The Lost Tribe of ITAL and America

CONTENTS FOREWORD BY 710 PEASANTS PUBLISHING

ESSAY BY R. MATTHEW CHARET “JESUS WAS A DREADLOCKS: RASTAFARIAN IMAGES OF DIVINITY”

GOSPELS ACCORDING TO THE TWIN OF CHRIST

GOSPELS ACCORDING TO THE FEMALE CHRIST

I found myself being curious about a PDF Book I might be able to locate online. After searching a bit, I had come up empty handed but within my search, I found another reference to a short essay written by an academic in Australia pertaining to much the same subject, that of Rastafari and the observable overlap it has with Gnosticism and Gnostic Christianity specifically.

I’ve always found information concerning these subjects to be laced with subterfuge / misinformation and like the 17-1800’s, there appears to be a revival of interest in spiritual subjects, ancient practices, shamanism, indigenous culture, entheogenic partnership, and other subjects pertaining to the wider venue of spiritualism within a non-religious or non-institutional human thought or human practice if you will.

Occult info of yesteryear seems to be the mainstream interest of the day in 2019 – interest in spiritualism as a whole seems to be on the rise; observing trends in consumer-ship of books and content on Amazon and Netflix lends data to this phenomenon. Secret Societies have historically housed the books and information pertaining to knowledge that is deemed “sacred”, fear of persecution or ostracization from communities or institutions related to Babylon led to keeping information occulted so that only those with an enduring curiosity can request to be initiated into the spheres where sacred knowledge is available via book form, or through ceremony and ceremonial initiation.

Many though, seeking personal truths through collective pathways blazed by humans who came before us, find that Gnosticism is essentially a “paired down” system of self-reflection that allows an individual to make the most amount of self-reflection within the meager lifetime we have. It would appear that almost all religious ideologies hold at least a spark of the original spiritual teaching that is at the core of Gnosticism and although many human practices hold more purely to the spark than others, we can observe that religiosity is the practice of taking an “almost truth” and distorting it to become a “useful truth”.

Going back to the subject of Rastafari, it can be said that the Rasta-ideology, that is to say the Rasta religion holds purely to the Gnostic teachings of those who were called the apostles, the Essenes, and other lesser known groups who never ordained a centralized church, stayed only loosely affiliated as a persecuted community. One of the more primary tenants of Rastafari is that it contrasts itself from common-parlance Christianity in that there is observance of a living God, or “God of the Living” – where Christians are taught to pray and repent, and baptize themselves to an apparition who constitutes the “God of the Dead”.

More practically, Rastafarians are observant of the covenant that humans are forced to make with their synagogue governments, birthing personages, symbols, and trusts together in unholy alliance. Rasta, like their Orthodox Jewish brethren, Amish brethren, Moorish brethern all observe the prostitution of

the original source essence (Divinity) we are all gifted while born when taking contract with dead corporations, under assumed identity.

Even more practically, Rastafarians are observant in the words they utter in a moment to moment basis and observe that all utterances hold a vibration that carries on into eternity. Part of the observance of Rasta-culture is to be ever-mindful of the language you use towards fellow humans and that we are all suffering from ignorance and language is the key to unlocking our inner-knowledge that leads to “OverStanding” or a Gnosis of self-understanding that leads to the understanding of inter-relatedness of all things.

Rasta believe that the fulcrum of human suffering is ignorance and that all humans have a spiritual and physical path of self-remembrance that includes an inner-remembrance that death is an illusion and that people who live truly by their purpose and spiritual motivation, allowing the living spiritual essence to operate through the creative process will never experience death, and those who have walked the earth and operated by their true nature have shown us that they do not experience a traditional ceasing of the body. The body is taken with.

Death is something the Rastafari point to as unnecessary as Yeshua, and King Selassie showed, it was not part of their path, displaying for all, the exalted state of the human psyche/spirit. The balanced state.

Who are the individuals who make up the “Lost Tribe”? According to Gnostic, and Rasta observance, they are the souls who incarnated in the time of the prophets to experience the persecution of the Egyptian Kings, and exiled out of Egypt into the desert. They are the souls who incarnated during the time of the Babylonian King, and exiled out of Babylon. They are souls who incarnated during the time of Rome, to carry the torch of spiritual purpose and to take on the persecution of the newly corporatized religion of Christianity, a brutal totalitarian monolith that was fascistically paired to the Roman State, by a ruler known as the Caesar.

These Souls are both the Lost Tribe and the Rainbow Tribe that Iroquois First Nation Community portends will re-inhabit the Earth in the End-Times to bring about a great remembrance among all humans. The Original Jews who’s orthodoxy emanated from an integrated “Mashiakh” or feminine essence, allowing for the children of that epoch to live in the house of the Mother, but without the generative nature of the Father.

In contrast to today, where our current epoch is most certainly circulating a masculine, generative collective capacity – and we are tasked with Remembering our Original Vibration, and to Immaculately Rebirth ourselves into the House of the Mother, integrating both feminine and masculine energies within the human vessel for the first time ever on Earth.

These same souls keep coming back as humans in every generation to carry the banner of truth and resistance and justice and love – reminding everyone that everything is vibration and that your path is to remember your own source-vibration and to emanate it through your words, and creations with partnership with JAH – or the ever-pervading essence that all matter is created from and animated by.

These Original Hebrews – the Lost Tribe of Juda – the Rainbow Tribe all have a Vibratory Relationship to the United States of America. The prophesy is stated under “manifest destiny” and the “hand of providence” that has been hinted at by Freemasons throughout recent history when relating the blessed association that America has with the re-integration, and re-emergence of the integrated feminine energies within humans – which erupts in justice sweeping over the land.

Spiritualism is at the core of just about every-religion, but truths are purposely distorted through language and so Rastafari take delicate measures to employ language that empowers and uplifts and enlivens, and makes more transparent to laymen or religionists that heaven is all around us, that we simply need to realize our suffering is our own ignorance, and allegiance to ignorant and demeaning systems – such as churches and oppressive governments.

Much of what was purveyed to the public by the walking incarnation of God 2000 years ago was occulted and only exists as sacred knowledge. Some of the information pertaining to Gnosticism was transmogrified within the Bible and many will point to passages that contain gnostic aspects to them.

Knowledge about human self-awareness was hidden while the church hijacked the waking consciousness around Christian thought as it clashed with orthodoxy and paganism both.

Gnostic knowledge though is not hard to find with use of the internet. With a bit of searching, a diligent individual can discover that a scroll was found on the banks of the Dead Sea not long ago, and the texts found within those scrolls seem to follow the original truths disseminated by the apostles who were part of the original Christian inner-church who traveled with the anointed one.

Gospels pertaining to the twin of the anointed one – Gospels pertaining to the feminine Christ all interweave with the Rastafarian system of understanding oneself as a quest, until Gnosis, or “Overstanding” occurs where a human has remembered their original vibration, connected with their exalted aspects, their higher self. The passages found in the Nag Hammadi and within the channeled Magdalene codes all synergistically relate to the Unity-message that Rastafari profess within the message of rhyme and music and syncopation.

This brings us to the subject of JAH, as an incarnated being, the cannabis plant.

This plant is exalted by the Rasta as a partner in the quest of “original understanding” and allows humans to access the Unity-message (that’s more like a 6th Sense Feeling than a message) that is available to all who tie their intention to the vibration of love and justice and unity and ask for expansion of the inner-realm, the inner-knowing, the inner-observance and request a greater understanding of the inter-related nature of the Earth-Heaven we shepherd here, as God’s creation.

The ganja plant is the live emanation of the Spirit Creator JAH. It acts as a conduit to the original existence outside of ignorance that we source from before being born as infant humans. It was gifted to us by the creator as a tool to allow us remembrance of ourselves in our original condition, that of Unity and Love – seeking self-knowledge and the ability to create and experience the vibrancy of human emotion within the creative endeavor. Its nutrients are of both a physical type, as well as a metaphysical type. We take partnership with ourselves with the use of Partner Plants, and with Cannabis

especially – the self-awareness that is available through collaboration with the Ganja Plant is endless and much romantic literature has been written exalting the abilities of Hashish, the resinous tears of the God-Spirit resurrected in the form of a plant’s offering.

What is the purpose of a human life?

This is a question that many people struggle with, but for Rastafari-practitioners, there is nothing more obviously obvious within the mystery of life. Our purpose is to overcome human self-ignorance through engaging “Livity” – or the doctrine of being good to one another and being in service to one another, and engaging in the Golden Rule in that we can all choose to act towards others, as we would intent they act towards us. Within “Livity” is “humbleness” and becoming humble to our own ignorance is the key that unlocks a life-long curiosity in discovering how God-Can-Emanate-Through-All. This ongoing humble attitude eventually leads to “Overstanding” which enables a human to cease self-flagellation through repeatedly choosing to live in a way that depletes resources and prolongs suffering.

This is why many Rasta look as though they have casted off all cultural trappings and live completely within their own system of common-place. Materialism and suffering go hand-in-hand and so many Rasta find that it is efficient to create a personal-sub-culture that foregoes profaning to material customs of self-worth revolving around material assets or consuming of “things”. This acetic lifestyle is not chosen by many, as it is uncomfortable to act as an outcast within a given culture, but many Rasta know this is a mandatory road on the path back to “Mt Zion” which is an allegorical reference to the state of remembrance in humans. Sometimes Rasta will refer to New Jerusalem, which is a reference to much the same allegorical symbol – but referenced as a human species living together in harmony after each individual has experienced their return to Mt. Zion.

This leads us back to the individual known as Christ, and what it means to be a “Christed One”.

Many humans have been brainwashed into worshipping the god of the dead, under a banner of a church, where doctrine pertains to salvation and the message of a dead person as it is understood and massaged by lower-forms-of-understanding, the fallible human psyche. Rasta literally sees this as the Anti-Christ and the remnants of Babylon who profaned the word of God so that a castigated system of priests could lord over people in a self-feeding cycle of re-incarnation and ignorance. These priests liveon today in the form of suits who take up positions within Government, Religion, and Corporations and operate in a way that prolongs material resource hoarding, racketeering, and colonization.

Babylon is a word that many times gets casted at Police-Law Enforcement-Sheriff but this is due to the enforcer roles they have taken within the matrix of oppression that subjugates everyone who is ignorant to the System Itself and is a word that is used to epitomize the oppressive system that keeps people in mental bondage, which enforces a prolonged spiritual bondage, which of course leads to human-onhuman violence and in-fighting over the illusion of scarcity and perceived ownership.

Tribalism and Tribal War seem to be the hallmark of the Babylonian Demiurge and so Rasta believe that a title of Christ is available to anyone who engenders “Livity” or what is termed the “ITAL LIFE”. This is an implication that each person has to discover what is “VITAL” to them to be in an authentic mode of

co-creation with JAH, and the pairing away of unnecessary ingredients to our life and identity is reasonable until we reach a position or state of origination, which is a state devoid of collective anxiety and suffering through mis-self-identification.

Rastas believe that all humans are on their personal path back to discovering their own personalized “ITAL LIFE” and that it is the responsibility for those who have discovered the nature of suffering to not proselytize and guru, but to live as an example of how one can live, sans suffering, and struggle, and sans prostituting ourselves to the Synagogue of the Dead. The message of Rastafarianism is one of Unity and non-conformance at the same time. This is an axiom that many struggle with, but in reading the messages left by Didymous Judas, the so-called “hidden king” and closest disciple to the chosen one, it can be reasoned that the person coined “Jeezus” by the Romans and “Jessus” (Issa) by the Greek Gnostics was here to cast men against men, and question all forms of authority and gentrification. The message contained within the teachings of the last Son-of-God was one of insubordination to orthodoxy and decoding of the sacred geometry that lies within each human body, mind, and soul while living softly and humanely and acting meek towards our fellow humans who on their personal path to selfawareness.

Aside from the implications of what a “jesus is” or what has been confused or distorted or corroborated by the church syndicate, it is important to know that Rastas essentially break into two factions – those who believe that King Selassie was a re-incarnate of King David, or even jesus, and those who believe that he could be, but they have no-inner-knowing nor outer-proof to say for sure, and so they remain open to the idea that no human has fully Christed themselves on Earth since the time of Yeshua, Elijah, Moses, and before. Going beyond this schism, there are also two factions of Rasta within these two groups in which some believe the “ITAL Life” in engendered in foregoing consumer lifestyles and foregoing the use of outer identity-symbols such as fashion, and opulence in cars/houses/boats/jewelry/stones and the vapid ownership of animals for the sake of status – these more ascetic Rastas contrast with those who plainly live material lifestyles using gold symbols to denote their allegiance to humble faith and God. This “ITAL – Asceticism” itself is part of the observance of Rasta, as everyone is on a path of re-discovery of what the difference between a “Want” and a “Need”. Much in the same vein as Pagan European Culture that observes a “Dark Deity” that people worship unknowingly that is referred to “The Mollochio” in which they are drawn to “shiny things” by being overtaken by the “Evil Eye of Envy” or the “Green Eye”. Many ethnic Sicilians / Italians, to this day, practice a form of secular paganism that outwardly looks much like Rasta wherein a personal amulet or symbol is worn near the heart/throat to ward off the dark vibrations of the Idol Worshippers who feed Moloch unknowingly through being deceived by the syndicate of Babylon within the Govt-Churches-Corporations.

There is no right-thing to Fore-Go, nor any wrong thing to Fore-Give. This is the Rasta-credence that serves to keep adherents from becoming victim to orthodoxy, self-righteousness, or prostitution of the sacred honor we hold to ourselves, as individuated emanations of GOD, seeking our realization of Free Will harnessed by Respect for All. We are all unique, and so we all contain a unique ad-mixture of abilities, principles and challenges – Rasta believes that we all have the ability to learn through the

experiences of others through practicing empathy, and unity and concern for all living things. The God, so to speak, of Rasta, being JAH, emanates from all things, all experiences, and so all things have equalstanding – and this is the Heaven-Return story that emanates from almost all religious theologies.

Heaven for Rasta is right here on Earth, and it is up to us to transcend our ignorance in order to mitigate suffering that occurs from putting God outside of you, putting Heaven in the Future, and ignorantly treating others as though they are something other than YOU. This leads us to the perversion of inner-knowledge for the sake of distortion of human nature. Rasta is very open about the trilateral nature of the God-Head. The Father Spirit – The Mother Wisdom – the Child-Born-To-Both-But-Without-One. The observance of the “Ein Sof” by Rasta is the Observance of the All-Pervading Energy, wherein JAH is the same energy but with the love of unity and creation that engendered in the integrated archetype of the Father-Spirit-Generative and the Mother-Wisdom-Manifesting within the human collective. This is the overture of Christ-Likeness that can be realized by every individual human within their path towards “Overstanding”, which is to say “Gnosis”, which is to say “Direct Perception, and Experience of God”.

JAH as a Plant, or JAH as an energetic essence has no difference, no separation. Rastafarians contend that any form of separation that a human can come up with, is an emanation of our own ignorance and an aspect of our own fractured existence as a spirit incarnate on the road back to unity.

Wisdom is experience being applied artfully and artistically and cleverly, to arrive at a desired end.

Authenticity is a difficult virtue to attempt to integrate into a human life-experience, as a guiding principle – culture and society creates great obstacles on a path towards living an authentic existence.

Wisdom, as it applies to virtue is the crossroads of “ITAL Life” – the feminine – wisdom aspects of our nature our brought forth by nurturing the tapestry of life without attachment to outcome, without overidentification with the process. This is the “Holy Grail” that symbolically creates the chalice that is the container that fills-ever-more with the goddess spirit that all manifestation emanates from – humans are gifted with the opportunity to create an authentic chalice for the arc of spirit to fill in partnership through creation and creative endeavors. Our free will allows us self-reflection and intonation and through these vehicles we find our path back to the original vibration that unlocks our “Overstanding” and connection with the Unity that pervades all things in interconnected beauty.

Authenticity though, is a pre-requisite for reconnecting with the higher aspects of the human spirit, the feminine receptivity and the masculine generative aspects of the human archetype have to be integrated through living in a balanced ital life preserving what is vital, while discarding all that is nonvital for furtherance of our understanding of the non-material aspects of our human existence. Rastafari observance of “Livity” which is adherence to a Personal Form of “ITAL Life” where-in each person chooses for themselves how to appropriately “pair down” their life, that is to say, their “IDEATION” of themselves - in order to transcend their ignorance, and thus suffering, and thus death.

The preparation of the personal chalice can be done with any ad-mixture of Father-Spirit – MotherWisdom but cannot be done through dis-regarding one or the other. The Sophian Wisdom has to be

alchemized with the Christ Spirit through a balanced respect for both, creating something called “INTEGRATION”.

ITAL implies integration – to pay attention to what is VITAL is a practice in assuming ever-more states of integration within our human nature.

“Greater works than these ye shall do….” Is a testament to the premise that being Born is to become awakened to the original integrated state that we all exist in. This is a realization that the Divine I AM is latent within everyone and that it is a form if INTEGRATION to feel “Born Again” into “Self-Realization” consecrating the “Immaculate Conception” – a child born into the house of the Father and Mother. This is referred to as “Supreme Birth” or “Spiritual Rebirth” and many times is followed by someone taking on a new name, one they themselves have chosen.

Rasta observance of the Supreme Birth is matter of fact, people are given space to experience their spiritual rebirth, and through the use of Ganja, especially that of Hashish, with intention, the experience of the “Ego-Death” occurs often – some refer to this as a “Life Review”, or “Soul Death”, or “Soul Birth”, or “Ego-Loss” – akin to what Buddhists refer to as “Great Death” in contrast to “small death” that occurs to our bodies.

Ganja is exalted in Rasta culture due to its innate ability to inspire these “Rebirths” into Unity Consciousness and many Rasta attribute their spiritual expansion to using Ganja with intention to become unified with their Creator, and Higher Aspects.

This is not unique to Cannabis, as there are many entheogenic partner plants that can assist humans in re-discovering the Unified Aspect of Reality – Rasta culture takes a unique perspective that the integration of JAH into waking life every day is a path back to remembrance, which is Holy Mt. Zion. It is difficult to find another spiritual practice or religion that integrates a sacred herb, plant, or sacrament into constant utilization such as Rastafari and Ganja. The Rasta culture supports constant ingestion, inhalation, and exuberance with JAH – they literally attribute being able to extend the dream-like nature of our sleeping existence – said to be the subconscious – to the waking plane of existence so that dream-being is constant, uninterrupted, and unified between both planes of existence.

Like overlap with Western-European Pagan culture, Rastafari has overlap with Tibetan Bonpo – or PreBuddhist Shamanism wherein it is believed that the suffering of the human experience comes from becoming non-lucid to the dream of our lives and that the practice of “Dream-Being” or remaining awake, or lucid, to the dream of life is the most efficient pathway back to the “Original Vibration” that we as a species are striving to remember or re-birth ourselves into.

Ganja is an emanation of JAH given to the Earth to help overcome hardship; part of the hardship is the amnesia that we are literally dreaming our life together (collaboratively), and individually within a collective landscape, called REALITY. The Unification of the Waking Dream, with the Deep Subconscious, is a spiritual undertaking that many humans discover is valid, and worthwhile, and meaningful. Rastafari not only concedes that it is meaningful, but it should be the art that you dedicate your life to,

understanding how to be ever-more-awake to the dream-like state of being that we collaboratively manifest with God. Creativity through “Livity” of the ITAL Life is the practice that makes perfect and Rastafai believe that we are all “Divine Emanations” finding our way back to purity, through discovering how to create in balanced collaborative dance with JAH – which is the balanced, love-filled, justice-seeking essence that wants nothing more for humans than to discover more, learn more, experience more.

Being creative means being flexible and receptive and ever-ready to receive the Gnostic Hints that get purveyed across our awareness in strange, obscure, symbolic, mystic, and bizarre ways. We all dream in our sleep, and things relate to us through a sort of “personal language” and this language can be learned so that it can be utilized in the Waking Dream and the receptivity of “strange purveyances” can be harnessed so that we can “pick-up” what Spirit is “putting down”.

This receptivity is a core aspect of the human feminine power. This Sophian nature that we all carry in us as a latent “Womb” can be activated through “Livity” and ITAL Lifestyle and we can begin to follow a greater intuition instead of following brain-induced decisions and mentalized ideations.

These subtle hints that we miss, in our everyday, moment to moment experience is referred to by many names but is the divine spirit working through the many objects that inhabit earth. These musings, messages, hints, and prompts all become a tapestry that functions just like a dream experience we might have during our sleep-time. This tapestry weaves itself together between waking reality and sleeping reality seamlessly and it is only our mental separation of the two that keeps us mentalized during our waking reality instead of receptive and clear and devoid of intentions like we might find of ourselves in a sleeping dream.

Ganja, and respect to JAH, the ever-pervading energetic essence that animates all things and creates all physical substance is one of many tools humans can use to engender a constant-receptivity to their Waking Dream and the many subtle weave-points that flow through it. Ganja can assist humans in feeling + perceiving the Unified Field, where time is an illusion and awareness of the ever-present-nowmoment is the portal that allows humans to begin feeling awake to the dream they are weaving for themselves – some call it a life, others call it reality, nobody can define it completely or explicitly define where it begins or ends, or our role in it. Rastafari-thought doesn’t give answers to these topics, but portends that Ganja can help bring self-understanding within this experience we are sharing. #ONELOVE

Jesus was a Dreadlocks: Rastafarian Images of Divinity R. Matthew Charet

The Rastafarian movement arose in the early twentieth century in Jamaica, focused around the figure of His Imperial Majesty, the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I who, on November 2nd, 1930, was crowned King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah.l The newly crowned monarch asserted - and his faithful subjects believed - that he was the only true lineal descendant of David and the 225th of a line of ~thiopian kings stretching in unbroken succession from the time of the legendary Queen of Sheba to the present. 2 This coronation, which made Selassie the only monarch of African descent on the planet at that time, was seen by the descendants of the slaves of Jamaica, who regarded themselves as Africans in exile, as the culmination of human and divine history, and they saw in this event the fulfilment of Biblical prophecy, especially regarding the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. To the ex-slave peoples of Jamaica, who predominantly composed the IQwest levels of Jamaican society, and were therefore the greatest victims of colonial and post-colonial oppression, the advent of Selassie came as a sure sign that their period of exile was at an end; Christ, in the form of Selassie, had surely come for them, bringing Zion on earth (and a return to their true home, Africa) for the black man, and destruction for the forces of Babylon, the white oppressive society which had dominated the world since Biblical times. When this millennial hope did not physically materialise, the conception of redemption changed. For some, the path of redemption would involve living an Ital3 life, as 1

2

3

These titles are derived from the Book of Revelation 19:16, and are seen by Rastas as proof of the divinity of Selassie: if he is not divine, and has not come to fulfil Biblical prophecy, why' would he assume these titles? He is given a total of seventy-two biblical titles, derived from many different parts of the Bible.

Leonard E. Barrett, The Rastafarians: A Study in Messianic Cultism in Jamaica, 1967 (Institute of Caribbean Studies Monograph 6, Puerto Rico, 1968), p. 70.

Probably derived from 'vital'; the Rastafarian way of living life. Is mainly concerned with Biblically-based dietary regulations: no pork (and generally

This Immense Panorama: Studies in Honour of Eric J. Sharpe

they held Jesus did. For others, repatriation would not be a physical, but a spiritual reality, a return of the soul to true knowledge, an awareness of divinity, a discovery of the Christ-consciousness inherent in us all.

The Rastas have been portrayed as being un-Christian, or even anti-Christian, due to their recognition of the divinity of Selassie 1 , but this is not the case; they merely have a different understanding of the nature and role of Jesus in the world. Within the Rastafarian framework, Christ is 'a title rather than just a name',2 in a fashion similar to that of sages within the Buddhist or Hindu traditions; not exclusively divine, but possessed of greater awareness of our innate divinity than normal. This divine connection to God is not, according to the Rastas, exclusive to Jesus, but is available to all, if only we have the wisdom to see. 3 'For Christ, the true Mystic Saviour, is no man, but the DIVINE PRINCIPLE in every human being'.4 Christ, in this sense, is seen as being no different from God, and we are all equally able to participate in this divinity.

As a development of this teaching, that each and every human being is divine and of the same nature as Jah, as the Rastas call their God,s it is acknowledged that at certain points in human history, various figures have appeared who manifest their divinity in a greater-than-normal fashion. These figures, who have appeared as prophets and sages throughout recorded history, are regarded by the Rastafarians as being useful guides on the path to wisdom, and their teachings (as found in sources such as the Bible) are studied and reasoned about by the brethren, to reach ever-greater levels of

2 3 4

S

little meat), no salt, avoidance of alcohol, and general favouring of fresh, natural foods, primarily fruit and vegetables.

See, for example, Roger Ringenberg, Rastafarianism: An Expanding Jamaican Cult, Kingston, 1978; Terence B. Rose, 'Emerging Social Problems in Jamaica and their Pastoral Implications', Caribbean Journal of Religious Studies 6:1 (Apr 1985), pp. 29-45; or Joseph Dwens, Dread: The Rastafarians of Jamaica, Kingston, 1976, pp. 103-4.

Owens, Ope cit., p. 104.

Virginia Lee Jacobs, Roots of Rastafari, San Diego, 1985, p. 29.

Mihlawhdh Faristzaddi, Itations of Jamaica and I Rastafari: The Second Itation (Jah Revelation), Florida, 1991, no page numbers.

Generally connected with the conventional conception of God the Father; the name appears to be derived from Yahweh or Jehovah, and is found in the King lames Version of the Bible (Psalm 68:4). Why it has been adopted by the Rastas is not known.

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Jesus was a Dreadlocks

comprehension, or what they call overstanding.t In the Rastafarian conception of history, there have been seventy-two such manifestations of greater divinity,2 regarded as Jah in the flesh, the last (and greatest) being His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, the (now late) Emperor of Ethiopia3 • Further to this, approximately every 2000 years, at the conclusion (or commencement - the sources are not clear) of each new era, in a manner similar to the Hindu concept of the avatara, God incarnates more fully than at other times: this has resulted in the incarnations of Elijah, Jesus, and Selassie, the greatest figures in human history. Apart from these, however, many other figures recorded in the Bible are believed to have been the embodiment of God in the flesh, including many of the Hebrew prophets: as one Rasta has been quoted as saying, 'Haile Selassie, Jesus Christ, Solomon, David, Moses and Aaron are all black and are all the same person'.4 To understand how this is possible, a recognition of the way in which Rastas view time is essential. For them, time follows a cyclical pattern, but proceeds in a linear fashion: that is, the events of history repeat themselves, but ultimately draw toward a conclusion, as the awareness of the participants is refined through their activities. The culmination of this process, according to the Rastafarians, is the coming of Selassie, who brought redemption for all, if not directly then through the path of wisdom and awareness taught by the Rastafarians. Thus, the past serves not only as a learning tool for the present, a means by which we are able to establish our place in the world, but is also seen to provide a template for the present: the events which are currently taking place have occurred before, and in much the same fashion. Thus, in Rastafarian cosmology, the current situation of the Africans, taken from their homeland by European oppressors to serve in slavery, is seen reflected in the Biblical accounts of the slavery of the Jews in Egypt. Similarly, the parallels between the past and the present give further evidence, in the eyes of the Rastas, of the guiding hand of Jah in the progress of human history, and also of their own role in that progress. Just as redemption occurred for the Jews, so too must it come for the Africans.

2

3 4

To understand is to 'stand under', that is, to be dominated by; to overstand is to assume the superior position, indicating a complete grasp of the truth, a position desirable to the Rasta.

Perhaps related to the seventy-two titles attributed to Selassie.

Dwens, op. cit., p. 142.

Ibid., p. 141.

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Further to this, the connection is not seen in the simple terms of allegory: the Africans are not merely undergoing an experience similar to the Jews, but are in fact the true Jewish people, undergoing additional tribulations for straying from the path of Jah. The souls of the people involved in Biblical events are believed to be reincarnated in the bodies of those undergoing the same events today. This identification of certain continuing presences throughout the course of human history is reflected not only in the Elijah-Jesus-Selassie continuum, but also in the connection between current figures and their predecessors: Marcus Garvey, a champion of black rights who is regarded as a prophet by the Rastas, for his prophecy that Africans should 'Look to Africa, when a black king shall be crowned, for the day of deliverance is near' ,1 is believed to be the reincarnation of John the Baptist. 2 In a similar fashion, various Rasta leaders are believed to be incarnations of other figures: Prince Emmanuel Edwards, leader of the Ethiopian National Congress (a group now known as Buba Shanti), is also likened to Christ; and the Rev. Claudius Henry is seen as Cyrus, who led the Jews from captivity (Isaiah 44:28, 45:1-13). Similarly, Elizabeth 11, a current leader of the oppressive white system, is seen as the incarnation of Elizabeth I, who instigated the African slave trade. A similar connection has been found to exist in a collective fashion: the Africans are the Jews; the Americans represent the Rome of Christ's time, indulging in luxury and exploitation; and the Catholic Church (and Christianity in general) is the Great Whore of Babylon spoken of in the Book of Revelation. Many similar examples may be found, and the correlation of past and present events seems to be a favourite Rasta pastime.

This teaching has led to the doctrine of reincarnation, not in the Hindu sense3, whereby a soul undergoes a process of transmigration from body to body, but rather as re-incarnation, a supra-normal force taking on material form, similar to the Tibetan idea of the tulku. Thus, the spirit which inhabited the body of Elijah, Moses, Abraham, and Jesus is identical, and is seen by Rastas as also inhabiting the form of Selassie, the difference between these being one of time: 'Jesus was. Rastafari is'.4 The nature and purpose of

2

3 4

M. G. Smith, Roy Augier, and Rex Nettleford, Report on the Rastafari Movement in Kingston, Jamaica, Kingston, 1960, p. 2.

Joseph Owens, 'The Rastafarians of Jamaica'; in loos Hamid (ed), Troubling of the Waters: A Collection of Papers and Responses Presented at Two Conferences on Creative Theological Reflection., Trinidad, 1973, p. 167.

Owens 1976, Ope cit., p. 141.

Ibid., p. 104.

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these various manifestations are the same, but each appears at a given time and place to fulfil a role.

It would appear that Jesus' role in the course of his life was twofold: first, to oppose the forces of oppression (including the Roman state and the conventional religious authorities), in this providing the impetus for the Rasta's own rejection of Europeanderived society; and second, to support the downtrodden masses, who were kept in ignorance by a repressive regime. Additionally, and in fulfilling both of these functions, Jesus provided guidance in the correct lifestyle one must follow to attain knowledge of divinity, which guidance the Rastafarians have, in combination with an interpretation of Jewish law, sought to implement into their livity,l taking on the role of Jesus in contemporary society. His support of simplicity, naturalness, contentment, and love are embraced by contemporary Rastas, who hold to the idea of Jesus being a dreadlocks Rasta: black, vegetarian, a Nazarite (and thus under vows not to cut his hair, eat pork, or break other Jewish laws), non-violent (except for the overthrow of Babylon), and preaching a message of universallove. 2 Much more important in terms of salvation is the fact that Jesus, according to the Rastas, taught a form of gnosticism, some evidence of which has survived, albeit in a greatly obscured form. As already mentioned, Rastafarians hold to the immanence of Jah in creation, and the necessity of inner knowledge to the process of redemption.

Like many gnostic movements throughout history, some find the accounts of the resurrection of both Jesus and Lazarus to provide evidence not of a physical but spiritual rebirth: This resurrection can never be monopolised by 'the Christians' but is the SPIRITUAL BIRTH RIGHT of every human being endowed with soul and spirit, whatever his religion may be. Such an individual becomes, and is a Christ-Man. 3 The 'born again' to which Jesus refers (John 3:3), then, is not physical (thus the Rasta rejection of baptism by water), but mental

2

3

'Livity' roughly translates as 'Iifeways'. It refers to the regulative practices of the Rasta faith.

There are many sources of information about Rastafarian lifestyle. See especially: Leonard E. Barrett, The Rastafarians: Sounds of Cultural Dissonance, Boston, 1977; Barry Chevannes (ed.), Rastafari and Other African-Caribbean World Views, London, 1995; and Smith, Ope cit.

Faristzaddi, Ope cit. no page numbers.

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This Immense Panorama: Studies in Honour of Eric J. Sharpe and spiritual,l and refers to a comple~e change of consciousness, -through the acquisition of wisdom. Thus, the resurrection is to eternal life in this life, not at some future time, and in this body, not as a spirit.

Contrary to their perceptions of the Christian Church, Rastafarians teach that their god is a god of the living, not of the dead.2 The Bible is cited in support of this: of Moses it was said 'no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day' (Deuteronomy 34:6), this providing, in Rasta reasoning, evidence that Moses did not die; Elijah also 'went up in a chariot of fire [(2 Kings 2: 11)]'.3 Jesus, too, is believed to have escaped death: [a]fter completing his mission Christ was not crucified, nor did he die in any other way... he disappeared or went into another realm. The 'real' Jesus overcame death, continued to live OD, and came again for the last time in the person of Haile Selassie. 4 Selassie himself, who appeared to die in 1975, is also claimed to have similarly disappeared, as no body was ever produced and no gravesite ever revealed. In reflection of this, a large number of stories have arisen around the circumstances of the apparent 'death' of Selassie, foremost of which is that he entered his chapel on the morning of his disappearance, and simply never reappeared. Death is understood to be the natural result of sin5 , so these men, being direct manifestations of godhood, and thus without sin, could not have died. This reasoning applies to all, including the Rastas themselves, who utterly reject the acceptance of death, and believe that if they live correctly, with full knowledge of their divine identity, they too will not die.

Further, the Rastas argue, if Jesus is God, as the Christian Churches have always taught, then he could never die, or else all creation would die with him. 6 Indeed, so central is the process of creation to Rastafarian theology that it is believed that if one does not create, and thus act out the purpose of one's existence (and the true purpose of one's divinity), then dissolution is the result. 7 Jah is 1 2

3 4

5 6 7

Owens 1976, op. cit., p. 143.

Ibid., p. 140.

Barrett 1977, op. cit., p. 112.

Peter B. Clarke, Black Paradise: The Rastafarian Movement, (Black Political Studies, Number Five), The Borgo Press, California, 1994, p. 67.

Owens 1976, op. cit., p. 136.

Ibid., p. 108.

Ibid., p. 136.

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seen to manifest most clearly through one's works, and thus everyone is able to participate in the unfolding of the world, thereby placing the fate of the world in human hands: 'If man does not undertake to re-create the world through development of himself, there is no hope'.t It is through 'vitality and integrity' that one demonstrates that Christ is alive and active within man today.2 As one Rasta states: The issue of the Roman system is to show to people that Christ is dead, but the principle of the orthodox is to show you that Christ is alive, incarnate with man -within man - so that your soul, your mind, your body, your structure becomes one. 3 This is not to deny the crucifixion of Jesus: the idea of this embodiment of Jah suffering at the hands of Babylon is most significant, if it is correctly understood as 'a purely allegorical and philosophical symbol'. 4 The dilemma for humans, and for black people in particular, is that these events have not been understood or taught in this fashion.

Indeed, whilst those who follow Rastafari are not anti-Jesus, they are anti-Church, an institution they observe has helped the powers of Rome oppress the African throughout history. It is held that, through teaching about a dead, white, passive god, who allowed the forces of Babylon to harass and eventually kill him, the white authorities attempted to induce a state of ignorance and apathy in the African people, and largely succeeded, causing them to forget their relationship with Jah and their pivotal role in human history.5 It is [the Christian preachers] who are denying the black man his true destiny by daily representing to him a God who expects them to be humble and to bear suffering and shame in this life for an imaginary heaven somewhere in the sky after death. To the Rastafarians who believe in life eternal in the here and now, this doctrine is a total farce. 6 The god of the white people is seen to be in keeping with their nature: 1 2

3 4 5 6

Ibid., p. 130.

Ibid., pp. 108, 129.

Ibid., p. 107.

Faristzaddi, Ope cit. no page numbers.

Owens 1976, Ope cit., p. 106.

Barrett 1967, Ope cit., p. 130.

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This Immense Panorama: Studies in Honour of Eric J. Sharpe The white man's God is a different God from that of the Rastafarians. He is actually the devil, the instigator of all evils that have come upon the world, the God of hate, blood, oppression and war,. and thus is correctly understood to be Satan, not god. This is supported by the belief that one's actions are a reflection of the divinity within: if one's realisation is advanced, it will be evident through one's actions. The actions of the colonial authorities, especially in the treatment of the African slaves, demonstrate the nature of their god, much more readily than any blond-haired, blue-eyed painting could do.

This misrepresentation of Jah is also seen in the matter of his colour. If, reasoned the Rastas, man was made in god's image (Genesis 1:27), and they are black, then surely their god must be black. Jeremiah 8:21 was also felt to support the identification of Jah as black: 'For the hurt of the daughter of my people I am hurt; I am black... ' It was felt that 'the white God of Christianity can help only the white man',2 so a new image of god was needed, 'a god as seen through black men's eyes discarding the questionable or mythical dogma of a European Jesus crucified'.3 Without compromise, we say that we cannot see God through the spectacles of Rome. We cannot see God through the spectacles of the Asiatic. We have to see God through black man's eyes.

That's why we see our God as a black man today, who comes to break oppression and set the captives free. 4 Everyone must therefore seek their own God, both individually and collectively, and encourage others to do likewise. As one Rasta observed: 'Jesus Christ was of all colours and spoke to men in all tongues, so that all men could understand. He speak to me in Jamaican patois'.5 It is unreasonable, it is held, to ask one people to submit to the foreign conception of another,6 as the Europeans had done throughout history.

1 2 3 4

5 6

Ibid., p. 130.

Ibid., p. 42.

Ibid., p. 99.

Owens 1976, Ope cit., p. 114. This is itself a paraphrase of Garvey (see Barrett, Cultural Dissonance, p. 77.)

Ibid., p. 105.

Ibid., p. 114.

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The differentiation between the Christian and the Rastafarian conceptions of Jesus is perhaps best demonstrated in the different pronunciations of the name itself.! The name of 'Jeezus', as the establishment would have it, is believed by the Rastas to be a corruption of the original Amharic, the classical language of Ethiopia (and the language in which they believe the Bible to have been composed). This falsification, it is believed, was perpetrated in order to deceive the slaves, by hiding Jesus' true nature. This nature is reflected in the correct pronunciation: 'Jess-us', the first syllable sounding like Jesse, the father of King David (and hence of Jesus and Selassie), a significance not lost on the Rastafarians. This name is interpreted in Jamaican patois as either 'just us' (thus indicating the connection of the individual with divinity), or 'justice', a better sign of what Jesus stands for, especially in his messianic role as Selassie, redeemer of the African people. Thus, by modifying the pronunciation of just one syllable, an entirely different meaning is possible: this demonstrates the power of words (and a correct understanding of their usage) in Rastafarian reasoning. 2 The use of deception, and an evident example of the potential wisdom gained from a faulty source, is most obviously demonstrated in the Rastafarian use of the Bible. The Bible as it currently exists is highly suspect, and not to be trusted at face value.

Originally, the Rastas hold, the Bible was written in Amharic, but in the process of translating '[c]ertain sections of the scriptures... were deliberately distorted to fit the religious ideas of that day and time, by the translators at the instruction of James I of England'.3 Further evidence of 'Roman' tampering with the text is seen in the existence of hidden sections of the Bible: the Apocrypha, for example, is left out in many editions, especially the Book of Maccabees, which it is believed contains special truths for the black race that the white authorities have tried to hide. 4 'Still, the Bible contains truth, and if studied in the spirit of Rastafari, light will be thrown upon it and a true interpretation can be achieved'.5 Reading the Bible with the support of the reasoning of Rastafari seems, at least according to Rastafarians, to be supported by Selassie, Jah 1

.2

3 4 5

This is more fully covered in ibid., pp. 106-7, note.

This is a separate topic in itself: see, for example, Rebekah Michele Mulvaney, Rastafari and Reggae: A Dictionary and Sourcebook, Connecticut, 1990; or Velma Pollard, 'The Social History of Dread Talk'; Caribbean Quarterly 28:4 (1982), pp. 17-40.

Barrett 1967, Ope cit., p. 143.

Barry Chevannes, Rastafari: Roots and Ideology, New York, 1994, p. 117.

Barrett 1967, Ope cit., p. 41.

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Rastafari, himself: he is quoted as saying '... by reading the Bible, [people] should find truth for themselves'.1 The Bible, due to its deliberate distortion, needs to be interpreted, not only to ensure that the most edifying sections are read, but also to see beyond the Babylonian interpretations with which most are indoctrinated. This involves, as Cashmore observes, a mental erasure of the concepts learned during childhood, and a rewriting in the truth of Rastafari.2 This rewriting is done primarily through the validation of ideas by using the Bible, these ideas often coming in the form of reasoning (discussions) of Rastafarian doctrine with those who already have realisation, dreams and visions (a possible survival of African spirit-based ,religion3 ), or through the smoking of the sacred herb, ganja, which the Rastas maintain provides insight into the immanence of Jah,4 a necessary tool if one is to correctly distinguish truth from deliberate falsehood.

A knowledge of how to read the Bible, in conjunction with the direct insights gained through experience of the divinity inherent within themselves, has enabled the Rastafarians to see the real purpose behind several basic teachings of the Christian Church. One of the major ideas rejected by the Rastafarians but taught by the Church concerns the nature of heaven. In accordance with the Rastafarian conception of god in man and man in god, and the rejection of the hold of death on a righteous person, Rastafari teaches that those who have knowledge of Haile Selassie and their own identification with Jah 'enter into happiness and the good life here on earth'.5 The idea of heaven, it is seen, was taught by the Church to give Babylon some hold over the Africans who, having also been given false information about the passivity of Christ and the promises of eternal reward for suffering in the here and now, would bear their lowly station in hope of enjoying paradise in the world to come. 6 Rastas know that their god is a god of the living, not of the dead; thus, one need not die to see god,7 but rather is able to experience one's connection with him, and thereby enjoy the rewards of heaven, in this very life and in this very body. The

1 2 3 4

5 6 7

Ibid., p. 143.

Emest Ellis Cashmore, Rastaman: The Rastafarian Movement in England, London, 1983 (2nd ed), (1979), p. 74.

Chevannes, op.cit., p. 19.

Barrett 1967, op. cit., p. 142.

Ibid., p. 41.

Owens 1976, op. cit., p. 118.

Ibid., p. 140.

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human body thus becomes a temple, wherein one fully joins in union and identification with Jah. This is another point on which the Rastafarians hold that the Church has tried to deceive them: the discorporeality of god. Jah, they hold, is not solely transcendent, but to be 'experienced only within man and upon earth. God is not a spirit. God is not 'up there' in the sky somewhere. God is not an extraterrestrial being that we experience only vaguely'.I If Jah were not in the flesh, he would be inaccessible to human sensibility.2 This concept is linked to the role of Jah in creation: like a word, spirit alone has no power; it must first 'take on the flesh of action' before it is able to become a vital, living force in the world. 3 Thus, a fusion of material and spiritual must take place: god and man in one being: as Dwens expresses it, 'God is man and man is God'.4 This occurs within each of us, as we develop in wisdom, but is most obvious in figures like Jesus and Selassie.

If god is a spirit, as Rastas see the conventional Christian churches teaching, he is little more than a duppie, in Jamaican folk tradition a ghost, and as such is regarded as having little power, except over the dead. The god of the living must, according to the Rastas, also be a living entity. Spirits, in African religious life, are associated with the dead, and whilst other African-Caribbean religions 5 focus on the spirit world for their operation, the Rastas reject the world of the dead entirely: it is with the living that they have their concern. The suggestion, therefore, that god is a duppie, or ghost is, to the Rasta, patently absurd: the god of life eternal (in the flesh, what is more) has nothing to do with the dead. Similarly, if God does not have a physical form, he cannot be understood by humankind, which understanding forms one of the central tenets of Rastafarian livity.

For Rastafarians, the redemptive role of Jesus is not necessary: existence and salvation are seen, as in Buddhist or Hindu practice, as being dependent on knowledge and wisdom, and not on the erasure of sin. Thus no redemptive death is necessary to atone for the sins of all humanity. Rather, a process of the development of inner ~owledge is re~uired to dissolve the false conceptions and lethargy Imposed by the Idea of an external redeemer. Jah, as the Rastafari 1 2

3 4

5

Owens 1973, op. cit., p. 167.

Owens 1976, Ope cit., p. 118.

Ibid., p. 181.

Owens 1973, op. cit., p. 167.

Vodun in Haiti, Santeria in Cuba, Shango in Trinidad, and Kumina in Jamaica, to name but a few.

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This Immense Panorama: Studies in Honour of Eric J. Sharpe

have named their supreme being, is immanent in the material world.

As such, all have equal access to him, and indeed the path of Rastafari is one in which one's connection with Jab, and identification of oneself as divine, of the same nature as God, is not only encouraged, but mandatory. Wisdom, gained through direct experience rather than through mere book-learning or belief, as the European education system and traditional Christianity preach, is the path to understanding the true nature of the self. 'The Jesus preached by the white man was one that the slaves only learned about, not one that they personally experienced'. 1 To develop this personal knowledge, as opposed to belief, is to develop an awareness of the self as Jah, and to connect with the Christ within.

1

Owens 1976, op. cit., p. 107.

136

YESHUAN CODICES - NAG HAMMADI YESHUAN CODICES - PDF FORMAT These are the secret sayings which the living Jesus spoke and which Didymos Judas Thomas wrote down.

(1) And he said, "Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death."

(2) Jesus said, "Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds.

When he finds, he will become troubled. When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished, and he will rule over the All." (3) Jesus said, "If those who lead you say to you, 'See, the kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty."

(4) Jesus said, "The man old in days will not hesitate to ask a small child seven days old about the place of life, and he will live. For many who are first will become last, and they will become one and the same."

(5) Jesus said, "Recognize what is in your sight, and that which is hidden from you will become plain to you . For there is nothing hidden which will not become manifest."

(6) His disciples questioned him and said to him, "Do you want us to fast? How shall we pray? Shall we give alms? What diet shall we observe?"

Jesus said, "Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate, for all things are plain in the sight of heaven. For nothing hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain without being uncovered."

(7) Jesus said, "Blessed is the lion which becomes man when consumed by man; and cursed is the man whom the lion consumes, and the lion becomes man."

(8) And he said, "The man is like a wise fisherman who cast his net into the sea and drew it up from the sea full of small fish. Among them the wise fisherman found a fine large fish. He threw all the small fish back into the sea and chose the large fish without difficulty. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."

(9) Jesus said, "Now the sower went out, took a handful (of seeds), and scattered them. Some fell on the road; the birds came and gathered them up. Others fell on the rock, did not take root in the soil, and did not produce ears. And others fell on thorns; they choked the seed(s) and worms ate them. And others fell on the good soil and it produced good fruit: it bore sixty per measure and a hundred and twenty per measure."

(10) Jesus said, "I have cast fire upon the world, and see, I am guarding it until it blazes."

(11) Jesus said, "This heaven will pass away, and the one above it will pass away. The dead are not alive, and the living will not die. In the days when you consumed what is dead, you made it what is alive. When you come to dwell in the light, what will you do? On the day when you were one you became two. But when you become two, what will you do?"

(12) The disciples said to Jesus, "We know that you will depart from us.

Who is to be our leader?"

Jesus said to them, "Wherever you are, you are to go to James the righteous, for whose sake heaven and earth came into being."

(13) Jesus said to his disciples, "Compare me to someone and tell me whom I am like."

Simon Peter said to him, "You are like a righteous angel."

Matthew said to him, "You are like a wise philosopher."

Thomas said to him, "Master, my mouth is wholly incapable of saying whom you are like."

Jesus said, "I am not your master. Because you have drunk, you have become intoxicated from the bubbling spring which I have measured out."

And he took him and withdrew and told him three things. When Thomas returned to his companions, they asked him, "What did Jesus say to you?"

Thomas said to them, "If I tell you one of the things which he told me,

you will pick up stones and throw them at me; a fire will come out of the stones and burn you up."

(14) Jesus said to them, "If you fast, you will give rise to sin for yourselves; and if you pray, you will be condemned; and if you give alms, you will do harm to your spirits. When you go into any land and walk about in the districts, if they receive you, eat what they will set before you, and heal the sick among them. For what goes into your mouth will not defile you, but that which issues from your mouth - it is that which will defile you."

(15) Jesus said, "When you see one who was not born of woman, prostrate yourselves on your faces and worship him. That one is your father."

(16) Jesus said, "Men think, perhaps, that it is peace which I have come to cast upon the world. They do not know that it is dissension which I have come to cast upon the earth: fire, sword, and war. For there will be five in a house: three will be against two, and two against three, the father against the son, and the son against the father. And they will stand solitary."

(17) Jesus said, "I shall give you what no eye has seen and what no ear has heard and what no hand has touched and what has never occurred to the human mind."

(18) The disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us how our end will be."

Jesus said, "Have you discovered, then, the beginning, that you look for the end? For where the beginning is, there will the end be. Blessed is he who will take his place in the beginning; he will know the end and will not experience death."

(19) Jesus said, "Blessed is he who came into being before he came into being. If you become my disciples and listen to my words, these stones will minister to you. For there are five trees for you in Paradise which remain undisturbed summer and winter and whose leaves do not fall.

Whoever becomes acquainted with them will not experience death."

(20) The disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us what the kingdom of heaven is like."

He said to them, "It is like a mustard seed. It is the smallest of all seeds.

But when it falls on tilled soil, it produces a great plant and becomes a shelter for birds of the sky."

(21) Mary said to Jesus, "Whom are your disciples like?"

He said, "They are like children who have settled in a field which is not theirs. When the owners of the field come, they will say, 'Let us have back our field.' They (will) undress in their presence in order to let them have back their field and to give it back to them. Therefore I say, if the owner of a house knows that the thief is coming, he will begin his vigil before he comes and will not let him dig through into his house of his domain to carry away his goods. You, then, be on your guard against the world. Arm yourselves with great strength lest the robbers find a way to come to you, for the difficulty which you expect will (surely) materialize.

Let there be among you a man of understanding. When the grain ripened, he came quickly with his sickle in his hand and reaped it.

Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."

(22) Jesus saw infants being suckled. He said to his disciples, "These infants being suckled are like those who enter the kingdom."

They said to him, "Shall we then, as children, enter the kingdom?"

Jesus said to them, "When you make the two one, and when you make the inside like the outside and the outside like the inside, and the above like the below, and when you make the male and the female one and the same, so that the male not be male nor the female female; and when you fashion eyes in the place of an eye, and a hand in place of a hand, and a foot in place of a foot, and a likeness in place of a likeness; then will you enter the kingdom."

(23) Jesus said, "I shall choose you, one out of a thousand, and two out of ten thousand, and they shall stand as a single one."

(24) His disciples said to him, "Show us the place where you are, since it is necessary for us to seek it."

He said to them, "Whoever has ears, let him hear. There is light within a man of light, and he lights up the whole world. If he does not shine, he is darkness."

(25) Jesus said, "Love your brother like your soul, guard him like the pupil of your eye."

(26) Jesus said, "You see the mote in your brother's eye, but you do not see the beam in your own eye. When you cast the beam out of your own eye, then you will see clearly to cast the mote from your brother's eye."

(27) <Jesus said,> "If you do not fast as regards the world, you will not find the kingdom. If you do not observe the Sabbath as a Sabbath, you will not see the father."

(28) Jesus said, "I took my place in the midst of the world, and I appeared to them in flesh. I found all of them intoxicated; I found none of them thirsty. And my soul became afflicted for the sons of men, because they are blind in their hearts and do not have sight; for empty they came into the world, and empty too they seek to leave the world.

But for the moment they are intoxicated. When they shake off their wine, then they will repent."

(29) Jesus said, "If the flesh came into being because of spirit, it is a wonder. But if spirit came into being because of the body, it is a wonder of wonders. Indeed, I am amazed at how this great wealth has made its home in this poverty."

(30) Jesus said, "Where there are three gods, they are gods. Where there are two or one, I am with him."

(31) Jesus said, "No prophet is accepted in his own village; no physician heals those who know him."

(32) Jesus said, "A city being built on a high mountain and fortified cannot fall, nor can it be hidden."

(33) Jesus said, "Preach from your housetops that which you will hear in your ear. For no one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel, nor does he put it in a hidden place, but rather he sets it on a lampstand so that everyone who enters and leaves will see its light."

(34) Jesus said, "If a blind man leads a blind man, they will both fall into a pit."

(35) Jesus said, "It is not possible for anyone to enter the house of a strong man and take it by force unless he binds his hands; then he will (be able to) ransack his house."

(36) Jesus said, "Do not be concerned from morning until evening and from evening until morning about what you will wear."

(37) His disciples said, "When will you become revealed to us and when shall we see you?"

Jesus said, "When you disrobe without being ashamed and take up your garments and place them under your feet like little children and tread on them, then will you see the son of the living one, and you will not be afraid" (38) Jesus said, "Many times have you desired to hear these words which I am saying to you, and you have no one else to hear them from.

There will be days when you will look for me and will not find me."

(39) Jesus said, "The pharisees and the scribes have taken the keys of knowledge (gnosis) and hidden them. They themselves have not entered, nor have they allowed to enter those who wish to. You, however, be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves."

(40) Jesus said, "A grapevine has been planted outside of the father, but being unsound, it will be pulled up by its roots and destroyed."

(41) Jesus said, "Whoever has something in his hand will receive more, and whoever has nothing will be deprived of even the little he has."

(42) Jesus said, "Become passers-by."

(43) His disciples said to him, "Who are you, that you should say these things to us?" <Jesus said to them,> "You do not realize who I am from what I say to you, but you have become like the Jews, for they (either) love the tree and hate its fruit (or) love the fruit and hate the tree."

(44) Jesus said, "Whoever blasphemes against the father will be forgiven, and whoever blasphemes against the son will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the holy spirit will not be forgiven either on earth or in heaven."

(45) Jesus said, "Grapes are not harvested from thorns, nor are figs gathered from thistles, for they do not produce fruit. A good man brings

forth good from his storehouse; an evil man brings forth evil things from his evil storehouse, which is in his heart, and says evil things. For out of the abundance of the heart he brings forth evil things."

(46) Jesus said, "Among those born of women, from Adam until John the Baptist, there is no one so superior to John the Baptist that his eyes should not be lowered (before him). Yet I have said, whichever one of you comes to be a child will be acquainted with the kingdom and will become superior to John."

(47) Jesus said, "It is impossible for a man to mount two horses or to stretch two bows. And it is impossible for a servant to serve two masters; otherwise, he will honor the one and treat the other contemptuously. No man drinks old wine and immediately desires to drink new wine. And new wine is not put into old wineskins, lest they burst; nor is old wine put into a new wineskin, lest it spoil it. An old patch is not sewn onto a new garment, because a tear would result."

(48) Jesus said, "If two make peace with each other in this one house, they will say to the mountain, 'Move Away,' and it will move away."

(49) Jesus said, "Blessed are the solitary and elect, for you will find the kingdom. For you are from it, and to it you will return."

(50) Jesus said, "If they say to you, 'Where did you come from?', say to them, 'We came from the light, the place where the light came into being on its own accord and established itself and became manifest through their image.' If they say to you, 'Is it you?', say, 'We are its children, we are the elect of the living father.' If they ask you, 'What is the sign of your father in you?', say to them, 'It is movement and repose.'"

(51) His disciples said to him, "When will the repose of the dead come about, and when will the new world come?"

He said to them, "What you look forward to has already come, but you do not recognize it."

(52) His disciples said to him, "Twenty-four prophets spoke in Israel, and all of them spoke in you."

He said to them, "You have omitted the one living in your presence and have spoken (only) of the dead."

(53) His disciples said to him, "Is circumcision beneficial or not?"

He said to them, "If it were beneficial, their father would beget them already circumcised from their mother. Rather, the true circumcision in spirit has become completely profitable."

(54) Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven."

(55) Jesus said, "Whoever does not hate his father and his mother cannot become a disciple to me. And whoever does not hate his brothers and sisters and take up his cross in my way will not be worthy of me."

(56) Jesus said, "Whoever has come to understand the world has found (only) a corpse, and whoever has found a corpse is superior to the world."

(57) Jesus said, "The kingdom of the father is like a man who had good seed. His enemy came by night and sowed weeds among the good seed.

The man did not allow them to pull up the weeds; he said to them, 'I am afraid that you will go intending to pull up the weeds and pull up the wheat along with them.' For on the day of the harvest the weeds will be plainly visible, and they will be pulled up and burned."

(58) Jesus said, "Blessed is the man who has suffered and found life."

(59) Jesus said, "Take heed of the living one while you are alive, lest you die and seek to see him and be unable to do so."

(60) <They saw> a Samaritan carrying a lamb on his way to Judea. He said to his disciples, "That man is round about the lamb."

They said to him, "So that he may kill it and eat it."

He said to them, "While it is alive, he will not eat it, but only when he has killed it and it has become a corpse."

They said to him, "He cannot do so otherwise."

He said to them, "You too, look for a place for yourself within repose, lest you become a corpse and be eaten."

(61) Jesus said, "Two will rest on a bed: the one will die, and the other will live."

Salome said, "Who are you, man, that you ... have come up on my couch

and eaten from my table?"

Jesus said to her, "I am he who exists from the undivided. I was given some of the things of my father." <...> "I am your disciple." <...> "Therefore I say, if he is destroyed, he will be filled with light, but if he is divided, he will be filled with darkness."

(62) Jesus said, "It is to those who are worthy of my mysteries that I tell my mysteries. Do not let your left (hand) know what your right (hand) is doing."

(63) Jesus said, "There was a rich man who had much money. He said, 'I shall put my money to use so that I may sow, reap, plant, and fill my storehouse with produce, with the result that I shall lack nothing.' Such were his intentions, but that same night he died. Let him who has ears hear."

(64) Jesus said, "A man had received visitors. And when he had prepared the dinner, he sent his servant to invite the guests.

He went to the first one and said to him, 'My master invites you.' He said, 'I have claims against some merchants. They are coming to me this evening. I must go and give them my orders. I ask to be excused from the dinner.'

He went to another and said to him, 'My master has invited you.' He said to him, 'I have just bought a house and am required for the day. I shall not have any spare time.'

He went to another and said to him, 'My master invites you.' He said to him, 'My friend is going to get married, and I am to prepare the banquet. I shall not be able to come. I ask to be excused from the dinner.'

He went to another and said to him, 'My master invites you.' He said to him, 'I have just bought a farm, and I am on my way to collect the rent. I shall not be able to come. I ask to be excused.'

The servant returned and said to his master, 'Those whom you invited to the dinner have asked to be excused.' The master said to his servant, 'Go outside to the streets and bring back those whom you happen to meet, so that they may dine.' Businessmen and merchants will not enter the places of my father."

(65) He said, "There was a good man who owned a vineyard. He leased it to tenant farmers so that they might work it and he might collect the produce from them. He sent his servant so that the tenants might give

him the produce of the vineyard. They seized his servant and beat him, all but killing him. The servant went back and told his master. The master said, 'Perhaps he did not recognize them.' He sent another servant. The tenants beat this one as well. Then the owner sent his son and said, 'Perhaps they will show respect to my son.' Because the tenants knew that it was he who was the heir to the vineyard, they seized him and killed him. Let him who has ears hear."

(66) Jesus said, "Show me the stone which the builders have rejected.

That one is the cornerstone."

(67) Jesus said, "If one who knows the all still feels a personal deficiency, he is completely deficient."

(68) Jesus said, "Blessed are you when you are hated and persecuted.

Wherever you have been persecuted they will find no place."

(69) Jesus said, "Blessed are they who have been persecuted within themselves. It is they who have truly come to know the father. Blessed are the hungry, for the belly of him who desires will be filled."

(70) Jesus said, "That which you have will save you if you bring it forth from yourselves. That which you do not have within you will kill you if you do not have it within you."

(71) Jesus said, "I shall destroy this house, and no one will be able to build it [...]."

(72) A man said to him, "Tell my brothers to divide my father's possessions with me."

He said to him, "O man, who has made me a divider?"

He turned to his disciples and said to them, "I am not a divider, am I?" (73) Jesus said, "The harvest is great but the laborers are few. Beseech the Lord, therefore, to send out laborers to the harvest."

(74) He said, "O Lord, there are many around the drinking trough, but there is nothing in the cistern."

(75) Jesus said, "Many are standing at the door, but it is the solitary who will enter the bridal chamber."

(76) Jesus said, "The kingdom of the father is like a merchant who had a consignment of merchandise and who discovered a pearl. That merchant was shrewd. He sold the merchandise and bought the pearl alone for himself. You too, seek his unfailing and enduring treasure where no moth comes near to devour and no worm destroys."

(77) Jesus said, "It is I who am the light which is above them all. It is I who am the all. From me did the all come forth, and unto me did the all extend. Split a piece of wood, and I am there. Lift up the stone, and you will find me there."

(78) Jesus said, "Why have you come out into the desert? To see a reed shaken by the wind? And to see a man clothed in fine garments like your kings and your great men? Upon them are the fine garments, and they are unable to discern the truth."

(79) A woman from the crowd said to him, "Blessed are the womb which bore you and the breasts which nourished you."

He said to her, "Blessed are those who have heard the word of the father and have truly kept it. For there will be days when you will say, 'Blessed are the womb which has not conceived and the breasts which have not given milk.'"

(80) Jesus said, "He who has recognized the world has found the body, but he who has found the body is superior to the world."

(81) Jesus said, "Let him who has grown rich be king, and let him who possesses power renounce it."

(82) Jesus said, "He who is near me is near the fire, and he who is far from me is far from the kingdom."

(83) Jesus said, "The images are manifest to man, but the light in them remains concealed in the image of the light of the father. He will become manifest, but his image will remain concealed by his light."

(84) Jesus said, "When you see your likeness, you rejoice. But when you see your images which came into being before you, and which neither die not become manifest, how much you will have to bear!"

(85) Jesus said, "Adam came into being from a great power and a great wealth, but he did not become worthy of you. For had he been worthy, he would not have experienced death."

(86) Jesus said, "The foxes have their holes and the birds have their nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head and rest."

(87) Jesus said, "Wretched is the body that is dependant upon a body, and wretched is the soul that is dependent on these two."

(88) Jesus said, "The angels and the prophets will come to you and give to you those things you (already) have. And you too, give them those things which you have, and say to yourselves, 'When will they come and take what is theirs?'"

(89) Jesus said, "Why do you wash the outside of the cup? Do you not realize that he who made the inside is the same one who made the outside?"

(90) Jesus said, "Come unto me, for my yoke is easy and my lordship is mild, and you will find repose for yourselves."

(91) They said to him, "Tell us who you are so that we may believe in you."

He said to them, "You read the face of the sky and of the earth, but you have not recognized the one who is before you, and you do not know how to read this moment."

(92) Jesus said, "Seek and you will find. Yet, what you asked me about in former times and which I did not tell you then, now I do desire to tell, but you do not inquire after it."

(93) <Jesus said,> "Do not give what is holy to dogs, lest they throw them on the dung-heap. Do not throw the pearls to swine, lest they [...] it [...]."

(94) Jesus said, "He who seeks will find, and he who knocks will be let in."

(95) Jesus said, "If you have money, do not lend it at interest, but give it to one from whom you will not get it back."

(96) Jesus said, "The kingdom of the father is like a certain woman. She took a little leaven, concealed it in some dough, and made it into large loaves. Let him who has ears hear."

(97) Jesus said, "The kingdom of the father is like a certain woman who was carrying a jar full of meal. While she was walking on the road, still some distance from home, the handle of the jar broke and the meal emptied out behind her on the road. She did not realize it; she had noticed no accident. When she reached her house, she set the jar down and found it empty."

(98) Jesus said, "The kingdom of the father is like a certain man who wanted to kill a powerful man. In his own house he drew his sword and stuck it into the wall in order to find out whether his hand could carry through. Then he slew the powerful man."

(99) The disciples said to him, "Your brothers and your mother are standing outside."

He said to them, "Those here who do the will of my father are my brothers and my mother. It is they who will enter the kingdom of my father."

(100) They showed Jesus a gold coin and said to him, "Caesar's men demand taxes from us."

He said to them, "Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give God what belongs to God, and give me what is mine."

(101) <Jesus said,> "Whoever does not hate his father and his mother as I do cannot become a disciple to me. And whoever does not love his father and his mother as I do cannot become a disciple to me. For my mother [...], but my true mother gave me life."

(102) Jesus said, "Woe to the pharisees, for they are like a dog sleeping in the manger of oxen, for neither does he eat nor does he let the oxen eat."

(103) Jesus said, "Fortunate is the man who knows where the brigands will enter, so that he may get up, muster his domain, and arm himself before they invade."

(104) They said to Jesus, "Come, let us pray today and let us fast."

Jesus said, "What is the sin that I have committed, or wherein have I been defeated? But when the bridegroom leaves the bridal chamber, then let them fast and pray."

(105) Jesus said, "He who knows the father and the mother will be called the son of a harlot."

(106) Jesus said, "When you make the two one, you will become the sons of man, and when you say, 'Mountain, move away,' it will move away."

(107) Jesus said, "The kingdom is like a shepherd who had a hundred sheep. One of them, the largest, went astray. He left the ninety-nine sheep and looked for that one until he found it. When he had gone to such trouble, he said to the sheep, 'I care for you more than the ninetynine.'"

(108) Jesus said, "He who will drink from my mouth will become like me.

I myself shall become he, and the things that are hidden will be revealed to him."

(109) Jesus said, "The kingdom is like a man who had a hidden treasure in his field without knowing it. And after he died, he left it to his son. The son did not know (about the treasure). He inherited the field and sold it.

And the one who bought it went plowing and found the treasure. He began to lend money at interest to whomever he wished."

(110) Jesus said, "Whoever finds the world and becomes rich, let him renounce the world."

(111) Jesus said, "The heavens and the earth will be rolled up in your presence. And the one who lives from the living one will not see death."

Does not Jesus say, "Whoever finds himself is superior to the world?"

(112) Jesus said, "Woe to the flesh that depends on the soul; woe to the soul that depends on the flesh."

(113) His disciples said to him, "When will the kingdom come?" <Jesus said,> "It will not come by waiting for it. It will not be a matter of

saying 'here it is' or 'there it is.' Rather, the kingdom of the father is spread out upon the earth, and men do not see it."

(114) Simon Peter said to him, "Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life."

Jesus said, "I myself shall lead her in order to make her male, so that she too may become a living spirit resembling you males. For every woman who will make herself male will enter the kingdom of heaven." (this completes) The Gospel According to Thomas

SOPHIAN CODICES SOPHIAN CODICES - PDF FORMAT Recorded by Tau Malachi Eben Ha-Elijah This 'Gospel of Mary' is composed of selected sayings attributed to St. Mary Magdalene in the oral tradition of Sophian Gnosticism. On the one hand, these sayings are inspired by the Anointed Bride and, on the other hand, they are drawn from the Gnostic legends of an oral tradition that has existed a long time. It is always this way when speaking or writing from an oral tradition; the telling of the tales is constantly changing with the inspiration of the Spirit each moment brings. This is why oral tradition is highly prized among Sophians, because it remains vibrant and alive. Yet, placing something of the oral tradition in writing extends the light of the Bride beyond our circles and allows others to glimpse the

image of the Anointed Bride, St. Mary Magdalene, as she is beheld by Sophians.

Today many are seeking knowledge of St. Mary Magdalene, so it seems that the Mother Spirit calls us to let her voice be heard. In honor of the Mother Spirit and Kallah Messiah (the Anointed Bride) we offer these sayings in her name, as a gift given freely to all, and pray they are a blessing and inspiration to all who receive them.

1. These are sayings, spoken by Salome the Maiden in the name of St. Mary Magdalene, which women of wisdom have held in trust. Mary said, “If you know the Woman of Light, you will know your Mother and be reborn of the Mother Spirit as a child of light. Because the light is bornless, you will have eternal life.”

2. Mary was speaking to her companions, and she said, “There is glory of glory, and glory of light, and there is the True Light. Seek, therefore, the essence of the light, which is beyond all, and you shall know the Truth of Light.”

3. Mary said, “This world is a cemetery, it is filled with corpses. For this reason, the Lord set the world on fire so that the dead might awaken and spirits might be set free. And now the fire burns, and we tend it so that it might burn brightly, and we dance within the fire, for we are on fire with the Spirit of Yahweh. If you seek the Anointed, you seek the fire, and when you are utterly burnt away, you will rejoice in the True Light.”

4. A woman asked Mary, “Are you the one the Lord loved dearly?” Mary said, “The Lord loved the world, and he gave light and life to the world, so that no longer would anyone have to live in darkness. He loved me as the Soul of the World, so that embracing me he might embrace the world and uplift it to the bridal chamber. I am she whom the Lord loves, as is the soul of light in you. The one who finds me will find the Anointed, for I am the house in which the Lord dwells.”

5. The companions said to Mary, “Tell us about New Jerusalem.” Mary said, “It is Wisdom, not of this world, but of the World of Supernal Light. When all of the sparks are gathered in and all of the vessels of light are mended, you will see the glory of New Jerusalem coming out of heaven, and in it you will behold the bridal chamber and the image of the Anointed One in it.”

6. Mary said, “What is cast down shall be lifted up, and what is lifted up shall be thrown down; what is on high must be brought down upon the earth, and the earth must be lifted on high.”

7. Mary said, “Fire is above water, and the sky is above the earth. All of these are above and below, and all are joined in the Mother’s womb, which is the primordial space from which they all arise. Everything will return to its root and essence.”

8. Mary said to a woman, “The Mother is everything, and she is nothing. She is everything here below, and she is nothing in the embrace of the Father above. Yet above and below she is the same, and here she is always changing. You are she and she is you.”

9. Mary once said, “Do not concern yourself with the darkness in the world, but banish the darkness that is in you, because it will bind you and destroy you if you do not cast it out of you.”

10. Mary said, “Give what you wish to receive and you shall have it. Take what you desire and it will be stolen from you.”

11. Mary said to her disciples, “Eve and Lilith are one woman, and she is a supernal emanation. If a woman knows herself she will know the Holy Woman, just as if a man knows himself he will know the Supernal Adam. To acquire this knowledge you must be single, which is to say undivided.”

12. Disciples of Mary said to her, “We are going on a pilgrimage to the holy land so we might see where you and the Lord lived.” Mary said to them, “The holy land is wherever a child of Light goes, and it is where the child of Light abides. The holy land is where the Anointed and the soul are joined, it is the bridal chamber.”

13. Mary said, “When you also pay the ransom, then you will be ransomed, and no longer will you be held hostage.”

14. Mary said, “Christ has one Mother, and she is the Queen of Heaven. The body is born of the Earthly Mother, but the soul of light is born of the Heavenly Mother, and it is the Mother Spirit that awakens the soul of light. Mary gave birth to a child in the world, but the Mother Spirit gave birth to Christ. So it is with all who are anointed with Supernal Light.”

15. Mary said to Salome, “We are dead because the Lord died, and we live because the Lord lives. The tomb is the Mother’s womb to those who are among the living.”

16. Mary said to some women, “If you know the path of the moon you will know the path of the sun. With this knowledge and understanding, follow the path of light which is beyond the sun or the moon. This is the path of the cross.”

17. Mary said to her disciples, “The cross is the limit, for it binds the power of the demiurgos and Satan, which is death. Death has never existed. The Lord has shown us this and now we must remember.”

18. Mary once said, “A woman who knows how to bake bread understands the purpose of yeast, and she includes yeast in the dough, though only a little bit. So has the Mother put the fiery intelligence in human beings, knowing they will ascend because of it.”

19. Mary said, “Until there is light in a form and it becomes light, it is a false appearance. Though a human form appears, unless a person brings the supernal soul into the body, that person is not yet a human being.”

20. A woman said to Mary, “You saw the Risen Savior first. What did he look like?” Mary said to her, “He looked like no man nor angel nor god, but his appearance was the image of the Human One, the image and likeness of the Living God. Truly I tell you, whoever beholds the Risen Savior, it is as though he or she is the first to see him.”

21. Mary said, “Everyone knows how to clean a house, but few know how to make themselves clean inwardly. If you know how to clean a house but do not know how to clean yourself inwardly, then your house and all that you touch are unclean. Nothing is unclean to a person who is clean. This is what the Lord taught his disciples.”

22. Mary taught, “If you are violent then your end will be violent, but if you acquire the peace of the Lord, then you will end in peace.”

23. Mary spoke, and said, “There is baptism, chrism and wedding feast, and there is the ransom and bridal chamber. Baptism is water, chrism is fire and the ransom is earth. The wedding feast is the air, for in the Spirit we shall meet the Anointed on the Day of Joy, and then the element of the bridal chamber shall be fully revealed. Everything the Lord accomplished he accomplished in a mystery, and the Anointed Bride is the mystery.”

24. Mary said, “Ask the Mother Spirit and she will show you the face of our Father. When you look and see it, you will meet the gaze of the Beloved, for he is the image of the Living Father.”

25. Mary said, “Know how to love and you will be undivided. This is the repentance the Lord taught, and it the perfect baptism.”

26. A woman said to Mary, “You are the holiness of womanhood we have been waiting to see.” Mary said to her, “What have you been doing while you were waiting? If you see this in me, then it is in you. All the while it has been with you!

What were you waiting for?”

27. A young lady said to Mary, “When will the world be transformed?” Mary said, “It will not be transformed, but it is sacred to the Mother already. When you are transformed the world will be transformed, for you are the world and the world is you. The world is changing all of the time, and yet it is unchanged. The Mother is changing continually, yet she is ever the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Become as the Mother and you will see the Great Transformation, yet nothing will have changed.”

28. Mary said, “When the Lord died the world passed away, and when the Lord was raised up a new creation came into being. When the Pure Emanation comes into the world it is the union of the beginning and the end, and all things are restored anew.”

29. Someone asked to see the holy wounds on Mary and she said, “Here, look and see, but look also to see the Risen One; for unless you see among the living, all that you see is dead things.”

30. A woman said to Mary, “Our Lady, you are a great prophetess. Praise the Lord who sent you among us.” Mary said, “You also must be a seer, for one who sees lives.”

31. Salome reclined with Mary at the table, and Salome said to Mary, “You, Bride of Light, are most blessed of women, for you have known the Lord most intimately and have become fire and light.” Mary said to her, “Because you know the truth, you also are light and fire and Spirit. In the whole of creation there is nothing else, only light and fire and Spirit.”

32. Mary said, “There are seven heavens, seven earths and seven hells, and there are worlds within worlds, and realms within realms. All shall pass away, but the Supernal Abode shall abide eternal. There is no end to God’s Word or Wisdom.”

33. Mary said, “Know how to cleave, and the husks shall be shed, and you will be joined to the Living One. The perfection of cleaving is the bridal chamber, and the wedding feast is the glory of that Perfect Aeon.”

34. Mary said, “No one finds the Lord save those to whom the Lord reveals himself, for the Lord seeks his own and has come for the elect.”

35. Mary said to some people, “If you are seeking, it is the Holy Spirit that is seeking in you, and so be assured you will find. Recognizing this, you have found already, and what you have found is life.”

36. Mary said, “One who clings to the world, clings to a corpse, and one who clings to a corpse is unclean. There is a rite of purification for one who becomes unclean by touching a corpse, but first one must let go of the corpse and seek life.”

37. Mary said, “The Divine Mother is light and she is darkness, she is the saint and she is the sinner, angels and demons are images in her, as are the gods and all of the archons; yet she is beyond all of these. Know her in all things and you will be free of bondage, even as the Anointed is free.”

38. A woman said to Mary, “I have seen the light!” Mary said to the woman, “Wonderful! Now join the darkness to it, and go into the light, and you will discover what is beyond appearances.”

39. Mary once said, “Deeply my body mourned for the Lord, but deeper still the soul within me rejoiced. Do not cling to the image on the cross, but cleave to the image of the Risen Savior.”

40. Mary said, “A tree has life in it because of the sap, and we have life in us because of the chrism. Unless one has the chrism, one is not Christian but steals the name. Be certain you do not steal.”

41. Mary said, “I was with the Risen Savior, and beheld the Mother. In the first heaven, she was the Radiant Earth of Paradise. In the second heaven, she was the Starry Night Sky. In the third heaven, she was a Great Fire. In the fourth heaven, she was the Great Angel and Celestial Temple, and the Holy Sacrifice.

When I beheld her in the fifth heaven, she was the Glory of the Anointed abiding there, and in the sixth heaven, she was Fire and Ice and the End-Of-Days. In the seventh heaven, she was the Great Luminous Assembly, and the Holy Throne, and image of the One-Who-Sits-Upon-The-Throne; but in the Supernal Abode I cannot say what she was like. One must look and see for oneself.”

42. Mary said, “When the Anointed descended into Hades and the realms of Gehenna, the chosen came to him, drawn to the light, but many spirits fled from him, unwilling to enter into the light. It was the same when he walked upon the earth; the insiders drew near but the outsiders were driven away.”

43. Mary said to her disciples, “When the Risen Savior appears, look into his heart, and there you will see a threefold flame of Sophia. It is faith, hope and love, but inwardly it is knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Ask the Lord to give you this Holy Flame, so that you also might enter the kingdom and be perfect as the Father and Son are perfect.”

44. Mary to her companions, “There is power in the blood of Christ and glory in the body of Christ, the essence and presence of the Supernal Emanations. When you eat of the wedding feast, bind your soul to the Light-Emanations. Ascending, you will descend with light, and descending you will ascend with the Truth.”

45. Mary said, “You go down into the water and you die, because the reflection is shattered on the surface. When you rise up you come alive, for knowing your origin you no longer cling to a reflection or an image, but are reborn of your true essence. The nature of this essence is no-thing, and knowing this you will rule over the entirety.”

46. Mary said, “The Lord said, ‘Do not make a home for yourselves in the world, but be at home in the Spirit.”

47. Mary said, “Many are the apostles the Lord has sent, and they are rays of light flowing out of the Spiritual Sun. Many are the apostles the Bride shall send, and they are flames of fire leaping out of her. If you receive one whom the Bridegroom and Bride sends, then you receive one who comes from the Pleroma of Light.

Woe to they who reject the apostles of light, for they have rejected their own soul!

Receive every person who comes to you walking in holiness and beauty, for they are your fathers and mothers, your brothers and sisters, and your little ones.”

48. Mary taught her disciples, saying, “The Aeons of Light are the handmaids of the Bride at the wedding feast, and the best man is the Son of Adam at the wedding; in the bridal chamber the soul acquires intimate acquaintance with the Anointed and becomes the Anointed. Until that time, sing and dance and rejoice, for it is to those who abide in joy that the Shekinah comes, and it is through her that you will enter the bridal chamber.”

49. Mary said, “Come, let us go in. The Lord is waiting. If the mark is in you, then it is a sin to go outside. The righteous are those who live inwardly in the presence of the Anointed.”

50. Mary said, “A man once came to the Lord seeking an answer, but the Lord sat in silence. When the man departed, the Lord said, ‘Perhaps he was not seeking, but if he was, then surely he has his answer.’ Many times the Lord said nothing, but an answer was given. Remember this when you pray, for the power of prayer is silence.”

51. Mary said, “What is a woman to do against a strong man? She cannot overcome him. When faced with a strong man, if she cannot call out to a righteous man for help, then her only choice is not to resist him. Now I ask you, is this right? Indeed! For she will live and the day of justice will come! Yet it is wrong, for this demonstrates the dominion of falsehood in this world. There is great power in womanhood but it is hidden, and many men and beasts of the field seem to have power, but inwardly are weak. In the World of Supernal Light only the soul that has power in it will have power, and those lacking the power of truth will not appear in it. This world is a world of falsehood, but the world-to-come is a World of Truth. Do not be deceived by appearances and do not doubt there will be justice!”

52. Mary taught, “Once you come to the light and know the light is in you, you cannot continue to walk in the ways of darkness, lest you fall into a greater darkness. No! You must walk in the light and enter the light, and bring forth the light from within you, for only then will you be established in the Way of Life.”

53. Mary said to her disciples, “Do not receive every spirit that comes to you, but put every spirit to the test, to see if it comes from God or the demiurge or Satan.

There are many false lights, and they glitter and glow, and even a demon can

appear in the image of the Risen One. Do not be deceived, but look always for the light of love and truth, for what is evil lacks love and what is mixture lacks the perfection of Truth. In the Holy Spirit you will be empowered to discern, for she is discerning awareness.”

54. Mary said, “The Lord laid down a ransom for your soul, yet if you do not receive the Spirit of the Lord and live as a free person, then the ransom does not take effect. Only a free person can gather and give ransom, and so set free a hostage. Everything you see the Lord do, you must also do. This is the Way of Freedom.”

55. The disciples of Mary said, “Tell us about Grandmother Israel?” Mary said to them, “She has seen the End-Of-Days and the Beginning-Of-Life, and she is ancient, yet she is ever young. She is the understanding of wisdom, and knowledge of truth, the perfection of awareness. All is in her sight, yet she desires nothing. She is the fruition of womanhood having given birth to Divine Illumination.”

56. Mary said, “Until you know the darkness of Sophia, you will not acquire her light. Unless you die and are reborn of the Mother Spirit, the knowledge of the resurrection will elude you.”

57. Mary said, “Do not think the cross is wood, for it is light. Do not think the Anointed is a man, for he is an emanation. Do not become bound by appearances, for the Spirit of Truth is invisible. Do not be idolaters.”

58. Mary said, “Pray that you have an eye that sees, an ear that hears, a tongue that tastes, a nose that smells and a body that feels. For many are they who are dead, whose senses perceive nothing, but you have been called to life and raised from the dead. Therefore, pray to be fully alive.”

59. Mary said, “There are many gods and goddesses with great power, and all manner of spirits that have secret knowledge, yet the power that is in you is greater and the knowledge you possess is more rare and precious. I tell you, great and luminous beings shall come seeking power and knowledge from you.

See that you give to all who ask and withhold only from those who come to steal, and those who receive let worship the Anointed of God Most High.”

60. Mary said, “I tell you truly, you are divine beings, but do not let anyone worship you.”

61. Once Mary said, “In the Anointed you are free from bondage to the law and the dominion of the archons. Do not make yourself a slave again, but live as a free man or woman in the Holy Spirit.”

62. Mary said to her disciples, “Unless you go out of your homeland, and follow the Spirit through the wilderness into the Promised Land as I have, you cannot be a disciple to me. Unless you bear the marks of the crucifixion that I bear, you cannot be a disciple to the Lord. When you receive the call you must go forth and not look back, for the one who looks back shall be bound, but the one who looks to the Anointed will be set free.”

63. Mary was teaching one day, and she said, “The warden and guards will pursue anyone attempting to escape from prison, and dark spirits will arise to oppose anyone who shines with light. Do not fear the persecution you face on account of the Risen Savior and Mother Spirit, but have faith and endure, for your freedom is already won and all darkness has come to an end.”

64. Mary said, “If you desire something, ask the Mother, for she gives to her children all that they desire.”

65. Mary’s disciples asked her, “How should we worship God?” Mary said, “With tears and with laughter, and in all that you do, and with song and dance, and in every way the Spirit inspires. Worship in the Spirit of Truth, with your heart and your soul, your mind and your body; live in the presence of Yahweh always.”

66. Mary said, “Do not mistake the rites performed outwardly for the true sacred rite, for unless the sacred rites transpire inwardly, the outward rites are only husks of darkness.”

67. Mary said, “Receiving the baptism of water, seek also the baptism of fire and the Spirit, for only when you are baptized with fire and the Spirit is your baptism complete.”

68. Mary said, “The Anointed has sown seeds of light; you are the secret garden of the Anointed, and in due season the harvest shall come. Tend to your growth now so that you may be ripe and mature when the harvest comes.”

69. Mary said, “The mystery of the bridal chamber is private, it can only be spoken in the presence of one, and only if it is known to that one already. Do not speak in public about things that are private, but be wise in your speech.”

70. Mary taught, “Many have followed their heart, and it led them astray. Yet, it was not their heart that they followed, but some other spirit. The Lord is seated there, in your heart, and you must know your heart to know the Lord. There is a husk of darkness surrounding the heart; when that husk is broken and falls away, then you will know your heart and know the Lord. Let your heart be circumcised so that you might enter into the fullness of love and be intimately acquainted.”

71. Mary said, “To gain recognition is to become what you see, for no one sees anything he or she has not become. If a person is not able to recognize the

Anointed, or one whom the Anointed sends, it is because the Anointed does not indwell that person. When there is recognition rejoice, therefore, for your salvation is near and you have entered the kingdom.”

72. Mary said, “Unless you know the kingdom in you, you will not see it outside of you; unless the Anointed indwells you, you will not find the Anointed in the world.”

73. Mary said, “We are Christ-like until we become Christ, and the Lord has promised every true Christ-like person will become Christ. This is our spiritual hope.”

74. The disciples inquired of Mary about the World of Supernal Light. She said to them, “It is above and below, within you and beyond you, and all around you, but few are they who have eyes to see it, and fewer still who dwell in it.”

75. A disciple asked Mary, “When will the Second Coming occur?” Mary said, “It can happen at any time, anywhere, when you least expect it. It is the mystery of the Perfect Aeon known only to the Living Father, which he will reveal in the Mother in due season. Therefore, be ready and live without regrets, so that when it transpires you will be among the living.”

76. Mary said, “Only one who is passionate for truth will discover the truth.”

77. A man asked Mary, “Who is greater, you or Yeshua?” Mary said to him, “Truly I tell you, the Anointed is the Anointed, whether male or female, and the Anointed is exalted above every head, even the highest among the angels in heaven and Aeons of Light. As for Yeshua, he is greater than I, for I received everything from him. And so it is for every disciple, he or she is never greater than the teacher.”

78. Mary was teaching in the assembly, and a woman exclaimed, “Now is the hour of the Holy Bride!” Mary said, “No, before the Bride is received, she must be rejected, and before the Second Coming there must come a great darkness. Until the Second Coming of Christ, the Wisdom of God shall not be received. When the Bride is received, know the Second Coming is near.”

79. Mary said, “If you know what the world is, you will no longer desire it, for you will see what is beyond the world. When you see what is beyond the world, in that day it will be in the world.”

80. A young disciple asked Mary, “How can I come to know the Lord?” Mary said, “Become empty, like a cup, and let the Mother Spirit pour the Lord and her presence into you.”

81. Mary said, “Seek to commune with the angels of our Heavenly Father and the angels of our Earthly Mother, and cleaving to the Lord in your heart, let the heavens and earth be joined.”

82. Mary said, “All things exist in and with one another, and while they exist they depend on one another, but when the time of dissolution comes, all things will return to their own root and essence. What has come from above returns to the abode from which it has come, and what comes from below returns to its origin.

What is in between has never existed, and will return to the Great Void.”

83. Mary said, “Is it not written, ‘In the beginning was void and chaos?’ Yet, did not God exist before the beginning? If order and light came into being, surely these are of God. As for the void and chaos, these are the primordial ground from which God has created; and the one creating is the demiurge. For in truth, what God creates is emanation, and the emanations of God create. Therefore, Yahweh emanated and Elohim created. There is no beginning to this, nor is there an end.

Consider this when you meditate on the End-Of-Days.”

84. Mary said, “Did God give birth to creation without a womb? No, indeed! For creation is in God’s womb, and until it is complete it shall not emerge.”

85. Mary said, “When the soul departs this world it must travel through many realms in between, and it must pass through the realms of the archons, and the heavens, and the great abyss. Powers will arise to prevent the soul’s ascent, and guardians will seek to bind it to their realms, yet those who cleave to the Anointed, in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, they will be invisible to the powers and guardians. Already, they are free!”

86. Mary said, “From the purity of space, air arose, and from air, fire arose, and from fire, water, and from these the earth came into being. When you depart the world, let the elements dissolve into one another, and let the Mother and Father Essences be joined; then wait upon the Spirit of the Lord, abiding in the Transparent Light of the Supernal Abode. In this way you will attain repose.”

87. A woman said to Mary, “I am dying and wish to go to God. What should I do?”

Mary said, “Gather yourself as a sun in your heart, and envision the Risen Savior come for you. When the Savior appears, as light rise up to meet him in the air and the Anointed will receive you in God.” 88. Mary said, “Labor while you are in the field, and rest when you are called home. Do not be idle while you live, lest you depart the world in poverty.”

89. Mary said, “Because of the power of the demiurgos, you have forgotten yourself. You believe you are a child of darkness, yet you are a child of light.

Indeed! Truly, I say to you, you are a person of light who has come from the light, and if you remember yourself you will know where your home is. This is the

remembrance of the wedding feast, regarding which the Lord instructed us, “Do this in remembrance of me.”

90. Mary said, “What the Anointed is, I am and you are; for this reason the Anointed has come, to remind those caught in the spell of forgetfulness.”

91. Mary said, “Beware! If you blaspheme the Mother Spirit there will be no one to save you, for she is the Spirit of salvation and your very life.”

92. Mary said, “Weave for yourselves garments of light, so that when you go before the Queen of Heaven to be received you do not appear naked. With faith and the fullness of knowledge, do good works and love one another, and in the Spirit of the Lord you will have garments of light.”

93. Mary once said, “Blessed is one who knows sorrow and suffering, for that person will know life.”

94. Mary said, “You cannot destroy the evil inclination, but if you bring it into the service of the good it will no longer be evil.”

95. Mary said, “When the saint receives the Anointed it is good, but when the sinner receives the Anointed it is better, for entering into the light the sinner is more powerful than the saint.”

96. Mary said to her disciples, “You are midwives of the Mother Spirit, and you are meant to labor with her in the harvest of souls. Yet do not grasp on to the fruit of your labors, for it is she who accomplishes everything and to whom all good fruits belong.”

97. Mary said, “No one will know the Living Father apart from the Mother, for it is she who shows us the face of our Father.”

98. Mary spoke, and she said, “Having awakened, remain awake, and keep vigil, ever waiting upon the Lord.”

99. Mary said to her companions, “Preach the Gospel to all good creatures, and bear forth the light into all realms. If the wind will listen, teach the wind. If a ghost seeks redemption, then bless the ghost. Speak the truth to all spirits and creatures, for in the Human One all are blessed and all are received.”

100. Mary said, “Know when to retreat and when to live. When you retreat be silent and die to yourself, so that you might be alive in the Spirit. When you live, be alive and vibrant, and rejoice each day in the presence of God.” 101. Mary said to her disciples, “The Human One is the divinity in the holy Shabbat and the Shekinah is the companion of all who remember and keep it. The

Lord has ordained the Shabbat as a blessing for all who desire to draw near. It is a great blessing.”

102. Mary said, “The Anointed is the Lord of the Shabbat, and it is the day of the Beloved. In it is the mystery of the bridal chamber, and those who honor it shall gain knowledge of the mystery.”

103. Mary said, “In heaven men and women who have love and knowledge of God are fully received in the light, but below only men of God are fully received, for there is an abode of falsehood and darkness, and the archons favor the male. Yet, the image of the Human One in the bridal chamber is male and female joined together in one body of light, like unto the holy angels. When the image below is as the image above, then the Gospel will be fulfilled.”

104. Mary said to her disciples, “All aeons are not divine, but many are brought in by the demiurgos and archons and bear the taint of falsehood. The aeons are thoughts in the Perfect Intelligence of God, fashioned by Wisdom and Understanding, yet under the influence of the demiurge they are corrupted. Only the pure emanation of the Aeon of Light is free of taint or corruption, for it is the body of the Risen Savior whom the archons could not hold in bondage. And it shall come to pass that a false aeon shall replace the Aeon of Truth, for already the image in the bridal chamber is partial in the minds of men.”

105. Mary said, “The Perfect Aeon is called Eternal Shabbat, and the soul of the Perfect Aeon is called the Christ, and it is Light and Truth. The seed of the Perfect Aeon has been sown in the world, in the human mind and heart, and it shall bear good fruit in due season. Until that time there are many aeons in conflict below the great abyss, and the world is a play of shadows and shades and dim glows.

Therefore, do not be deceived, but cleave to the True Light, and pray for the Aeon of the Holy Spirit in which all aeons will be rectified and the revelation of the Perfect Aeon complete.”

106. Mary said, “The Anointed was joined by the Living Father to the LightEmanations so that when he appeared to us their radiant holy breath and power was in him. This is the power of the Holy Spirit that he breathed upon us, akin to the Spirit of God moving upon the surface of the deep in the beginning. Yet, this Spirit which the Anointed breathed on us moved on the surface and the deep. On account of this breath of the Savior a new creation has come into being which is the purity of emanation.”

107. Mary said to her companions, “There is light and fire in your breath, and if you cleave to the Risen Savior and breathe as the Savior breathes, you will discover it. When you discover it your whole body will become filled with fire and light and you will be transformed into the image of the Living One.”

108. Mary said, “The aeons are perfect and eternal above, but their images below are inherently flawed. Seek to look and see them above so that you might join soul and image and rectify them.”

109. Mary spoke these words in private. She said, “The body and blood of the Lord is fire and light, and the power of the Mother Spirit is in it. There is fire in the bread and light in the wine, and the Holy Spirit passes in between them and joins them. So are the Bride and Bridegroom joined, and it is for this reason it is called a wedding feast. Understand, the body and blood are not the image on the cross, but they are the image of the Risen Savior, so that consecrated, the power of the Risen Savior is in the bread and wine. What is the image of the Risen Savior? It is the image of the Groom and Bride united called the Second Adam. This is the image of the Great Seth.”

110. Mary said to her disciples, “Kali Kallah appears black to those who do not know her, yet to those who love her and who draw near she is white brilliance.

Her image is as the starry night sky, and the light of the heavens and Supernal Abode are in her. To pass beyond you must enter her embrace, even as the Lord embraced her. Then, through Daughter Sophia you will acquire knowledge of Mother Sophia, the Queen of Heaven.”

111. Mary said, “There is wisdom and there is wisdom, and the wisdom of the world is not the Wisdom of God. Seek, therefore, the truth of wisdom, that knowing the Wisdom of God all wisdom might be redeemed in you.”

112. Mary said, “The Logos emanated into the world for the redemption of Sophia.

If the redemption of Sophia is not received in the world, then the world is not redeemed. Sophia received the Logos, and those who cleave to Sophia have received the Logos, and they are redeemed. It is Sophia in you that receives the Logos and is saved.”

113. Mary was speaking to her companions. She said, “Everything that is above is in you here below. The light of the heavens and Supernal Abode is in you, and the essence of the Perfect Aeon. Let Logos and Sophia embrace in you and you will behold great wonders, and nothing will be impossible to you, for what is above will be brought down below and what is below will be lifted above. Praise the Lord!”

114. Mary said, “Logos is the name of the Lord and Sophia is the name of the Bride. In the bridal chamber their name is Christos.”

115. Mary said to her disciples, “You have heard of the ascension of Enoch. When he ascended he became male and female, and the male entered into repose and the female moved to run and return; thus Metatron appeared in the height and Sandalphon in the depths. This is the Great Angel of the Lord, male and female,

the image of Bride and Bridegroom. And it is the Supernal Image of our perfection.”

116. Mary said, “God the Father entered in through the image of the Son, but the world was overwhelmed by the great supernal glory. Therefore, the Son imparted the Mother Spirit and God the Mother has entered in through the image of the Daughter to nurture the little ones until they grow wise. The light entered but was too bright, and so now the fire comes to purify so that all might be sanctified to receive the True Light. Everything shall be accomplished in due season, and it is the Mother Spirit that will accomplish everything.”

117. Mary said, “We have Father and we have Mother, for God is our Father and our Mother, though, indeed, the Most High is beyond Father or Mother. There is no knowledge of the Father apart from the Mother, for it is Mother Spirit who gives birth to the image of the Son in whom the Living Father is revealed. So also shall Mother Spirit give birth to the image of the Daughter, so that the image of the Son will be perfect and the revelation of God Most High made complete. Truly I say to you, there is a holier Gospel yet to be spoken.”

118. Mary said, “Under the law and old covenant the circumcision applied only to men, but in the new covenant women are also circumcised; likewise, under the old covenant only men were called as priests, but under the new covenant there are also women called as priestesses. The old covenant fell to the dominion of the demiurgos. It remains to be seen whether the new covenant shall stand or fall.

If it falls, then another shall arise. Therefore, labor always for the perfection of the covenant, so that you are awake when the Aeon of the Holy Spirit enters in.”

119. A woman said to Mary, “I have heard that the Lord walked on water.” Mary said, “Indeed! The Lord did walk on water, and he walked on the firmaments of the heavens when he ascended to the Supernal Abode. Tell me, which is the greater wonder?”

120. Mary said to her disciples, “I was water, but the Lord made me wine. Now I may bring passion and joy to the hearts of human ones and a force of fire against the Great Beast.”

121. Mary said, “In the Lord men have an image of their perfection, and in the Bride women have an image of their perfection, and it is a single perfection.

Unless there is perfection in man and woman, the perfection of the Human One is incomplete. And so the Lord said to us, ‘Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.’ For truly, the Father is not the Father, and the Mother is not the Mother, for the image of the Human One, which is the likeness and image of the Most High, is male and female joined together – the Androgynous and Self-Begetting One. This is the truth of the Anointed.”

122. Mary said, “Three days passed from the crucifixion to the resurrection, and so shall three days pass from the resurrection to the Second Coming. Let those who have ears listen and hear what the Spirit is speaking!”

123. Mary said, “If Christos can appear as a male, then surely Christos can appear as a female. Those who deny holiness in womanhood do not understand holiness in manhood or womanhood but are sorely bound to ignorance. Do not believe the father-of-lies, but believe in the Mother Spirit whose name is the Spirit of Truth and Comforter!”

124. Mary said, “The beast of the field receives by grace, and the faithful receive by faith and grace; but it is the elect who receive by faith and knowledge and grace, and for this reason are called ‘the perfect.’”

125. Mary said, “Where darkness abides, the light cannot enter. When the light enters all darkness vanishes. To enter into the light you must banish the darkness that is in you, and when you enter the light you must join the light and darkness to gain the acquaintance of the True Light. Unless you first let go of the darkness and cleave to the light, the light cannot enter, but once the light enters all darkness shall be transformed and you will know the Truth beyond light or darkness. This is the Truth that will set you free!”

126. Mary said to her companions, “I tell you, there is a superior intelligence that shall come to those who wait upon the Spirit of the Lord, and it is like thunder and lightning, and it will illuminate you.”

127. Mary said, “If you seek knowledge of the Risen Savior, open yourself to the light that comes from above. It will awaken a fire in you and bring you into the fullness of knowledge, understanding and wisdom, and you will lack nothing.”

128. Mary said, “Where there is peace God’s Spirit abides. Therefore, make peace and you will know great joy.”

129. Mary said, “If you cannot love, you cannot be united. One who is divided is destined for destruction. Therefore the Savior taught us to love so that we might have life.”

130. A woman said to Mary, “It is not my destiny to attain salvation, for it is not in the stars for me. The stars of my birth are ill-fated.” Mary said, “It is not the stars that determine your fate, my sister, but it is the Mother Spirit. According to the stars of her birth, Sarah was not destined to have a son, yet the Mother Spirit blessed Sarah and she gave birth to Isaac. If you have faith and seek true knowledge, you will not be bound by the fates sin and the archons dictate, for in the Risen Savior your soul is exalted beyond the domains of the archons and the celestial regions. Believe in God, not in the abodes of the archons, and the Mother Spirit will fulfill your heart’s desire. Your destiny is with Christ in God.”

131. Mary said, “When you pray join yourself to the Anointed by the power of the Name, and cleave to the Light-Emanations. Let your heart pray and use few words, and learn the delight of the prayer of silence. For it is in silence you will hear the Spirit of Yahweh speaking. This is how the Savior taught us to pray.”

132. Mary said, “It is with passion that one must cleave, and all passions must be cleaving. Then you will experience the perfection of cleaving which is divine rapture.”

133. Mary said, “When you have one thought and one desire, in that instant you will be fulfilled.”

134. Mary said, “Abide where you are, there the Anointed is.”

135. Mary said to her companions, “If you do not know your heart, you cannot know the Lord. For, there, in your heart, is the indwelling Christ, and your inmost heart’s desire is Christ. Therefore, knowing your heart you will know Christ and in Christ all your desires will be fulfilled.”

136. Mary said, “Knowledge, understanding and wisdom are not superior to love, for these come from union and it is love that unites. One who has love will have knowledge, understanding and wisdom, but without love no one is wise. If there is power apart from love, it is evil and will give birth to evil, but where there is love power is exercised in wisdom. All good things come by way of love.”

137. Mary said to her disciples, “If you desire to be free, set others free. Be forgiving and you will be forgiven.”

138. Mary said to her disciples, “Of all things I wish you to have the Sacred Heart of Christ, which is compassion. For compassion is the womb of the Mother in which Christ is conceived, and in this Christ will be born in you. Pray to the Mother Spirit to have her womb and to conceive and birth the Anointed in you. I will pray for you also.”

139. Mary said, “Do not think the kingdom of the Anointed is of this world, for it is not of this world. Yet do not think that you must depart this world to enter into the kingdom, for it has come near unto you this day and it is in you.” 140. Mary said to her companions, “The Lord ascended to repose in the Father, but the Holy Bride remains with you. Invite her and welcome her. She will come to you and reveal herself to you. In her shall all mysteries of the Anointed be revealed and in her you will know the perfection of the Mother Spirit. You need only open your mind and heart and life to her, and she will come and enter, and the Spirit of the Anointed will come with her. She will bring you into the bridal chamber.”

141. Mary said, “If anything is written it is dead apart from the Spirit, but if something is written and the Spirit is in you, it will be black fire on white fire that you will see, and there will be neither black nor white.”

142. Mary said, “The Lord spoke with authority because the Living Father granted it to him and the Mother Spirit spoke in him. He was the presence and power of which he was speaking. You also seek this divine authority, so that you might also speak Truth.”

143. Mary said, “There is no place among us for the undecided, for they have not yet received the call.”

144. Mary said to her disciples, “The Lord has said that the Holy Spirit will reveal what has not been revealed, and that she will lead us into All-Truth. When her hour comes, this will come to pass, even as the Lord spoke it. Already it is coming to pass, though when she will move freely no one knows.”

145. Mary said, “If God were not alien there would be no need for the divine revelation, for God would be known among humankind. Because, as yet, God is alien, revealers come and the revelation is on-going.”

146. Mary said, “You say I am a woman, but see, I am a man, and I am a woman, and I am neither man nor woman. You go looking for the anointed, but do not see.

So long as you are looking, you will not see. When your seeking comes to an end, you will find.”

147. Mary said, “Pray with your heart, not your head, for your head will lead you astray.”

148. Mary said to her companions, “Here you are, and here I am, and here the Lord is also.”

149. Mary said, “I looked into the eyes of the Anointed and found no beginning, and so also I found no end. Everything is in the Anointed, the Father, the Mother and the entirety; therefore the whole of crucified and raised up with him. Yet, unless one acquires the knowledge of this, it has not transpired.”

150. Mary spoke, and she said, “Do you not know that the True Light has been her from the very beginning, only it was not activated? Now that it is activated greater wonders then you have seen shall come to pass, and you will be among the wonders.”

151. Mary said, “Pray the Holy Spirit moves so that you might recognize her, for then she can lead you into perfect repose, even as she lead the Son to repose in the Living Father.”

152. Salome said, “When the Lord spoke of the first being the last, and the last being the first, he was speaking of the Bridegroom and Holy Bride.”

153. Mary said, “If the being is separate from the becoming, then there is no life in the becoming; and if the becoming is separate from the being, then the being does not exist. Being and becoming are one, for it is written: “The LORD and His Name are One.” 154. Mary said, “If you believe in a multiplicity of gods, it is inferior; yet if you do not recognize the many powers superior knowledge is impossible.”

155. Some young women among the disciples asked Mary, “When you knew the Lord, what was it like?” Mary said, “Why do you ask of what has passed away when this knowledge is in your presence?”

156. Mary said, “When new life comes to you do not cling to the old.”

157. Mary said, “An angel lead lot’s wife to life, but she turned to gaze at destruction and became what is dead. When the angel leads you out of the corruption of the world, do not turn towards the world again as she did.”

158. Mary said to her disciples, “Do not be deceived by the name ‘Comforter’ that is give to the Holy Spirit, for before she is the Comforter her name of Deep Trouble, and she will seem as an angel of wrath before appearing as an angel of mercy.”

159. Mary said, “To fear death is to fear life, and those who fear death are not alive, it is for this reason they fear death – they fear to know who and what they are.”

160. Mary said, “There is heart and soul, mind and life, and there is Light; let all of these be united in the Light and they will become the Light – the Living Yeshua is proof of this.”

161. Mary said, “Those who say Christ was crucified do not know what they are saying, and those who say Christ was not crucified also do not know what they are saying. Those who have many words concerning the crucifixion are ignorant of the Anointed, for the truth of the Anointed is the Risen Savior, the Bornless One.” 162. Mary said, "There are twelve gates through which souls enter into the world, but one gate through which all depart. Yet that one gate is many, for it opens above and below and again into the world. When you pass through it remember to gather yourself and rise up, and join yourself to what appears. Do not fear white brilliance, for it will deliver you."

163. Mary said, “No one will explain the Lord to another person, but the Spirit will explain everything and the Lord will speak to those who have ears to hear.”

164. Mary said to her disciples, “Do not speak of deep things until you know the simple, and when you know the simple do not neglect the things of depth.”

165. Mary said, “The archons thought that they killed the Christ, just as they thought by their own power they created the world and humanity. But they were self-deluded, for they crushed only an empty husk, like themselves, and they began their own end in so doing!”

166. Mary said, “The Anointed is the Light-presence above the cross and in the cross, and if the Light was in the image it did not shine forth until the resurrection. You also have the Light above you and in you, though it is concealed. Seek to bring it forth and let is shine, so that your image above and below might be complete. Then you will be free forever and ever.”

167. Mary said to her companions, “This I am, of which the Lord spoke, this is You and the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory; it is everyone and everything.

And so it is!”

168. Mary said, “When the wind blows, listen, the Spirit is speaking; let your prayers be set upon the four winds in Spirit so that they should be a blessing to the whole earth. If you pray in this way the Supreme Spirit above will receive your prayer.”

169. Mary said, “If you have all knowledge, but lack love, then you lack knowledge altogether.”

170. Mary said, “We speak in the tongues of angels and beasts and the ancient ones, yet only human beings hear and understand our wisdom.”

171. Mary said, “If the Truth is in you, but you do not speak it, how can you be true? When will your perfection come?”

172. Mary said, “Guard your intention, and be willful in love; for it is the intention of any activity which is its truth. Many do the right things with wrong intentions and are taken down into the infernal abodes, and there are those who appear to do what is wrong but have entered into the Great Ascension.”

173. Mary said, “There are Great and Shinning Ones who come among you. Be careful in your dealings with others, for truly, you may not know that one who comes before you is among these Divine powers. Live as one among the righteous ones and angels, for it may be you do not know the Divine power in you.”

174. Mary said, “Beware of those who glorify and bear witness of themselves, for all who are true have heralds and the Holy Spirit is the True Witness.”

175. Mary said, “If a person says, ‘I found it,’ know that they do not have it; yet if a person does not believe they have it, they will never find it.”

176. Mary said, “Be careful with the names, for there is great power in them. Yet, unless the great power is in you they are nothing.”

177. Mary said, “Seventy-two angels compose the Name, yet even the angels did not know how to speak it until the Logos came to be below.”

178. Mary said to some of her disciples, “No one was alive until the Anointed came, now there are the dead and there are the living ones.”

179. Mary said, “If you desire Truth, it will be disclosed to you, but if it is not disclosed then you do not desire it. If you desire Truth, then your desire is the manifestation of the Spirit of Truth you seeks, and that desire is self-fulfilling and self-generating, and one who has it will become the Self-begotten One.” 180. Mary said, “There is death everywhere below, but there is life above. Bring down your life that you might have the power to raise the dead, even as the Lord raise our brother.”

181. A disciple asked Mary, “When the Lord raise Lazarus, where did Lazarus go?” Like the Baptist, he is a secretive and wild spirit, only the Holy Spirit knows where he went, for she hides him as the Witness for the End-Of-Days. And so he lives and shall live to bear witness to everything, even as the Lord spoke of him.”

182. Mary was speaking to her disciples and they were marveling at the mysteries pouring forth from her. She said to them, “If anyone speaks and mystery and reveals it, it is not the person who has spoken, but the Spirit in the person.”

183. Mary said, “One who has life can give life, but one who is dead cannot even help him or herself. Acquire life so that you have life to give.”

184. Mary said, “Everything that is the Lord’s belongs to me and everything that is mine belongs to him. It is this way with all who love the Lord.”

185. Mary said, “Considering all things that have transpired, do not grasp at answers but live in holy awe and wonder. In this way all things are made known.”

186. Mary said, “There was no life in this body until I met the Lord, but then I received my life. And now I rejoice in the Lord of Life, the Holy One who dances with me and I with him.”

187. Some disciples asked Mary, “Should we be celibate?” Mary said, “Be what you are, and inwardly be like unto the holy angels.”

188. A woman said to Mary, “I do not wish to have a child, so as not to give birth to a slave.” Mary said to her, “Blessed are you when you do not do so!” Another woman hearing this became troubled, and she said to Mary, “But Mary, I long to have a child who might labor for the kingdom.” Mary said to her, “Blessed are you when you have such a child in your arms!”

189. Mary said, “Many are concerned with unreal things, but as for you, pay attention to the real. What is real is in your heart, and therein you will know it.

What is on the outside is unreal, but what is on the inside is real. When you join the inside and outside, above and below, then the whole is real.”

190. Mary said, “Stay always with the zeal and love you had at first, and you will not error, for such is the way of a child of God.” 191. Mary said, “Even when the Lord laid himself down he did not sleep nor cease from his labor, and even now he labors in you in the Spirit. So labor continually with him and you shall savor the fruits of this divine labor.”

192. Mary spoke with her disciples, and she said, “Men think that the Lord came to save the world, but he did not come to save the world. The Anointed has comes as a force of Fire and Light to shatter and burn the world utterly away, until only Truth remains in it.”

193. Some disciples inquired of Mary about the end of time. Mary said, “It is the Day of Understanding. In that time there will be holy apostles who bring the knowledge of the covenant of the Mother Spirit, and there will be many false prophets in the world. A great Light and great Darkness shall enter into the world, and great conflict and confusion will follow. The Bride will be with the holy ones and she will bring with her two witnesses, and there will be many signs in the matrix of the world, and also there will be wonders, though hidden. If peace is attained before that time, then all shall come to pass by way of pure grace, yet these days if peace is not attained shall surely appears as woes and wrath. On account of the archons it is unlikely peace shall be attained before that day. But the holy shall be set apart, and though they die yet shall they live to enter the bridal chamber.”

194. Mary said, “In the day of the coming of the Anointed many shall look and see, and among them many will be unwilling to enter the Light, for they shall not recognize the Light in the Daughter sent among them.”

195. Mary said, “One who knows the Mother is near to the Father, but one who denies the Mother is far from the Father. There is not two, but only one God, and God is both Father and Mother.”

196. Mary said, “The name of the Anointed is not the name men speak, but it is a name sealed in the heart of the elect, and because they are holy when they speak it no one hears it, save for those who are elect.”

197. Mary said, “Listen! The Holy Spirit is Supernal, yet she is everywhere here below. She is the Light of the heavens and the fire of Gehenna, and she is the Life-power in all creatures in heaven, and earth and beneath the earth – she is the All-In-All. If anyone is ignorant of her, then they are surely not alive.”

198. Mary said, “The Way is narrow, for there is but one Path for each soul, and the unique essence of the soul is the Way, Truth and Light. Save that one lives by way of this, one will not come into life.”

199. Mary said, “Let divine passion play upon you, and let the Spirit carry you where she will, then you will know what divine rapture is.”

200. Mary said to her disciples, “At the dawn of the End-Of-Days many wisdom treasuries shall be discovered, and there will be many who receive the Light of those days; yet, on account of the great darkness, there will be a multitude of false lights and all manner of deceptions. Before the greater joy, I tell you, great sorrow and suffering will engulf the world. Yet, all shall be as it is to be, and all things shall be accomplished.”

201. Mary said, “Live as though the Lord is coming tomorrow and you will not go wrong.”

202. Mary said, “The meaning of repentance is this: If you miss the mark, a just your aim. A baptism is given for the remission of sin, so that the soul might be loosed from the bow aimed at the Supernal Abode.”

203. Mary said, “God Most High became Mother and Father to conceive and give birth to the Son and Holy Spirit. And so God formed the primordial womb from give birth to the image and likeness of Godself. Those who know the Virgin Mother will also experience the conception of Christ, and the Holy Spirit will manifest as them.”

204. Mary said, “I said to the Lord, ‘Let me know you,’ and the Lord said to me, ‘As you wish, know yourself.’”

205. Mary said, “If you do not know yourself, how will you propose to know God?” 206. Mary said, “I am the aura of flames dancing about him, and he is the center of Light – I am everywhere, but he is nowhere; I am he and he is me. There is no

difference from beginning to end. Know the Lord, the One Anointed with the Supernal Light of God and you will come into the acquaintance of Holy Fire.”

207. Mary said, “Moses saw a burning bush; but I tell you, in the Spirit of the Anointed we have beheld the entirety on fire!”

208. Mary said, “All were in the bondage of slavery, under the dominion of Pharaoh, until the Anointed came. But since the Anointed came we have become free men and women, and we have been set over the taskmasters. The law if prophecy, the Gospel is the fulfillment of prophecy. Yet, to the Aeon of the Bride and Mother Spirit the Gospel that is with us is prophecy. Let those who have ears, listen and hear the Word and Wisdom of the Almighty!”

209. Mary said, “If you know how to cast the circle, then you will know how to deliver the spirits; for the secret of deliverance lies in the circle ascending.”

210. Mary said, “The spark must become a flame, and the flame must become a blazing fire. When you shine like the sun you will be complete.”

211. Mary said, “The Supernal Light has not been seen in the world before the Anointed brought it down. Now there is a seed of Light and the fruition is forthcoming.”

212. Mary said to her companions, “The ages and all that appears will pass away, but the Aeon of Perfect Light will remain. It is eternal.”

213. Mary said, “Look! You are a shadow in the Light. Cleave to the Light and let the shadow pass away.”

214. A woman asked Mary, “How can a woman be holy?” Mary said, “The man who is holy knows he is no man, therefore it is the same for a woman. Those who see male and female see only an appearance, for inwardly there is neither female nor male. These appearances are like shadows, and those who grasp at shadows and do not look to the Light miss the mark of Truth.” And again, Mary said, “The Mother and the Bride and She-Who-Is-Wise is within every woman, just as the Father and the Son are within every man; the human being is holy when in possession of her or his humanity.”

215. Mary said, “Many are the wisdom treasuries that are hidden, awaiting their discovery. If you court Wisdom she will give you her dowry and all that is in her house will become yours.”

216. Mary said, “Wisdom seeks true lovers and goes to those who seek her. No one will lack Wisdom if in their heart they yearn for her.”

217. Mary said, “Many are the false lights. If the True Light had not come and Grace did not open the way, no one would have escaped deception.”

218. Mary said to her disciples, “Here something precious is revealed by concealing it, but in the World-To-Come it will be revealed by revealing it. Look and see!”

219. Mary said, “Many are they who wander aimless and are bound to missing the mark. It is unbecoming for a human being to live without purpose. For this reason the Lord has taught us to live in a purposeful way and given us an aim, and he is our purpose and our aim – the Risen One.” 220. Mary said, “It may be that a fool is wiser than an intelligent person, for the fool is more likely to know that whatever intelligence arises comes from God.” 221. Mary said, “It is, indeed, difficult for a wealthy person to enter into the kingdom of heaven, for the wealthy are like the archons, believing they have created on their own and that the power is their own though it is not. Yet, the wealthy person who serves the kingdom with their wealth shall be rich in the kingdom of heaven.”

222. Mary said, “Every blessing is received inwardly. If one receives an apostle and is blessed, one receives the blessings of an apostle. If one receives a prophet or a righteous person and is blessed, then one receives the blessing of the prophet or righteous person. And so it is with every blessing one may receive, one receives inwardly and one is received.”

223. Mary said, “Many say that they have received the Anointed, but one cannot receive unless one is received. Therefore, seek to be received to that you might receive and give, and Grace will accomplish everything within you.”

224. Mary taught her disciples, saying, “Be certain to acquire your light-image so that you might be seen in the Living Father and your name may appear in the Book of Life.”

225. Mary said, “Yahweh is passing by, therefore Yahweh is seen. Otherwise no one would ever see the Great Spirit.” 226. Mary said, “This world is a shadow of the World of Truth, and yet there is a great blessing in it. Here there is time to recognize error from truth and to enact the truth, as though a pause to change your heart and mind. But when death comes and the soul departs the body nothing can be changed.”

227. Mary said to her chosen ones, “In the Supernal Realm it is clear who has come into being and who is unbecoming, for the images of the elect shine brightly but the beasts of the field do not appear.”

228. Mary said, “Souls exchange sparks with one another and we carry sparks of one another and are connected in this way. Be certain to give to everyone what is theirs and to receive what is yours so that all are complete.”

229. Mary said, “Nothing here shall remain. See that you also go your way.”

230. Mary said to her companions, “Do you have money?” They said to her, “Yes, we have money.” She said to them, “Good! Be certain to pay the ransom and by a staff for the journey.”

231. Mary spoke, and she said, “When you pray let your heart abide in its place, and if it runs, let it return to its abode, which is the Risen Savior.”

232. Mary said, “If you become empty the Lord will give himself to you in full; if you loose yourself, you will acquire the Holy Spirit.”

233. Mary said, “Angels appear in the world along with human beings, but the Perfect Human Being is superior to all angels. Have you not hear of Enoch who walked with Yahweh and was taken up in divine rapture? Every true initiate set above the angels, because she or he has knowledge of the Name of God.” 234. Mary said, “Today you are lower than the angels, though some among you are equal to them. When you are complete you will be above them.”

235. Mary said, “Time is nothing, eternity is everything. Be clear about this!”

236. Mary said, “Who has ever heard of a pregnant mother unwilling to give birth in her time? You also be willing to give birth to your soul when called out of the body. For you body is the Virgin Mother giving birth to your soul in the Eternal Abode.”

237. Mary was speaking, and she said, “Words have no meaning apart from the Mother Spirit, therefore to know her is meaningful. Words have meaning to the extent that they invoke knowledge of her, but she is known only in silence.”

238. Mary said, “Be conscious of your speech, for among human beings it is the greatest blessing and greatest curse. It binds and it liberates. Be liberating with your speaking and beware not to bind yourself and others.”

239. Mary said, “There is a mystery to be played out through manhood and womanhood, yet, truly I tell you, it is concealed by male and female.”

240. Mary said, “The Lord of Initiation has passed by. See that you receive initiation and bring it to fullness.”

241. Mary said, “What appears divided has never been separated, yet division appears for the sake of love and the perfection of will, so that in unification a greater joy should come to pass. If there is sorrow it shall pass away like the shadows of night on the Day of Be-With-Us.” 242. Mary said, “The body is a corpse and yet it lives for a while. While it is alive it is the temple of a great presence, for your soul is in it and the Anointed indwells your soul.”

243. Mary said, “The essence of the Light is transparent, it is the Holy Virgin; when you become transparent you will be united with her and attain the perfection of your freedom.”

244. Mary said, “The true elements are hidden by the visible, so also are the true rites of the Gospel hidden by the visible. Look to see what is hidden and you will understand.”

245. Mary said, “When the circle is engraved and the fire is lit and blazing, invoking the name of the Lord and the shinning ones, offer everything into the holy fire as into the Shekinah of God.” 246. Mary said. “Many seek the resurrection of the flesh, but the superior resurrection is of the Spirit and is eternal. Seek always that which is superior.”

247. Mary said, “If the body is to be raised up, then the body must be transformed; and so it is with everything below. But when things below are transformed they are no longer of the world, though they may appear in it, and when they disappear they will not appear again.”

248. Mary said, “The Lord has called us to gather in, not to scatter and disperse.”

249. Mary said to her companions, “In the Anointed Eve and Lilith are redeemed, for the Logos entered for the sake of the salvation of Sophia, and she is lifted up in him to her proper abode. Lilith is the power of Eve and Eve is the perfection of Lilith so that joined they are True Womanhood. Eve united in herself and Adam and Eve united in one another is the image of the Second Adam that appears in the bridal chamber. Therefore, manhood and womanhood are perfected and made complete in one another – so it was ordained from the beginning and so it shall be in the end.”

250. Mary said, “Saint and sinner are appearances, but the Truth and Light is beyond. In the Anointed there is neither saint nor sinner, but only the righteous one. Therefore do what is right according to the soul of light in you, and you will be counted among the righteous and elect. We will meet again in the Supernal Abode on the Day of Be-With-Us.”

This is the Gospel of the Sophia of Ain Sof (One-Without-End), for there is no end to the divine revelation transpiring through the Holy Bride. Whatever might be spoken or written, there is always much more to be received. To all who listen and hear in the Spirit she continues to speak, for the Gospel of Sophia will only be complete at the time of the Second Coming â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Reception of the Bride and Age of the Mother Spirit. Amen.

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THE LO ST TRIBE O F O RIGINAL AND THEIR RETURN