From the sayings of Thomas: Humanity started poorly, on the path of division. But the path to unity is still open. There are five evergreen trees waiting in paradise.

Logion 19

Yeshua says… Blessed are all who come to live at the point of arising — their “genesis,” before they came into temporality.

If you become my students, listening deeply to my words, even these stones will serve you.

And in paradise five evergreen trees await you. They do not change in summer nor shed their leaves in winter. If you come to know them, you will not know the taste of death.

Logion 45

Yeshua says… Grapes are not harvested from thorns, nor are figs gathered from thistles. Thorns and thistles do not produce fruit.

Good people bring goodness out of a storehouse of inner treasure, and evil ones bring wickedness out of the repository of evil collected in the heart. It is from there that they speak. For from the heart’s overflow evil enters the world.

The Wound

Adam came into being from two virgins: the Spirit and the virgin Earth. The Anointed One, therefore, was also born of a virgin so that the stumbling, which occurred at the beginning, might be rectified.

There are two trees in paradise: the one produces beasts, and the other produces humankind. It was Adam who ate from the tree producing beasts and so he himself not only became bestial, but gave birth to the same. Because of this, human beings began to worship animals. It was in this way, also, that Adam took from the fruit of that tree and multiplied and distributed it, so by eating its fruit, humans gave birth to humans, and also began to worship other humans.

It was God, however, who created human beings, but it was humans who created their own gods. So this has been the way it is in this world; humans create their own gods and worship them. It would be far more fitting if the gods of their own creation worshiped humans instead!

Gospel of Philip, Analogue 51, W Bauman

God planted trees in a garden. Humans lived among these trees, they were not yet divided when they were told: “Eat from this tree, or do not eat from it.” The tree of the knowledge of happiness and unhappiness killed Adam; but the tree of true knowledge, the tree of life, enlivens humankind. The law [nomos] is a tree which separates good and evil; happiness and unhappiness offer nothing beyond. It is not for humans to avoid evil, nor establish themselves in good. When it was said: “Eat this, and do not eat that,” that was the origin of their death.

Gospel of Philip, Saying 94, LeLoup

Condition Named

“One may know all about esotericism and all about this Work without ever willing it and without ever doing it. When the Work is not willed, being cannot change. Change the will and being will change.”
Maurice Nicoll, Psychological Commentaries, p1496

“The will is an active force; it is not naturally an organ of perception. In order for it to be able to perceive it should not — it must not — become passive… no, it should change center of gravitation, i.e. to transform ‘my will’ into ‘thy will.'”
Valentin Tomberg, Meditations on the Tarot, p. 317

Counter-Movement

There are animals that obey people: the calf, the donkey, and those of this sort. There are others who do not obey, and live apart in the wilderness. People work with tame animals to plow their fields, and thus are able to feed themselves and the animals, whether tame or wild.

So it is with realized Human Beings, who work with energies that obey them. They prepare all things to come into being. Thus everything awakens, and is redeemed: good and evil, right and left. The Breath leads all things to their repose, it aligns the energies: the obedient, the wild, and the solitary ones. It gathers them together, so that they are no longer dispersed.

Gospel of Philip, Saying 40, LeLoup

Logion 106

Yeshua says… When you are able to transform two into one, then you will become a “Son of Humanity,” and it will be possible for you to say to a mountain, “Move,” and it will move.

Wise Response

Consider a landowner of means who has children, servants, cattle, hogs and dogs, as well as wheat, barley, hay, fodder, meats, and acorns.

Being wise he understands the nutritional needs of each member of his household. To children he gives bread, olive oil and meat. To servants, he offers oil and grain. To the cattle he gives barley, hay and fodder. He throws bones to the dog and acorns and bread crusts to the pigs.

So it is with spiritual masters. If they are wise and truly understand the principle of discipleship they will not be fooled by outer physical form or appearance, rather they will perceive the inner condition of each individual’s soul and will adjust their words accordingly.

In our world’s system there are many humans who take on animal characteristics. The wise recognize this and to swine-like beings they throw acorns. To those who are bovine in nature, they give barley, straw and hay. To those whose characteristics are canine, bones. To servants, however, they give basic fare, and to their offspring they offer complete food.

Gospel of Philip, Analogue 65, W Bauman

“The dispassionate judgment really lies at the level of the heart. Discernment can only really come from the heart. What the mind calls discernment is really judgment in most cases… anything that you do out of judgment and identification is going to increase the negativity.”
Cynthia Bourgeault, Living Presence, 21:00 Chapter-7-Voluntary-Attention

“Far from imposing itself through force, authentic spiritual experience sometimes requires very awake and very concentrated attention so as not to let it pass by unnoticed. It is often difficult to even notice it, without speaking of being seized or bowled over by it… Authentic spiritual experience takes place in the calm and silent domain of the depth of the soul where spiritual truth reveals itself.”
Valentin Tomberg, Meditations on the Tarot, p. 644

Full Reversal

In this world slaves are forced to work for those who are free-born. In the Realm of the Heavens, however, it is the free-born who act to serve the slaves — for the children born from the Bridal Chamber are created to serve the sons and daughters of natural birth. All the children of the Bridal Chamber bear the same name — Rest. And they share it mutually and need nothing else, for in their awareness they contemplate the glorious beauty of the Icons.

Gospel of Philip, Analogue 52, W Bauman

“Act as a true human being. And that’s your legacy and gift. To live as a human being when people are capitulating to mass terror, mass violence, mass flight. To live as a human being, compassionate, open, caring, trusting, vulnerable. Seeded into the planet.”
Cynthia Bourgeault, Relearning Trust, Sept. 2022, 1:21:44

Wisdom for the Wound

Prepare all things,
energies that obey
the quiet truth
of inner condition.

Beneath the tree of chrism,
the food you choose
is what you become,
judged by your fruits.

Know what you see,
see what you know,
active in your poverty,
beyond good and evil.

The wild and beastly
becoming sacred humanity,
servant appearing to be child,
child carrying an animal.

I see you,
I know what you need,
Here is your acorn.

William Britten

Logion 28

Yeshua says… I stood to my feet in the midst of the cosmos, appearing outwardly in flesh. I discovered that all were drunk but none were thirsty, and my soul ached for the children of humanity, for their hearts are blind. They cannot see from within. They have come into the cosmos empty, and they are leaving it empty.

At the moment you are inebriated, but when freed from the effects of wine, you too may turn and stand.

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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. 

Quotations from the Gospels of Thomas and Philip are from Lynn C Bauman, Ward J Bauman, Cynthia Bourgeault, The Luminous Gospels (Praxis 2008)

Quotations from the Gospel of Philip from Jean-Yves LeLoup, Gospel of Philip, (Inner Traditions: 2004)

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