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The Gospel of Thomas side-by-side The Isa Upanishad Thoughts, Words, and Rhetoric are Sequentially Compared and Contrasted. Similar Ideas are Highlighted with Color for Ease of Comparison. The Sayings of Jesus - The Jesus Upanishad A Meditative Study |
The Gospel of Thomas |
The Isa Upanishad |
| Prologue:
These are the hidden sayings that the living Jesus spoke and Didymos (the twin) Judas Thomas wrote down. |
I: All this, whatsoever exists in the universe, should be covered by the Lord. |
| 1: And he said, "Whoever discovers the meaning of these sayings won't taste death." | Having renounced (the unreal), |
| 2: Jesus said, "Whoever seeks shouldn't stop until they find. When they find, they'll be disturbed. When they're disturbed, they'll be […] amazed, and reign over the All." [And have rest.] | enjoy
(the
Real). Do not covet
the
wealth of any man. We cover all things |
| 3:
Jesus
said, "If your leaders tell you, 'Look, the kingdom is
in heaven,' then the birds
of heaven
will precede you. If they tell
you, 'It's in the sea,'
then the fish
will precede you. Rather, the
kingdom is within you and outside of you. "When you know yourselves, then you'll be known, and you'll realize that you're the children of the living Father. But if you don't know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty." |
things with the Lord by perceiving the Divine Presence everywhere. When the consciousness is firmly fixed in God, the conception of diversity naturally drops away; |
| 4: Jesus said, "The older person won't hesitate to ask a little seven-day-old child about the place of life, and they will live, because many who are first will be last, and they will become one." | because the One Cosmic Existence shines through all things. |
| 5: Jesus said, "Know what's in front of your face, and what's hidden from you will be revealed to you, because there's nothing hidden that won't be revealed." | As we gain the light of wisdom, we cease to cling to the unrealities |
| 6:
His
disciples said to him, "Do you want us to fast?
And how
should we pray?
Should we make
donations? And what food should we avoid?" Jesus said, "Don't lie, and don't do what you hate, because everything is revealed in the sight of heaven; for there's nothing hidden that won't be revealed, and nothing covered up that will stay secret." |
of this world and we find all our joy in the realm of Reality. The word "enjoy" is also interpreted by the great commentator Sankaracharya |
| (C.f.
"The word... is... interpreted." "Whoever
finds
the meaning (or uncovers the interpretation) of these words won't experience death," Thomas 1. Sankaracharya was a teacher of "Advaita" which means "not two" but "One." As Jesus said, "Make the two One," Thomas 22, and 106.) |
|
| 7: Jesus said, "Blessed is the lion that's eaten by a human and then becomes human, but how awful for the human who's eaten by a lion, and the lion becomes human." | as "protect," because knowledge of our true Self is |
| 8: He said, "The human being is like a wise fisher who cast a net into the sea and drew it up from the sea full of little fish. Among them the wise fisher found a fine large fish and cast all the little fish back down into the sea, easily choosing the large fish. Anyone who has ears to hear should hear!" | the greatest protector and sustainer. If we do not have this knowledge, we cannot be happy; |
| 9: Jesus said, "Look, a sower went out, took a handful of seeds, and scattered them. Some fell on the roadside; the birds came and gathered them. Others fell on the rock; they didn't take root in the soil and ears of grain didn't rise toward heaven. Yet others fell on thorns; they choked the seeds and worms ate them. Finally, others fell on good soil; it produced fruit up toward heaven, some sixty times as much and some a hundred and twenty." | because nothing on this external plane of phenomena is permanent or dependable. He who is rich in the knowledge of the Self does not covet external power or possession. |
| (C.f. "They
choked the
seeds." "The deceitfulness of riches,
& the lusts of other things... choke the word," Mark 4:19.) |
|
| 10: Jesus said, "I have cast fire on the world, and look, I am watching over it until it blazes." | II: If one should desire to live in this world a hundred years, |
| 11: Jesus said, "This heaven will disappear, and the one above it will disappear too. Those who are dead aren't alive, and those who are living won't die. In the days when you ate what was dead, you made it alive. When you're in the light, what will you do? On the day when you were one, you became divided. But when you become divided, what will you do?" | Continued
from above... (In this world...) one should live performing Karma (righteous deeds). Thus thou mayest live; there is no other way. By doing this, (I.e. By performing Karma). |
| 12:
The disciples said to Jesus, "We know you're
going to leave us. Who will lead us then?" Jesus said to them, "Wherever you are, you will go to James the Just, for whom heaven and earth came into being." |
Karma
(the
fruits of thy actions) will
not defile thee. If a man still clings to long life and earthly possessions, |
| 13:
Jesus
said to his disciples, "If you were to compare me to someone, who would
you say I'm like?" Simon Peter said to him, "You're like a just angel." Matthew said to him, "You're like a wise philosopher." Thomas said to him, "Teacher, I'm completely unable to say whom you're like." Jesus said, "I'm not your teacher. Because you've drunk, you've become intoxicated by the bubbling spring I've measured out." He took him aside and told him three things. When Thomas returned to his companions, they asked, "What did Jesus say to you?" Thomas said to them, "If I tell you one of the things he said to me, you'll pick up stones and cast them at me, and fire will come out of the stones and burn you up." |
and
is therefore unable
to follow
the
path of
Self-knowledge (Gnana-Nishta) as prescribed in the first Mantram
(text), then he may follow
the
path of right action (Karma-Nishta).
Karma here means actions
performed without selfish motive, for the sake of the Lord alone. |
| 14:
Jesus
said to them, "If you
fast, you'll bring guilt upon
yourselves; and if you
pray, you'll be condemned; and if you
make
donations, you'll
harm your spirits. "If they welcome you when you enter any land and go around in the countryside, heal those who are sick among them and eat whatever they give you, because it's not what goes into your mouth that will defile you. What comes out of your mouth is what will defile you." |
When a man performs actions clinging blindly to his lower desires, By doing this, then his actions bind him to the plane of ignorance or the plane of birth and death; |
| 15: Jesus said, "When you see the one who wasn't born of a woman, fall down on your face and worship that person. That's your Father." | but when the same actions are performed with surrender to God, |
| 16: Jesus said, "Maybe people think that I have come to cast peace on the world, and they don't know that I have come to cast divisions on the earth: fire, sword, and war. Where there are five in a house, there'll be three against two and two against three, father against the son and the son against father. They'll stand up and be one." | they purify and
liberate him. III: After leaving their bodies, they who have killed the Self go to the worlds of the Asuras, |
| 17: Jesus said, " no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard, no hand has ever touched, and I'll give you what no human mind has ever thought." | covered with blinding
ignorance. The idea |
| 18:
The
disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us about our end.
How
will it come?" Jesus said, "Have you discovered the beginning so that you can look for the end? Because the end will be where the beginning is. Blessed is the one who will stand up in the beginning. They'll know the end, and won't taste death." |
of rising to bright regions as a reward for well-doers, and of falling into realms of darkness as a punishment |
| 19: Jesus said, "Blessed is the one who came into being before coming into being. If you become my disciples and listen to my message, these stones will become your servants; because there are five trees in paradise which don't change in summer or winter, and their leaves don't fall. Whoever knows them won't taste death." | for evil-doers is common to all great religions. But Vedanta claims that this condition of heaven and hell is only temporary; |
| 20:
The
disciples asked Jesus, "Tell us, what can
the kingdom of heaven be
compared to?" He said to them, "It can be compared to a mustard seed. Though it's the smallest of all the seeds, when it falls on tilled soil it makes a plant so large that it shelters the birds of heaven." |
because
our actions, being
finite, can
produce only a finite
result. What does it mean "to kill the Self?" |
| 21:
Mary
said to Jesus, "Whom are your disciples like?" He said, "They're like little children living in a field which isn't theirs. When the owners of the field come, they'll say, 'Give our field back to us.' They'll strip naked in front of them to let them have it and give them their field. "So I say that if the owner of the house realizes the bandit is coming, they'll watch out beforehand and won't let the bandit break into the house of their domain and steal their possessions. You, then, watch out for the world! Prepare to defend yourself so that the bandits don't attack you, because what you're expecting will come. May there be a wise person among you! "When the fruit ripened, the reaper came quickly, sickle in hand, and harvested it. Anyone who has ears to hear should hear!" |
How
can the
immortal Soul
ever be
destroyed? It cannot be
destroyed, it
can only be
obscured. Those who hold themselves under the
sway of ignorance, who
serve the
flesh and neglect the Atman
or the real Self, are not able to perceive the effulgent and indestructible nature of their Soul; |
| 22:
Jesus
saw
some little
children nursing. He said to his
disciples, "These nursing
children can
be compared to those
who enter
the kingdom." They said to him, "Then we'll enter the kingdom as little children?" Jesus said to them, "When you make the two into one, and make the inner like the outer and the outer like the inner, and the upper like the lower, and so make the male and the female a single one so that the male won't be male nor the female female; when you make eyes in the place of an eye, a hand in the place of a hand, a foot in the place of a foot, and an image in the place of an image; then you'll enter [the kingdom]." |
hence they fall into the realm where the Soul light does not shine. Here the Upanishad shows that the only hell is absence of knowledge. As long as man is overpowered by the darkness of ignorance, he is the slave of Nature and |
| 23: Jesus said, "I'll choose you, one out of a thousand and two out of ten thousand, and they'll stand as a single one." | must accept whatever comes as the fruit of his thoughts |
| 24:
His
disciples said, "Show us
the place where you are, because we need to look for it." He said to them, "Anyone who has ears to hear should hear! Light exists within a person of light, and they light up the whole world. If they don't shine, there's (or he is) darkness." |
and
deeds. When he strays into the path of unreality, the Sages declare that he destroys himself; |
| 25: Jesus said, "Love your brother as your own soul. Protect them like the pupil of your eye." | because he who clings to the perishable body |
| 26: Jesus said, "You see the speck that's in your brother's eye, but you don't see the beam in your own eye. When you get the beam out of your own eye, then you will be able to see clearly to get the speck out of your brother's eye." | and regards it as his true Self must experience death many times. |
| 27: "If you do not fast from the world, you won't find the kingdom. If you do not make the Sabbath into a Sabbath, you won't see the Father." | IV: That One, though motionless, is swifter than the mind. |
| 28: Jesus said, "I stood in the middle of the world and appeared to them in the flesh. I found them all drunk; I didn't find any of them thirsty. My soul ached for the children of humanity, because they were blind in their hearts and couldn't see. They came into the world empty and plan on leaving the world empty. Meanwhile, they're drunk. When they shake off their wine, then they will change." | The senses can never overtake It, for It ever goes before. Though immovable, It travels faster than those who run. By It the all-pervading air sustains all living beings. |
| 29: Jesus said, "If the flesh came into existence because of spirit, that's amazing. If spirit came into existence because of the body, that's really amazing! But I'm amazed at how [such] great wealth has been placed in this poverty." | This verse explains the character of the Atman or Self. A finite object can be taken from one place and put in another, |
| 30: Jesus said, "Where there are three deities, they're divine. Where there are two or one, I'm with them." | but it can only occupy one space at a time. |
| 31: Jesus said, "No prophet is welcome in their own village. No doctor heals those who know them." | The Atman, however, is present everywhere; |
| 32: Jesus said, "A city built and fortified on a high mountain can't fall, nor can it be hidden." | hence, though one may run with the greatest swiftness |
| 33: Jesus said, "What you hear with one ear, listen to with both, then proclaim from your rooftops. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket or in a hidden place. Rather, they put it on the stand so that everyone who comes and goes can see its light." | to
overtake It, already It is there |
| 34: Jesus said, "If someone who's blind leads someone else who's blind, both of them fall into a pit." | before him. |
| 35: Jesus said, "No one can break into the house of the strong and take it by force without tying the hands of the strong. Then they can loot the house." | Even the all-pervading air must be supported by this Self, since It is infinite; |
| 36: Jesus said, "Don't be anxious from morning to evening or from evening to morning about what you'll wear." | and as nothing can live without breathing air, |
| 37:
His
disciples said, "When
will you appear to us? When
will we see you?" Jesus said, "When you strip naked without being ashamed, and throw your clothes on the ground and stomp on them as little children would, then [you'll] see the Son of the Living One and won't be afraid." |
all living things
must draw their life from the Cosmic
Self. V: It moves and It moves not. It is far and also It is near. |
| 38: Jesus said, "Often you've wanted to hear this message that I'm telling you, and you don't have anyone else from whom to hear it. There will be days when you'll look for me, but you won't be able to find me." | It is within and also It is without all this. It is near to those who have the power to understand It, |
| (C.f. Jesus said, "The
kingdom is
within you and it is outside of you,"
Saying 3. "It is within and also It is without all this." Jesus said, "Whoever is near me is near the fire," Sayin 82. "It is near to those who have the power to understand It.") |
|
| 39: Jesus said, "The Pharisees and the scholars have taken the keys of knowledge and hidden them. They haven't entered, and haven't let others enter who wanted to. So be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." | for It dwells in the heart of every one; but It seems far to those whose mind is covered |
| 40:
Jesus
said, "A grapevine has been planted outside of the
Father. Since it's
malnourished, it'll be pulled
up by its root and
destroyed." |
by the clouds of sensuality and self-delusion. |
| (C.f.
"The
clouds of sensuality and
self-delusion."
"These are... feeding themselves without fear, clouds without water... trees whose fruit withereth, twice dead, plucked up by the roots," Jude 12. This Jude seems to be the same writer as the Didymous Jude Thomas mentioned in the prologue.) |
|
| 41: Jesus said, "Whoever has something in hand will be given more, but whoever doesn't have anything will lose even what little they do have." | It is within, because It is the innermost Soul of all creatures; |
| 42: Jesus said, "Become passersby." | and It is without as the essence of the whole external universe, |
| 43:
His disciples said to him, "Who are
you to say these things to us?" "You don't realize who I am from what I say to you, but you've become like those Judeans who either love the tree but hate its fruit, or love the fruit but hate the tree." |
infilling
it
like the all-pervading ether. VI: He who sees all beings in the Self and the Self in all beings, |
| 44: Jesus said, "Whoever blasphemes the Father will be forgiven, and whoever blasphemes the Son will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, neither on earth nor in heaven." | he
never turns
away from It (the Self). VII: He who perceives all |
| 45: Jesus said, "Grapes aren't harvested from thorns, nor are figs gathered from thistles, because they don't produce fruit. [A person who's good] brings good things out of their treasure, and a person who's [evil] brings evil things out of their evil treasure. They say evil things because their heart is full of evil." | beings as the Self for him how can there be delusion or grief, when he sees this oneness (everywhere)? |
| 46: Jesus said, "From Adam to John the Baptizer, no one's been born who's so much greater than John the Baptizer that they shouldn't avert their eyes. But I say that whoever among you will become a little child will know the kingdom and become greater than John." | He who perceives the Self everywhere never shrinks from anything, because through his higher consciousness |
| 47:
Jesus said, "It's not possible for anyone to
mount two
horses or stretch two
bows, and it's not possible for a servant
to follow
two
leaders,
because they
will respect one
and despise
the other. "No one drinks old wine and immediately wants to drink new wine. And new wine isn't put in old wineskins, because they'd burst. Nor is old wine put in new wineskins, because it'd spoil. "A new patch of cloth isn't sewn onto an old coat, because it'd tear apart." |
he feels united with all life. When a man sees God in all beings and all beings in God, and also God dwelling in his own Soul, how can he hate any living thing? |
| 48: Jesus said, "If two make peace with each other in a single house, they'll say to the mountain, 'Go away,' and it will." | Grief and delusion rest upon a belief in diversity, |
| 49: Jesus said, "Blessed are those who are one – those who are chosen, because you will find the kingdom. You have come from there and will return there." | which leads to competition and all forms of selfishness. With the realization of oneness, |
| 50:
Jesus
said, "If they
ask you, 'Where
do you come from?' tell
them, 'We
have come from the light,
the
place where light came
into being
by itself, [established]
itself, and appeared
in their image.' "If they ask you, 'Is it you?' then say, 'We are its children, and we are chosen by our living Father.' "If they ask you, 'What's the sign of your Father in you?' then say, 'It's movement and rest.'" |
the
sense of diversity
vanishes and the cause
of misery is removed. VIII: He (the Self) is all-encircling, resplendent, bodiless, spotless, without sinews, |
| 51:
His
disciples said to him, "When will the dead have rest, and when will the new
world come?" He said to them, "What you're looking for has already come, but you don't know it." |
pure,
untouched by sin, all-seeing,
all-knowing,
|
| 52:
His
disciples said to him, "Twenty-four prophets have spoken in Israel, and
they all
spoke of you." He said to them, "You've ignored the Living One right in front of you, and you've talked about those who are dead." |
transcendent, self-existent; He has disposed all things duly for eternal years. |
| 53:
His
disciples said to him, "Is
circumcision useful, or not?" He said to them, "If it were useful, parents would have children who are born circumcised. But the true circumcision in spirit has become profitable in every way." |
This text defines the real nature of the Self. When our mind is cleansed from the dross of matter, |
| 54: Jesus said, "Blessed are those who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven." | then alone can we behold the vast, radiant, subtle, |
| 55: Jesus said, "Whoever doesn't hate their father and mother can't become my disciple, and whoever doesn't hate their brothers and sisters and take up their cross like I do isn't worthy of me." | ever-pure and spotless Self, the true basis of our existence. |
| 56: Jesus said, "Whoever has known the world has found a corpse. Whoever has found a corpse, of them the world isn't worthy." | IX:
They
enter into blind
darkness who
worship Avidya (ignorance
|
| 57: Jesus said, "My Fathers' kingdom can be compared to someone who had [good] seed. Their enemy came by night and sowed weeds among the good seed. The person didn't let anyone pull out the weeds, 'so that you don't pull out the wheat along with the weeds,' they said to them. 'On the day of the harvest, the weeds will be obvious. Then they'll be pulled out and burned.'" | and delusion);
they
fall, as it were, into
greater darkness who worship Vidya
(knowledge). X: By Vidya one end is attained; |
| 58: Jesus said, "Blessed is the person who's gone to a lot of trouble. They've found life." | by Avidya, another. |
| 59: Jesus said, "Look for the Living One while you're still alive. If you die and then try to look for him, you won't be able to." | Thus we have heard from the wise men who taught this. |
| 60:
They
saw a Samaritan carrying a lamb to Judea. He said to his
disciples, "What
do you think he's going to do with that lamb?" They said to him, " He's going to kill it and eat it." He said to them, "While it's living, he won't eat it, but only after he kills it and it becomes a corpse." They said, "He can't do it any other way." He said to them, "You, too, look for a resting place, so that you won't become a corpse and be eaten." |
XI
He
who knows at the same time both Vidya and Avidya, crosses
over death by Avidya and attains
immortality through Vidya. Those who follow or "worship" the path of selfishness |
| 61:
Jesus
said, "Two
will rest on a couch. One will die, the other will live." Salome said, "Who are you, Sir, to climb onto my couch and eat off my table as if you're from someone?" Jesus said to her, "I'm the one who exists in equality. Some of what belongs to my Father was given to me." "I'm your disciple." "So I'm telling you, if someone is /equal\, they'll be full of light; but if they're divided, they'll be full of darkness." |
and
pleasure
(Avidya),
without
knowing anything higher,
necessarily fall
into darkness; but those who worship or cherish
Vidya (knowledge) for mere intellectual pride and satisfaction, |
| 62: Jesus said, "I tell my mysteries to [those who are worthy of my] mysteries. Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." | fall into greater darkness, |
| 63: Jesus said, "There was a rich man who had much money. He said, 'I'll use my money to sow, reap, plant, and fill my barns with fruit, so that I won't need anything.' That's what he was thinking to himself, but he died that very night. Anyone who has ears to hear should hear!" | because
the
opportunity which they misuse
is greater. In the subsequent verses Vidya and Avidya are used in something the same sense |
| 64:
Jesus
said, "Someone
was planning on having guests. When dinner was
ready, they sent their servant
to call the visitors. "The servant went to the first and said, 'My master invites you.' "They said, 'Some merchants owe me money. They're coming tonight. I need to go and give them instructions. Excuse me from the dinner.' "The servant went to another one and said, 'My master invites you.' "They said, "I've just bought a house and am needed for the day. I won't have time.' "The servant went to another one and said, 'My master invites you.' "They said, 'My friend is getting married and I'm going to make dinner. I can't come. Excuse me from the dinner.' "The servant went to another one and said, 'My master invites you.' "They said, "I've just bought a farm and am going to collect the rent. I can't come. Excuse me.' "The servant went back and told the master, 'The ones you've invited to the dinner have excused themselves.' "The master said to their servant, 'Go out to the roads and bring whomever you find so that they can have dinner.' "Buyers and merchants won't [enter] the places of my Father." |
as "faith"
and "works"
in
the Christian
Bible; neither alone
can lead to the
ultimate goal, but when taken
together they carry one to the Highest.
Work done with unselfish motive
purifies the mind and enables man to perceive his undying nature. From
this he gains inevitably a knowledge of God,
because the Soul and God are one
and inseparable; and when he knows himself to be one with the Supreme and Indestructible Whole, he realizes his immortality. |
| 65:
He
said, "A
[creditor]
owned a vineyard. He leased it out to
some sharecroppers
to work it so
he could collect its fruit. "He sent his servant so that the sharecroppers could give him the fruit of the vineyard. They seized his servant, beat him, and nearly killed him. "The servant went back and told his master. His master said, 'Maybe he just didn't know them.' He sent another servant, but the tenants beat that one too. "Then the master sent his son, thinking, 'Maybe they'll show some respect to my son.' "Because they knew that he was the heir of the vineyard, the sharecroppers seized and killed him. Anyone who has ears to hear should hear!" |
XII:
They
fall into blind
darkness who
worship
the
Unmanifested
and they fall into greater
darkness who
worship
the
manifested. XIII: By the worship of the Unmanifested one end is attained; by the worship of the manifested, another. |
| 66: Jesus said, "Show me the stone the builders rejected; that's the cornerstone." | Thus we have heard from the wise men who taught us this. |
| 67: Jesus said, "Whoever knows everything, but is personally lacking, lacks everything." | XIV: He who knows |
| 68: Jesus said, "Blessed are you when you're hated and persecuted, and no place will be found where you've been persecuted." | at the same time both the Unmanifested |
| 69: Jesus said, "Blessed are those who've been persecuted in their own hearts. They've truly known the Father. Blessed are those who are hungry, so that their stomachs may be filled." | (the cause of manifestation) and the destructible or manifested, |
| 70: Jesus said, "If you give birth to what's within you, what you have within you will save you. If you don't have that within [you], what you don't have within you [will] kill you." | he crosses over death through knowledge |
| 71: Jesus said, "I'll destroy [this] house, and no one will be able to build it […]" | of the destructible and attains immortality through knowledge of the First Cause |
| 72:
[Someone said to him], "Tell
my brothers to divide our inheritance with me." He said to him, "Who made me a divider?" He turned to his disciples and said to them, "Am I really a divider?" |
(Unmanifested). This particular Upanishad deals chiefly with the Invisible Cause |
| 73: Jesus said, "The harvest really is plentiful, but the workers are few. So pray that the Lord will send workers to the harvest." | and the visible manifestation, |
| 74: He said, "Lord, many are gathered around the well, but there's nothing to drink." | and the whole trend of its teaching |
| 75: Jesus said, "Many are waiting at the door, but those who are one will enter the bridal chamber." | is to show that they are one and the same, |
| 76:
Jesus
said, "The
Father's kingdom can be compared to
a
merchant with merchandise who found a pearl. The merchant
was wise;
they sold their merchandise and bought that
single pearl for themselves. "You, too, look for the treasure that doesn't perish but endures, where no moths come to eat and no worms destroy." |
one being the outcome of the other hence no perfect knowledge is possible without simultaneous comprehension of both. |
| 77:
Jesus
said, "I am
the
light that's over all. I am
the All.
The All
has come from me and unfolds toward me. "Split a log; I am there. Lift the stone, and you will find me there." |
The wise men declare that he who worships in a one-sided way, whether the visible or the invisible, |
| Herod ... enquired diligently of ... the wise men... what time the star appeared, Matthew 2:7. | |
| 78: Jesus said, "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed shaken by the wind? A [person] wearing fancy clothes, [like your] rulers and powerful people? They (wear) fancy [clothes], but can't know the truth." | does not reach the highest goal. Only he who has a co-ordinated understanding |
| 79:
A woman
in the crowd said to him, "Blessed is the womb
that bore you, and the
breasts that nourished you." He said to [her], "Blessed are those who have listened to the message of the Father and kept it, because there will be days when you'll say, 'Blessed is the womb that didn't conceive and the breasts that haven't given milk.'" |
of both the visible and the invisible, of matter and spirit, of activity and that which is behind activity, conquers Nature |
| 80: Jesus said, "Whoever has known the world has found the body; but whoever has found the body, of them the world isn't worthy." | and thus overcomes death. By work, by making the mind steady |
| 81: Jesus said, "Whoever has become rich should become a ruler, and whoever has power should renounce it." | and by following the prescribed rules given in the Scriptures, |
| 82: Jesus said, "Whoever is near me is near the fire, and whoever is far from me is far from the kingdom." | a man gains wisdom. By the light of that wisdom |
| 83: Jesus said, "Images are revealed to people, but the light within them is hidden in the image of the Father's light. He will be revealed, but his image will be hidden by his light." | he is able to perceive the Invisible Cause in all visible forms. |
| 84: Jesus said, "When you see your likeness, you rejoice. But when you see your images that came into being before you did – which don't die, and aren't revealed – how much you will have to bear!" | Therefore the wise man sees Him in every manifested form. |
| 85: Jesus said, "Adam came into being from a great power and great wealth, but he didn't become worthy of you. If he had been worthy, [he would not have tasted] death." | They who have a true conception of God are never separated from Him. |
| 86: Jesus said, "[The foxes have dens] and the birds have nests, but the Son of Humanity has nowhere to lay his head and rest." | They exist in Him and He in them. |
| 87: Jesus said, "How miserable is the body that depends on a body, and how miserable is the soul that depends on both." | XV: The face of Truth is hidden by a golden disk. |
| 88: Jesus said, "The angels and the prophets will come to you and give you what belongs to you. You will give them what you have and ask yourselves, 'When will they come and take what is theirs?'" | O Pushan
(Effulgent Being)! Uncover (Thy face) that I, |
| 89: Jesus said, "Why do you wash the outside of the cup? Don't you know that whoever created the inside created the outside too?" | the worshipper of Truth, may behold Thee. |
| 90: Jesus said, "Come to me, because my yoke is easy and my requirements are light. You'll be refreshed." | XVI: O Pushan! O Sun, sole traveller of the heavens, |
| Pushan - A vedic solar deity associated with illumination, guidance, nourishment, and protection. | |
| 91:
They
said to him, "Tell us who you
are so that we may trust you." He said to them, "You read the face of the sky and the earth, but you don't know the one right in front of you, and you don't know how to read the present moment." |
controller of all, son of Prajapati, withdraw Thy rays and gather up Thy burning effulgence. Now |
| 92: Jesus said, "Look and you'll find. I didn't answer your questions before. Now I want to give you answers, but you aren't looking for them." | through Thy Grace I behold Thy blessed and glorious form. |
| 93: "Don't give what's holy to the dogs, or else it might be thrown on the manure pile. Don't throw pearls to the pigs, or else they might […]" | The Purusha (Effulgent Being) who dwells within Thee, |
| The
Perusha is considered to be the soul of the universe, or the univeral spirit present everywhere, in everything, and everyone. [Colossians 1:16-17, Ephesians 1:10, 23, 4:10 Amplified] |
|
| 94:
Jesus
[said], "Whoever
looks
will find, [and whoever knocks], it will be
opened for them." |
I am He. Here the sun, who is the giver of all |
| 95: [Jesus said], "If you have money, don't lend it at interest. Instead, give [it to] someone from whom you won't get it back." | (the sun) light, is used as the symbol of |
| Consider the symbolic images
on a coin,
Thomas 83 & 84. "They showed Jesus a gold coin," Thomas 100. |
|
| 96: Jesus [said], "The Father's kingdom can be compared to a woman who took a little yeast and [hid] it in flour. She made it into large loaves of bread. Anyone who has ears to hear should hear!" | the Infinite, giver of all wisdom. The seeker after Truth prays to |
| 97: Jesus said, "The Father's kingdom can be compared to a woman carrying a jar of flour. While she was walking down [a] long road, the jar's handle broke and the flour spilled out behind her on the road. She did not know it, and did not realize there was a problem until she got home, put down the jar, and found it empty." | the Effulgent One to control His dazzling rays, that his eyes, no longer blinded by them, may behold the Truth. Having perceived It, |
| A "jar's handle" can look like an ear... suggesting the senses of perception. | |
| 98: Jesus said, "The Father's kingdom can be compared to a man who wanted to kill someone powerful. He drew his sword in his house and drove it into the wall to figure out whether his hand was strong enough. Then he killed the powerful one." | he proclaims: "Now I see that that Effulgent Being and I are one and the same, and my delusion is destroyed." |
| 99:
The
disciples said to him, "Your brothers and mother are standing
outside." He said to them, "The people here who do the will of my Father are my brothers and mother; they're the ones who will enter my Father's kingdom." |
By the light of Truth he is able to discriminate between the real and the unreal, |
| 100:
They
showed Jesus a gold
coin and said to him, "Those who belong to Caesar demand
tribute from us." He said to them, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give to God what belongs to God, and give to me what belongs to me." |
and the knowledge thus gained convinces him that he is one with the Supreme; |
| 101: "Whoever doesn't hate their [father] and mother as I do can't become my [disciple], and whoever [doesn't] love their [father] and mother as I do can't become my [disciple]. For my mother […gave me falsehood], but [my] true [Mother] gave me Life." | that there is no difference between himself and the Supreme Truth; or as Christ said, "I and my Father are one." |
| 102: Jesus said, "How awful for the Pharisees who are like a dog sleeping in a feeding trough for cattle, because the dog doesn't eat, and [doesn't let] the cattle eat either." | XVII: May my life-breath go to the all-pervading and immortal Prana, |
| 103: Jesus said, "Blessed is the one who knows where the bandits are going to enter. [They can] get up to assemble their defenses and be prepared to defend themselves before they arrive." | and let this body be burned to ashes. Om! O mind, remember thy deeds! |
| 104:
They
said to [Jesus], "Come,
let's pray and fast today." Jesus said, "What have I done wrong? Have I failed? "Rather, when the groom leaves the bridal chamber, then people should fast and pray." |
O mind,
remember, remember thy deeds! Remember! Seek not fleeting results |
| 105: Jesus said, "Whoever knows their father and mother will be called a bastard." | as the reward of thy actions, O mind! |
| 106: Jesus said, "When you make the two into one, you'll become Children of Humanity, and if you say 'Mountain, go away!', it'll go." | Strive only for the Imperishable. This Mantram or text |
| 107: Jesus said, "The kingdom can be compared to a shepherd who had a hundred sheep. The largest one strayed. He left the ninety-nine and looked for that one until he found it. Having gone through the trouble, he said to the sheep: 'I love you more than the ninety-nine.'" | is often chanted at the hour of death to remind one of the perishable nature of the body |
THE SON IS THE SHEPHERD OF THE ONE LOST SHEEP He is the shepherd who left behind the ninety-nine sheep that had not strayed and went in search of that one which was lost. He rejoiced when he had found it. For ninety-nine is a number expressed with the left hand. The moment he finds the one, however, the whole number is transferred to the right hand. Thus it is with him who lacks the one, that is, the entire right hand, which attracts that in which it is deficient, seizes it from the left side, and transfers it to the right. In this way, then, the number becomes one hundred. This is the symbol of the sound of the numbers. It is the father," The Gospel of Truth, Translated by Willis Barnstone and Marvin Meyer. "This number signifies the Father," The Gospel of Truth, Translated by Robert M. Grant. |
|
| 108: Jesus said, "Whoever drinks from my mouth will become like me, and I myself will become like them; then, what's hidden will be revealed to them." | and the eternal nature of the Soul. When the clear vision of |
| 109:
Jesus said, "The kingdom can be compared to someone
who had a
treasure [hidden] in their field.
[They] didn't know
about it.
After
they died, they left it to their son. The son didn't know it
either. He took the field and sold it. "The buyer plowed the field, [found] the treasure, and began to loan money at interest to whomever they wanted." |
the distinction between the mortal body and the immortal Soul dawns in the heart, then all craving for physical pleasure or material possession drops away; |
| 110: Jesus said, "Whoever has found the world and become rich should renounce the world." | and one can say, let the body be burned to ashes that |
| 111:
Jesus said, "The heavens and the earth will roll up in
front of you, and whoever lives
from the Living One won't see
death." Doesn't Jesus say, "Whoever finds themselves, of them the world isn't worthy"? |
the Soul may attain its freedom; for death is nothing more than the casting-off |
| 112: Jesus said, "How awful for the flesh that depends on the soul. How awful for the soul that depends on the flesh." | of
a worn-out
garment. XVIII: O Agni (Bright Being)! |
| Agni - The vital energy present in all living beings. | |
| 113:
His disciples said to him, "When will the kingdom come?" "It won't come by looking for it. They won't say, 'Look over here!' or 'Look over there!' Rather, the Father's kingdom is already spread out over the earth, and people don't see it." |
Lead us to blessedness by the good path. O Lord! Thou knowest all our deeds, |
| 114:
Simon Peter said to them, "Mary should
leave us, because women
aren't worthy of life." Jesus said, "Look, am I to make her a man? So that she may become a living spirit too, she's equal to you men, because every woman who makes herself manly will enter the kingdom of heaven." |
remove all evil and delusion from us. To Thee we offer our prostrations and supplications again and again. |
| Mary: (in Greek - Μαρία) means 'obstinacy,' 'rebelliousness'. | |
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The Sayings of Jesus and The Jesus Upanishad Consider Also The Sayings of Jesus and Other Scriptures from Around the World Tradition suggests that Thomas preached The Message of Jesus in India. Home |