Inner sincerity and spiritual integrity in conscious efforts.

“It is not enough to wish to be sincere. There is no effort I can make to arrive at sincerity directly. Real sincerity needs no vehemence or emphasis. It is not concerned with convincing others. It often compels me to silence rather than speech.” Annie Lou Staveley, Themes III, p7

“Health is in the quality and integrity of relationship. The drop is the ocean, not separated. The indwelling Divinity doesn’t replace you but suffuses you. So that what is hidden becomes manifest.” Cynthia Bourgeault

Maurice Nicoll says that we live in a growing, evolving, transforming universe. Thus, it may be evident that in our own effort at transformation, the quality of effort is of more use than the mere quantity of effort. The work is based on inner sincerity. One effort arising out of inner sincerity and unshakable valuation of the Teachings will produce a change of Being and shift a person’s position in the universe.

“Nothing false in the way of effort is any good. The very fact that the universe is a scale of qualities shows that what is intrinsically false cannot lead to any change but must—by law—find its own level and remain there. This is what a qualitative view of the universe means. This is the meaning of the Table of Hydrogens.” Maurice Nicoll, Commentaries, p207

“The object of this Work is to separate us from what is false.” p476. Maurice goes on to say that the most terrible crime in the Work is pretending—because it means lack of sincerity, and the Work is based on sincerity. “Great dangers may result if you pretend. It is a live wire, a million volt circuit.” Commentaries, p477 

“Sincere work begins to bring Buried Conscience into your consciousness, little by little, as you can bear it. Insincere work buries it more than ever.” Commentaries, p1630

Logion 6
His students asked him,
"Do you want us to fast?"
"How shall we pray?"
"Should we give offerings?"
"From what foods must we abstain? "
Yeshua answered,
"Stop lying.
Do not do what you hate,
because everything here lies open before heaven.
Nothing hidden will remain secret,
for the veil will be stripped away
from what lies concealed behind it."

Logion 14
Yeshua says...
If you fast
you will only be giving birth to sin in yourself.
If you pray,
your prayers will come back to haunt you.
If you give to charity,
you will create evil within your own spirit.
If, however, you travel through a region
and they welcome you,
eat whatever is put in front of you,
and heal their sick.
For it is not what goes into your mouth which contaminates you,
but what comes out of it.

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Page numbers for Maurice Nicoll refer to Psychological Commentaries on the Teachings of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky (Eureka Editions:2020) unless stated otherwise. 

All quotations from the Gospel of Thomas are from Lynn C Bauman, Ward J Bauman, Cynthia Bourgeault, The Luminous Gospels (Praxis 2008)

Quotations from Cynthia Bourgeault are from The Vocabulary of Wisdom.

Quotations for Annie Lou Staveley refer to Themes III, (Two Rivers Press: 1984)

Read the Impression introducing the Gospel of Thomas.