Gospel of Thomas and "Crazy Wisdom"

[melodious]

Hey everyone. I'm posting this PM I wrote to someone a bit earlier because I would like everyone to have the opportunity to lend their comments and thoughts on it if they care to. It is a good example of what Gnostics sometimes call "crazy wisdom," and I've presented some commentary here by Tau Malachi to offer an interpretation. I would love to hear people's thoughts and opinions on it. Shalom! - M

If I remember correct, you asked me what I thought of the Gospel of Thomas and why it did not make it into the canon. To answer your first question: Thomas is an incredible piece of Gnostic Christian literature, lending its wisdom in the form of individual "sayings" of Christ, rather than a chronological narrative. There are many logical wisdom themes like "the blind leading the blind" and so on; however, there are also a few examples within it of, what I mentioned earlier as, "crazy wisdom." I will address this and give an example below. But first I will address your second question. There are two answers to this: One being that there are too many Gnostic ideas within it that were all too obvious for the canonizing church fathers to ignore. The second being that it was not done in a chronological narrative and so did not lend to a historical feel of Jesus like Mark, Matthew, and Luke. For these two reasons it did not make it into the canon and it's probably good it didn't, because it would have more than likely been redacted to fit the church's agenda, and that would have been a horrible shame.

Here's one of my favorite verses of "crazy wisdom" that we find in Thomas (I shall also present a few excerpts from Tau Malachi's erudite commentary on it to help demonstrate the inner meaning of the verse):

Jesus said, "He who knows the father and the mother will be called the son of a harlot." - Gospel of Thomas, verse 105

Allow me to impart one thing that will help clear up an apparent contradiction within the commentary that is explained elsewhere in the book: God proper is nameless, bornless, the great unmanifest, or no-thing, but the glory emanating from God is many-named, and has an infinite number of faces, hence every-thing.

According to conventional wisdom, legitimacy in spiritual matters is determined by academic and religious institutions. Unless one has the right credentials, one will be considered illegitimate and thus will not be recognized as an authority. While sometimes individuals who have the right credentials are taken up and inspired by the Holy Spirit, and are reborn of Mother Wisdom, more often than not those whom the Holy Spirit chooses as her messenger are not individuals of the establishment. Thus, in the eyes of the establishment, they are children of a harlot - illegitimate.
... Now the masters of the tradition tell us the virgin is a whore! It is a proclamation meant to shock us into a deeper understanding of Mother Wisdom. Hearing this, we say, "No! That cannot be! What does this mean?" The meaning is simple: Mother Wisdom is ever virgin, and every time there is gnosis of her, it is as though it is the first time. Whenever another soul attains enlightenment, it is as though it is the first time enlightenment has dawned in Creation and as though all of the enlightened ones of the past, present, and future have attained in that instant, the one who is an enlightened being inseparable from all the enlightened ones of the past, present, and future. For he or she has recognized and realized Yahweh - that which was, is, and forever shall be - who delivers (Yeheshua, Yeshua, or Jesus). Yet, Mother Wisdom is a whore, for she refuses no one who seeks to know her or desires to be intimate with her. To anyone who seeks to know her and seeks her company (the company of heaven), she unveils herself. So, indeed, she is a virgin and a whore! The one who says the Gnostic is the son or daughter of a whore speaks truth!
... There is a suggestion of the bridal chamber in this, for as the Zohar teaches us, "a stirring below creates a stirring above." Thus Abba (Father) and Aima (Mother) are united above when the bridegroom and bride are united below. In this instant, the image of the male and female above and the image of the male and female below are joined - hence the generation of Adam Kadmon (primordial and androgynous human), the highest of all Partzufim (divine images). If the Divine Mother gives birth to the Human One, but the Father is nameless and unknown, is not the Holy Child the child of a harlot?
... This state of supernal being directly relates to the mastery of the three supernal Divine names (names associated with the upper, or supernal, triad on the Tree of Life): Eheieh (I am or I shall be), Yahweh (the force or Life-power; that which was, is, and forever shall be), and Elohim (the one and many, the matrix of Creation or form principle) - hence the Gnosis of Creator and Creation. Meditation on these three Divine names, specifically the holy letters composing them, reveals a great deal concerning the supreme mystery of supernal being.
... The supreme mystery of supernal being is the recognition and realization of the inmost part of your soul, which is ever-at-one and inseparable from God and the Godhead that indwells it. Thus, it is the mystery of Yechidah (the Divine spark or Divine I am) and the Hayyah (Life-power) within the holy Neshamah (supernal or heavenly soul). This is the knowledge that will set you free and through which you will attain the power of the resurrection and ascension - the inmost secret revealed through the person of Yeshua Messiah. - Commentary by Tau Malachi

I will add to the last comment that this would include anyone who has reached this level of Christ consciousness, or supernal being; not just one particular Living Master (i.e. Jesus) alone.

Write me back if you would like and let me know if you have a favorite verse. I will be happy to lend some personal interpretation, eudite commentary from Malachi, or just some open dialogue between us.

In the Spirit of Gnosis - M