Sayings of the Gospel of Thomas. Jesus’s direct teachings on recognizing the divine within.
Blessed are merciful, who shall receive mercy—mercy and exchange. “Our role, as most of the great teachings have talked about, is to perceive the divine mercy, the divine qualities, as they wish to come into form and enact them—things like generosity, peace, truth,...
The level above Man is called the Kingdom of Heaven or Kingdom of God in the Gospels. It has many other names in different writings. In the Gospels, it is said that the Kingdom of Heaven is within. Jesus's Central Teaching "Jesus said, I have come that you may have...
Maurice Nicoll talks of spiritual awakening levels and change of Being. “Being is the presence in a person, however fleeting, of Second Body.” Cynthia Bourgeault The Fundamental Work “The whole of this work is about a change of being—that is, a change of the level of...
There are so many references to the Light of Consciousness in Maurice Nicoll's teachings that it must be of key importance. Only the Light Can Cure You "The Work begins with self-observation. If you cannot observe a thing in yourself you cannot change it. Always...
Two Pillars of Conscious Work: Conscious Labor and Voluntary Suffering "The two pillars of the Gurdjieffian program for conscious transformation and conscious participation are Conscious Labor and Intentional or Voluntary Suffering." Cynthia Bourgeault, Claymont 2019...
How a person is trapped in mechanical reactions at a low level of consciousness. A person’s personality may be “compared in the Work with a secretary who sits in the front room, dealing with everything according to her own ideas. She has a number of dictionaries and...
Entropy and Kenosis … how are these connected? Kenosis is a word related to letting go of something--becoming “poor in spirit.” Entropy is a scientific term related to the winding down of energy into equilibrium. The two ideas seem similar, but the Wisdom teachings...
The Law of Three Forces of Creation: active, passive, and reconciling. The Teachings say that the Law of Three and the Law of Seven are the two great templates for all manifestation, down through the Ray of Creation, from Origin to the lowly peanut butter sandwich I...
Wisdom Schools are the vehicle for passing esoteric teachings through the ages. “Wisdom schools seem to have emerged as the favored ‘shop-front’ for conscious-circle activity, and while the Wisdom river is always flowing, the schools themselves tend to above ground...
Seeing the chiastic pattern as the higher arc of meaning in life beyond the linear events of temporality. “Because of the fundamentally spatial aspect of Imaginal causality, the bits and pieces inside the frame do not usually hook up in a linear fashion. More often,...
“Self-Remembering, non-identifying, and non-considering are the things that can change our Being. But self-observation is first of all necessary because otherwise you will not be able to practice these three great things.” Maurice Nicoll, Psychological Commentaries,...
Illustrating how a person cannot serve two masters. “Nostalgia and envy are two of the biggest spiritual saboteurs.” Cynthia Bourgeault, Holding our Planet Wisdom School, 2024 “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of...