spiritual awakening and enlightenment in today’s world

Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. —Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out, which is the exact opposite. —Bertrand Russell

Back to Basics

September 21st, 2009 Posted in Spirituality

In an earlier post, I wrote that most people learn to see the world from the ideas they’re taught, instead of “the undeniable aspects of their own experience.”

Yes, there are undeniable aspects of our experience. Do you want to explore what’s undeniable, what’s real, what’s unquestionable? Do you want to get past the crap that has been shoveled into your head since you were a child? Want to see the world, its wonders, and all the people in it afresh? Are you sure? Don’t answer too quickly. Courage is required.

Because when you learn to look at the world and not your thoughts about the world, it might be surprising. And when you learn to look at yourself instead of your thoughts about yourself, it might be more than surprising. It might even be frightening. Or not. But you won’t know until you look. Hence, the requirement of courage.

This has been known for millenia. According to the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus cautions:

Whoever searches
must continue to search
until they find.
When they find,
they will be disturbed.
And being disturbed, they will marvel
and will reign over All.
—Thomas 2

  1. 17 Responses to “Back to Basics”

  2. By mark walter on Sep 22, 2009

    That’s my favorite quote from Thomas.

  3. By Ted on Sep 22, 2009

    I’m not sure what Jesus you are referring to in that passage, but the Jesus of the Bible doesn’t say that. Here is one of the many things He has said:
    Matthew 11:28-30 (New Living Translation)
    “28 Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’”

  4. By Josh on Sep 22, 2009

    the first part of your post reminded me of Paul Simon’s opening line in his song “Kodachrome” saying, “When I look back on all the crap I learned in high school, it’s a wonder I can think at all…”

    i’d like to purchase a copy of the Gospel of Thomas. i’ve heard many people quote Thomas and others as if they are in disagreement with Biblical scriptures. i’ve only read the traditional compilation of gospels, but everything i hear quoted from Thomas and others has only confirmed what i’ve understood in my private readings. they sound like wonderful scriptures.

    i always enjoy your posts about your spiritual journey. they encourage me and comfort me. thank you for sharing.

  5. By jon on Sep 23, 2009

    @Mark. Mine, too!

    @Josh. Thanks for the feedback, and the quote from Kodachrome. Re Thomas, I highly recommend the translation by Leloup and Rowe. They really get into the spirit of the texts in a very deep way. You won’t be disappointed.

    @Ted “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock, and it shall be opened to you. To the one who asks, it shall be given; the one who seeks shall find; and to the one who knocks, the door shall be opened.” Matt. 7.7-8

  6. By Ted on Sep 25, 2009

    John, why place so much credibility on the Gospel of Thomas and every other book that is not the Bible, and at the same time devalue the Bible or change its meaning to match what the other books are saying?

    Matt. 7:7-8 doesn’t say anything about being disturbed. But it does say that we can freely come to our loving and gracious Heavenly Father asking, seeking and knocking.

    Jesus came to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). We have to be willing to be found as we place our lives at the foot of the cross.

    So often we run this way and that and here and there hoping to find the answers. The answers are profoundly simple. They are found in following the Jesus Christ of the Bible. I encourage everyone reading this comment to put down all the other ancillary books and read the Gospel of John. Bathe yourselves in the words of Jesus. He is worthy to be served.
    Matthew 11:28-30 (New Living Translation)
    “28 Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’”

  7. By jon on Sep 26, 2009

    @Ted Well, it sounds like this site is disturbing you. Are you here because you’re curious about Christian mysticism, or are you here to “be a good witness” by trolling?

    If the former, I’d encourage you read more on the subject. The pages on this site in the Spirituality section might be a good place to start, or you might want to read the Wikipedia page on the subject.

    If the latter, well, I try not to feed trolls in the comments. But I’ll more than happy to respond to any questions you have by email, or better yet, in person.

  8. By Julie on Sep 27, 2009

    When I was learning freehand drawing, we had to learn to draw what we saw, not what we thought we saw.

  9. By Jon on Sep 27, 2009

    Great example, Julie! I remember it well … learning to see the actual patterns of light, shadow, and color, and that almost nothing in the world actually has a line around it!

    The longer I’m on this path, the less “mystical” mysticism becomes. If I had to define it now, I’d probably just call it “determined dedication to reality.”

  10. By River on Sep 28, 2009

    Hey Jon! I’ve been trying to reconnect with old blog friends over the past couple of days and you are on that list. ;-) Thought I’d pop in and say “Hi.”

    River (aka Kay)

  11. By Jon on Sep 28, 2009

    Hey, Kay (River)! Good to hear back from you. BTW, I just updated the blogroll. I’m going to enjoy your “ephemeral thoughts.”

  12. By InfiniteWarrior on Sep 30, 2009

    @Josh: The Esoteric Teachings of Jesus and the Nazarene Essenes includes the Gospel of Thomas among many other suppressed texts as well as some translations from the original Aramaic.

  13. By Josh on Oct 1, 2009

    @InfiniteWarrior,
    Thanks! That will be one of my next buys, for sure.

  14. By Margaret on Oct 4, 2009

    Speaking from the “undeniable aspects of (my) experience” I’ve come to a place of no questions, realizing there can be no answers until I can rest in my Lord, BE in this moment, Trust Him completely. This is the peace we can be living in. There are many people, many books, that seek to give us answers. I love my Bible. God has used it to feed me spiritually, to grow me, to help me know him better. But, IT is not my God. He is so much more than just that book! He has used other books to speak to me, too. He has used people (my parents, teachers, friends, husband, children, this website even!) But, it is my EXPERIENCE with Him that provides all the Truth I need. If every second is His and mine, I need nothing else. Courage is not so much required, as death to self. “He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30. How much more “real” can that be? In Him is REALITY.

  15. By Jon on Oct 4, 2009

    Wow. That was very wonderfully said, Margaret.

    Thanks.

  16. By greenfrog on Oct 6, 2009

    Jon,

    When I look, I mostly find conditioned mind. On the few occasions when I see through it, sometimes I find sensory awareness, sometimes emptiness. Is that what Thomas’ Jesus had in mind?

  17. By Jon on Oct 7, 2009

    @greenfrog Yes, I think so. All three can be disturbing, but emptiness especially. (At least it was for me.) But the courage to face it, and the rewards, I think are what Jesus is speaking of.

  18. By Erik Goodwyn on Oct 8, 2009

    I’m new to your site, and I love it. I was particularly impressed by your compilation of canonical and non-canonical scriptures that reveal a highly mystical aspect to Christianity that I found in Zen; because I come from a Christian background this was a refreshing return to an old friend.

    Though I doubt if anyone would classify me as “christian” because I am interested in so many other traditions including the dreaded “pagan” ones, I still dig Christ.

    So anyway, it seems this post is about what philosophers call “qualia” or “raw feels”; its something one finds in phenomenology as well. What I wanted to add to the discussion is that some neuroscientists are finding that there are subjective aspects of experience that cannot be reduced to anything physical in the brain. Let me qualify: though what occurs in the mind is tightly correlated with what occurs in the brain, in the end, we are *monistic* beings of both mind AND brain, and neither can be reduced to the other. They are two aspects of the same unity, but viewed from different aspects, like waves and particles. Thanks for a great website, I look forward to visiting often.

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