Keys Writings 2014, Part 22

This entry is part 26 of 33 in the series 2014

2014

Sept 21, 2014

Examining Thomas, Part 1

Since many seekers place a lot of weight on the Gospel of Thomas I thought we would briefly go through it and discuss some highlights. Keep in mind that all writings, whether they be scriptures or the National Enquirer, must be ran by the light of the soul to discern the truth. Just because someone claims that Jesus, God or Zeus, says a thing is true doesn’t mean that it is.

First of all, here is a link to the Full Gospel of Thomas from which this comment will be based. Quotes from Thomas will be in burgundy and other quotes will be in blue. The writing starts out as follows:

1 And he (Jesus) said, “Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will not taste death.”

This is quite close to the words of Jesus in John:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.” John 8:51

Though it is possible to extend the life of the physical body no single form is used by the soul forever. All of us will have a separation from present forms no matter how righteous we think we are and since death is really a separation of some kind then the separation from our present form, or the death thereof, is something that will happen to all at one time or another, even the Masters.

So what is it that we will never be separated from if we keep the words of Jesus?

It is our connection with the Spirit of God. If we have that connection before the death of the body then that connection will continue afterwards. After the death of the body it will seem that we are moving toward a greater life, not death. There will be no separation or death for us from our Source if we keep the Eternal Words of Christ in our consciousness.

2 Jesus said, “Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all. [And after they have reigned they will rest.]”

This is a similar injunction to Mathew’s:

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” Matt 7:7-8

Thomas does add that the truth will cause one to be disturbed. This is sometimes the case, but not always. There have bee many times that finding a greater truth was the cause of great joy and I was not disturbed at all. On the other hand, finding a truth that runs contrary to our sacred cows can be very disturbing. The author must have been referring to these kinds of truths.

Then he says:

When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all. [And after they have reigned they will rest.]”

Obviously the one who would reign over all has accepted greater truth even though it was disturbing at first. So is this a true statement?

It is from this perspective.

Most people when presented a truth that runs contrary to their belief system will automatically reject it without even thinking it through. Those few who do consider and then accept a truth even though it disturbs their past mindset obtain power.

And what power is that?

They have power over illusion, glamour and error. They will have power to reign as a king in the realm of reason when confronting those in darkness. They will live out their days as a life giving servant of truth that none can overcome with falsehoods and then when they depart this realm they will rest from their labors as it says.

The writer continues:

3 Jesus said, “If your leaders say to you, ‘Look, the (Father’s) kingdom is in the sky,’ then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, ‘It is in the sea,’ then the fish will precede you. Rather, the <Father’s> kingdom is within you and it is outside you.

The gospel of Luke tells us that the Kingdom of God is within us, but Thomas goes a step further here and says it is not only within but also, “it is outside you.”

This is in harmony with what I have taught many times which is the Kingdom of God is both within and without. When one achieves soul contact he discovers the kingdom within. But when he gathers with others who have found the inner kingdom then he has also found the outer kingdom.

Here is a description of gatherings of the just that manifests the kingdom of God inside and out:

But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, Heb 12:22-23

The disciples asked Jesus about the manifestation of the outer kingdom:

“When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” Acts 1:6-7

Notice that Jesus did not say the outer kingdom would not come, but it wasn’t something the disciples needed to know at that time.

The second half of verse three of Thomas reads:

When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty.”

Questions:

What is it that we are supposed to know about ourselves? Why would we then be known and by whom? And why do those without this knowledge dwell in poverty?

***

Anonymous says:

Before these questions can be answered, you must first comprehend why you fail to Know Thyself? Why you are not Known? And what condition of mind constitutes dwelling in Poverty?

The answers to the 114 sayings of the Gospel of Thomas cannot be taught by a teacher of this world — neither can the answers be found in a book written in the languages of man — the answers to the sayings that bestows eternal life on the seeker/disciple, can only be revealed through the inner experiential knowledge as one explores and discovers one’s True Self that is not manifest in the body-vessel — and ultimately, the inner Logos/True Prophet.

So let me get this straight. It is useless in your view to even read the Gospel of Thomas in an attempt to understand it as the meaning cannot be taught in a book, or by a teacher or communicated in an earthly language. Yet you insist that you have communicated meaning from it and criticize me for not recognizing this.

It seems that in your view anything we do to understand Thomas is futile. I should just throw my hands in the air and cease with any further analysis of Thomas in earthly language. Reading it, studying it, getting advice from a teacher- all will not work. You even discount my teachings on going within by insisting I have not arrived at the within point you have reached.

So if we cannot go within, except for your version, which has never been spelled out, and neither any regular type of searching will work – what must we do?

Obviously the answer is to follow you exclusively in the hope that crumbs will fall from the table that will lead us to the high and holy place.

All this reminds me of this scripture:

Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered. Luke 11:52

They Key of knowledge is available to all who sincerely seek and is not hidden away in some secret vault of which the combination is only known by the elite.

He’s making the same mistake as those of old in that his mysterious key is so illusive that the allurement of the mystery prevents some from seeing the true key which is not hidden, but lies right in front of their vision, as correctly spoken by Thomas:

“Know what is in front of your face, and what is hidden from you will be disclosed to you. For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed.”

Anonymous:

For you to even begin to make the statement that the Gospel of Thomas saying 84 was never explained to you — and admit that you don’t understand the meaning of this saying as per your own words below

Do you have a reading comprehension problem? I never “admitted”, wrote, spoke or inferred that I did not understand the quote from Thomas. I already made this clear but you again state the unfounded accusation. It is quite easy to understand, not beyond human ability, as you portray it. My point was that it was no big revelation, but a common teaching not giving out a big mystery – not that I did not understand it.

***

Anonymous:

The Gospel of Thomas is designed for those seeking the instruction of first their inner soul-self, and ultimately the Logos. In the Homilies Peter explains with respect to reading the scriptures that, “…therefore great care is to be taken, that when the law of God is read, it be not read according to the understanding of our own mind.

It looks like you are being disobedient here, for again and again you read and present the scriptures using your own mind. I certainly do not see anyone else’s mind at work in your writings.

Anonymous Quoting:

For there are many sayings in the divine Scriptures which can be drawn to that sense which every one has preconceived for himself; and this ought not to be done. For you ought not to seek a foreign and extraneous sense, which you have brought from without.”

This is really good advice for you as you often interpret writings with your preconceived notions as a base. You also do this with what I write. Your Higher Self must have inspired you to post this in an attempt to bring you into the light.

Anonymous:

That the scriptures have a spiritual meaning that can only be perceived and understood by those who are themselves spiritual, means that the meaning of the sayings in the Gospel of Thomas — as well as all the Gospels — can only be perceived understood when the Indwelling True Prophet reveals the meaning to the seeker/disciple.

Yeah, again this is good advice for yourself. Some of the Keys members are pretty good at reading in the light of “the Indwelling True Prophet” that you mention and you are preaching to the choir in this regard.

Anonymous:

Notice in the above that there is a warning about interpreting the scriptures from a human perspective –

Then why do you keep interpreting them by the use of your human mind with a human perspective? Strange approach indeed considering what you claim to believe.

Really, you should cease attempting to take away the Key of Knowledge from us by presenting it as beyond our ability to understand unless we go through you. Your tricky statement to Johann will not discourage him from using the Key of Knowledge. I quote: “The knowledge that is portrayed (in Thomas) as inconceivable to the “natural” organic mind of man.”

I thought you didn’t like that old Pharisee approach.

***

Anonymous:

Everything written in the text of the Gospel is a type of parable that is designed for the immature who are in need of “milk”. The true meaning of the Gospel is reserved for those who seek to transform their body, mind and being, and enter In The House were all Truths are revealed. Which means that when I interact with those in this forum who are very much “without” the House, I use the teachings in the literal text — in much the same way that the Gospel account of Jesus only spoke to the people in parables.

You must also feel that the members of your forum are “without” the House for you use the same approach, the same quotes, the same literal interpretation of literal scriptures etc. You do the same thing on your multiple web pages.

Do these deeper interpretations just exist in your wild imagination or is there an example you have ever given out in your entire life? If so, let’s have it. Just one example please. How about one from the Gospel of Thomas?

We are waiting with bated breath.

***

Sept 22, 2014

Anonymous:

Yes, this is a “milk” level forum.

Evading the question again I see. Let me repeat:

***

Examining Thomas, Part 2

Anonymous must be pretty upset that we are discussing the Gospel of Thomas and revealing the Key of Knowledge concerning it. After all, according to him, we are in the milk department and unworthy to access the key to higher knowledge which is sealed up in his spiritual vault.

Good news my friends! There is no need to break into a special spiritual vault. God is no respecter of persons and all that He has is available to us with no human person needed as an intermediary.

Here is the verse from Thomas we are currently considering:

Questions:

What is it that we are supposed to know about ourselves? Why would we then be known and by whom? And why do those without this knowledge dwell in poverty?

Johann gave a great answer to the first question:

“We are the sons and daughters of God and have the same creative attributes as God.”

The second question is:

Why would we then be known and by whom?

Johann answers:

“We would then know ourselves as co creators with God and the God within or the eternal spirit would know that we have received our inheritance and acknowledges it. We would then be equal to God.”

He is headed the right direction. When we realize that we are reflections of God with all the attributes of godliness available then we will think and act independently of all human illusion and consciousness will ascend to a higher level. As our consciousness ascends it attracts communion with higher lives. We are thus “known” by these great entities when we reach their level of brotherhood.

The principle involved here is like attracts like.

The third question:

And why do those without this knowledge dwell in poverty?

To this Johann responds:

“Because if we do not have this knowledge then we see ourselves as something lesser than we truly are, not creating or thinking and dependant on external sources and others. Our cup would always be half empty instead of half full.”

Yes, if there is a well of golden truth inside of us, which is readily available when we realize who and what we are then it would be obvious that those who do not draw from such wealth would be in spiritual poverty.

This idea reminds me of a story told by Napoleon Hill as follows:

An uncle of R. U. Darby was caught by the ‘gold fever’ in the gold-rush days, and went west to DIG AND GROW RICH. He had never heard that more gold has been mined from the brains of men than has ever been taken from the earth.

He staked a claim and went to work with pick and shovel. The going was hard, but his lust for gold was definite. After weeks of labor, he was rewarded by the discovery of the shining ore. He needed machinery to bring the ore to the surface. Quietly, he covered up the mine, retraced his footsteps to his home in Williamsburg, Maryland, told his relatives and a few neighbors of the ‘strike.’ They got together money for the needed machinery, had it shipped. The uncle and Darby went back to work the mine. The first car of ore was mined, and shipped to a smelter. The returns proved they had one of the richest mines in Colorado! A few more cars of that ore would clear the debts. Then would come the big killing in profits. Down went the drills! Up went the hopes of Darby and Uncle! Then something happened! The vein of gold ore disappeared! They had come to the end of the rainbow, and the pot of gold was no longer there! They drilled on, desperately trying to pick up the vein again— all to no avail.

Finally, they decided to QUIT. They sold the machinery to a junk man for a few hundred dollars, and took the train back home. Some ‘junk’ men are dumb, but not this one! He called in a mining engineer to look at the mine and do a little calculating. The engineer advised that the project had failed, because the owners were not familiar with ‘fault lines.’ His calculations showed that the vein would be found JUST THREE FEET FROM WHERE THE DARBYS HAD STOPPED DRILLING! That is exactly where it was found! The ‘Junk’ man took millions of dollars in ore from the mine, because he knew enough to seek expert counsel before giving up.

Even so must we look within and without and follow all leads to the spiritual gold.

Here is verse 5

5 Jesus said, “Know what is in front of your face, and what is hidden from you will be disclosed to you. For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed. [And there is nothing buried that will not be raised.”]

As pointed out in The Lost Key of the Buddha the truisms of the world are on par with the best of the scriptures. A truism that encapsulates this saying is that many people cannot see the forest for the trees.

Often the truth is right in front of us and we do not see it. The Source of all truth is right inside of us and you can’t get any closer than that.

Another point is that in the front of your face in the forehead is the ajna center, or third eye, which reveals the truth of whatever you want to look for when fully opened.

Verse four is kind of a strange one. It reads:

4 Jesus said, “The person old in days won’t hesitate to ask a little child seven days old about the place of life, and that person will live. For many of the first will be last, and will become a single one.”

This, of course, is not literally true and doesn’t even seem to adhere to the Law of Correspondences or make sense. Maybe Thomas threw this in just to mess with us.

Let us suppose that Thomas was trying to tell us something. What would be your best shot at an interpretation?

***

Anonymous:

Your concept of discussing what you think the meaning is from a human perspective, and then calling this the Key of Knowledge, is not what the Gospel portrays as the proper application of the Key of Knowledge.

I left out an important point in my last post, which was what the Key of Knowledge was that I was referring to. It is the understanding that we are the reflections of God possessing all His attributes to become manifest. This must be realized before one can become soul infused and correctly learn from the inner teacher, and of course learning from an inner teacher is a key to greater knowledge.

Many people believe they are the offspring of God on some level, but understanding the implications is another matter.

Jesus emphasized his key when he told us:

Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? John 10:34

***

Examining Thomas, Part 3

Here is the verse I challenged the group to interpret:

This is kind of a difficult one in which to see much value and would have been a good one for Anonymous to demonstrate his claimed higher knowing in showing us the meaning. As it is Ruth was the only one who ventured forth a guess.

She related the “person old in days” to an old soul and the “child seven days old” to a young one. She says the young souls may progress faster than the old because of their karma and thus he first will be the last. Not bad.

If Jesus really made this statement from Thomas I‘d say that he was far from his best at communicating as it does nothing to inspire me as do many words in the Gospels. We could come up with numerous interpretations, but I doubt if any two people, no matter how soul infused, would come up with the same one.

Here is one possibility:

The only way an old person could talk to a seven day old child and learn about the place of life would be to speak to the child’s Higher Self. The child is behind the older person in earthly progress as life begins, but if his soul is more evolved he will surpass the older person and balance the male and female energies within him so he is as one life with an eye single to the glory of God.

Now let us move on to more of Thomas:

6 His disciples asked him and said to him, “Do you want us to fast? How should we pray? Should we give to charity? What diet should we observe?” Jesus said, “Don’t lie, and don’t do what you hate, because all things are disclosed before heaven. After all, there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and there is nothing covered up that will remain undisclosed.”

An important realization on all these verses is that they are not linked to each other, but are stand alone sayings. The verse that follows often has nothing to do with the one that preceded it.

The only thing that departs from the gospels here is that Jesus tells the disciples, “don’t do what you hate.”

This is good advice and there are a number of self help books written on this idea. To succeed in life you must like your work. Doing that which you hate doing is not only unpleasant but blocks energy flow and can lead to all kinds of health problem.

The last part of the verse echoes the words of Luke:

For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.” Luke 12:2-3

Thomas continues:

7 Jesus said, “Lucky is the lion that the human will eat, so that the lion becomes human. And foul is the human that the lion will eat, and the lion still will become human.”

This verse is just not true. If one of the apostles heard Jesus talking about the evolution of humans and animals then he must have misunderstood and wrote it down wrong.

A lion does not become a human by eating a human. Some particles from the human may become part of the lion but that does not make him human. Neither does the reverse work.

If we interpret it allegorically we could say that partaking of either a higher or lower nature will cause us to progress or go backwards. If this is what the writer meant to communicate then it was a silly way to do it. It would have been much better to just come out and state the obvious meaning.

8 And he said, The person is like a wise fisherman who cast his net into the sea and drew it up from the sea full of little fish. Among them the wise fisherman discovered a fine large fish. He threw all the little fish back into the sea, and easily chose the large fish. Anyone here with two good ears had better listen!

This is similar to a better written version in Matthew:

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world (literally age): the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just” Matt 13:47-49

This is a scripture that deals with the gathering of lights between the ages. The lights are gathered from among the unjust before great cataclysms.

Verse 9 is similar to the Parable of the Sower from Matt 13:3-9.

Verse 10 says:

Jesus said, “I have cast fire upon the world, and look, I’m guarding it until it blazes.”

Jesus cast fire upon the world through the power of his words and works. His power was similar to the Two Witnesses wherein it is written,

…fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: Rev 11:5

He measures the truth given out in such a way that we are protected from the blaze getting too big too fast.

11 Jesus said, “This heaven will pass away, and the one above it will pass away. The dead are not alive, and the living will not die. During the days when you ate what is dead, you made it come alive. When you are in the light, what will you do? On the day when you were one, you became two. But when you become two, what will you do?

The heaven passing away most likely refers to this physical world and the one above it would be the astral/emotional which also shall one day pass away.

“The dead are not alive, and the living will not die.”

Here he is most likely referring to those who are spiritually dead and alive.

“During the days when you ate what is dead, you made it come alive.”

There are a number of ways to interpret this. We eat dead food and it lives again in our bodies. Others feast on dead works and their belief makes them seem like living works, but this is an illusion.

The last of the verse is merely a reflection on out duality.

This next verse is a controversial one:

12 The disciples said to Jesus, “We know that you are going to leave us. Who will be our leader?” Jesus said to them, “No matter where you are you are to go to James the Just, for whose sake heaven and earth came into being.”

This would be a good one to leave for group consideration. Questions: Do you think that Jesus really said this? Why do you suppose this was placed in the text? Do you think that Allan is the reincarnation of James? Give any thoughts and reflections you have.

***

Sept 24, 2014

Examining Thomas, Part 4

The Quote:

The Questions

Questions: Do you think that Jesus really said this?

The group pretty much agrees that this sounds fishy and this is probably not an accurate quote. Larry made the excellent point that “The Gospels in the Bible state the disciples did NOT know Jesus was going to leave them. For example, look how lost they acted after his crucifixion. They certainly did NOT posses detailed instructions how to fill his leadership slot after his crucifixion.”

Why do you suppose this was placed in the text?

Larry gives another good answer:

Why place this in the text? I can speculate. Probably the guy who brought this collection of Jesus’ sayings called himself James and used it to claim beastly authority.

Do you think that Allan is the reincarnation of James?

Most have their doubts about this.

Keith thinks it is probable that Jesus did appoint James to be the leader in Jerusalem since this was historically the case. This would have been done after the resurrection as it sounds like the question was asked while he was still in mortal flesh. He only talked of leaving them when he was mortal, but after the resurrection he said, “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Matt: 28:20

Some say that there is symbolic meaning in the name of Jacob from whence James was derived – that the verse was implying a state of mind that Jacob represented that we are supposed to obtain.

This doesn’t make sense though when you look at the meaning of the name.

This name James comes from the Greek IAKOBOS, which is derived from the Hebrew for Jacob.

The Patriarch Jacob had two names. First, he was known as Jacob, but then, after he wrestled with God, he was renamed Israel.

Jacob signifies the lower nature and comes from the Hebrew YA`AQOB and is derived from AQAB. From this word and its variations the Bible gives these various translations: “heel, take by the heel, supplant, restrain, lie in wait, crooked, deceitful, polluted, and subtlety.”

After Jacob wrestled with God his name was changed to Israel, which means “to prevail as God.”

When the disciple, as symbolized by James (Jacob), meets the Christ (God) he wrestles with his lower nature until he prevails as Israel and then lives a life through the consciousness of Christ or God.

Thus we see that Israel is the consciousness to which we must aspire, not Jacob or James.

Looking at the whole picture then I think Larry was right, that someone added this in an effort to give more authority to James. Since the evidence indicates the book was written long after the death of James then most likely the apostle had nothing to do with he wording.

Is Allan a reincarnation of James? I haven’t had a revelation on it nor do I care to know. If he is then he is a good example of why we naturally forget our past lives. The purpose of forgetting is so we will concentrate on learning new things and going new directions. Allan wants to relive the life of James instead of moving on to a new and better one.

And obviously, heaven and earth did not come into being for any single man, but for all lives therein.

Here is verse 13:

Jesus said to his disciples, “Compare me to something and tell me what I am like.” Simon Peter said to him, “You are like a just messenger.” Matthew said to him, “You are like a wise philosopher.” Thomas said to him, “Teacher, my mouth is utterly unable to say what you are like.” Jesus said, “I am not your teacher. Because you have drunk, you have become intoxicated from the bubbling spring that I have tended.”

And he took him, and withdrew, and spoke three sayings to him. When Thomas came back to his friends they asked him, “What did Jesus say to you?” Thomas said to them, “If I tell you one of the sayings he spoke to me, you will pick up rocks and stone me, and fire will come from the rocks and devour you.”

I think this verse was the result of a creative mind attempting to add to the mystery through fiction. How about you?

14 Jesus said to them, “If you fast, you will bring sin upon yourselves, and if you pray, you will be condemned, and if you give to charity, you will harm your spirits. When you go into any region and walk about in the countryside, when people take you in, eat what they serve you and heal the sick among them. After all, what goes into your mouth will not defile you; rather, it’s what comes out of your mouth that will defile you.”

The first part of the verse makes no sense as written. The only way one would be condemned for fasting, praying and giving to charity would be if the motive were self-serving. After all, Jesus fasted, prayed and advised people to give to the poor. He praised the widow for giving her last two mites as an offering. The writer should have clarified the meaning here so it would make some sense.

The last part of the verse is interesting and tells us that the writer didn’t advocate a strict diet of any kind including vegetarianism:

When you go into any region and walk about in the countryside, when people take you in, eat what they serve you and heal the sick among them. After all, what goes into your mouth will not defile you; rather, it’s what comes out of your mouth that will defile you.”

Jesus is quoted here as commanding the disciples to eat what people serve them and obviously they would have been offered meat and fish, as well as wine on a regular basis.

Anyone have any idea what this next verse means:

15 Jesus said, “When you see one who was not born of woman, fall on your faces and worship. That one is your Father.”

***

Denver Snuffer

I’ve just found out about Denver Snuffer recently and haven’t read his books but a few things about him and several of his blogs. Apparently he claims to have has a vision of Jesus and uses this as a claim to his teachings being authoritative.

I’d approach him like everyone else who has claims to higher knowledge. Read through the material and see what registers with the soul. Overall, he seems to give the Mormons something to think about, but doesn’t have a lot of teachings that would be of interest to other seekers as a whole.

The main question you want to ask when investigating any rising teacher is this. Am I trading one outer authority for another or have I found someone who doesn’t need claims to authority and whose words register with my inner authority?

***

Right Use of Authority

Jenny writes:

It is still a challenge to not become the beast for my own children and then still mother them.

Because children do not have the mental capacity to choose all things for themselves they need a certain amount of authority to guide them. Authority over a child, rightfully done, is the right place for the use of what would be beastly authority for an adult. You’ll notice that the agents of the beast treat us as children and expect us to respond as if we were unable to decide for ourselves, as if we were little children.

Primitive humanity was governed by unquestioned authority, as well as most of the people today. Once one becomes a spiritual adult he can then discern for himself as an adult.

Meanwhile kids, need structure and here is the right place to use firm unquestioned authority while looking for avenues to encourage them to think for themselves.

Jenny:

I really liked this interview but was disappointed it ended right in the middle of a conversation. JJ can you finish your thoughts here?

What determines the length of time between past life’s?

The advanced soul determines the time for himself. Many advanced souls jump right back into incarnations because they feel they can be of greater use on earth than resting in the spirit world. Others go on to work in the higher spheres and may not return for an age.

For others it depends on their karma and willingness to return. Because of the increase of population the average stay in the spirit world is decreasing. For those designated to incarnate in this period the time between lives is probably around 100 years.

Jeny:

I loved your explanation of baptism for the dead, but what about the other work of ordinances done in the temple for the dead? I know people feel beings (the entity they are doing the name for) with them as they do that work for them. What are your thoughts?

Here’s a link where I talk about eternal marriage which should answer some questions.

LINK

Eternal Lives, Chapter 7

***

Study Group

Greg asks:

With this knowledge and the keys, how do “I become” after I “have decided” to be a vessel that can add its light with others?

One of the best things you can do to help is to start a local study group. Here is a link where I talked about how to do this.

LINK

Since I wrote this a very helpful website has developed called meetup.com which is a forum to announce group meetings as well as to see what is available.

The next best thing to organizing a group is to search out other groups talking about philosophy, spirituality and metaphysics and attend. Many groups will allow quite a bit of input and you can share some of the things you learned as well as study how a successful group is working.

I also have free copies of Book One of the Immortal in audio and printed format that I give away free. Let me know if you want some to pass out.

***

Sept 25, 2014

Examining Thomas, Part 5

Back to Thomas

The Question: What is the meaning of this verse?

15 Jesus said, “When you see one who was not born of woman, fall on your faces and worship. That one is your Father.”

This is a tricky scripture. After all, who is it that was not born of woman? All agree that even Jesus had a mother. If Jesus couldn’t fit the bill then who could?

Ruth came the closest to giving an answer that fits all the correspondences. She answered that it could be the monad or the overshadowing Christ.

At his baptism Jesus was overshadowed by the great entity who had the position of Christ for this planet. The indwelling Christ had contact with his monad which was not born of woman and neither was this entity who shared the body with Jesus born of either mother or father – not at that time anyway.

Melchizedek was also overshadowed by a high entity who was not born of woman. He was Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. Heb 7:3

I have written quite a bit about this overshadowing or divine possession. Here are some links:

Part 1

Part 2

Here’s the next verse:

16 Jesus said, “Perhaps people think that I have come to cast peace upon the world. They do not know that I have come to cast conflicts upon the earth: fire, sword, war. For there will be five in a house: there’ll be three against two and two against three, father against son and son against father, and they will stand alone.

This is very similar to this scripture in Matthew:

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. Matt 10:34-36

Unfortunately, this has been used by many Christians to justify unjust violence. The common interpretation is that a higher light causes a lot of division before it is totally embraced by the whole.

17 Jesus said, “I will give you what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, what no hand has touched, what has not arisen in the human heart.”

This is a common expectation among believers.

Maybe we ought to call the author of Thomas the Riddler, for many of these verses are written like riddles to be solved more than teachings to bring light and truth. Anyway, here is the next riddle:

18 The disciples said to Jesus, “Tell us, how will our end come?” Jesus said, “Have you found the beginning, then, that you are looking for the end? You see, the end will be where the beginning is. Congratulations to the one who stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not taste death.”

So let’s hear the group’s thoughts on this one.

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Sept 26, 2014

Examining Thomas, Part 6

Here’s the latest scripture to decipher.

This is a tough one but a few of you took a stab at it. Several mentioned the Monad as the beginning and the end. We could also say that God is the ultimate beginning and ending point. When we discover our point of origin and become one with it then we will indeed stand at the beginning and the end and be beyond the reach of death.

How do we go about doing this is the great question and the answer is revealed in another interpretation of this verse, as we must always remember that words that are inspired have more than one meaning.

Those who suffer the taste of death are always looking for an end, and it is a particular type of end. They want an end to all discomfort, an end to risk, an end to hard work and an end to all things difficult.

This illusion is illustrated in the teaching of many religions. Devotees are taught that if they live their religion that they will go to a place which will be an end to all their discomforts. There they will live in joy and peace forevermore.

To overcome death one must discard this notion of a changeless end with no new beginnings. We must accept the fact that what may appear to be an end is really a new beginning. The disciple must apply this idea in his life as not only is it human nature to want an unchanging blissful end in the afterlife but most want to set themselves up in this life so they can relax, retire and take it easy until death takes hold.

When the disciple reaches the end of a lesson, a job, or a goal he must be “born again” into a new field of endeavor. Your soul will not renew your body or extend your life if you are just going to rest on your accomplishments, but it will work with you if you are going to plunge into new and useful fields of endeavor.

“…the one who stands at the beginning: that one will know the end and will not taste death.”

When a goal is reached the disciple must not see himself at the end of the road but at an end that is also a new beginning. This is the secret behind being born again and bypassing the taste of death. Unlike the regular mortal who is always seeking never ending pleasure and retirement, the disciple is born again with a new beginning when an end is reached. Of course he is allowed a Sabbath of rest to savor the fruit of his labors.

There are more riddles to solve in the next verse:

19 Jesus said, “Congratulations to the one who came into being before coming into being. If you become my disciples and pay attention to my sayings, these stones will serve you. For there are five trees in Paradise for you; they do not change, summer or winter, and their leaves do not fall. Whoever knows them will not taste death.”

Let us hear the group’s ideas on this one.

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Sept 27, 2014

Examining Thomas, Part 7

Here’s the next verse to solve.:

One thing I am noticing about the book of Thomas is the many dualities presented almost like they were designed to correspond to the meaning of Thomas, which is “twin.” For instance “the one who came into being before coming into being” presents a twin, or dual presentation of one idea.

Our consciousness as a soul came into being before our lower self did, but that applies to all of us and the writer here implies that this just applies to just a few. Perhaps because only the few realize it.

The fact that the stones will serve us presents the same idea as the scripture, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,” Rom 8:28 The elements themselves have a basic intelligence that can be activated and directed toward a good end to those who dwell in higher consciousness.

The verse ends with, For there are five trees in Paradise for you; they do not change, summer or winter, and their leaves do not fall. Whoever knows them will not taste death.”

It is interesting that the Bible only talks of one tree in paradise, which is the Tree of Life, but here five trees are mentioned. The Tree of Life has twelve different fruits whereas no fruit is mentioned concerning these trees, but only leaves. You don’t eat fruit from these trees, but you have to know them instead.

A tree in the scriptures represents a state of consciousness or a being of higher consciousness. The leaves represent disciples who teach true principles. The five states of consciousness we must know concern the physical, the emotional, the mental, the consciousness of the soul and the originating monad. Then we will be one with the Father and the Son and not taste death.

Let us move on to the next verse.

20 The disciples said to Jesus, “Tell us what Heaven’s kingdom is like.” He said to them, It’s like a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds, but when it falls on prepared soil, it produces a large plant and becomes a shelter for birds of the sky.

This is similar to Matthew 13:31-32. There has already been a lot of commentary written on this, so let us move on.

21 Mary said to Jesus, “What are your disciples like?” He said, They are like little children living in a field that is not theirs. When the owners of the field come, they will say, “Give us back our field.” They take off their clothes in front of them in order to give it back to them, and they return their field to them. For this reason I say, if the owners of a house know that a thief is coming, they will be on guard before the thief arrives and will not let the thief break into their house (their domain) and steal their possessions. As for you, then, be on guard against the world. Prepare yourselves with great strength, so the robbers can’t find a way to get to you, for the trouble you expect will come. Let there be among you a person who understands. When the crop ripened, he came quickly carrying a sickle and harvested it. Anyone here with two good ears had better listen!

I think this could have been written much clearer, but here is what I get out of it.

We mortals think that we own things like land, homes, cars and possessions, but in the end it is an illusion. They will all be taken away from us either through natural catastrophe or death. The true disciple realizes this and thus is not attached to possessions, and is even willing to give the clothes off his back in his quest for the kingdom of God.

On the other hand, it is important that the disciple not be swindled out of that which is necessary to sustain service or his right to decide his own destiny. He must therefore “be on guard against the world” so he doesn’t give all his possessions to some greedy guru or yield to the beast of unearned authority. If he is wise he will be a part of the great harvest of he Master.

This next verse is stated by he who claims to be James reincarnated to be the Key to the whole book and he quotes it a lot but offers very little in the way of explanation other than saying we do not understand it.

22 Jesus saw some babies nursing. He said to his disciples, “These nursing babies are like those who enter the <Father’s> kingdom.” They said to him, “Then shall we enter the <Father’s> kingdom as babies?” Jesus said to them, “When you make the two into one, and when you make the inner like the outer and the outer like the inner, and the upper like the lower, and when you make male and female into a single one, so that the male will not be male nor the female be female, when you make eyes in place of an eye, a hand in place of a hand, a foot in place of a foot, an image in place of an image, then you will enter [the kingdom].”

Okay, knock yourselves out. Let us see if the group can come up with an explanation that makes some sense.

***

Dan:

This last one hits close to home for me personally. I sometimes find myself longing for “home” and to hear that “home” is just a LITERALLY deadly illusion is . . . devastating.

Glad you appreciate the teachings, Dan, and still get insights after all these years. The fact that we must be “born again” into new endeavors should not be devastating, as rest, peace and bliss, which is great for a while, becomes a negative after a period of time. We always crave a new challenge sooner or later. The Key found by the masters is to be born again in this life without having to die first and reincarnate.

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