemporary western cultures such as the game of "snakes & ladders" for example. The 16 Court Cards for example coincide with 16 characters in Geomancy.

posted in Gnostic Way - 4 replies

New interview with Elaine Pagels

2009-10-01T21:08:50Z

Hi everyone,
a new interview with Elaine Pagels:
http://www.futureprimitive.org/interviews/206

warm greetings
Zorro

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Life of Adam& Eve--What book is this text in?--give ISBN#

2009-09-28T21:06:49Z

I am trying to find a book that contains the text "Life of Adam and Eve". If you know where I can find it, please give me the title, author/translator/editor, and ISBN#. Thank You for your help.

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Mystical Contemplations on Freewill

2009-07-02T08:46:50Z

The first three chapters of Genesis are probably some of the most complex and multi-layered parts of the bible. Many things can be said about these chapters, but what Sophians and Gnostics often like to discuss is the story of the “fall” of Adam and Eve from Grace and from the Garden of Eden. Gnostics love to poke at the moralistic lesson of Adam and Eve’s “disobedience” and question to who or what Adam and Eve were “disobedient” to, the “real” God or the pretender God, the Demiurge.

It may be interesting, however to look at the nature of individuality in the tale and contemplate the possibility of such an existence, the possibility of the microcosm which is individual, having “freewill” in the truest sense of the world. In fact, what if this existence as we think of it, this world in a play of “good” and “evil” is really a process of generation, of coming into “freewill” in it’s reality. I wonder if “freewill” in the spiritual sense can even be comprehended from the point of view of a consciousness that is chained to the duality of “good” and “evil”. From our dualistic perspective, we conceive of “freewill” as the possibility of choice between “good” and “evil” in any given moment. I wonder if this conception is the true generation of “freewill”? Within this framework of thinking, in fact, there is often an implied obedience to an outside force, defining “good” and “evil” for us and we must be obedient to that outside intelligence that is telling us what to do. We have the choice to obey or defy. Is this really a choice between “good” and “evil”? Is this really “freewill”? Wouldn’t freewill in the truest sense of the term be an absence of a moral authority that punishes and rewards for “good” or “bad” choices? We must be careful not to interpret this to mean free reign of all of our bestial impulses, for this is the slavery of the animal, who is moved by impulses he does not comprehend. But to conceive of “freewill” as a choice given to us by some force outside of us, thus obedience or disobedience is a slavery as well. We are the good lap dog or we are the dog left out in the rain. Either way, we are something else’s property and not truly “free”.

Such considerations can seem to propose that amoral or unethical behavior is perfectly appropriate and justified, yet I would propose that this would be a misunderstanding of the subtlety of what is being proposed here. In fact, much activity that we could call distinctly “evil” is merely a rebellion against some force we perceive as outside of us, and we act in defiance to that force in some subtle way. Much “good” activity is similarly a seeking of approval, and the reality display changes face to represent each to us in reflection. We see the face of God we manifest in obedience or disobedience. But is this freedom? Is this face that responds to our imagined obedience of disobedience truly God’s face? In both of these, we have not recognized that it is we who are manifesting this face of approval or judgment according to our subtle and unconscious expectations. We fail to see that this is the display of our own energy playing out what we have generated. Freedom, then seems to be the recognition that we generate the reality-display according to our subtle expectations.

What is God, becomes an important question here. Certainly, we cannot say that God is a person outside of us that is rewarding or punishing us, yet as long as we are an individual separate from the universe around us and separate from God, then we unconsciously generate an expectation of God in reflection to our responses. In fact, we may not be so separate at all, and thus the generation of this illusion creates a chain of cause and effect in response, action, response, action and the chain of action and “consequence” or “reward” plays out in unconscious patterns, consistently affirming the dualistic perspective we hold, amplifying it until we see the how the chain of cause and effect leads back to us.

In this sense, we could say that the purpose of the reality display is ultimately liberative, yet as long as we are caught up in dualistic perspectives and reactions, then we cannot ever find “freewill” that is beyond considerations of “me” and “other” or “good” and “evil”. Freewill may be exactly so because it is free of such considerations and so is “free” to play in a play of energy-intelligence, able to imagine outside of dualistic terms conditioned by the considerations of a limited sense of self.

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Help with Mary Magdelene event?

2009-06-24T18:29:25Z

I amn working to put together an event on July 22 Mary Magadelene's Feast Day. I wonder if anyone has put on such an event and if so just what did you do? I have found poems, readings, info on a candle ceremony, etc. Any and all help would be deeply appreciated. I am located in Johnson City, TN. Thanks.
bobby

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What does quantum mechanics have to do with Gnosticism?

2009-04-18T13:56:30Z

Whether we realize it or not, our lives are on the verge of a dramatic paradigm shift based on the emerging discoveries of quantum physicists. This is a shift none of us will be able to escape, but we must ask the question: will the belief systems we’ve created be able to endure the change. When it was discovered that the world orbited the sun, people where forced to change their understanding of the physical universe, and the validity of many belief systems came under scrutiny as well. The church was no longer the sole arbitrator of truth and was forced to accept the ascendancy of scientific thought. While Eastern philosophies appear to neatly co-exist with the expanding quantum paradigm, Western theology, as presented by organized religion, does not. There is little doubt that a large percentage of the Bible will be rendered obsolete by quantum discoveries, but does this mean that all Western belief systems must fall with it? Gnosis, by its very definition, signifies a desire for truth. Unlike religion, science poses no threat to gnosis, and in fact should enhance it. Albert Einstein said, “. . .religious teachers. . .will surely recognize with joy that true religion has been ennobled and made more profound by scientific knowledge. When examined from the standpoint of quantum physics, many of the Gnostic Gospels do reflect an understanding of the universe that very closely parallels recent quantum discoveries. This should not be surprising since gnosis is derived from a personal experience of the Divine. The Gnostic Jesus is revealed as an enlightened teacher, fully aware of the true nature of the universe, a teacher who has the capacity to carry us into the emerging quantum paradigm.

For more information on this topic and the book, "Quantum Prodigal Son: Revisitng Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Sone from the Perspective of Quantum Mechanics" check out www.oroborusbooks.com

posted in Gnostic Way - 5 replies

Why do people hate Jesus : Because his very name makes demons writhe

2009-04-18T13:50:06Z

I have developed an interest in the traditions that formed the basis of the Western world, and yet I am reluctant to share what value I find in some of the ideals, visions and sentiments expressed there.

It seems, in certain contexts, exposing a mere inch of sympathy to the christian vision can evoke very strong responses. Darts start flying.

With my work with the tea and yoga, I have experienced extremely rarefied states of consciousness which are profoundly gentle and fragrant, a place of immense subtlety and purity. From this place of transparency, a condition in which the agendas of the ego/personality have temporarily abandoned its battle, it becomes evident that the perennial philosophies and the ideals of many mystics and teachers, are inspired truth, filtered through the capacities of language.

From such a place, it seems nauseous and unnatural to make war or argue with the ancient sacred visions and creeds of the many generations before us, that evoked and then were filled with the beauty of the human heart.

As a result of these experiences, I have come to a place of non-reactivity and even active interest in many aspects of the Western tradition, which I feel compliments and deepens my prior interests in shamanism and the Vedas.

I understand the symbol of Christ as the divine child of the cosmos, a brother of complete love and compassion, God entering and touching its creation, and submitting to its rigor in order to fulfil a deep cosmic transformation and redemption. This is the Ideal, for me, that stands beyond the argumented 'facts' of history and peoples different personal issues with what they percieve to be the results of christianity.

Christianity aside, I find nothing to argue with in the Ideal of Christ. Its Ideal is of tenderness and beauty and guidance, which stands, in direct experience, as self evident and deeply benevolent in the numinous light.

People blame Christ for witchhunts, ignoring the millions of christians that died at the hands of rome at the dawn of this revelation.
People blame Christ for war, when there has always been war, before and after Christ, and in cultures unaquainted with christianity.

God is not needed for war, since the most horrifying wars in history were perpetrated by God-denying, secular powers. It is human free will, not God that impells us to ignorance, hypocracy, control and destruction.

The Ideal of Christ, beyond history, reflects the deepest and most tender sentiments within us. This is what Ideals are for.

The world has been transfigured by the myths of christianity. There is a 'compulsory apocalypse lobby' of evangelical endtimers, consumed with the idea of a coming apocalpse and doing everything in their control to bring it on. And yet beyond the destructive provarications and irrationality, it does seem that the human race is drawing close to catastrophic change, the outcome of which is inherently unpredictable.

The secular mindset seems unable to comprehend such a level of change, because it is a self-referencing matrix, a worldview that endlessly references anthropomorphic primism. The new-age vacilates in chapel perilous, a confusing interplay of paradoxical and often nonsensical concepts.

I suggest that active engagement with the principal ideas and myths that compose the substratum of the western mind, and therefore anyone born and reared within western civilisation, is a requisite for their clarification and transformation, so that the various creeds that are currently in conflict are again percieved as an unbroken and non-conflicting series of ideals and mythic truths, that whilst often paradoxical, nonetheless can stand side by side in harmony as beautiful and inspired understandings, which can be values as the common and ownerless natural treasures of the human race.

But this cannot happen without active engagement, direct experience, using intuition to bring balance, to shamanically regenerate the original sentiments, to clarify these constellates in order to harmonise the conflicts of worldview within the planet in these times. It cannot happen through denial, blame or histility operating through a shallow assemblage point of reactivity, blame or thinly vieled intellectualised hatred.

Only by reaching beyond reactivity and shallow thinking, intuiting the beingness of the Ideals, and how the images and myths are meant as learning and teaching vessels for this formless beauty and goodness, can the conflict caused by the humanisation and fragmentation of these higher realities be healed.

posted in Gnostic Way - 5 replies

Gnosis for all

2009-04-18T13:44:10Z

this book will help all gnostics to reach GNOSIS..LOL..take a look
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/consciousness-is-king/6475318

posted in Gnostic Way - 3 replies

The Death in Motion

2009-01-19T13:16:06Z

This is a new website designed with the purpose of explaining the
death in motion as taught by Master Rabolu. Please use it but have an open mind.
The death is understanding + petition to our inner mother. I wish you
all the best in your inner work.

http://www.death-in-motion.org/

Inverencial Peace!

posted in Gnostic Way - 1 reply

PRAYERS FOR LIGHTWORKERS

2009-01-11T12:09:33Z

Check out www.eraofpeace.org we need your prayers now! The more we add our light the more powerful the prayer!

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What is the Hermetic Cup of the Monad?

2008-12-11T21:37:40Z

Can anyone please tell me what the Hermetic cup of the Monad is?

posted in Gnostic Way - 2 replies

Philip K Dick's "In Pursuit of Valis" and his Exegesis

2008-11-20T07:02:26Z

Hey everybody. first time poster here, long time student of gnosticism.
I got into the subject after first hearing of it in the work of Philip K. Dick.
Recently while searching for an out-of-print copy of his collection of
religious "gnostic" writings "In Pursuit of Valis" I saw somebody posted
anonymously that they had an e-copy they could mail. Anybody know
anything about that? Please let me know/

That said, I'd love to hear from anybody who has a serious interest in
studying the gnostic writings of PKD, especially from anyone who has
had a chance to look at the unpublished mass of stuff that exists. It's a
literary corpus I'd like to dedicate at least a book to.

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What do you think of the Movie " The fountian "

2008-11-08T00:12:31Z

I just sow this movie the other day and I was in total amazment. I have to say very cool great visuals and secret symbology. very Gnostic

posted in Gnostic Way - 6 replies

The Apocryphon of John

2008-11-07T15:24:00Z

If any of have the Nag Hammadi (hopefully the same edition) look at the names that start on pg 114. What are these? Some are Hebrew, some are Babylonian, some are...I don't know what the hell they are. I'm wondering if they're code words. Or maybe it's oral, made to be read aloud, in order to put the speaker into a trance, something like "Om"

Any thoughts?

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Gospel of Mary discussion group

2008-06-26T02:08:00Z

I am in the process of journaling on each of the Gospels of Mary. IE 1: reflection, 2:reflection .. so on and so forth. I'm hoping to find others who may be interested in starting this journey with me. I imagine meeting up/posting once a week on each gospel. would love to have you join me.

posted in Gnostic Way - 5 replies

Please help me pick a title for a new book

2008-04-04T21:49:21Z

My book is being rewritten and relaunched. I could really use some help in picking a title that connects Biblical prophecy from Isaiah and others, Kabbalistic analysis of the prophecies (and religious works including the Old and New Testaments as well as the Koran and Hopi scripture), and the Phoenix Lights UFO sightings in Arizona.

I would appreciate a minute of your time to pick a title from an online survey I set-up at surveymonkey. The link is below. I will send an e-book free to anyone who completes the survey. Thanks very much!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=AfARcuPx9LRfGT_2f9oMMGfw_3d_3d

posted in Gnostic Way - 1 reply

I M R U?

2008-02-09T01:49:02Z

I am god, but aren't we all?

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Fornication or Not

2008-01-08T13:01:17Z

I'm new to this tribe so first I'd like to say hello to everyone.

I've recently been getting into the Gnostic work of Samael Aun Weor which can be found on GnosticRadio.com. I am particularly impressed with the work Aun Weor's done with Kabbalah in interpreting obscure text such as John's Revelation. One area I've struggled with however is Samael's idiosyncratic views on fornication and adultry.

Ann Weor defines adultry as any kind of sex where orgasm is reached, be it between married or unmarried people. This is in contrast to Tantric sexual practices that focus on raising the Kundalini up the spine through sexual transmutation, which then allows the chakras/sephirot to be enlightened and Christ Consciousness to be reached.

I don't have a problem embracing the idea of tantric sex contributing to enlightenment but Ann Weor seems to almost demonize any other form of sexual expression that does not conform to this model. In fact, he blames the Fall on having sex as animals (since orgasm is attained). I find this view to be potentialy helpful in making sense of the so-called forbidden fruit and why biblicaly sexual relations are described as "knowing" each other, but from a practical sense I find this view lacking common sense (pardon the pun) and an acceptance of the therapuetic value of healthy sexual expression.

I decided to do some research on my own to see where this notion of fornication was conceaved (sorry more puns). Turns out that the Hebrew word for Fornication is Zanah which is spelled Zayin (Z), Nun (N), Hey (H) I found this odd since Zayin means woman of valor (see http://www.inner.org/HEBLETER/zayin.htm ), Nun means the Messiah ( http://www.inner.org/HEBLETER/nun.htm ) and Hey means Expression ( http://www.inner.org/HEBLETER/hei.htm ). In Greek Zanah is translated into Porneia.

Zanah has been said to translate as Harlot or one who acts Whoreingly. I found this interesting editorial piece http://www.angelfire.com/bc2/Bereans/MD/tw.html that makes the case for why this word Zanah is used by Jesus as opposed to the Hebrew word for Adultry, Naaph. T

he writer says "This is why: Porneia (fornication, harlotry, whoredom) strongly carries the connotation of a continuous way of life and character. Moicheia (adultery), on the other hand, connotes single acts, and does not necessarily carry the atmosphere of continuance or character. Distinguished, then, in this sense, Christ appears to be saying, by his choice of words, that single acts of unfaithfulness (moicheia), while a terrible abomination and possibly having terrible consequences for the rest of life that cannot be reversed, can be forgiven by the partner if there is true repentance and forsaking; but that fornication (porneia, harlotry, whoredom) as a fixed way of life makes continuation of a marriage impossible, however loving, Christlike and forgiving a partner may be."

My view is that Zanah is indicating a person who is having sex in an unconscious compulsive manner such as a sex addict. I come to this conclusion based on the Hebrew letters and their meanings. Zayin, a woman of valor is somehow bent over into an unconcious "fish", another symbol of Nun), seeking salvation (Hei is the letter added to Abram and Sarai's names once their convenent with God's brings a child they had painfully desired more than anything).

IMO sexual addiction like any other addiction is born out of the pain of a severed connection to one's spiritual source. I can see why this type of use of the sexual energies would be like throwing gasoline on the fire of that pain. The letter that follows Nun reinforces this notion as Nun progresses into Samech which means "endless cycle".

Ayin (which mean Eye) is the letter that comes next in which this cycle can be broken.

"One then experiences the Eyes of God lovingly watching over and guarding each one of his children Israel. This brings one to sense the existential separation of the holy from the profane, the righteous from the unrighteous, and to identify with the good. Finally one experiences the Infinite Eye of God directing every created being to its ultimate fulfillment of purpose in Creation, thereby bringing all Creation to realize its Divine Purpose. Here, one's awe itself is in the face of the revelation of God's Infinite Love for all ("all is right"). This is the secret of sweetening."

posted in Gnostic Way - 8 replies

Zeitgeist movie - reductionist

2008-01-02T01:59:28Z

Zeitgeist the movie, in my mind, is extremely reductionistic. It does not seem to touch on the esoteric or gnostic aspect of Christianity at all. In fact all it does is sample the elements of the conventionally told tale in order to prove a point which has been expounded anyway for decades in the field of comparative religion - that Jesus Christ's life fits into the archetype of a 'solar god' such as Isis. But it appears to do this in order to somehow discredit the event and the story !

Which to me is reductionist. When you say 'nothing more than' you are reducing a multi-level phenomena to a flat-land belief system, in the case of Zeitgeist, to a kind of materialism (since in this film the myths of the solar gods are reduced to 'nothing more than' stories of the sun and stars).

To me, one of the very powerful aspects of the Christ mythos is that the patterns of the macrocosm, the sun and stars, can be played out in the life of the man Jesus (and, it must be said, any avatar, any human aligning to the celestial realms). "As above, so below" - and again, that these patterns can have their own fractal iteration in the death-rebirth mysteries of the human soul.

posted in Gnostic Way - 15 replies

MYSTICISM

2007-11-30T16:38:07Z

HELLO ALL AND WELCOME,
A mystic is one who, above all else in life, desires to know (not in the intellectual sense of knowing) the deepest Truth of existence. A mystic is one who senses more to life than making a living or being of service in the world – although these things are both necessary and good. The mystic, however, is looking beyond an exclusive (or preoccupied) focus on these survival/self-actualization desires to something more: he is looking to discover the deepest truth of our being as incarnate souls; to understand our greatest potential as reflections of God; to realize our wholeness within the Ground of All. The primary interest in life for the mystic is to discover truth, to know God, to see into mans whole nature. …The mystic sees all of life as an abundant opportunity to discover, realize, and express the Divine.
Mysticism springs from an insatiable curiosity for understanding the essential questions of Life: matters of God, Creation, the Infinite --- and the human potential for knowing Truth. The mystic is in reality the ultimate scientist who, looking beyond the apparent or obvious in all matters, asks: “Is this that I am seeing reality or the illusions that stem from fear?” “What existed before this sense of reality?” A mystic is one who, above all else in life, desires to know (not in the intellectual sense of knowing) the deepest Truth of existence. A mystic is one who senses more to life than making a living or being of service in the world – although these things are both necessary and good. The mystic, however, is looking beyond an exclusive (or preoccupied) focus on these survival/self-actualization desires to something more: he is looking to discover the deepest truth of our being as incarnate souls; to understand our greatest potential as reflections of God; to realize our wholeness within the Ground of All. The primary interest in life for the mystic is to discover truth, to know God, to see into mans whole nature. …The mystic sees all of life as an abundant opportunity to discover, realize, and express the Divine.
Mysticism springs from an insatiable curiosity for understanding the essential questions of Life: matters of God, Creation, the Infinite --- and the human potential for knowing Truth. The mystic is in reality the ultimate scientist who, looking beyond the apparent or obvious in all matters, asks: “Is this that I am seeing reality or the illusions that stem from fear?” “What existed before this sense of reality?”
IF YOU FEEL YOU HAVE REAL MYSTICAL QUALITIES PLEASE JOIN US..it a new forum for all mystics

http://groups.msn.com/TheInternationalMysticalOrderofKnightTemplars/_whatsnew.msnw

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Buddhism influences

2007-09-20T12:14:18Z

According to the New Testament (The Gospel of Matthew), Jesus spent his early childhood in Egypt which was at the end of the Silk Road. As a result, Egypt was prosperous and enriched with religious diversity. There was even a large Buddhist community known as the Therapeutae (Sons of the Elders) that existed in Alexandria. Today, some scholars believe that Jesus may have been inspired by the Buddhist religion and that the Gospel of Thomas and many Nag Hammadi texts reflect this possible influence. Books such as The Gnostic Gospels and Beyond Belief: the Secret Gospel of Thomas by Elaine Pagels and The Original Jesus by Gruber and Kersten examine the facts and fiction, and theories.

This is not to say that Jesus was a Buddhist disciple but just possibly he had been influenced by the Buddhist teachings. This is mere speculation. Obviously, he was a Jew and was influenced by the Hebrew religious tradition. However, for us, Jesus is our spiritual brother and our teacher as a mystic. We are one with all mystics whether they be called Shinran, Dogen, Rumi, Khan, Gandhi, Jesus, Nanak and Ramana, etc. Each mystical tradition speaks of the same experience but with different words; one may use the word "Pure Land" and the other as the "Kingdom of Heaven" but the experience is the same.

A Different Christian Tradition

Some scholars have observed that among these Nag Hammadi texts, The Gospel of Thomas includes teachings older than Gospels of the New Testament, such as Mark, Matthew, Luke or John, and also closer to the actual life of the historical Jesus. These scholars believe that the Gospel of Thomas was written around 62 C.E. because it commends James, the brother of Jesus, to be the legitimate heir to the early Christian movement and in addition makes no reference to the Roman sack of Jerusalem in 72 C.E. Moreover, of all of the Nag Hammadi texts, it is Thomas that has the most similarities with Pure Land Buddhism within it.

Enlightenment for All

Exploring the Gospel of Thomas, we discover that Jesus believed the self and the divine to be identical and one. Furthermore, the Kingdom of Heaven is not in the future but is “right here.” and one only needs to be awakened to this perfection. Jesus, in this gospel, speaks of enlightenment, the same type that is taught by Shakyamuni Buddha, Shin teachers and Zen Masters. In addition, Thomas does not have a narrative story line but just 114 sayings attributed to Jesus, many of which are akin to Zen koans. Here, Jesus is never presented as Lord or Savior, but rather as a spiritual guide who is equal to his students. In addition, the Gospel of Thomas does not contain a supernatural virgin birth or the doctrine of the Virgin Mary. It does not teach of original sin. It does not mention Jesus’ crucifixion or resurrection. It does not teach Jesus’ death as a payment of debt to “atone” for humanity's sins. It does not include any supernatural healings or miracles. It does not mention the so-called end-times or the wrath of God. It does not mention salvation through faith in Christ. It does not exclude women.

The exclusion of Thomas

Why was the Gospel of Thomas disqualified from the Christian Bible and eventually outlawed? During the reign of Emperor Constantine around the 4th century C.E., the Roman Empire was looking to reconstitute and solidify its power. The Emperor and the existing power structure chose the Pauline sect of Christianity as the “official” religion, which include the epistles of Paul and the Gospels and books from his disciples that form the present-day New Testament. Teachings from the Gospel of Thomas and other Nag Hammadi texts were seen as a danger to the developing ecclesiastical and political structure because they rejected the authority of the bishops, priests and deacons. Roman Church father Ignatius warned the Christians to "honor and obey the bishop as you would God." It is quite easy to see why the church councils did not choose the Gospel of Thomas and other similar texts for their Bible. As a result, for political reasons these texts were banned and later destroyed for the good of Empire and Church. After all, bishops and priests would lose their power and influence with the common people, if the common people learned that Jesus taught they did not need such religious authority/intermediaries of the Church, bishops and priests, and that the Kingdom is within all and is directly accessible to everyone without them; we all are sons/daughters of God.

Why Study the Gospel of Thomas?

You might be wondering why Shin Buddhists should even bother to study the early teachings of Jesus? Our interest in learning about the early teachings of Jesus is not to discredit Christianity but because this Gospel shares similar mystical content with the Shin and Zen Buddhist traditions, we 21st century Buddhists can learn a lot from this ancient mystic, called Jesus of Nazareth. So, by studying the teachings of the Gospel of Thomas through the lenses of Buddhist thought and religious experience, we can further deepen our spiritual path and awaken to our True Nature, our universal Buddha-nature, which ultimately has no name but is experienced as faith, compassion and wisdom.

In addition, as Western Buddhists, we must deal with Christianity as a political, social and religious power. How shall we perceive the teachings of Jesus? Must we cave into the dogma of the traditional and evangelical Christian parlance? Or can we reinterpret the teachings (dharma) of Jesus? Must Jesus be an advesary or can he be a teacher for us? Just with a shift in interpretation, Jesus becomes not a judgemental and cosmic Christ but a Bodhisattva guiding beings like ourselves to the Kingdom that is there before us and within us.

Perhaps in the future, due to its Buddhist inclinations, the Gospel of Thomas will be considered a genuine Buddhist sutra (scripture) thereby bridging the gap between Eastern and Western spirituality while helping seekers to awaken to the endowed Pure Land (Kingdom of God) within themselves. Maybe, even Jesus himself will someday be considered the Bodhisattva of the West.

Parallel Sayings and Teachings

The following web pages offer an open-minded presentation of some of the parallel mystical sayings and teachings from the Gospel of Thomas that may be related to but are certainly illuminated by the Buddhist teachings. This is a work in progress and in the near future more correlations will be added, including the parallel sayings from the Gospel of Philip, the Gospel of Mary, the Q Gospel and other Nag Hammadi texts. Regarding the Gospel of Thomas with Shin and Zen Buddhist teachings, some of the similiarities are disturbing. But did not Jesus say, "the seeker should not stop until he finds. When he does find, he will be disturbed. After being disturbed, he will be astonished" (Thomas 2). Please read on and judge for yourself.

The Dharma Wheel

Symbol of the Buddhist Religion

About This Website

This website with its unique research was written and organized by G.R. Lewis on February 24th, 2005.

G.R. Lewis has written extensively on Shin Buddhism and is the founder and Senior Facilitator of the Buddhist Faith Fellowship of Connecticut and the Shin Buddhist Fellowship of West Hartford. To read more of G.R. Lewis' Buddhist essays, please click the link below.

WRITINGS OF G.R. LEWIS' WEBSITE

TO CONTACT G.R. LEWIS via e-mail click here.

The author grants permission to copy this document for personal uses only.

posted in Gnostic Way - 4 replies

New Tribe: Personality Theatre

2007-09-20T02:10:42Z

With the moderator's permission I'd like to introduce a new tribe, entitled Personality Theatre.

Description:

"We constantly produce a display, a theatrical scene. For each situation we create the appropriate backdrop and the appropriate lighting. We also have the appropriate actors, mainly ourselves, who appear on the stage. We carry on this kind of play, this theatrical game, so to speak, to feel out the total effect our stage set is having."
-Chogyam Trungpa

A place for the discussion of illusion, delusion, spiritual materialism, creation of personality, destruction and transformation of personality, magic, magick, funhouses, tricksters, labyrinths and carnivals of all sorts...mostly in relation to the growth and evolution of our inner and outer selves.

Essentially, a place to wonder about the masquerade of daily living...for the play we put on for ourselves and others.
(Wasn't that a wonderfully theatrical summation?)
http://tribes.tribe.net/personalitytheatre

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

Sophianic Mysteries

2007-08-12T14:39:37Z

from metahistory.org

SOPHIA

Sophia Greek "wisdom," the term specifically used in Gnostic texts for the cosmic intelligence that indwells the earth and supports all organic and inorganic life in the biosphere. Pronounced So-FI-uh. Adjective, Sophianic, So-FEE-AN-ik.

Combined with Gaia, this term denotes the primary assumption of Metahistory, outlined in the orientation essay, Insane and Inhumane: namely, that the cosmic intelligence operating throughout the biosphere is evidence of a super-earthly power, Sophia, manifesting within the boundaries of terrestrial life, Gaia. In Gnostic cosmology, Sophia is the name of an Aeon, a cosmic deity of female gender, who is initially seen in the company of the Pleroma, the gods of the galactic center. As such she is called the Aeon (pronounced A-on) Sophia.

Sophia Mythos The story of Sophia's plunge from the galactic core into the outer limbs is told in the Gaia Mythos, a reworking of the Gnostic creation-myth. This myth is unique in the way it accounts for the evolution of the solar system, the anomaly of the planet earth, the emergence of humanity in two biological genders at conflict with each other, the influence of predatory extrahuman forces on the human species, and the identity of Sophia with Gaia, the Magna Mater of the Mystery Schoos. See also Earth Goddess.

Sophianic principle, also called the Gaia-Sophia Principle. This principle asserts that the same intelligence that works in human instincts and supports our survival skills also enables us to act morally, to perform compassionate actions based on clear intentions. If our ethical and survival instincts are complementary, any division between them will threaten our survival and produce immoral (i.e., insane) behavior. Deep ecology, as formulated by Arne Naess and others, assumes the integrity of survival and ethical capacities, as does the ecological philosophy of Edward Goldsmith (The Way). Metahistory goes deeper into this issue by its challenge to beliefs and belief-systems (ideologies). It proposes that beliefs alienate us from their own experience, corrupt our sense of humanity, and undermine human potential. Because beliefs are the single most dangerous element in human reality, belief-change is the most radical strategy for personal liberation from social conditioning, and, by extension, large-scale improvement of social conditions.

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

Why does everybody hate Jesus?

2007-07-10T06:43:39Z

An interesting topic is on Krisha Consciousness tribe right now:

"All He did was lose Himself In Love. For You and Me...
When was the last time anyone died for you?
People just either LOVE or Hate Him...
Not so with Buddha Krishan Mohammad et al.
Why?
What did Jesus do to deserve this?
Oh yea I forgot He loved The lost and repentant Humble childlike that had ears to hear, and cursed all the "pious" self rightious vipers that stunk up the temples.

Which group are you in? "

Thought maybe some of you could check out the post and replies and share thoughts.

posted in Gnostic Way - 9 replies

The Gospel of Thomas 14

2007-07-09T13:27:11Z

14 1) Jesus said to them , "if you fast , you will bring sin upon yourself , 2) and if you pray , you will be condemned, 3) and if you give to charity , you will harm your spirits .

is this a false teaching .. ? or this is a hidden sayings .. ?

posted in Gnostic Way - 1 reply

Gnostic Celebration in New South Wales, Australia

2007-06-17T12:36:56Z

St Uriel's Day

Your local Gnostic community is celebrating its patron’s feast day in style at Glebe library on Friday June 22 from 7pm.
Join us for an evening of Gnostic liturgy and a talk about the St Uriel’s community and modern Gnosticism.
Friday, 22 June 2007
7pm Quiet meditation
Welcome
Logos Service

* opening
* readings
* address by Rev Mr Tim Mansfield
* peace greeting and blessing
* close

8pm Tea, coffee and conversation
9pm Farewell
Location

“Benledi” meeting room
Glebe Library
186 Glebe Point Road (cnr Wigram Road)
Glebe NSW 2037

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

I live in San Francisco

2007-05-17T08:28:46Z

and I thought this would be a good place to find interesting people in my area to talk to...

I mean, If you made it this far... which is to say a tribe with 400 members... than you must be pretty good to talk to in person...

and some of you have to live in the bay.

aslan

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

This way to yhe rabbit hole!

2007-05-06T21:04:09Z

http://thecompletefloweroflife.blogspot.com/

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

Gnostic Enlightenment

2007-04-05T22:24:25Z

What was the Gnostics sorce of Enlightenment? Does anyone out there know?

It seems the Gnostics were having visions is this true, and if so what was it that caused them. Can any one help with this question, or does anyone out there have any ideas about this.

posted in Gnostic Way - 6 replies

Gospel of Judas

2007-02-09T03:30:21Z

And the four gospels of the corporate church continue to unravel, we live in interesting times!
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/04/06/gospel.judas.ap/index.html

posted in Gnostic Way - 33 replies

Gnostic Gospels with Morton Stith

2007-02-02T23:23:49Z

This is a really good video of a lecture by retired professor Morton Stith. It's 45 minutes long and I found it posted on Google video. I have also posted a link to it on my profile.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5442289136094364151&q=gnostic&hl=en

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

Gnostic Holy Trinity

2007-01-25T02:32:46Z

I have been thinking about the Holy Trinity of the Christian religion lately and what this might mean or be about. Here are my thoughts:

The Trinity in my view is the Father (God, truth, creator), the Son (Christ, savior, the phallus) and the Holy Spirit (illusion, creation, the Goddess). The figure of Christ is God's alter ego that journeys from God into illusion and returns triumphant. The *we* that you imagine yourself to be, is in the position of the Goddess right now. We see ourselves as primarily being acted upon instead of doing the acting, or in other words *being screwed*. The Christ figure appears to you (and remember this is just imagery for a process of awakening that happens in you and may or may not be accompanied by an apparition at all) and opens his arms and says, "I love you, I am you and you are me". As you embrace him you realize that you always were him as the illusion that you were not him fades away. Then the illusion that you are separate from God fades away as well and your journey out of illusion is complete. This is an incredible journey that happens not once, but forever. In and out in and out in and out. Forever making Love.

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

THeGospel of the Unknown Jesus The Secret teachings of Jesus from the Apochryphal and GNostic Gospels By Hooper

2007-01-22T16:42:47Z

After puurchasing alot of books that seemed cryptic compared to this one it really opened my eyes as to the teachings being not literal but I got a taste of gnosis. Just a taste realizng that we dont have to take literally the gnostic and apocryphal teachings of Jesus. Also I noticed from reading Mead that there are pagan aspects to the scriptures as well. That joyed me because SOphia has come to me as an archteypal representative of the Divine Feminine in all her aspects of light and darkness. ANd after much torture over fundy past associations my eyes have finally opened unto these truths. I notice a distinctness for some reason to the deep truth outstretched to us in this book. If one has ears to hear and they are unclouded by surface sights and can intuitively glimpse it there is a distinct voice and it is not one telling us to renounce but to look deeper than we do into the things we percieve as so and as not so.....After all. Isnt heaven within and not without? BLessed be......Katherine

posted in Gnostic Way - 3 replies

+&We&= (Sirius-ley)

2007-01-22T07:53:36Z

We are that which we came here to do & when two or more are gathered in our name, We are there in the midst. You might remember Us from such scenarios as Heaven dawning on Earth, perhaps a few. Like mornings' crips colors shows' and blends', We have come during these times to assemble in the physical and remind ourselves' exactly what We came here to do, Once and for All. I am here now amongst you as We, together we can do this, and togather We shall, for the inEVEitable is at hand. Correlated as each other, luv times justice, equals the innerconnective biways and thriways that are the Happening Itself. Co-counterparts of a gathering We should be as so lucky as to invite ourselves to. Pyramids unlock and vision runs abundantly through i's that know We. Simply recall and dialup into the memory of databass that await you, like mother to child. Dancing in the boundless potentials that co-inside with the fact of what simply is, remains the presence that has waited for this since as long as We can remember... you remember... this all happening before, after, now, always, into the until, mmm hmm!~

~!Malkuth is to Kether what We are to That is to We!~
Open your local paper or turn on your television to see what We are not.
We am victory and as close as you bring We.
=Spread the Word=
~!PIECEs!~

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

John Lash's NOT IN HIS NAME - Gnostic Research Bombshell

2007-01-21T09:36:18Z

Hey all you neo-gnostics out there. Get off yer duff & shimmy over to Amazon & order Lash's book

NOT IN HIS NAME: Gnostic Vision, Sacred Ecology & the Future of Belief

Or check out his site at www.metahistory.org.

Gnostic studies will never be the same.

Be interesting to see some debate about it here...

Twist
eblips.net

posted in Gnostic Way - 1 reply

Hoc Opus

2007-01-01T13:28:37Z

Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Law.

I introduce IDIVIDI, an electronic post-shamanism salvinorin cult of cults in homage to Gnostic Luciferianism.

In The Beginning
The world wide web shall be the stomping grounds for this fledgling cult of cults. It shall begin on Tribe.net, and grow and spread as needed.

Cult Vessels
Each human vessel shall be a cult all in their own, and give name to it. Members of said cult are of non-form, entities created by the human vessel, where it is encouraged to grow the membership very large. All human vessels together form IDIVIDI, for we are and see many.

Rituals de Salvinorin
There is but one core ritual: Introduce large amounts of salvinorin into the human vessel. All are free to explore all variations.

---

Dear reader, you are forewarned that the simple act of joining IDIVIDI will cause changes in your experiences with salvinorin or Salvia divinorum. Changes that may not be to your liking. Make certain that IT IS your will to join.

Procedures for Joining:

Visit the IDIVIDI address (e.g., http://tribes.tribe.net/idividi ). Join IDIVIDI. A human vessel will shortly thereafter initiate you by transmitting your first intention. When you accept it, it shall then begin.

More details will follow in January of the new Gregorian year.

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

Gnostic church in Palo Alto CA

2006-12-29T00:30:43Z

Have any of you been to the Gnostic church in Palo Alto I will be going there fo the firs time. It is the only Gnostic church I have found in Cali, one of the first. It was started in the 1970 from a french branch that secretlly perpetuated Valintinian Gnostism in france through the midddel ages according to the Web page. Check it out.

http://www.gnosticsanctuary.org/index.html

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

Very good reads if you have the time

2006-12-24T19:58:15Z

* Gnostic: The Gospel of Thomas
* Gnostic: The Secret Book of James
* Gnostic: Basilides
* Gnostic: Naassene Fragment
* Gnostic: Gospel of Mary
* Gnostic: Dialogue of the Savior
* Gnostic: Gospel of the Savior
* Gnostic: Marcion
* Gnostic: Epiphanes
* Gnostic: Ophite Diagrams
* Gnostic: Ptolemy
* Gnostic: Gospel of Truth
* Gnostic: Excerpts of Theodotus
* Gnostic: Heracleon
* Gnostic: Acts of Peter
* Gnostic: Acts of Thomas

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

How I have come to Define Gnosticism.

2006-12-24T19:54:57Z

Though difficulties have arisen in offering a definition of Gnosticism; the model offered is adapted from Christoph Markschies' version, as described in 'Gnosis: An Introduction'.

Gnostic systems are typically marked by:

1. The notion of a remote, supreme and incomprehensible monadic divinity - this figure is known under a variety of names, including 'Pleroma' and 'Bythos' (Greek 'deep')

2. The introduction by emanation of further divine beings, which are nevertheless identifiable as aspects of the God from which they proceeded; the progressive emanations are often conceived metaphorically as a gradual and progressive distancing from the ultimate source, which brings about an instability in the fabric of the divine nature;

3. The subsequent identification of the Fall of Man as an occurrence with its ultimate foundations within divinity itself, rather than as occurring either entirely or indeed partially through human agency; this stage in the divine emanation is usually enacted through the recurrent Gnostic figure of Sophia (Greek 'Wisdom'), whose presence in a wide variety of Gnostic texts is indicative of her central importance;

4. The introduction of a distinct creator god, who is named as in the Platonist tradition demiurgos.
Evidence exists that the conception of the demiurge has derivation from figures in Plato's Timaeus and Republic. In the former, the demiurge is the benevolent creator of the universe from pre-existent matter, to whose limitations he is enthralled in creating the cosmos; in the latter, the description of the leontomorphic 'desire' in Socrates' model of the psyche bears a strong resemblance to descriptions of the demiurge as being in the shape of the lion.
Elsewhere this figure is called 'Ialdabaoth', 'Samael' (Aramaic sæmʕa-ʔel, 'blind god') or 'Saklas' (Syriac sækla, 'the foolish one'), who is sometimes ignorant of the superior God, and sometimes opposed to it; thus in the latter case he is correspondingly malevolent.
The demiurge typically creates a group of coactors named 'Archons', who preside over the material realm and, in some cases, present obstacles to the soul seeking ascent from it;

5. The estimation of the world, owing to the above, as flawed or a production of 'error' but nevertheless as good as its constituent material might allow. This world is typically an inferior simulacrum of a higher-level reality or consciousness. The inferiority may be compared to the technical inferiority of a painting, sculpture, or other handicraft to the thing(s) those crafts are supposed to be a representation of. In certain other cases it is also perceived as evil and constrictive, a deliberate prison for its inhabitants;

6. The explanation of this state through the use of a complex mythological-cosmological drama in which a divine element 'falls' into the material realm and lodges itself within certain human beings; from here, it may be returned to the divine realm through a process of awakening. It may be noted that the salvation of the individual thus mirrors a concurrent restoration of the divine nature; a central Gnostic innovation was to elevate individual redemption to the level of a cosmically significant event;

7. Knowledge of a specific kind as a central factor in this process of restoration, achieved through the mediation of a redeemer figure (Christ, or, in other cases, Seth or Sophia).

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

Poem

2006-12-22T12:02:03Z

Let the Gno run so deep into your databass, and flow with the angels into eternities dawn, abruptly so. Appear before the Highest, and council yourself into the Family. Guide your heart by lights design and refract time back onto itself, 8 times forever. There in the Bridal Chamber, walk with your brothers and sisters of Light and become Tomarrow, Today!~

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

GoT saying 42

2006-12-19T07:23:29Z

Dear Friends:

Here is the saying we have taken into our meditations and prayers since last week:

(42) Jesus said, "Become passers-by."

http://www.webcom.com/gnosis/naghamm/gthlamb.html

Please share your thoughts and feelings.

Peace,

4W

posted in Gnostic Way - 5 replies

The Tree of Good & Evil

2006-12-15T00:00:35Z

Many Gnostics like to consider the Tree of Good and Evil within a different context than Orthodoxy usually considers it. I've heard many diverse views. Some describe the Tree of Good and Evil as an ambiguous thing, a Tree from which one could eat and find a Tree of Life, and at other times find a Tree of Death.

Some Gnostics have contemplated an interpretation akin to the Zohar, which proposes that the sin of Adam and Eve wasn't that they ate of the tree, but that they ate in immaturity. Now, whether the tree was immature, or Adam and Eve were immature, or both, is ambiguous in this context. Some passages from the Zohar seem to imply that Adam and Eve ARE the Tree of Good and Evil.

Other schools say this directly about Sophia Zoe. These schools propose that the Tree of Good and Evil a necessary transmission, and that Eve was acting as the agent of Pistis Sophia, or Sophia Zoe. The "God" that didn't want Adam and Eve to eat of this tree was the Demiurge in this context, and it is the Demiurge, not the true God, who kicks Adam and Eve out of the Garden and places a guardian at the gate, not the true God.

Each view is equally interesting, and I think there are profound teachings behind each view. There are many others that I haven't mentioned, mainly because I wanted to leave some room for different perspectives and intepretations.

One thing seems to be common to Gnostics, I think, though. That is that this Tree is a central symbol to Gnostics and their perspective of this Tree seems to outline much of the rest of their perspectives on Gnosticism.

So what are some other Gnostic perspectives on The Tree of Good & Evil?

posted in Gnostic Way - 28 replies

Meditation on the TREE of Knowledge etc

2006-12-06T00:04:31Z

I was encouraged to meditate on the symbol of the tree with a serpent climbing up with a male form on one side and female on the other.

I had a little present once with a quote from a saint I believe

BE THOU WISE AS A SERPENT AND GENTLE AS A DOVE

Well the symbol also has a DOVE at the top of the tree!

What I came to understand was that by uniting the Male and the female energies or divine energies within that of Mother mater matter and that of the holy father
you bring the spiritual to the material and unite the material to the spiritual.

the energies from the top most point on the tree of kabbala descends to the supernal; mother binah.

When we are truly in balance with our whole and HOLY parents then we shall be Whole Beings. I take that to mean that we shall not be judging what is good or bad right or wrong but we shall do the things that are TRUE to OURSELF. Not how we should like to be or think we ought to be or want others to see us as.

How often do we say we will be more honest truthful and then behave in the opposite and then be unsettled with our little selves. Or argue with our own self in two minds or between heart and head. This is our insanity!!

BUT to BE WHOLE in our thoughts words and actions is to be truely congruent. AND perhaps to truly find the LOVE and PEACE WITHIN.

Ah one can dream!!!!!

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

Gnostics, please help

2006-11-03T10:35:09Z

“The thought of Jesus being stripped, beaten and derided until his final agony on the cross should always prompt a Christian to protest against similar treatment of their fellow beings. Of their own accord, disciples of Christ will reject torture, which nothing can justify, which causes humiliation and suffering to the victim and degrades the tormentor.”
--Pope John Paul II

You are invited to join a new tribe dedicated to completely ending the United States of America's unconstitutional and immoral practice of and collusion in torture.

http://tribes.tribe.net/stopalltorture

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

Gnostic Children

2006-10-13T14:38:56Z

I was just wondering....We have so many excellent books and sites on Gnostic Faiths but I haven't heard of any that would help our youngsters. I have two and they really want to learn more yet most of these books are a bit too much for them. Are there any out there that are a bit more towards a child or teenager? Any input would be nice......

posted in Gnostic Way - 7 replies

what book would you recommend

2006-08-30T06:11:33Z

if i were to ask you a question about gnostic belifes, what book would you recommend that would explain (in general) enuff so that i might have a better understanding?

posted in Gnostic Way - 19 replies

I believe

2006-08-15T16:51:11Z

HAPPY LLAMA LLAMA TUESDAY everyone!

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

The Gospel of Thomas, by David F. Capps - Now Online

2006-07-11T06:51:27Z

Hello. :-)

I recently created a website for the book The Gospel of Thomas: A Blueprint for Spiritual Growth by David F. Capps. It contains the unabridged (complete) version of the paperback book. This way anyone with an Internet connection can access the Gnostic teachings on this site for free.

Feel free to check it out if you wish. You may also link up to our site and otherwise pass this information on to others if you're interested.

Please copy-and-paste the link if necessary.

www.maxpages.com/gospelofthomas

If you have any problems with the website, please let me know.

The Gospel of Thomas: A Blueprint for Spiritual Growth by David F. Capps (book summary):

In this book, David gives his spiritual insight into the inner meanings of the 114 sayings of Jesus as written down by Didymos Judas Thomas. The information he presents is remarkably clear and easy to understand. He reveals how Jesus was explaining to his disciples an inner path that led to full enlightenment.

Instead of focusing our efforts on the world or on controlling others in order to gain meaning and satisfaction (basically gratifying our egos), Jesus shows us that the road to true happiness and fulfillment comes through the gradual process of self-discovery and eliminating everything that prevents us from experiencing the full presence of God.

The exercises David presents at the end of the book give us a useful path into attaining gnosis - knowledge, wisdom, and insight that comes from the direct experience of God, as well as transforming our emotions from fear- and pride-based to love-based.

As David says in his book (the bottom of pg. 56), "Living in the presence of God is the single most powerful and transforming experience in life. You cannot go through that experience and not become a beautiful person within."

I posted a review of this book that further discusses its contents. If you wish to check it out, it's in the blog section of my MySpace profile.

The title of the blog is "This is what I've been searching for my whole life! :-D"

Take care and God bless you.

Kevin Elliott
The Gnostic Wisdom Foundation

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

good news

2006-07-08T17:54:49Z

gospel literally means 'good news.'

it seems to me that the original message of Christ and his students, or at least one of the prominent messages, was the good news that human beings could achieve the Christ Consciousness, that is, operate in and through this illusion world as spiritual masters like Jesus, if they knew the proper way to do spiritual work and were willing to do it. "all these works I've done, you will do and greater."

I'm wondering, between all the discussions of this kind of dualism and that kind of monism, this kind of gnosticism and that set of teachings about Jesus, is anyone achieving this state? learning exactly the soul mechanisms that enable a person to embody the Christ energy, the Christ message, the Christ light?

isn't that, ultimately, what we're doing here?

Alx

posted in Gnostic Way - 8 replies

The Paraphrase of Shem

2006-07-07T06:07:34Z

Friends,

The Paraphrase of Shem is an interesting document included in the Nag Hammadi texts. This Shem is to be understood as the same Shem that was the son of Noah, who is often considered to be Melchizedek. It presents a cosmology not unlike that in the first chapter of the Gospel of John, and a kind of Gnostic Trinity.

Here are the first paragraphs:

"[The] paraphrase which was about the unbegotten Spirit.

"What Derdekea< s> revealed to me, Shem, 5 according to the will of the Majesty. My thought which was in my body snatched me away from my race. It took me up to the top of the world, 10 which is close to the light that shone upon the whole area there. I saw no earthly likeness, but there was light. And my thought separated 15 from the body of darkness as though in sleep.

"I heard a voice saying to me, Shem, since you are from an unmixed power 20 and you are the first being upon the earth, hear and understand what I shall say to you first concerning the great powers who were in existence in the beginning, before 25 I appeared. There was Light and Darkness and there was Spirit between them. Since your root fell into forgetfulness – he who was 30 the unbegotten Spirit – I reveal to you the truth about the powers. The Light was thought full of hearing and word. They were 35 united into one form. And the Darkness was 2 wind in waters. He possessed the mind wrapped in a chaotic fire. And the Spirit between them 5 was a gentle, humble light. These are the three roots. They reigned each in themselves, alone. And they covered each other, each one with 10 its power."

http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/para_shem.html

I find this statement very interesting: "Shem, since you are from an unmixed power and you are the first being upon the earth...." My first inclination was to interpret this as equating Shem with Adam. In the esoteric tradition I follow, prior to the fall Adam is one with Christ. After the fall, Adam is in the state of separation and fragmentation, incarnating through countless "individual" lives. Shem/Melchizedek is one of those lives, and in this text we get an account of what he experienced that revealed to him his true nature and how the fall happened.

Peace,
Griffin

posted in Gnostic Way - 1 reply

Who/What was Jesus?

2006-07-04T08:11:32Z

Dear Friends,

In another post, Corrie made reference to the reported claim of Jesus that he is the way, the truth and the life, and that none come to the Father but through him. Corrie is right that a claim like that begs one to form an understanding of what he meant. On the one hand, when taken literally, and outside the context of other things he is reported to have said, it seems to be a declaration of absolute spiritual superiority and authority. That interpretation has been used by popular Christianity to fuel attitudes of elitism, intolerance, and hatred.

Consider these excerpts from the Gospel of John.

John 5:30 "I can do nothing on my own authority; as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of Him who sent me."

5:31 "If I bear witness to myself, my testimony is not true."

6:38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me."

7:16 "My teaching is not mine, but His who sent me. "

10:30 "I and the Father are one."

10:34 "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, you are gods'?"

12:44 "He who believes in me, believes not in me but in Him who sent me."

14:16 "I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever."

16:7 "It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you."

So who or what was Jesus?

Peace,
Griffin

posted in Gnostic Way - 38 replies

The historical Jesus?

2006-07-03T15:27:56Z

May of us feel a poweful desire for an actual historical Jesus. For a lot of Christians, a historical Jesus is required in order to find any truth, meaning or value in their religion.

So far it seems that most scholars, whether Christian or not, work within the model that Jesus was an actual historical person who is more or less accurately portrayed in the New Testament.

But not all scholars agree. http://www.thegodmovie.com

I haven't seen the DVD they are promoting at this site, but it looks interesting. I wonder if it contains any new questions about the historical validity of the New Testament? If anyone has seen it, I'd welcome your review.

Peace,
Griffin

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

What do you "know"?

2006-07-02T04:43:01Z

Dear Friends:

We use the word "knoweldge" very loosely in common language.

Here is something of what I "know":

I know life and consciousness.

Through life and consciousness I know that I perceive a multitude of different sensations for which I have many names: soft, hard, smooth, rough, light, dark, blue, red, quiet, loud, short, long, painful, pleasant, etc.

I know that I group many of these sensations together under various names: you, me, society, sky, tree, computer, book, word, thought, feeling.

There is much complexity in this knowing, and it includes experiences that I group together under names like love, fear, suffering, joy, anxiety, and peace.

I know that I have names for two broad categories of experience - inner and outer. I know that sometimes, as in the moment of experiences I call "visions," "dreams" or "deja vu," I can't distinguish much if any difference between inner and outer. It is often only after the experience that I am able to place it one of those categories. Through knowing all the "internal" processes that happen in conjenction with "external" events, and vice versa, I have come to also know that these categories are convenient abstractions, each so interconnected with the other as to be nothing more than slightly different perspectives of an inseperable unity.

Within this unity I know that I experience "others," speaking with them and reading what they have written. When they tell me of what they experience, I know that I form judgments about the degree to which I trust that what they say is accurate. At this point I know that I am no longer just knowing, but now I am also on a continuum of belief/disbelief, which itself involves a contiuum of understanding/misunderstanding.

I know that a huge amount of the thoughts and feelings I experience are on this continuum of belief/disbelief. I know that sometimes my experience and judgment of something on this continuum is so trusting and assured that I call it "knowledge" out of convenience.

I know that I do not truly "know" much about a physical person I call Jesus that I believe lived some 2000 years ago. One thing I certainly know - and this is getting into the knowledge I call "gnosis" - the Spirit that I experience through his story and his words is the same Spirit of life and consciousness that is the beginning of everything else I know and believe. Because I know that Spirit, I know the infinite love and wisdom that I believe he spoke about. There are times in meditation and prayer when I experience that Spirit as a Holy Other with whom I am deeply in love and feel deeply loved by It. But beyond that, there are also times when "I" am so lost in that Spirit that there simply is nothing else. For this reason, I know that what I experience as a separate "me" (separate from the Spirit of all life and consciousness) is itself something akin to a convenient abstraction.

There is much more about Jesus and the Spirit that I desire to experience and understand, but that's what I know.

Peace,
Griffin

posted in Gnostic Way - 1 reply

personal gnosis

2006-06-27T14:25:59Z

per Deenas suggestion, this is a thread for folks to discuss and free-write about the phrase 'personal gnosis' - I kind of have a basic idea of what it is , but Id be very appreciative to here others outlay their thoughts and knowledge of the concept.

posted in Gnostic Way - 22 replies

Unitarian vs. Trinitarian

2006-06-26T05:43:31Z

Friends:

Here is some excellent analysis of John 1:3 -

http://biblicalunitarian.com/html/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=86

This is just one example among many of how the Greek New Testament has been interpolated into English to support a particular theological view.

Peace,
Griffin

posted in Gnostic Way - 2 replies

Book List?

2006-06-17T23:04:06Z

I just finished Beyond Belief by Elaine Pagels, and now I am working on The Gnostic Gospels. Is there a book list available that I can work my way through?

Background: I am a gay male, recovering fundamentalist trying to divest myself of the psycho-religious abuse that happened to me growing up in the Evangelical Free Church (Turlock, CA). I was looking at pictures of myself as a child today and I realized that all of those years being force fed Christianity basically was killing my soul. (I used to be such a happy child...sigh) Now - through therapy and my I-Group with the mankind project, I am coming out of the darkness. But it's not easy. I don't know if I am ready to give up Jesus as (pardon the Christian-ese) Savior, but I do want to explore the additional gospels and open up my mind to truth that may have been hidden from me. Thanks, Drucifer

posted in Gnostic Way - 3 replies

Gnostic Practice

2006-06-14T16:18:42Z

Hello all,

I've been reading the new book, Gnosticism, by Dr. Stephan A. Hoeller, Bishop of the Ecclesia Gnostica. It's a very comprehensive introduction to the subject, and I highly recommend it.

In last night's reading, I was moved by Hoeller's insistance that gnosticism isn't just an intellectual philosophy, it is a religion with spiritual practices like ritual various forms of meditation, including prayer. Of course, it's clear that such practices vary significantly from one group or individual to another.

The important thing to me is the insistence that gnosticism without practice isn't really gnostic. What makes gnosticism gnostic is gnosis, which is a profound inner knowing that is not accomplished through the usual intellectual and emotional processes of philosophy and most mainstream religion. To a large extent, what you think and what you believe isn't as important as the other things you do with your consciousness. By the way, we could substitute the word "mystic" for "gnostic" in all of that and it would be just as true.

This leads me to reflect upon our work with the Gospel of Thomas. This is actually a spiritual practice to the extent that we are each taking these sayings deeply into our hearts in meditation and prayer on a routine basis. We're doing spiritual work on a number of levels here, but one thing some of us may not be getting much of is any kind of ritual to accompany it. So I'd like to offer a very simple little Christ based ritual that anyone can use, without having to commit to any particular doctrinal views.

In the eastern portion of the place where you meditate/pray, light a single candle. As you light it, say with sincereity and feeling, something like this: "The true Light, which enlightens everyone that comes into the world."

Standing and facing east, with the candle in front of you, cross yourself in the style of the Roman Catholic or Orthodox Church, imagining a golden cross of light forming within your body, its crux at your heart. Feel its presence within you. Then place your hands together as you would for prayer, saying with sincerity and feeling something like this: "May I comprehend the Light that shines in the darkness."

Then proceed as you normally would for prayer or meditation. When you are done, stand up and cross yourself again, saying a spontaneous prayer of thanks.

To end the ritual, snuff out the candle, saying something like: "It is finished."

By the way, if you don't like the symbolism of the cross, just place your hands together and imagine your heart glowing with warm golden light. The appropriate feeling to stimulate in yourself during these specific moments is a sense of compassion with inner peace and harmony.

Peace,
Griffin

posted in Gnostic Way - 11 replies

Authority

2006-06-07T07:47:37Z

Authority is an interesting concept, especially when taken into spirituality. What determines authority? I am reminded in reading and looking at our world of many of the games that my college professors had to play to keep their jobs. Many were burnt out with the games, yet were locked into playing them for the rest of their careers, and you could tell that many were tired of it. One of my professors, an “authority” on Milton, was haggard, on his second wife, and his daughter, who was a student of his and a peer of mine, hated and despised him. I watched him, hunched over his podium, looking over at eager students, bored students, a spiteful daughter and all the range in-between and anyone in the room could tell he was sick of it.

His life consisted of constantly arguing his point of view. He had to refer to his sources based in history, archeology, other texts, mythology of the time, culture of the time, and so on and so forth. He was always defending his interpretation of the text against those whose interpretations differed. It was an on-going game, and ultimately, who the heck really knew? He had become invested in a perspective, an interpretation, and his career depended upon his BEING RIGHT.

Others might well be right, others might well be wrong, but the fact that debates were on-going demonstrated the uncertainty. Plus, several literary theorists such as Derridah and the Post-Modernist movements were shaking the whole thing up, proposing the “right” was just a matter of perspective and that everything was relative. Post Modernists went so far as to shift the center to the reader, giving the text a life of it’s own, communicating with the reader independent of the author. With all of this going on, academics still have to prove they are RIGHT and fight to maintain it. This is the backdrop of our concepts of “authority”.

Here’s the problem with mysticism, however. Mystics can’t prove jack. There isn’t a mystic who was ever alive who was able to “prove” God existed. Shoot, for all we know Moses went up there on the mountain to take a nap and came back with a bunch of stories that he made up as he went along. The experience of the mystic is ultimately just about that, the mystic’s experience. One mystic who experiences one thing, and has certain revelations can never really negate another mystic having a different experience with a different set of revelations, because it's based, ultimately on a subjective experience. Which begins to undermine our concepts of authority. Who is right?

Ultimately, many Gnostics would argue that it is ultimately about presence and power in a person’s experience. If a person can manifest the presence and power of Goddess/God, can shift one’s center of name and form to the divine I AM or Enlightenment Experience at will, then what more is it about? Prove what? If one abides in the source of all satisfaction, what more is there to be gained by proving it?

Some people will find that certain methods are able to help them enact this or move distinctly towards unfolding this experience within themselves, while other methods don’t work for them. So what? Does that mean that one method is wrong and another is right? The Buddha taught several different methods, Tantra, Vajrayana, Mantrayana, Hinayana and so forth, each method for different practitioners with different temperaments. Many Gnostics would propose that Jesus did the same thing with his disciples.

Perhaps there are different veins of the Western light-transmission, with different methods for different temperaments. We’ve all heard of so many traditions, the Rosacrutians, the Templars, the Cathars, the Illuminati and so on and so forth. Some people might try to link them up, and perhaps they do link up historically with Jesus, perhaps some arose spontaneously. But the one’s that are alive with the Holy Spirit come from the same source, this Pleuroma of Light. Those that are dead, are dead, and no matter how “right” they are in a debate, this will not “fix” their emptiness.

So the question arises, from where do we derive our “authority”? From the Pleuroma of Light who speaks the truth of one’s experience or intuition in vulnerability and without contrivance, or from the Demiurge of ignorance that deceives by beating others into submission in order to demonstrate it’s power and “authority”?

I think these are important questions to ask ourselves as we reach out to one another with this new Gnostic movement and begin to sort out our experiences and educate ourselves and one-another in the Gnostic movement. I think it is important not to fall into the traps of the old paradigms of HOW knowledge is discussed and disseminated, for I think this is a crucial element in the formation and generation of any light transmission. In fact, I think that sometimes the HOW of it's dissemination may be MORE important than the content!

posted in Gnostic Way - 4 replies

Gnostic Hermeneutics

2006-06-05T17:30:15Z

Hermeneutics has to do with the methodological principles applied to the interpretation of scripture. In Kabbalah, there are four traditional levels of understanding scripture, symbolized by the word "Pardes", which means "garden" or "orchard".

"Pardes" is used as an acronym. P stands for "peshat," the simple or literal meaning of the text; R for "remez," the hints and allusions within the text for ways that it might be more meaningful, especially in terms of morality; D for "dresh," the derivative implications of the text, how it relates to other texts in a way that provides deeper meaning to all of them, as well as how it may speak in the context of one's own life; and S for "sod", the hidden mystical, or genuinely gnostic meaning of the text, one which is experienced through direct spiritual intuition and inspires deeper insight and appreciation at the other levels.

The kind of gnostic exegesis that we see people like Valentinus doing is apparently in the dresh catergory because there was an oral tradition in which aspirants were taught how to "read between the lines" and interpret the symbolism of scripture in a particular way. Some might say this is actually part of sod because sod literally means "secret" or "hidden", however, the truly secret and hidden cannot be taught. One can teach another how to open up to it, one can tell another about his or her experience of it, but the real *meaning* of the sod level is in the experience of it.

Peace,
Griffin

posted in Gnostic Way - 2 replies

Spiritual Forces

2006-06-05T17:27:37Z

In Gnosticism, there is often a dialogue on Spiritual Forces. While many call Paul the father of Orthodoxy, many Gnostics see him as a Gnostic who got idealistically "kidnapped" by Orthodoxy. Either way, he writes something interesting in Ephesians:

Ephesians 6:12, "12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

I'm curious what thoughtful and wonderfully diverse views our Gnostic community here might have about this passage.

posted in Gnostic Way - 10 replies

The Gnostic Paul

2006-06-05T15:30:31Z

I've just started reading The Gnostic Paul by Elaine Pagels. This book is essentially a Valentinian exegesis of selected letters - Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galations, Ephisians, Phillipians, Colossians, and Hebrews. You can read a few pages of the introduction at Amazon.com.

Pagels sets the stage well by explaining that the antignostic exegeses of Paul, which became the basis of popular Christianity, was in competition with the gnostic view. The Valentinian Gnostics held that Valentinus was a direct student of Theudas, who was a direct student of Paul. They claimed that Paul taught a secret doctrine that required such direct transmission.

Pagels advises caution in accepting the Valentinians' position without reservation, but she also seems to lean heavily in the direction of considering it valid. Really, I don't think it's all that much of a stretch to conclude that the Valentinians were telling the truth, especially since Paul's language is itself so gnostic in character. My personal experience with Paul is that it was only when I started studying mysticism and gnosticism that a lot of his teachings started to make real sense (the doctrine of the "elect" for example). But the antignostic theologians claim, rather awkwardly, that Paul's use of gnostic language was intended to turn the gnostics back to the antignostic view of salvation.

Pagels suggests that it is best to read Paul as one who was intentionally trying to speak to two different audiences at the same time. On the one hand he had a public message about the doctrine of salvation by faith in the risen Jesus, while on the other had there was a secret transmission to those who were "chosen". With the secret keys one has the eyes to see and ears to hear the gnostic teachings between the lines of his letters. She then goes on to demonstrate how to do just that in a way that is based upon the works of Valentinian scholars of the 2nd century, using the seven letters that the earliest theologians agreed were actually attributable to Paul.

Pagels also has a similar book on the Gospel of John, but I haven't yet acquired it.

Peace,
Griffin

posted in Gnostic Way - 2 replies

The People of "The Way"

2006-06-01T03:42:05Z

Check out this new tribe:
http://tribes.tribe.net/thevoice

Please join and we will discuss the teachings of Jesus. This tribe is not just for christians or jews, the message of "The Way" is universal and for all peoples.

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

Gnostic Blogs

2006-05-27T01:29:41Z

Gnosticism has spawned a whole new breed of progressive thinkers who are taking over the blogosphere and infiltrating the fabric of society. This is not your Daddy's Gnosticism. These guys and girls are redefining the religious debate in this country and around the world.

Fantastic Planet
http://www.snant.com/fp/

Future Hi
http://www.futurehi.net/

Pop Occulture
http://www.timboucher.com/journal/

TaoGnostic
http://taognostic.org/

Dodging Invisible Rays
http://www.paulinekilar.com/weblog/

Gnostic Friends Network
http://www.enemies.com/blog/

posted in Gnostic Way - 4 replies

Gnostic Christianity is "Breaking Out"!!!

2006-05-25T17:08:50Z

An interview in the "San Francisco Gate" with a Gnostic Tau:

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/g/a/2006/05/22/findrelig.DTL

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

Gospel of Judas - Content Discussion

2006-05-24T06:11:47Z

The Gospel of Judas opens with the following:

INTRODUCTION: INCIPIT

The secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke
in conversation with Judas Iscariot during a week
three days before he celebrated Passover.

To Sophian Gnostics, this is a gospel distinctly about the transference of consciousness into a body of light, and the opening reveals this, mystically. As most who read mystical texts such as the Zohar know, the mystic's view of scripture is that numbers, days and such are considered mystical "code". The "code" given here would point to the Sophian view of this text. The week here, from a Sophian view, would point to the seven interior stars, and the three days to the triplicity of the transcendent sephirot, or the transcendent principles beyond the seventh star, Ain, Ain Soph and Ain Soph Aur in Kabbalah. The point that it occurs on passover, again makes this point, since Jesus' ministry transformed the whole idea of Exodus from a worldly, historical event, into a personal event, which is what we see as a direct reference to the transference of consciousness.

The Exodus comparison to a personal experience, is actually an ancient Kabbalist's view, and the Jesus story simply develops this old Kabbalistic idea. For more on the classical Judaic view on Exodus and passover, see "Kabbalah and Exodus" by Z'ev ben Shimon Halevi.

posted in Gnostic Way - 4 replies

PhiloSophia

2006-05-23T00:00:28Z

Greetings All~~~

I would just like to post some thoughts on philosophy and my experiences with Gnosis. If anyone has had anything similar happen, plz post so.

I believe that the the concept of philosophy orginate with gnosis and then got hidden, so to speak. After an awakening experience I had where i merged with the bridal chamber, I was taught to download from the One Mind/Light and telepathiclly instructed by it, of the concept of gnosis and of the style of Christs teachings. What I learned was that Christ/Early Gnostics were so connected to Sophia, that they didn't need large concepts to explain things. One small sentence composed of only a few words, sometimes one and two word concepts, can be very powerful if used in the proper way. Christ was a child, who would schooled the Church, and is a metaphor for us. My friend has a hunder year old bible and its sooo awesome, btw. Very little dogma. In it, it shows Christ as a child in town square and alllll these church people with all their bibles all frustrated and he is SIMPLY pointing to a mans gold with one hand, and pointing to his heart with the other, all while looking him straight in the eyes, fully illuminated by gnosis. This is my theory...

I believe the early gnostics were so tuned in, that some of them sacrificed themselves to be part of the Church and work their way up, as to have some say in what text where chosen for the Bible and to instill backward concepts so they may be kept protected over time. The bright mourning star and evening star is Venus, The Goddess/Sophia. Then later in Rev. it said the mourning star is the devil. Hmmmmm. The philosophy of gnosis has been kept highly secret but what lies beneath is an ocean of information, stemming from connection and communication with the Divine itself. Its all about the puzzles. If any of you get a chance, take some psychedelics and sit down with a friend and start to play with one, two and three word concepts. Such as making a circle out of ONESONESON and 8ternity 8-itself. There is sooo much we could all be discussing but no one Gnos. The secret is the Solar Plexus. Through this chakra, all gnoing is available. I've learned theres is two ways to merge with God. There is the Crown, where you experience Heavens Legions, and there is the Solar Plexus merge which is like a shortcut to the crown, by pure gnoing. I can now look into a mirror and focus on my Third Eye and slowly stop my ego and watch my crown open and find/lose myself into the One. Just throwing this out here to see what yall think~ Blessed Be~~~~

With In,
Z

posted in Gnostic Way - 1 reply

reaching fundamentalists

2006-05-22T23:57:14Z

hello! glad I found this tribe. It seems kind of dead in here. I come from a 'born-again' stream.. thats how I was orignally iniitiated, well I guess it starts before there in episcipalian church .. then I went to the Catholic church, deepened in that doctrine, to find born-again churches, and then deepened in that search .. to .. uh.. be here. just groovin in the journey.

For whatever reason, and maybe its all ego, I have this urge to add to break through to the hard-edge fundamentalists that get really caught up in the literal world of the NKJV Bible. I suppose its all a very personal discovery, I dont know, any words on this?

posted in Gnostic Way - 9 replies

Fiction vs. Fear ( Christians Cashing in on DaVinci Code )

2006-05-20T01:10:30Z

I received this in my inbox today from a close family member. I receive emails like this near daily. Let me just say first and formost I have nothing against christianity and I hold my own personal beliefs, including those of christianity... but this kind of rhetoric just infuriates me to no end...... Infact, how do you respond to something like this to a close member of your family?

*email begins*

The movie The Da Vinci Code staring Tom Hanks, directed by Ron Howard will soon be released in the first part of this year. This movie will have the potential to deceive billions of the worlds population. The story line attacks the very heart of the Gospel and attempts to destroy the very nature and character of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

1
Why do the nations rage?
Why do the people waste their time with futile plans?

2
The kings of the earth prepare for battle;
the rulers plot together
against the LORD
and against his anointed one. Psalm 2:1-2 (New Living Translation)

Satan knows his time is about up and now he will attempt to take one of his best shots by enlisting all of hell to belch out its worse deception in that of stripping Jesus Christ of His Divine nature and turning him into a mere man who secretly marries Mary Magdalene. To add insult to injury the story depicts the idea that certain shadowy Christian groups for 2,000 years have purposely and secretly hidden this so called fact behind the scenes and thus it is finally revealed in a coded message buried in Leonardo Da Vinci's painting. Even the movie trailer for this story presents it as the truth finally revealed about Jesus! (this is just what the Islamic Fascists need to give added credence to their bloody, destructive campaign of global terror!)

It is time for Christians (the Body of Christ) everywhere to rise up and expose this lie from the pit of hell that will be perpetuated on the whole world in just a couple of short months. This is no time to back down in the day of battle. It is a time to pray and fast like never before that God will raise up a standard against the enemy as he comes in like a flood. Satan always overplays his hand and once again he is about to overplay it big time because as usual he overplays it right into God's plan to present the truth to the whole world.

14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then, finally, the end will come. Matthew 24:14 (New Living Translation)

Oswald Chambers states in his timeless writing My Utmost For His Highest "Our calling is not primarily to be holy men and women but to be proclaimers of the Gospel of God. The one all-important thing is that the Gospel of God should be recognized as the abiding reality. Yet we have to ask ourselves today when this abiding reality comes under direct attack who will defend it? The answer can only be that those of us who have been transformed by its truth for eternity will and must defend it here and now."

Pray that Christian lay people, prayer leaders, writers, pastors, and all those in Christian media outlets will get the message out and expose this deception of hell and reveal the lie this movie will present before it ever hits the theaters.

We can only say about Tom Hanks & Ron Howard, Father forgive them for they know not what they do, but to the enemy of the cross we can only declare to him, go ahead take your best shot because your time is up and you will soon be cast into the lake of fire.

E-mail this on to everyone you know (don't delete, give it feet) and lets expose this lie for what it is because the hour is late and much later than we think.

(Also for more research on the web a good start would be at a website called The Da Vinci Code Hoax as well as other sites exposing this fraud)

This is serious....non-believers everywhere are in danger of believing a lie!

*end of email*

posted in Gnostic Way - 15 replies

Are they any Cathars left?

2006-05-17T03:48:49Z

By 1215, the Council of Lateran established the Inquisition. During the next 50 years the toll of those killed by this infamous arm of the Roman Catholic Church climbed close to one million, more than in all of the other crusades against heresies combined.

This was the first time Catholics went to "war" with Catholics. Why did that Roman Church hate the Cathars so much? What was it that they kept in secret?

posted in Gnostic Way - 5 replies

NewGospels.net project proposed

2006-05-14T21:30:45Z

Hello Gnostic Way members, I am considering creating a new project and website called:
NewGospels.net
and have the domain already. This site would contain extensive excerpts of the newly discovered gospels such as those from Nag Hammadi, the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary Magdalene and the newly published Gospel of Judas. The site would also support discussion as a Wiki. I really hope I can find some help from some of you out there to set up and support this. We have servers to host things but I lack understanding of Wikis and need help moderating such a large topic.

So what you do y'all thing? NewGospels.net anyone?

Bruce

posted in Gnostic Way - 1 reply

Revelations and Tibetan Book of the Dead

2006-05-08T15:51:04Z

I have always liked to compare these two books, as I think they reflect the same experience in consiousness, but one from an Eastern point of view, the other a Western. The peaceful, blissful and wrathful emanations are sometimes frighteningly similar in each.

What are others thoughts on this?

posted in Gnostic Way - 2 replies

Personal God or Impersonal Principle of Being?

2006-04-18T16:01:34Z

I once heard a debate of sorts between a Christian and a Buddhist. They were discussing the nature of the Ultimate, beginning at what seemed to be a classic empasse: The Christian spoke of the Ultimate as a personal God, and the a-theistic Buddhist spoke of the Ultimate as the impersonal principle of Being that gives rise to all things, yet is not contained by all things.

In their dialog, the Christian typically asserted that God is all-knowing, all-powerful and all-loving.

The Buddhist countered that if this is so, then God would be impossible for a human being to understand, that God must also be all-mysterious. The Christian agreed, yet held that while God could not be understood, God could still be experienced as the great mystery of life itself.

The Buddhist smiled, apparently thinking that he now had the upper hand in the debate. He asked the Christian how, if God is all-mysterious, one could rightly refer to God as "personal"?

The Christian said he had two responses: First, he clarified that when the most informed theologians speak of God as a person, or a trinity of three persons, they know they are speaking in a metaphor that only addresses ways that God can be experienced by human beings. Second, he said that since we are persons, it only makes sense that one of the most powerful and meaningful ways of experiencing God is as a person too. So, while speaking of God as a person may be understood to be nothing but a metaphor, speaking of one's experience with God as a personal relationship is entirely fitting.

Well, the Buddhist furrowed his brow for a moment, looking like a chess player trying to salvage his gambit from an unexpected move. Suddenly he looked up with an idea. He said that if experiencing God as a person is only a way of experiencing the Ultimate, then wouldn't a purer, simpler way to experience the Ultimate be as the impersonal principle of Being?

The Christian asked if the Buddhist was one who thinks of the Ultimate as beyond all oppositions and thus Non-Dual. The Buddhist said that he did.

Then the Christian said that if we are going to regard the Ultimate as Non-Dual, then it is just as inaccurate to speak of It as impersonal as to speak of It as personal. He said that personal and impersonal fall into the categories of either/or, neither/nor as well as both/and when speaking of the Ultimate, or God, and that what makes the difference is simply the kinds of experience that one is open to.

The Buddhist was nodding with a blank face for moment, and then he laughed. He said that now he could finally understand Christianity, but he wondered how many Christians do. The Christian asked how many Buddhists really understand Buddhism, and they both laughed together.

Peace,
Griffin

posted in Gnostic Way - 10 replies

Desperately need some objective advice....

2006-04-09T05:20:43Z

I am coming to my fellow Gnostics for this one. Forgive me for the length of this question!

I'm 22 from North Carolina (the bible belt) and my highly spiritual nature led me into becoming heavily involved in my Baptist Church from a young age. I always felt like something was missing, or more like things were "simpler" when it came to religion/spirituality. Being of strong opinons, a rebellious nature, and sharp tongue I just thought that I was being unreasonable in disagreeing with certain aspects of religion. When I heard certain things preached, it just didn't feel right to me. When I went off to college, I slowly got more comfortable outside of the Baptist Church, and developed a more personal gnosis with God. When I moved to West Hollywood, I discovered Gnosticism through a Sylvia Browne book I was reading. Well circumstances brought me back to North Carolina, temporarily, to stay with my mother. Although the church has changed a lot, we still have different beliefs. I've told my family of my beliefs, but for the sake of avoiding arguments I don't get into it, because I know my mouth! At church, people can sense how very spiritual I am, and are asking me to take on different responsibilities within the church...saying I'm "a natural teacher". Here is the dilemma.. I want to help out, but it's very hard for me to teach or be involved with something I don't fully agree with. I want to keep to myself until I get back out west. If you know Baptists, you know how strong their beliefs are, and are VERY defensive of them. I sometimes shudder when they say they want to "win the battle", "save souls", "take back our children", etc. These are people I love and have loved all my life. I'm writing this today, because I was approached to become a teacher, after I've already joined a few choirs (singing is just a universal experience for me). What should I do?? How do you guys approach other people's beliefs through your own? How do I make it through this (knowing my personality) without condemning them for condemning others? I've had a lot of inner conflict with respect to all of this since I've been here. I try to focus on the common beliefs we have, instead of the differences, but it's not working. I'm used to saying exactly what's on my mind, and how I feel to keep me from exploding and hurting others. I'm in such an inhibiting environment, I don't know what to do. Thanks for your time and keep me in your prayers.

Jason

posted in Gnostic Way - 7 replies

Gnosis

2006-04-05T01:37:29Z

“Gnosis” is the perfect word around which I hear many Gnostics direct their conversations around "knowing". When they call themselves “Gnostics”, they begin to help re-define our modern understanding of knowledge, what it is, and what it means to know.

“Knowledge” according to society and culture today is centered on the book, and objective “knowing”. One knows a thing is true because someone with “authority” wrote about it, and we read about it and cite our source, sharing in that “authority”, generating our own. Knowledge here is rote knowledge, it is an ability to recall information read accurately, and to quote and cite our sources accurately. Yet this notion of “authority” is never drawn into question. “Authority” within this concept is very amorphous when we examine it more closely.

In today’s society, “authority” can be granted by a University, usually a Masters or Doctorate. Those who receive such diplomas are granted them because they have demonstrated their capacity to enact this style of knowing effectively. Once receiving these diplomas and receiving acknowledgement by their peers, these people are able to use their authority to grant “authority” to particular documents and deny them to others. Old texts, or old documents, as a result typically possess more “authority” than newer texts simply because anything modern is a part of an ongoing debate between different "authorities."

What we often fail to recognize is that all of our definitions and understanding of “knowing” is based upon this system of “authority.” This is not inherently bad, and it is a generally useful process to prevent some half-baked ideas from taking over mass consciousness and generating mass hysteria. It was very useful at dissolving mass hysteria surrounding many superstitions that took over humanity during the medieval period. But mystics operate from a different paradigm of “knowledge”. We may have thrown the baby out with the bathwater in our whole-hearted approach to this new way of thinking about knowledge. We assume that mystics from the past considered “knowing” to be a book-centered, authority-approved affair much as we do. We presume that mystics were scholars, and that they thought of “knowing” in the same objective, print-dependent way that we do. We fail to recognize that mystical traditions were primarily oral, with mystical practices, discourses, and rituals all of which wove together for the purpose of facilitating an experience in an initiate.

We often assume that such sects had a “religious” structure based on dogma and common ways of thinking about God, akin to our current concepts surrounding religion, not recognizing that this way of thinking about religion was a paradigm shift generated by our scientific process, by “authority-based” ways of knowing and all of the tangents connected to this (ommunicating, technology, school, & etc). We often don’t take into account that the mystic’s way of thinking and “knowing” in relation to God/Goddess is very different than modern soceity’s paradigm.

So “knowing” in terms of a mystical tradition places far more value on the subjective experience than our modern definition. Phenomena that is immediate to one’s being is given more value. This doesn’t de-value our more objective ways of knowing, it merely considers the two in dynamic balance. Knowledge gained from a book and from the scientific method have great value, but the tendency to value only that which is gained by a book, or from the scientific method is very limited. This kind of knowing strictly negates the reality of the internal experience, which makes up the larger part of our being.

Only a very small portion of what we experience of ourselves to be “real” is observable and measurable by the standards of the scientific method. In our very being, we are primarily subjective phenomena. Yet would we say that we are therefore not real? Perhaps, mystically speaking, we are not “real” in the way we think we are, but there is certainly a very substantial reality that the objective ways of knowing cannot measure, and we know this because it is immediate to each of our most basic experiences. We feel, we think, we intuit, we dream, we have insights, and none of these experiences can be objectively observed, and each occurs in a realm we can’t locate objectively. For each portion of these experiences that is measurable in the brain or body, there is a larger portion that is not.

We have even found with our objective ways of “knowing” that the observer alters a scientific experiment. Light, photons, the fundamental building blocks of the cosmos alter their very nature according to who is observing them. They appear as a particle to those who believe they are a particle, and a wave to those who believe they are a wave. So with all of our modern ways of knowing the most sophisticated tool ever devised to measure and make sense of reality may not be man-made. Being itself may be the most sophisticated tool to reveal the nature of reality to us. Our bodies, our senses, our experience of these, our thoughts, our dreams, our visualizations, our intuition, our insights, the phenomena of mind itself may be the most sophisticated tool that even scientists use and have always used to observe this reality-display and generate every theory about this reality-display. But in many ways, our modern definition of “knowledge” has drawn us away from this most effective and intrinsic tool for knowing, the mind and being itself.

Gnosticism seems to draw us back to this most fundamental practice of knowing, and trains in methods to help develop and hone this tool to perceive the most sublime and profound qualities of reality. This does not negate modern developments and tools for knowing reality, for all ways of knowing are an evolution and a perfection of this process. But in this work, Gnosticism remembers that of all the ways of knowing the tool best devised to generate Gnosis (knowledge) is the mind and being itself, for this is made by the hands of Goddess/God for this very purpose. All we must do is open to the inward journey.

posted in Gnostic Way - 1 reply

Jesus and the Lost Goddess by Freke & Gandy

2006-01-26T21:33:53Z

I'm just a couple chapters into this book ... my first book on Gnosticism ... it places gnosticism at one end of a spectrum and literalist at the other end... it also states that Jesus was a character in a myth... a parallel to the Joshua of the Exodus story ... this is all new to me and I'm not sure what to think ... any thoughts regarding this??

posted in Gnostic Way - 13 replies

Where is everybody?

2006-01-11T04:44:05Z

Happy New Year to all...
It must be a time of trial for many as there has not been much posting. Hope all are well. I miss the regulars. With all the politics and overall stuff going on right now on the planet, things on this plane are a bit of a downer.
It is a temporary experience and we need to stay in support of one another thru the hard times. By the way I am doing a whole lot better as far as the addictions. Dealing more with the psychic pain that I personally suffer with all sentient beings.
Can anyone share any practical ritual or practice that would help me in my journey of gnosis? I am so missing all my tribe gnostic friends.
I live in seattle so if there are any of you here lets consider getting together for fun and progress....
Blessings, Vita.

posted in Gnostic Way - 5 replies

More Gnostic Goodness

2005-12-04T19:16:38Z

If you want to tell if you're a gnostic, or just want to talk with folks who feel like they are, you can try the Palm Tree Garden:

http://www.palmtreegarden.org

There's a link for the Forum at the bottom.

-SB

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

thought I should mention...

2005-12-01T23:47:26Z

an up-coming workshop I'll be hosting with my husband, in Monterey (for those of you in northern CA).

we'll be sharing a lot of information about Jesus the Yogi Christ, his time in India, the spiritual processes he did there to gain his abilities, and some energy channels to connect with him directly. we learned all of this in South India, with a spiritual master who's on great terms with Jesus.

it should be a beautiful day, we're looking forward to the celebration aspect of it as Christmas is just around the corner....!

it's December 17th, btw, and the announcment appears in the events listings for this tribe.

namaste!

Alx

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

local groups???

2005-12-01T22:12:54Z

Any in Eugene? the word "church" is about community, and I like meeting people and talking and learning and exploring and discovering ...

posted in Gnostic Way - 3 replies

Ashe - A Journal of Experimental Spirituality

2005-12-01T02:20:31Z

This issue has a strong Gnostic bent to it:

http://ashejournal.com/index.php?id=22

Gnosticism is the new black :)

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

Palm Tree Garden - An Online Gnostic Community

2005-12-01T00:46:15Z

This community is still in its infancy... but looks intriguing nonetheless.

http://www.palmtreegarden.org/

"The Palm Tree Garden symbol represents the communal nature of Phildickian and Anarcho-Gnosticism, the exchange of ideas and information and interaction between fellow adherents of the Path of Radical Inquiry. It’s a sign that can be worn by radical ontonauts, a sign that indicates a willingness to collaborate but not to dictate, converse but not groupthink, argue but not hate. It represents individuals banded together against the Archonic powers that control the Universe in whatever form or fashion the individual understands. It represents partaking in the Informational Sacrament, breaking down that wall in the Black Iron Prison, even if one needs to use the bars in one’s cell to build a ladder."

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

Life is a Dream

2005-11-17T17:15:52Z

*
And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam,
and he slept:
and he took one of his ribs,
and closed up the flesh instead thereof:

And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man,
made he a woman,
and brought her unto the man.

And Adam said,
This is now bone of my bones,
and flesh of my flesh:
she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
(Genesis 2: 21-23)

*

Seven archangels came to Adam,
and when they saw Eve speaking with him,
they said to one another,

“What is this enlightened woman?
For truly she resembles the likeness
that appeared to us in the light.

Now come,
let us seize her and cast our seed into her,
so that when she is polluted
she will not be able to ascend to her light,
but those whom she bears will serve us.

But let us not tell Adam, because he is not from us.

Rather, let us bring a stupor upon him, and
suggest to him in his sleep that she came into being from his rib, so that the woman may serve and he may rule over her."
(On the Origin of the World)

*

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

Masonry vs. Christianity

2005-11-14T03:53:54Z

"The Light could not unite with darkness. It but put on the appearance of a human body, and took the name of Christ in the Messiah, only to accommodate itself to the language of the Jews ... He suffered in appearance only ... the person of Jesus having disappeared ..." (Morals and Dogma, p. 567)

"By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world." (1 John 4:2-3)

***

"Masonry, like all the Religions, all the Mysteries, Hermeticism and Alchemy, conceals its secrets from all except the Adepts and Sages, or the Elect, and uses false explanations and misinterpretations of its symbols to mislead those who deserve only to be misled; to conceal the Truth, which it calls Light, from them, and to draw them away from it ... So Masonry jealously conceals its secrets and intentionally leads conceited interpreters astray." (Morals and Dogma, p. 104-5)

"Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds" (Colossians 3:9) "... no lie is of the truth." (1 John 2:21)

***

"Perfect truth is not attainable anywhere." (Morals and Dogma, p. 223) "Truths are not eternal, but meant for a period of time only." (p. 37)

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) "My words will remain forever." (Matthew 24:35)

***

Long Live Jesus!

posted in Gnostic Way - 1 reply

Gnostic Map

2005-10-28T20:54:02Z

http://www.frappr.com/gnostics

Sign up. Let's get it to 200 or so.

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

Need a Volunteer

2005-10-08T20:38:36Z

Dear Friends,

We started the GoT review with me doing the weekly preview and the call for thoughts and feelings. Our brother, Four Winds, then took on these tasks and has served well for several months. However, Four Winds informs me that it is no longer convenient for him to perform those functions.

Is there someone in this tribe that would be willing to send out the two standard weekly posts for this project?

Thanks,
Griffin

posted in Gnostic Way - 1 reply

Rabboni

2005-10-06T19:26:43Z

…"and I was Your companion,

you loved more than all the others

and used to kiss me often on my lips,

the rest were offended by it, and when they said to You,

“why do you love her more than all of us,”

You answered, “why do I not love you as I love her?”…

- Mary Magdalene (the Gospel of Mary)

Tristan Isolt

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

Has Anyone Seen This Man

2005-09-19T12:21:54Z

Greeting Gnostics,

I'm looking for the name of the artist or the title of the work which I just posted on the pictures area under "Has Anyone Seen this man?". I got it off a website with a BUNCH of uncredited images of Jesus and I'd like to find out if I could get a print of it to hang in my living room...

Thanks!

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

Esoterica magazine

2005-09-15T17:53:28Z

Esoterica - http://www.esoteric.msu.edu/

A peer-reviewed academic journal devoted to the transdisciplinary study of Western esotericism: Western esoteric traditions including alchemy, astrology, Gnosticism, gnosis, magic, mysticism, Rosicrucianism, and secret societies, and their ramifications in art history, history, literature, and politics.

I havent read any of the articles yet, but they look interesting. And its free!

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

BECOME A KNIGHT OR DAME

2005-09-13T18:28:11Z

Hello everyone it is nice to see so many Gnostic thinkers. I have started a tibe group called Order of night Templar(ORMUS)A GNOSTIC GROUP.
If anyone has any aspirations of becoming a Knight or Dame of the gnostic organization called:
International Order of Knight Templars (ORMUS) please use this address: groups.msn.com/KNIGHTSOFTHELIGHT/_whatsnew.msnw?lc=2057
The truth may shock you !
many thanks Dominic

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

Text for August 24th & 25th

2005-08-30T11:31:19Z

Dear Friends:

Please do not respond to this post.

Below is the next passage from the Gospel of Thomas. Please take these words into meditation and prayer, and then join us for discussion of them on Wednesday and Thursday next week.

(45) Jesus said, "Grapes are not harvested from thorns, nor are figs gathered from thistles, for they do not produce fruit. A good man brings forth good from his storehouse; an evil man brings forth evil things from his evil storehouse, which is in his heart, and says evil things. For out of the abundance of the heart he brings forth evil things."

http://www.webcom.com/gnosis/naghamm/gthlamb.html

Peace,

4W

posted in Gnostic Way - 5 replies

The Dark Night

2005-08-25T04:35:48Z

The Dark Night
by St. John of the Cross

http://www.carmelite.com/saints/john/works/dn.htm

A superb overview of mystical Christianity from the Catholic tradition.

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

The Secret Sayings of Ye Su

2005-08-08T01:42:32Z

About ten years ago a new Gnostic manuscript appeared in China, written in Greek and dating to the 8th or 9th century. The translation and commentary has finally been released in book form as "The Secret Sayings of Ye Su". This book contains the sayings of Jesus and the teachings are similar in character to those found in the Gospel of Thomas, though not identical.

Softcover ($14):
http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?&isbn=0-595-33684-1

eBook ($6):
http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/cgi-bin/item/0595784836

posted in Gnostic Way - 1 reply

GoT saying 44

2005-08-07T16:08:46Z

Dear Friends:

Here is the saying we have taken into our meditations and prayers since last week:

(44) Jesus said, "Whoever blasphemes against the father will be forgiven, and whoever blasphemes against the son will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the holy spirit will not be forgiven either on earth or in heaven."

http://www.webcom.com/gnosis/naghamm/gthlamb.html

Please share your thoughts and feelings.

Peace,

4W

posted in Gnostic Way - 1 reply

Got saying 43

2005-08-03T08:12:36Z

Dear Friends:

Here is the saying we have taken into our meditations and prayers since last week:

(43) His disciples said to him, "Who are you, that you should say these things to us?"
<Jesus said to them,> "You do not realize who I am from what I say to you, but you have become like the Jews, for they (either) love the tree and hate its fruit (or) love the fruit and hate the tree."

http://www.webcom.com/gnosis/naghamm/gthlamb.html

Please share your thoughts and feelings.

Peace,

4W

posted in Gnostic Way - 2 replies

Text for August 3th & 4th

2005-07-27T11:59:15Z

Dear Friends:

Please do not respond to this post. I am posting this early as I will be unavailable until this weekend.

Below is the next passage from the Gospel of Thomas. Please take these words into meditation and prayer, and then join us for discussion of them on Wednesday and Thursday next week.

(44) Jesus said, "Whoever blasphemes against the father will be forgiven, and whoever blasphemes against the son will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the holy spirit will not be forgiven either on earth or in heaven."

http://www.webcom.com/gnosis/naghamm/gthlamb.html

Peace,

4W

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

Text for July 27th & 28th

2005-07-21T06:09:06Z

Dear Friends:

Please do not respond to this post.

Below is the next passage from the Gospel of Thomas. Please take these words into meditation and prayer, and then join us for discussion of them on Wednesday and Thursday next week.

(43) His disciples said to him, "Who are you, that you should say these things to us?"
<Jesus said to them,> "You do not realize who I am from what I say to you, but you have become like the Jews, for they (either) love the tree and hate its fruit (or) love the fruit and hate the tree."

http://www.webcom.com/gnosis/naghamm/gthlamb.html

Peace,

4W

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

Got saying 41

2005-07-21T02:32:02Z

Dear Friends:

Here is the saying we have taken into our meditations and prayers since last week:

(41) Jesus said, "Whoever has something in his hand will receive more, and whoever has nothing will be deprived of even the little he has."

http://www.webcom.com/gnosis/naghamm/gthlamb.html

Please share your thoughts and feelings.

Peace,

4W

posted in Gnostic Way - 4 replies

Text for July 20th & 21st

2005-07-16T02:04:49Z

Dear Friends:

Please do not respond to this post.

Below is the next passage from the Gospel of Thomas. Please take these words into meditation and prayer, and then join us for discussion of them on Wednesday and Thursday next week.

(42) Jesus said, "Become passers-by."

http://www.webcom.com/gnosis/naghamm/gthlamb.html

Peace,

4W

posted in Gnostic Way - 0 replies

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what book would you recommend

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