Thoughts on materialism and spirituality from the “Mary Gospel.”
From the Gospel of Mary Magdalene: Dialogue One. The parts in bold relate specifically to the topic of attachment to matter.
“Tell us about matter. Will it survive or not?”
The Savior answered:
“All of nature with its forms and creatures exist together and are interwoven with each other. They will be resolved back, however, to their own proper origin, for the compositions of matter return to the original roots of their nature. Those who have ears, let them hear this.“
Then Peter said to him:
“Since you have explained everything to us, tell us one more thing. What is the sin of this world?”
The Savior replied:
“Sin as such does not exist. You only bring it into manifestation when you act in ways that are adulterous in nature. It is for this very reason that the Good has come among you pursuing its own essence within nature in order to reunite everything to its origin.”
Then he continued:
“This is also the reason for sickness and death, because you embrace what deceives you. Consider these matters, then, with your spiritual intellect.
Attachment to matter gives birth to passion without an Image of itself because it is drawn from that which is contrary to its higher nature. The result is that confusion and disturbance resonates throughout one’s whole being. It is for this reason that I told you to find contentment at the level of the heart, and if you are discouraged, take heart in the presence of the Image of your true nature. Those with ears, let them hear this.“
Having said these things, the Blessed One addressed them:
“Peace be with you. May my peace reside within you. Guard carefully that no one misleads you saying, “Look, he is here,” or “He’s over there,” for the Son of Humanity already exists within you. Follow him, for those who seek him there will find him. Go forth, now, and proclaim the Good News concerning the Kingdom. Beyond what I have already given you, do not lay down any further rules nor issue laws as the Lawgiver, lest you too be dominated by them.”
Having said this, he departed.
Kabir Helminski addresses the point of attachment to matter: “Whoever makes all cares into a single care, the care for simply being present, will be relieved from all cares by that presence, which is a reflection of Spirit. … If remembering presence becomes our single care, then we will waste less of our inner energy.” Living Presence, p34
“If we make all our cares into a single care, the care for being tangibly in contact with the Source of Life—that Life, that Creative Power, will attend to all our cares.” Living Presence, p142
“Jerry May quotes a Buddhist master as saying that, as attachment ceases to be your motivation, your actions will become reflections of compassion absolute.” Cynthia Bourgeault, Living Presence, Chapter-8-Meditation.
In The New Man, Maurice Nicoll says, “True inner freedom is achieved when one is no longer enslaved by the material world. Attachment to matter ties us down and makes it difficult to experience higher states of consciousness.” The New Man, p104
Have you yet begun to separate from yourself, from your machine? How, if not, can you expect any taste of Real Will, of Master? There is no self-noticing, no inner sincerity, no pain with oneself. Maurice Nicoll, Commentaries, p489
“We must learn to isolate ourselves from life.” Commentaries, p741
“The Work seeks to change us and tells us what to separate from in order to change.” Commentaries, p971
“A man must go out of himself into life and come back again—a movement similar to that of the Prodigal Son.” Commentaries, p223
I can sense Maurice reflecting on spiritual alignment, where inner integrity, sincerity, and valuation are key to raising one’s level of Being.
Logion 87
Yeshua says...
Miserable is the body that depends upon a body,
and the soul that depends upon both.
Logion 112
Yeshua says...
Wretched is the flesh
that is dependent upon the soul,
and the soul that is dependent on the flesh.
In Logion 29, Yeshua seems to flip the context of materialism vs spirituality, reflecting on the paradox of spiritual wealth residing within the material body:
Logion 29
Yeshua says...
If flesh came into existence for the sake of spirit,
it is a wonder,
but if spirit exists for the sake of flesh,
it is a wonder of wonders.
I am truly astonished
at how such richness
came to dwell in such poverty.
For a discussion on the nature of Sin from the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, see this Impression.
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 and Gospel of Mary Magdalene are from Lynn C Bauman, Ward J Bauman, Cynthia Bourgeault, The Luminous Gospels (Praxis 2008)
Kabir Helminski, Living Presence: a Sufi Way to Mindfulness and the Essential Self, (TarcherPerigree, 2017)
Read the Impression introducing the Gospel of Thomas.
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