Podcast appearances and mentions of Christian mysticism

This episode explores the twenty-eighth saying of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas. Jesus said, "I took my stand in the midst of the world, and in flesh I appeared to them. I found them all drunk, and I did not find any of them thirsty. My soul ached for the children of humanity, because they are blind in their hearts and do not see, for they came into the world empty, and they also seek to depart from the world empty. But meanwhile they are drunk. When they shake off their wine, then they will change their ways."View Marshall's books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marshall-Davis/author/B001K8Y0RU

This edition of the Tao of Christ is a little different. For one thing it is shorter than usual. Also I am taking a break from the Gospel of Thomas. I will get back to it in a week or so. Today I am reading my blog post for today. I have a blog that I publish once or twice a week called Spiritual Reflections by Marshall Davis. Normally it is just in a written format, but today I thought I would record it in an audio format as well. If you are interested in subscribing to my blog you can find my blog here:https://spiritualreflections.substack.com/View Marshall's books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marshall-Davis/author/B001K8Y0RU

Enjoy these back to back throwback episodes! Doors of Perception is available now on Amazon Prime!https://watch.amazon.com/detail?gti=amzn1.dv.gti.8a60e6c7-678d-4502-b335-adfbb30697b8&ref_=atv_lp_share_mv&r=webMake a Donation to Forbidden Knowledge News https://www.paypal.me/forbiddenknowledgenehttps://buymeacoffee.com/forbiddenThe Forbidden Documentary: Doors of Perception official trailerhttps://youtu.be/F-VJ01kMSII?si=Ee6xwtUONA18HNLZMerchhttps://fknstore.net/Start your microdosing journey with BrainsupremeGet 15% off your order here!!https://brainsupreme.co/FKN15Book a free consultation with Jennifer Halcame Emailjenniferhalcame@gmail.comFacebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561665957079&mibextid=ZbWKwLWatch The Forbidden Documentary: Occult Louisiana on Tubi: https://link.tubi.tv/pGXW6chxCJbC60 PurplePowerhttps://go.shopc60.com/FORBIDDEN10/or use coupon code knowledge10FKN Link Treehttps://linktr.ee/FKNlinksForbidden Knowledge Network https://forbiddenknowledge.news/ Johnny Larson's artworkhttps://www.patreon.com/JohnnyLarsonSign up on Rokfin!https://rokfin.com/fknplusPodcastshttps://www.spreaker.com/show/forbiddenAvailable on all platforms Support FKN on Spreaker https://spreaker.page.link/KoPgfbEq8kcsR5oj9FKN ON Rumblehttps://rumble.com/c/FKNpGet Cory Hughes Book!Audio bookhttps://buymeacoffee.com/jfkbook/e/392579https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jfkbookhttps://www.amazon.com/Warning-History-Cory-Hughes/dp/B0CL14VQY6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=72HEFZQA7TAP&keywords=a+warning+from+history+cory+hughes&qid=1698861279&sprefix=a+warning+fro%2Caps%2C121&sr=8-1https://coryhughes.org/YouTube https://youtube.com/@fknclipspBecome Self-Sufficient With A Food Forest!!https://foodforestabundance.com/get-started/?ref=CHRISTOPHERMATHUse coupon code: FORBIDDEN for discountsOur Facebook pageshttps://www.facebook.com/forbiddenknowledgenewsconspiracy/https://www.facebook.com/FKNNetwork/Instagram @forbiddenknowledgenews1@forbiddenknowledgenetworkXhttps://x.com/ForbiddenKnow10?t=uO5AqEtDuHdF9fXYtCUtfw&s=09Email meforbiddenknowledgenews@gmail.comsome music thanks to:https://www.bensound.com/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/forbidden-knowledge-news--3589233/support.

2:35 - Was the Earth made out of chaos? / 11:55 - What is Christian Mysticism? / 17:23 - Prayer for passed wife and new relationship. / 19:43 - Should we be concerned about the red heiffer? / 41:40 - How can I avoid lusting after women dressed inappropriately? / 48:56 - Why don't churches teach about Revelation?

This episode is on the 27th saying of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas. It is actually two sayings. One is about finding the Kingdom of God. The other is about seeing the Father. These are both ways of talking about spiritual awakening. He talks about this in the context of the spiritual disciplines of fasting and Sabbath. The first is about true fasting. The second is about true Sabbath-keeping.It reads: "If you do not fast from the world, you will not find the Kingdom. If you do not observe the sabbath as a sabbath you will not see the Father." I understand these sayings as talking about space and time – spacetime - from a nondual perspective. In other words the world is not what you think it is. View Marshall's books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marshall-Davis/author/B001K8Y0RU

Mirabai Starr joins Amy Buetens, Jackie Dobrinska, and the LSRF virtual Satsang to explore how we can deepen our sacred connection with our ancestors and embrace the divine mystery of mortality.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This week, Jackie, Mirabai, and Amy explore:Taking a moment to share in gratitude after a brief breath meditationExpanding the heart in the wake of grief, death, and profound loss Being with the reality of a broken heart while remembering that death is a part of lifeDía de los Muertos and the Latin cultural approach to honoring deathHonoring the intimate connection we have with our loved ones who have diedSensing the connection we have to our ancestors and bringing the qualities/quirks of our deceased loved ones into our livesCreating home altars and ancestral shrines as a form of ongoing reverenceDedicating projects, practices, and creative pursuits to our ancestorsEach month, women are invited to a monthly virtual Satsang that uses a shared leadership model, featuring rotating facilitators, cooperative programming, active participation, and inclusive decision-making. This Women's Satsang has been formed to help build allyship and agency among people who identify as women, whether cis, trans, or non-binary women, by providing a space to come together to foster greater connection, involvement, and representation around the teachings of Ram Dass and Neem Karoli Baba. Click HERE to join.About Mirabai Starr:Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author of creative non-fiction and contemporary translations of sacred literature. She taught Philosophy and World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos for 20 years and now teaches and speaks internationally on contemplative practice and inter-spiritual dialogue. A certified bereavement counselor, Mirabai helps mourners harness the transformational power of loss. Check out her many books and learn more at MirabaiStarr.com. About Amy Buetens:Amy Buetens is an artist, illustrator and art educator. She is a certified integrative thanatologist and death educator. Her work includes performing final rites of passage, and she serves as a leader in her Jewish burial society. She has been a dedicated student of Ram Dass for over 20 years, and is a co-leader for the Love Serve Remember Foundation's International Women's Satsang and leads her local Ram Dass Fellowship. Check out her co-created book, You are the Universe, HEREAbout The Host, Jackie Dobrinska:Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass' Love, Serve, Remember Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass' Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves. “By really forging these intimate bonds with our ancestors, we are also making friends with our own death and becoming more at ease with that vast, beautiful, invitational mystery to merge back into the beloved. The Sufi's call our death our wedding night with the beloved.” – Mirabai StarrSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is on saying 26 in the Gospel of Thomas. Jesus said, "You see the sliver in your friend's eye, but you don't see the timber in your own eye. When you take the timber out of your own eye, then you will see well enough to remove the sliver from your friend's eye."This saying in the Gospel of Thomas has a famous parallel in the Gospel of Matthew in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus says, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”The differences between the canonical and noncanonical versions are few but important. They are the difference between duality and nonduality.View Marshall's books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marshall-Davis/author/B001K8Y0RU

This episode examines the 25th saying of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas. Jesus said, "Love others like your own soul, protect them like the pupil of your eye.” Among other aspects, it explores how love of others guides social and national morality from a nondual perspective.View Marshall's books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marshall-Davis/author/B001K8Y0RU

This episode explores the 24th saying of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas. His disciples said, "Show us the place where you are, for we must seek it." He said to them, "Anyone here with two ears had better listen! There is light within a person of light, and it shines on the whole world. If it does not shine, it is dark."This saying is about the spiritual search for the Eternal Christ. Jesus disciples say to him, "Show us the place where you are, for we must seek it.” In answering their inquiry Jesus directs them to what the Quakers call the Inner Light. View Marshall's books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marshall-Davis/author/B001K8Y0RU

 This conversation marks the beginning of a deeper inquiry for Dr. John Vervaeke: What if pilgrimage is not a retreat from the world, but a return to what is most real? Joined by Ethan Hsieh, John explicates his intent to preregister his intellectual and philosophical orientation before beginning his metaphorical pilgrimage. Drawing on parallels with psychology's preregistration practice, John's aim is to document his internal state at various stages of his journey. The conversation delves deep into the concepts of theoria, theophany, and theosis, advocating for a pilgrimage that is not merely a lecture series but a 'meta-noetic passage.' The dialogue anticipates John's encounters with historical figures, sages, and the individuals who embody and interpret their legacy. John expresses his openness to how these encounters might transform him, acknowledging the potential psychological and physiological challenges involved. The dialogue also touches upon themes of the imaginal and the importance of community and fellowship in the pilgrimage process. Ethan contributes by drawing connections to broader themes of perception and philosophical inquiry. The conversation culminates in the hope that this philosophical and spiritual journey will not only deepen John's understanding but also inspire others to embark on their own explorative journeys. —- Notes: (00:00) Introduction to the Philosophical Silk Road (00:30) The Concept of Preregistration in Philosophy (01:00) Defining the Pilgrimage and Its Purpose (02:00) Introducing Ethan and the Dialogical Approach (04:30) Exploring the Original Orientation (05:30) The Challenge of Propositional Tyranny (07:00) Theoria and Theophany: Renewing the Senses (13:30) Meta Noetic Passage and Pilgrimage (20:00) Engaging with Sages and Geographical Perspectives (24:00) Personal Challenges and Psychological Defects (31:30) The Fellowship of the Pilgrimage (33:00) Interlocutors and Sages: A Deeper Dive (54:00) Introduction to Theosis (55:00) Historical Continuity and Henosis (56:00) Henosis and Kenosis in Christian Mysticism (57:30) The Paradox of Self-Transcendence (01:00:30) Theosis and Inner Athea (01:05:30) Personal Reflections and Burnout (01:09:00) The Concept of Unbinding (01:11:00) Non-Theism and Theism (01:25:00) Pilgrimage and Transformation (01:38:30) Reflections on Personal Growth (01:48:00) Concluding Thoughts and Future Questions If you would like to donate purely out of goodwill to support John's work, please consider joining our Patreon. The Vervaeke Foundation is committed to advancing the scientific pursuit of wisdom and creating a significant impact on the world. Learn more about our work.  If you would like to learn and engage regularly in practices that are informed, developed and endorsed by John and his work, visit Awaken to Meaning's calendar to explore practices that enhance your virtues and foster deeper connections with reality and relationships. Join Practice. John Vervaeke: Website | Twitter | YouTube | Patreon  

Contemplating the nexus of suffering and compassion, Thanissara, Raghu, and Jackie offer suggestions for showing up with love for all that arises. This is the opening workshop from the Centered in the Storm Virtual Immersion with Ram Dass & Friends. This course features topics like: uncovering our shared connection, transforming relationships, personal healing & global impact, and more!Check out Ram Dass' Inner Academy, where you can get the full Centered in the Storm Virtual Immersion along with dozens of other full-length, interactive, virtual courses and retreats. The Inner Academy offers lessons from Ram Dass, Krishna Das, Anne Lamott, Dr. Robert Svoboda, Sharon Salzberg, Roshi Joan Halifax, Dr. Robert Thurman, Nina Rao, Father Greg Boyle, David Nichtern, Thanissara and many more.Today's podcast is also brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode,Thanissara, Raghu Markus and Jackie Dobrinska discuss:Cultivating inner peace and resilience in the face of life's most difficult momentsThe vital role of trust in awakening intuition and authentic self-awarenessComing together in unity rather than being polarized as we navigate life's stormsThe nexus and relationship between suffering and compassionHow toxic individualism fosters inequality and disrupts collective well-beingThe deeper the suffering, the more potential there can be for quantum shifts of consciousnessHow fear-based thinking can fuel violence and disconnection in an untrained mindFinding a way back to the deathless, back to the heart, back to beingEmbodying courage and unwavering faith in the radiant wisdom of the heartAbout Thanissara:Thanissara is a teacher, poet, climate activist, and co-founder of the Dharmagiri Sacred Mountain Retreat. She spent 12 years as a Buddhist nun and holds an MA in Core Process Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy Practice. Thanissara was a founding member of Chithurst and Amaravati Buddhist Monasteries in England. She helped initiate/support a number of HIV/Aids response projects in deep rural South Africa. In addition, she has facilitated meditation retreats internationally for 30 years. She teaches across the U.S., in South Africa, and the UK. She is the author of several books, including her most recent, Time To Stand Up, A Buddhist Manifesto for Our Earth.About Raghu Markus:Raghu Markus spent two years in India with Neem Karoli Baba and Ram Dass. He has been involved in music and transformational media since the early 1970s. Currently, he is the Executive Director of the Love Serve Remember Foundation and hosts the Mindrolling Podcast on the Be Here Now Network. Along with Duncan Trussell, Raghu also recently co-created The Movie of Me to the Movie of We.About Jackie Dobrinska:Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass' Love, Serve, Remember Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass' Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves."This focus of suffering into compassion or the nexus and relationship of suffering and compassion, the entwined way that both of these two sides of the same coin, is really just a very succinct way of summarizing the whole path of awakening." – ThanissaraSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the fourth and final season of Secular Christ, Sean McGrath introduces his ideas around everyday Christian Mysticism. 

This episode covers the twenty-third saying of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas. Jesus says: "I shall choose you, one from a thousand and two from ten thousand, and they will stand as a single one." Here is a slightly different translation: "I shall choose you, one out of a thousand, and two out of ten thousand, and you shall stand as a single one." This verse deals with the rarity of spiritual awakening and the nature of spiritual awakening. In discussing the nature of awakening I will explore the three spiritual stages of life leading to awakening.  View Marshall's books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marshall-Davis/author/B001K8Y0RU

Pastor Mike answers the question: What is Christian Mysticism?

ORIGINALLY RELEASED Feb 17, 2025 Dr. Rory Dickson is a professor of Islamic Religion and Culture and author of several publications on Sufism, the mystical path within Islam. He joins Breht to have an incredibly deep conversation about the Sufi poet Rumi, his life and work, Rumi's relationship to his teacher Shams of Tabriz, the concepts of fana (annihilation of the self) and baqa (subsistence in God), the spiritual practices of Sufism, non-duality and perennialism, "dying before you die", Buddhist enlightenment, the Quran, Serving the People in politics and religion, the role of Divine Love in spiritual transformation, transcending the ego, Bodhicitta and the Heart of the Bodhisattva, the counter-cultural aspects of the historical dervishes, The Masnavi  (aka the "Persian Quran"), Christian Mysticism, the evolution of human consciousness, the linguistics of translation, and much, much more! Check out Rory's book "Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi Philosophy" Recommendations for Further Exploration: Rumi's World: The Life and Work of the Great Sufi Poet The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi Check out our related episodes with Dr. Adnan Husain: Sufism: Islamic Mysticism and the Annihilation of Self in God St. Francis of Assisi: Patron Saint of Ecology & Brother to All Creation ------------------------------------------------------------ Outro Music: Something's Out There by Neva Dinova Support Rev Left and get bonus episodes on Patreon Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio Learn more about Rev Left HERE

As Bruce Epperly regularly writes to the Speaker Mike Johnson , "Please consider what Jesus, not Trump, would do." Using this petition as a starting point, we talk with Epperly, who is a theologian, spiritual guide, pastor, professor, and prolific author, about Christianity and US politics today. Listen as he explains how conservative efforts to hold onto traditional theology & the "greatness" of the 1950s goes against the "divinely creative grain of the universe." Liberals are not spared, (nor are Conservatives written off--we are all still "one Church") in this conversation that seeks Christ in the midst of a binary political divide.Dr. Bruce Epperly is the author of over 60 books, including his latest, "The God of the Growing Edge: Whitehead and Thurman on Theology, Spirituality, and Social Change" & the recent "Homegrown Mystics: Restoring Our Nation with the Healing Wisdom of America's Visionaries." In addition to teaching, preaching, and writing, Epperly is also a leading thinker in Process Theology and Christian Mysticism (and as you can hear in the podcast, hundreds of other topics.) You can find out more about Bruce Epperly and his work at www.drbruceepperly.com. Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If you've ever deconstructed your faith you know it's not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] you'll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD

The twenty-second saying of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas is the clearest example of Christian nonduality that we have in any gospel. Some of these metaphors in this passage are familiar to us from other sayings in the Gospel of Thomas, as well as similar sayings in the canonical gospels. Others we have not come across before. Jesus saw some babies nursing. He said to his disciples, "These nursing babies are like those who enter the kingdom." They said to him, "Then shall we enter the kingdom as babies?" Jesus said to them, "When you make the two into one, and when you make the inner like the outer and the outer like the inner, and the upper like the lower, and when you make male and female into a single one, so that the male will not be male nor the female be female, when you make eyes in place of an eye, a hand in place of a hand, a foot in place of a foot, an image in place of an image, then you will enter the kingdom."View Marshall's books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marshall-Davis/author/B001K8Y0RU

In the fourth and final season of Secular Christ, Sean McGrath introduces his ideas around everyday Christian Mysticism. 

As Bruce Epperly regularly writes to the Speaker Mike Johnson , "Please consider what Jesus, not Trump, would do." Using this petition as a starting point, we talk with Epperly, who is a theologian, spiritual guide, pastor, professor, and prolific author, about Christianity and US politics today. Listen as he explains how conservative efforts to hold onto traditional theology & the "greatness" of the 1950s goes against the "divinely creative grain of the universe." Liberals are not spared, (nor are Conservatives written off--we are all still "one Church") in this conversation that seeks Christ in the midst of a binary political divide.Dr. Bruce Epperly is the author of over 60 books, including his latest, "The God of the Growing Edge: Whitehead and Thurman on Theology, Spirituality, and Social Change" & the recent "Homegrown Mystics: Restoring Our Nation with the Healing Wisdom of America's Visionaries." In addition to teaching, preaching, and writing, Epperly is also a leading thinker in Process Theology and Christian Mysticism (and as you can hear in the podcast, hundreds of other topics.) You can find out more about Bruce Epperly and his work at www.drbruceepperly.com.  Find your guides at Quoir Academy! If you've ever deconstructed your faith you know it's not easy. But just imagine if you could have people to guide you through your process? People like, Jim Palmer, Kristin Du Mez, Jennifer Knapp, Brad Jersak, Brian Zahnd, Paul Young, and more? Well, if you head over to Quoir Academy and register for SQUARE 2 using the Promo Code [RAD] you'll get 10% off the regular registration cost of this awesome course and community just for being a fan of our show. Follow this registration link: https://www.bk2sq1.com/square-2-next-steps-into-reconstruction?coupon=RAD

Let's explore the complex tradition of Hermeticism—an esoteric philosophy rooted in Hellenistic Egypt and attributed to the legendary Hermes Trismegistus. Exploring its metaphysical teachings, spiritual practices such as alchemy, astrology, and ritual magic, and its profound influence on Renaissance thinkers, Freemasonry, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and modern occultism, this video offers an accessible yet academically grounded journey through one of the most enduring currents in Western esoteric thought. Perfect for those curious about the deeper layers of magic, mysticism, and spiritual transformation.CONNECT & SUPPORT

The twentieth saying of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas is one that is familiar to Christians who have read the canonical gospels. It is known as the parable of the Mustard Seed. Thomas' version goes like this:The disciples said to Jesus, "Tell us what the kingdom of Heaven is like." He said to them, "It's like a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds, but when it falls on prepared soil, it produces a large plant and becomes a shelter for birds of heaven."At first hearing it may sound identical to the New Testament parable. But listen again. Here is the version found in the Gospel of Luke. Pay attention to the differences.Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”They sound similar, but the small differences make a big difference. Let's look at the differences and what they teach us about the Kingdom of Heaven, which is Jesus' term for Divine Awareness.View Marshall's books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marshall-Davis/author/B001K8Y0RU

Mystical feminist Mirabai Starr shares the fruits of many years of investigating, excavating, and uplifting women's voices within global spiritual traditions.This talk was recorded on Sept 22, 2020 as a part of the Virtual Ram Dass Fellowship.This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Mirabai Starr discusses:An invitation to unknowing and allowing our preconceived notions to fall awayThe patriarchal roots of spiritual traditions and religious institutions Highlighting women's spiritual wisdom in the Ram Dass communityWomen's circles that are free of a masculine influence Honoring feelings as they arise and having the capacity to hold them Speaking spiritual truth to power while staying heart-centeredThe great mystery and ambiguity of the feminine heart space Connecting with our higher selves and true purpose Practicing contemplative meditation through creativityThe necessity of community for transformation to take place Trusting the journey to spiritual awakening and surrendering to the processBalancing active and contemplative energies as sacred feminine archetypesRemembering that we all have both feminine and masculine energies within usThis episode is sponsored by Dharma Seed:Join Krishna Das, the most well-known voice of Bhakti chanting (Kirtan) in the West, and David Nichtern - a senior Buddhist teacher, founder of Dharma Moon, guitarist in Krishna Das' band, and producer of several of his albums - for a warm and engaging conversation about these two paths, their shared roots, and how they intersect in contemporary spiritual practice. Learn more about this FREE online gathering - THE HEART & MIND OF PRACTICE: BUDDHISM & BHAKTIAbout Mirabai Starr:Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author of creative non-fiction and contemporary translations of sacred literature. She taught Philosophy and World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos for 20 years and now teaches and speaks internationally on contemplative practice and inter-spiritual dialogue. A certified bereavement counselor, Mirabai helps mourners harness the transformational power of loss. Check out her many books and learn more at MirabaiStarr.com.About The Host, Jackie Dobrinska:Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass' Love, Serve, Remember Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass' Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves."It's scary to dwell in the heart because it's a place of mystery, at least the feminine heart is. It is a place where there is a great degree of tolerance for ambiguity—that the masculine paradigm conditions us to believe is a problem to be solved. The feminine heart space sees ambiguity as a higher truth, paradox as a vast space of truth. This heart has the capacity, because it is so vast, to hold seemingly contradictory propositions." – Mirabai StarrSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the fourth and final season of Secular Christ, Sean McGrath introduces his ideas around everyday Christian Mysticism. 

In the fourth and final season of Secular Christ, Sean McGrath introduces his ideas around everyday Christian Mysticism. 

In this episode we look at the 18th saying of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas. “The disciples said to Jesus, ‘Tell us how our end will be.' Jesus said, ‘Have you discovered 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.'" View Marshall's books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marshall-Davis/author/B001K8Y0RU

https://www.innerworkforspiritualawakening.net/https://www.theosisbooks.net/

Hunger for Wholeness is back with a brand new season—and we're beginning with a deep and timely conversation about one the most timeless texts.In this season-opening episode, Ilia Delio speaks with biblical scholar and bestselling author Peter Enns. Known for his accessible, thoughtful takes on scripture, Pete invites us to rethink how we read the Bible in a world shaped by science, technology, and evolving consciousness.Together, Ilia and Pete ask:Can scripture still speak meaningfully to us in the 21st century?Is revelation a fixed moment, or an unfolding process?How do we read an ancient text with modern eyes—without losing its transformative power?This is part one of a two-part interview with Pete Enns, co-host of The Bible for Normal People podcast.ABOUT PETER ENNS“I think part of what it means for God to “reveal” himself is to keep us guessing, to come to terms with the idea that knowing God is also a form of not knowing God, of knowing that we cannot fully know, but only catch God in part—which is more than enough to keep us busy.”Peter Enns (Ph.D. Harvard University) is Abram S. Clemens professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University (St. Davids, PA).  He has written several books including The Bible Tells Me So, The Sin of Certainty, How the Bible Actually Works, and his latest, Curveball: When Your Faith Takes Turns You Never Saw Coming. Pete is also cohost of the popular podcast The Bible for Normal People. The focus of his work centers on understanding the Bible as an ancient text and thinking through what it means to read that ancient text well today.The Center for Christogenesis' annual conference, Rethinking Religion in an Age of Science: From Institution to Evolution is coming up May 2-4. We're featuring many of our podcast guests including Bayo Akomolafe, our own Ilia Delio and more. Registration is open now, with scholarship discounts available for students. Visit christogenesis.org/conference to learn more and register. We hope to see you there!Support the showA huge thank you to all of you who subscribe and support our show! Support for A Hunger for Wholeness comes from the Fetzer Institute. Fetzer supports a movement of organizations who are applying spiritual solutions to society's toughest problems. Get involved at fetzer.org. Visit the Center for Christogenesis' website at christogenesis.org/podcast to browse all Hunger for Wholeness episodes and read more from Ilia Delio. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for episode releases and other updates.

Talking about everything, everybody, nothing and nobody, David shares stories about Trungpa Rinpoche and Ram Dass from the 1970s to now.This conversation was recorded as part of the Ram Dass Fellowship's regular online gatherings. To learn more about the Ram Dass Fellowship and sign up to join a fellowship gathering near you, visit RamDass.org/Fellowship.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode of the BHNN Guest Podcast, David and Jackie discuss:The first meeting of Ram Dass and Trungpa RinpocheSeeing the ordinary magic of this reality David's work with Krishna Das and receiving dream-messagesConjoining love and bliss with emptinessRam Dass' concept of ‘becoming nobody'Nihilism and negativity versus an empty openness David's work with the Ram Dass Legacy treats in MauiTwo different types of meditation (focus and discovery)Showing up for practice rather than doing it perfectly Love and surrender within the guru tradition and other forms of loveHow to respond to hate with love in these trying times Transforming anger and working with our emotions in a more productive way Check out David Nichtern's Meditation Teacher Training Course - registration extended to Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025: Learn MoreAbout David Nichtern:David Nichtern, founder of Dharma Moon, is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. He is also a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context. David is also a multiple Grammy-nominated and Emmy award-winning musician. David's journey has crisscrossed with the Maharaji/Ram Dass sangha for decades. He has produced multiple Krishna Das albums and frequently joins the Bhaktettes live on guitar. He considers himself to be a first cousin and honorary member of the Bhakti community. About The Host, Jackie Dobrinska:Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass' Love, Serve, Remember Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass' Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves. Photo via PerfectLazybones“There's passionate love, deep love of a friendship, playful love, love for everything. In our culture love has gotten confusing, especially in romantic comedies. But, I think love doesn't bend. It's this deep, steadfast, force like gravity. That unconditional love that isn't moved around by the wind.” – Jackie DobrinskaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we look at the fourteenth saying in the Gospel of Thomas.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."This saying deals with the issue of religion, and in particular religious practices or disciplines. Jesus previously dealt with this subject in part in the sixth saying. Here in the fourteenth saying, Jesus goes deeper into the topic of spiritual practices. He mentions the same four practices of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving and diet. But in this saying he emphasizes the dangers inherent in religious practices. View Marshall's books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marshall-Davis/author/B001K8Y0RU

Today we look at the thirteenth saying in the Gospel of Thomas. “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." This saying in the Gospel of Thomas stands in clear contrast with the famous passage in the canonical gospels where Peter gives his famous confession of faith.  The Gospel of Mark says: “Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.”In Matthew's gospel Peter gives a longer and more famous answer: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”The difference between the canonical and noncanonical accounts is the difference between traditional Christianity and Christian nonduality. View Marshall's books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marshall-Davis/author/B001K8Y0RU

Dynamic duo Annie & Michael Mithoefer speak with Jackie Dobrinska about how we can reach our innate healing capacity via psychedelic-assisted therapy, breathwork, and more.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This week, Annie & Michael Mithoefer discuss:Ram Dass' influence on Annie and Michael's lifeA story of meditative guidance from Neem Karoli BabaOur capacity to self-heal via psychedelics or other non-ordinary statesThe power of breath work as a pathway to inner healingResearching MDMA-assisted therapySeparating the self from the medicineHow avoidance perpetuates traumaUtilizing psychedelics to re-open social reward learning networksThe importance of integration sessions after psychedelic-assisted therapyHow PTSD affects people, relationships, and moreAllowing the lows to become just as interesting as the highsAbout Michael and Annie MithoeferMichael and Annie Mithoefer have been instrumental in developing the MDMA protocols and standards of care that have been used in the ongoing MAPS FDA trials. They crafted the MAPS MDMA Therapy Training Program, a clinical training program that facilities learning in the theory, skills and practice of MDMA-assisted therapy. The MAPS training program has reportedly introduced MDMA-assisted therapy to over 2,000 interested mental health care professionals. Michael Mithoefer, M.D., is a psychiatrist living in Asheville, NC, with a research office in Charleston, SC. Annie Mithoefer, B.S.N., is a Registered Nurse living in Asheville NC, where she is now focused primarily on training and supervising therapists conducting MAPS-sponsored clinical trials, as well as continuing to conduct some MAPS research sessions in Charleston, SC. Learn more about the art of psychedelic care HERE.About The Host, Jackie Dobrinska:Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass' Love, Serve, Remember Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass' Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves. “These are tools for accessing these non-ordinary states of consciousness. It's not about the medicine, and the medicines are not the only way to do it, which Ram Dass demonstrated in the latter part of his life. That was very much the philosophy, and very much the philosophy that there's this inner healing intelligence, self-healing capacity, and what we're doing is helping people access that. – Michael MithoeferSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today I look at the twelfth saying in the Gospel of Thomas. This saying is different from all the previous ones in that it deals with leadership in the early church. But it also contains some spiritual truth, which we will see in a moment. It reads: “The disciples said to Jesus, ‘We know that you are going to leave us. Who will be our leader?' Jesus said to them, ‘No matter where you are you are to go to James the Just, for whose sake heaven and earth came into being.'"

John Eldredge joins us today. We're living in a moment where most people report either a lack of or no experience of Jesus in their daily lives. The war right now is for your attention. Every algorithm, every notification, every distraction is designed to keep you from the one thing your soul is actually craving: intimacy with Jesus. We've been grandchildren of the Enlightenment, disciples of the internet, consuming endless content about faith without actually experiencing the living, breathing presence of Christ. But what if - and this might sound wild - what if Jesus is actually waiting to meet you right now? Not in some distant, theological concept, but in the very moment you're listening to this. Your soul is wired for connection. You were created for intimacy with the Father, with Jesus, with the Holy Spirit. This isn't just for special saints or mystics - this is for you. Ordinary people can become ordinary mystics, experiencing God's presence in the most mundane moments of life. So buckle up. We're about to dive into a conversation that isn't just information - it's an invitation. An invitation to turn your heart, to create sacred space, and to encounter the living Jesus in a way that will absolutely transform everything. Are you ready? John Eldredge is a New York Times bestselling author, counselor, and teacher who has inspired millions to go deeper in their relationship with Jesus. He is also president of Wild at Heart, a ministry devoted to helping people discover the heart of God, recover their own hearts in God's love, and learn to live in God's kingdom. John and his wife, Stasi, live in Colorado Springs, Colorado. To learn more, visit www.wildatheart.org.John's Book:Experience Jesus. Really.John's Recommendations:Experiencing the Depths of Jesus ChristThe Practice of the Presence of GodSubscribe to Our Substack: Shifting CultureConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, Bluesky or YouTubeConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link belowEmail jjohnson@allnations.us, so we can get your creative project off the ground! Support the show

This is the eleventh saying in the Gospel of Thomas. Listen to what 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?"This is really a collection of sayings. There are four pairs, but they are all connected. The first one is about two heavens. The second one is about life and death. The third is light and darkness. The fourth is about one and two. I will explore them in these segments.

Ram Dev joins the Ram Dass Fellowship to provide tools for spiritual healing to all listeners during this time of uncertainty.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.Hosted by Jackie Dobrinska, Ram Dev discusses:The anxiety that arose during the pandemicNavigating uncertainty in life and deathReframing uncertainty as a positive and exciting phenomenaFinding inspiration in uncertainty for deepening our practiceHaving compassion for our anxiety and our fear when it does ariseCaregiving as spiritual practice & avoiding burnoutFear vs. faith and transmuting grief into compassionSeeing everyone as the guru, the mother, or GodHow to have a conscious dying processOpening our hearts and being with things the way they areThis conversation was recorded as part of the Ram Dass Fellowship's regular online gatherings. To learn more about the Ram Dass Fellowship and sign up to join a fellowship gathering near you, visit RamDass.org/Fellowship.About RamDev:RamDev Dale Borglum is the founder and Executive Director of The Living/Dying Project. He is a pioneer in the conscious dying movement and has worked directly with thousands of people with life-threatening illness and their families for over 30 years. In 1981, Dale founded the first residential facility for people who wished to die consciously in the United States, The Dying Center. He has taught and lectured extensively on the topics of spiritual support for those with life-threatening illness, on caregiving as a spiritual practice, and on healing at the edge, the edge of illness, of death, of loss, of crisis. Check out RamDev's podcast, Healing at the Edge, on the Be Here Now Network.Learn more about The Living/Dying Project at livingdying.orgRamDev's March Healing at the Edge workshops: https://livingdying.org/2025workshop/About Jackie Dobrinska:Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass' Love, Serve, Remember Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass' Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an interspiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves. Learn more about Jackie's work at asimplevibrantlife.com. “Is it possible to use uncertainty, not as something that's a problem or something we are getting tight in relationship to, but it's bringing juice to our life, it's bringing excitement in a certain way.” – RamDevSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Send us a textThis week we welcome back to the show author, pastor, speaker and newest addition to the KFM Broadcasting family, Jon Adams. We're responding to some of the questions submitted by the BWC and jumping more fully into the topic of Christian Mysticism as well as Jon's book Jesus: A Field Manual. Check out his book: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Field-Manual-Sermon-Mount-ebook/dp/B0CHK92CLXCheck out his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/discoverchristianmysticismwithjonadamsLearn more about KFM Broadcasting: https://www.kfmbroadcasting.com/Support the show If you have any questions about the subjects covered in today's episode you can find us on Facebook at the links below or you can shoot me an email at joe@buddywalkwithjesus.com One Stop Shop for all the links Linktr.ee/happydeamedia

We are finishing up our series and season this week with a live recording featuring Joe Dea on Christian Mysticism. We discussed what it is, how it looks, why it is helpful, and how intentional living is crucial to discipleship. We also had a special KFM Broadcasting announcement…For more from Joe: https://www.kfmbroadcasting.com/team/dea-j For more on Jon Adams: https://www.kfmbroadcasting.com/team/adams For more information on Ministry Misfits visit www.ministrymisfits.comTo become a Patron for Ministry Misfits visit www.patreon.com/ministrymisfitsFor the Ministry Misfits Twitch: twitch.tv/ministrymisfit For more from KFM Broadcasting: www.kfmbroadcasting.com To support the KFM Broadcasting network: www.patreon.com/kfmbroadcasting Send us a textSupport the showFollow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ministrymisfitFollow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/ministrymisfitFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ministrymisfitBecome a Patron: www.patreon.com/ministrymisfits

We are finishing up our series and season this week with a live recording featuring Joe Dea on Christian Mysticism. We discussed what it is, how it looks, why it is helpful, and how intentional living is crucial to discipleship. We also had a special KFM Broadcasting announcement…For more from Joe: https://www.kfmbroadcasting.com/team/dea-j For more on Jon Adams: https://www.kfmbroadcasting.com/team/adams For more information on Ministry Misfits visit www.ministrymisfits.comTo become a Patron for Ministry Misfits visit www.patreon.com/ministrymisfitsFor the Ministry Misfits Twitch: twitch.tv/ministrymisfit For more from KFM Broadcasting: www.kfmbroadcasting.com To support the KFM Broadcasting network: www.patreon.com/kfmbroadcasting Send us a textSupport the showFollow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ministrymisfitFollow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/ministrymisfitFollow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ministrymisfitBecome a Patron: www.patreon.com/ministrymisfits

This is the tenth saying in the Gospel of Thomas. Jesus said, "I have cast fire upon the world, and look, I'm guarding it until it blazes." Another translation puts it slightly different: “I have thrown fire upon the world, and look, I am watching till it blazes.” What does this saying in the Gospel of Thomas mean? Spiritual awakening is fire. The world as we know it is consumed as if by fire.

This is the ninth saying in the Gospel of Thomas. Jesus said, "Look, the sower went out, took a handful of seeds, and scattered them. Some fell on the road, and the birds came and gathered them. Others fell on rock, and they didn't take root in the soil and didn't produce heads of grain. Others fell on thorns, and they choked the seeds and worms ate them. And others fell on good soil, and it produced a good crop: it yielded sixty per measure and one hundred twenty per measure."This doesn't mean what you think it means! Or what the church says it means!

Love is an absolutely essential component of Christian mysticism. It is the driving force as well as the ultimate goal: to know God and to love God. But like all other aspects of Christian mysticism, it is deeply wrapped in paradox.If you would like to order a copy of Dr. Carlos Eire's new book, "They Flew: A History of the Impossible," you can order a copy HERE (Yale University Press) or HERE (Amazon).If you have any questions, you can email us at christianmysticismpodcast@gmail.com. Your question and the answer may appear in a future episode of the podcast.You can visit our podcast website HERE. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is Mysticism? What is Christian Mysticism? Is it compatible with the Gospel? Or does it teach a different path to God?In this episode we look at what Christian Mysticism teaches about the nature of God, the nature of man, the nature of sin, and the nature of salvation and compare it to the Gospel. Is it truly Christian and what are the dangers to Christian women should they go down the mystic path?May this episode expose the false teaching entering the church and bring glory to God. To access the podcast, blog, and other resources go to the Thoroughly Equipped website @ ⁠ttew.org⁠ Episode Resources:Gary Deddo, Article titled Avoiding the Pitfalls of Panentheism: https://learn.gcs.edu/mod/page/view.php?id=4223Bob DeeWay, Critical Issues Commentary article The Dangers of Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Disciplines: https://cicministry.org/commentary/issue91.htmFollow me on Facebook & Instagram:⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thoroughlyequipped316/ ⁠ https://www.facebook.com/TEWMelbaToast Christian Podcast Community: ⁠ Christianpodcastcommunity.org⁠ Striving For Eternity Ministries: https://strivingforeternity.org/To watch Thoroughly Equipped with no ads subscribe to the podcast/channel at https://lets.church/channel/ThoroughlyEquipped

Dr. Rory Dickson is a professor of Islamic Religion and Culture and author of several publications on Sufism, the mystical path within Islam. He joins Breht to have an incredibly deep conversation about the Sufi poet Rumi, his life and work, Rumi's relationship to his teacher Shams of Tabriz, the concepts of fana (annihilation of the self) and baqa (subsistence in God), the spiritual practices of Sufism, non-duality and perennialism, "dying before you die", Buddhist enlightenment, the Quran, Serving the People in politics and religion, the role of Divine Love in spiritual transformation, transcending the ego, Bodhicitta and the Heart of the Bodhisattva, the counter-cultural aspects of the historical dervishes, The Masnavi  (aka the "Persian Quran"), Christian Mysticism, the evolution of human consciousness, the linguistics of translation, and much, much more! Check out Rory's book "Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi Philosophy" Recommendations for Further Exploration: Rumi's World: The Life and Work of the Great Sufi Poet The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi Check out our related episodes with Dr. Adnan Husain: Sufism: Islamic Mysticism and the Annihilation of Self in God St. Francis of Assisi: Patron Saint of Ecology & Brother to All Creation ------------------------------------------------------------ Outro Music: Something's Out There by Neva Dinova Support the show on Patreon Follow RLR on IG HERE Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio

The eighth saying in the Gospel of Thomas is a big fish story. Jesus said, "The man is like a wise fisherman who cast his net into the sea and drew it up from the sea full of little fish. Among them the wise fisherman discovered a fine large fish. He threw all the little fish back into the sea, and easily chose the large fish. Anyone here with two good ears had better listen!" 

Today we look at the seventh saying in the Gospel of Thomas, which is the Parable of the Lion and the Man. Jesus said, “Blessed is a lion that a man eats, because that lion will become human. Cursed is a man that a lion eats, because that lion will become human.” 

In this episode I look at the sixth saying in the Gospel of Thomas. It reads: “His disciples asked him and said to him, "Do you want us to fast? How should we pray? Should we give to charity? What diet should we observe?" Jesus said, "Don't lie, and don't do what you hate, because all things are disclosed before heaven. After all, there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and there is nothing covered up that will remain undisclosed."The topic is spiritual practice. I briefly mention the four spiritual disciplines that the disciples ask Jesus about in the gospel of Thomas. Then I look at the parallels in the New Testament gospels. Then we look at what Jesus says in the Gospel of Thomas about these and how that is alike and different from the other gospels.

Today we look at the fifth saying in the Gospel of Thomas. 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." That is a translation of the Coptic text.The Greek version, which dated earlier, adds another line. Jesus said, “Know what is in front of your face and that which has been hidden from you will be revealed to you. For there is nothing hidden that will not become clear and nothing buried that will not be raised.” Greek Oxyrhynchus Papyri (200 AD)This talking about the revelation of the gospel of nonduality. It is saying it is both hidden and obvious at the same time. 

This episode looks at the fourth saying in the Gospel of Thomas. Jesus says, “A person old in days will not hesitate to ask a little child seven days old about the place of life, and the person will live. For many of the first will be last and become a single one.” Anyone who is familiar with the New Testament gospels will hear similarities to the biblical sayings of Jesus that center on children. It is well-established that Jesus used children as examples of what it means to be in the Kingdom of Heaven – the Spiritual Realm, the Presence of God. The saying in the Gospel of Thomas adds a couple of details that bring us further into this teaching. Here he clearly teaches nonduality.This saying in the Gospel of Thomas is Jesus' equivalent to the famous Zen koan about your original face. “What is your original face before you were born?” Jesus is directing our attention to what Buddhists call the Buddha Nature. What we might call our divine nature or the image of God. He is saying that we all know this original nature. Every child knows this. The spiritual search is rediscovering what we used to know.

I have taken several trips to the Eastern Mediterranean countries to visit Biblical sites – Israel, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt. One year I took a trip to Greece that followed the journeys of the apostle Paul. One of my favorite sites was not a biblical one. It was Delphi on Mt. Parnassus. It was said that the maxim "Know thyself" was inscribed upon the Temple of Apollo there. Today it is called self-inquiry. These words are the teaching of Jesus, according to the third saying in the Gospel of Thomas. 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."

Fr. Michael-Joseph Paris, O.C.D., is a dedicated Discalced Carmelite priest currently serving as the Subprior and Director of Postulants at the Carmelite community in Holy Hill, Wisconsin. He was ordained in 2011 for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., and later joined the Carmelites in 2016. Known for his deep devotion to St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Fr. Paris has extensively studied her life and writings, sharing his insights through various platforms. He is also a co-host of the "Carmelcast" podcast and the "Catholic Classics" series on Ascension Presents, where he delves into profound spiritual and theological topics. — Discalced Carmelites, Immaculate Heart of Mary Province https://www.discalcedcarmel.org/ ICS Publications Channel https://www.youtube.com/@ICSPublications —