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The Gospel of Mary Magdalene
    #6478712 -

For those who are interested in esoteric Christianity - not New Age superimpositions of ancient books, but ancient interpretations of writings by spiritually aware seekers from the past, I recommend this book. The Gospel of Mary Magdalene was discovered in Cairo in 1896. Jacob Needleman wrote the introduction in which the following can be found:

"Every spiritual teaching sounds a call from above. But, as the present text announces and demonstrates, the central aim of the teachings of Jesus is to sensitize us to the above that also calls to us from within ourselves. The immensity of Christianity takes its interioor meaning as a sign of an immensity within the self of every human being. As a path of inner awakening, as a path of deep self-knowledge (that is to say, gnosis), it invites and supports the inner struggle to attend, to 'hear and obey' one's own Self, God in oneself....One of the most remarkable aspects of The Gospel of Mary Magdalene is that the more it shows us about the meaning of Christianity, the more the mystery deepens. The paradox is due, surely, to the fact that, like every truly spiritual communication, it speaks to us both on the surface and at deep unconscious levels at the same time...No mystery is greater or more welcome than this - that above our minds, in the depths of silence, we may be given to know ourselves as Being and as created to serve the good both for God and our neighbor."



I have no agenda to control, convert, or constrain unrestricted freedom of exploration, but many Shroomerites who were raised in some Christian denomination were sold a very limited, very stilted version of Christianity. There are hundreds of Protestant denominations out there and many versions of Catholicism and Orthodoxy. I will not pretend to know them all. But, if you are at The Shroomery because you have had profound Experiences through the agency of Entheogens (psychedelics), then hopefully you will come to understand that the forms of Christianity available to most people over the centuries has been a censored version - a purely mythic-extroverted version which supplied only the wrappings, not The Gift. When BE HERE NOW said "Painted Cakes Do Not Satisfy Hunger," my point is an aspect of this truth. If you have been expected to believe at face value, stories that sound like fairytales, your only mistake is that you have mistaken myths for fairytales. Fairytales belong to much smaller cultural groups than do myths. Nevertheless, myths ARE TRUE! They are not historically true, they are spiritually true. Myths depict psychospiritual processes in the 'heart-mind' of humanity.

We, as Westerners, need to travel the path of lesser resistance by utilizing the archetypes sown in Western psyches. Symbolic roses grow more readily in Western psyches than do lotuses. I have learned crucial teachings through the East, yet I remain a Western man. Before any more of you out there throw the baby out with the bathwater, I urge you to seriously investigate the Christian teachings that no power structure could tolerate - truths like Enlightenment without the mediation of church, priestcraft, or
priestcraft controlled sacraments. Scripture is a guide, but God dwells in The Present as The Presence - Here and Now. If you're waiting for Christ to return from the clouds, you're gonna have a good long wait. Newsflash - If that's what you believe you are completely stuck in 'The Matrix' - a metaphor for materialism insofar as matter-mater-mother-matrix consists of this fabric of space-time. Ancient Jewish carpenters do not fly well, howsoever transfigured. If you are within eyeshot of this post, there is a reason for your consideration of my words in this matter. I despise being lied to and deceived. If 'The Matrix' was real, I'd be living in Zion.

Peace & Love,
Light & Truth,
Mark[ostheGnostic]


--------------------
γνῶθι σαὐτόν - Gnothi Seauton - Know Thyself

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Re: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene [Re: MarkostheGnostic]
    #6478773 -

Mark, I must say that I completely agree with you: "many Shroomerites who were raised in some Christian denomination were sold a very limited, very stilted version of Christianity."

It seems seems today that religious moderation is a virtue; that religion can be interpreted as if it were on a continuum. Most people (and i'm not saying all) who call themselves 'believers' of one faith or another have only done a selective reading of their holy book. In my opinion, one would find that all religious faithfuls would be "extremists" if they were to fully read and understand their dogma.

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Re: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene [Re: vigilant_mind]
    #6478881 -

So how do gnostic views fundamentally differ from roman catholic views?


--------------------
Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
  The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
  The frumious Bandersnatch!

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Re: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene [Re: daytripper23]
    #6478891 -

I think Mark the Gnostic would be able to explain that better than I.

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Re: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene [Re: daytripper23]
    #6480186 -

http://www.gnosis.org/

http://altreligion.about.com/od/gnostic/Gnosticism_and_Gnostic_Thought.htm

http://www.gnosis.org/eghome.htm

Not to lay too much on you. There is SO much material it might be best if you poked around these sites first.

Essentially, Gnostic schools gave Gnosis, spiritual experiences of transcendental or mystical types, priority over faith in the experiences of other people. Not everyone could have the experiences of a St. Paul being "caught up to the third heaven," but everyone could allow themselves to 'believe' that Paul had such experiences, and that his conclusions about God and Christ based on his experiences, were valid for us too. Additionally, the Church teaches that there is no salvation outside of it, (even though the Church has only recently recognized non-Catholic churches), without the Sacraments (especially the transubstantial Body and Blood of Christ), administered by Apostolically linked priests, salvation was not possible and damnation was inevitable.

The power structure frightened people for centuries into believing this, but most Gnostic groups believed none of the propaganda. They were convinced that Christ [Consciousness] was available to all in every moment and sacramental rituals were at best symbolic and could be disregarded. This completely threatened the Roman Catholic Church built on the hierarchy of the Roman Empire. Corrupted almost from the beginning, the Church began to persecute non-Catholics including Gnostics, eventually torturing and killing millions for heresy ('choice'). The Holy Inquistion and the Crusades against the Albigensians (Cathars), against the Muslims, against Jews, was as diabolical as the 20th century Holocaust, killed many more than Hitler or Stalin for that matter, and illustrated beyond a shadow of a doubt in my mind that there was no Love anywhere in that machine-mind. Christ is found in the Way that the Gospel of Thomas describes: 'cleave a piece of wood, I AM there; lift a stone, I AM there.'

Gnostics adhere to a Realized Eschatology - the Ultimate reality is NOT found in history, in time, in historical events. The orthodox Christian view is one of a Partially Realized Eschatology. It maintains, for example, that Christ has won a war against evil, but the fulfillment is at some future historical time. A Fully Realized view is not different from Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist or Kabbalistic views. Enlightenment, Salvation, Liberation is available in the Eternal Now. Ascension, Resurrection, Transfiguration, etc. are inner states of being described in midrashic Jewish story format - not necessarily historical events - mostly mythic set against a real Middle Eastern backdrop. Spiritual Enlightenment is a matter of individual Realization.

The bottom line is that religions are mythologies and Christianity is no exception. Taking mythology for history is the very abyss of ignorance, and reacting emotionally and judgmentally that 'my religion is better than your religion' has been, and continues to be perhaps the greatest source of ignorance-based evil in the world.

Edited by MarkostheGnostic (04/26/08 04:26 PM)

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Re: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene [Re: MarkostheGnostic]
    #6480343 -

I feel a Gomp moment comming on!

In-div-i-dual.........:grin:

:tongue:


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Re: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene [Re: Sinbad]
    #6480401 -

Yes, well, I took pause before I wrote that word, but then I thought of Lama Govinda's works, and he fully acknowledged the paradox of the Universal in the individual. It's not like Buddha refused to refer to himself in the first person!

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Re: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene [Re: MarkostheGnostic]
    #6480427 -

In the infinite words of popeye the brave "I dont trust writers, they always think they have three persons" :wink:


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Re: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene [Re: MarkostheGnostic]
    #6480779 -

MarkostheGnostic said:
Yes, well, I took pause before I wrote that word, but then I thought of Lama Govinda's works, and he fully acknowledged the paradox of the Universal in the individual. It's not like Buddha refused to refer to himself in the first person!

Markos, first of all, thank you as always for being a guide. In all your words I sense vibrations which transcend the gunas.

I am very fascinated by Gnosticism, though I know very little - I recently picked up a copy of The Nag Hammadi Library, but have not glanced on it since my last acid test - I have been focusing my energy on the Bhagavad Gita and Be Here Now.

I am curious about the relationship between Time and Gnosis. As I make efforts to learn I find that my greatest challenge will be to bind Sense with Intellect: I am able to read spiritual writings and assimilate them into a larger metaphoric construct which is self-evident to me, but when I try to verbalize it I find my mind wandering more and more into abstraction.

My last acid experience confirmed for me the significance of this temporal-spatial realm as a rational metaphor - I see more clearly every day how the transient moods of my ego impose themselves on everything that I view, from a salt-shaker to my mother. At the same time, I feel immense energies running through the center of my body and am able to witness the effects that hatha yoga and silent observation of my thought processes have on these energies.

I struggle now with the question of selfless service. On my last acid trip I let go of one layer of paranoia, the possibility that in my divinity I may have manifested this world in order to feel love and act out my messianic fantasies. I experience with much physical pain and mental anguish the horror of looking into the eyes of my family and friends and seeing only myself, my lies, my weaknesses, my fears. I realized that I cannot escape into samadhi through suicide or self-destruction, and realized that I had held onto the possibility of a self-destructive passing in the unconscious vibrations of my personality/ego at all times throughout my life.

I sense the trans-rational on this plane, but am afraid to approach it by irrational means. I have found Hindu and Buddhist concepts useful in construction a rational view of the phenomenon of Time & Space as entitites separate from the Godhead. But the more I look for unity in these rational fields, the more I find my mind wandering into paradox: I am seeing unfolding patterns of merging duality in all my actions and observations, with the overarching metaphor seeming to be God merging into Goddess. This Yin-Yang metaphor is sexually and spiritually confusing to me. What is the Gnostic view of this relationship? Is trans-temporal awareness attainable through the rational practices of hatha yoga and mantram? What role do the body and the lower chakras play on the temporal-spatial-sensual plane of existence - if everything has dual (reality versus Reality) meaning, what does it mean to act on impulse?


--------------------
“Strengthened by contemplation and study,
I will not fear my passions like a coward.
My body I will give to pleasures,
to diversions that I’ve dreamed of,
to the most daring erotic desires,
to the lustful impulses of my blood, without
any fear at all, for whenever I will—
and I will have the will, strengthened
as I’ll be with contemplation and study—
at the crucial moments I’ll recover
my spirit as was before: ascetic.”

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Re: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene [Re: MarkostheGnostic]
    #6480847 -

Well....why believe in anything? I personally can never stop questioning anything, however interesting or intellectually stimulating


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let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love

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Re: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene [Re: Lion]
    #6480953 -

Sun-Moon (Hatha) Yoga operates on multiple levels. It certainly contributes to the forming of our carboniferous opaqueness into a transparent diamond. Hatha Yoga accentuates the third stage of Raja Yoga - the asanas - but all the steps of Patanjali's systematic Yoga are there. 

In the first stage of life according to the Hindu scheme, we are students and 'Brahmacharya' - celibates :wink:. Well, I struggled with that quite a bit. It is a matter of 'girding up one's loins' to focus on higher energy experiences during a time when we are not overwhelmed with life in the world. Survival, sex (self-preservation/preservation of the species) and power (acquisition of money, property, prestige) can be suspended during the student years, the Heart Center discovered and identified with so that when the second stage of life dawns, Compassion can guide the instincts belonging to the lower centers.

Following student life is married life which must engage the lower centers for the acquistion of a material domain in which to survive, reproduce and thrive, expanding upon the worldly life, while not becoming so obsessed with this expansion that Compassion is neglected, charities acknowledged, help given.

Following married life in the Hindu scheme is a retirement from work and worldly affairs. Sounds familiar, but the object is not for more time to play golf, show off your new Cadillac. It is for preparatory introversion, meditation.

The last stage of Hindu life can be that of arhat, renunciant, sannyasin. Our culture does not support this. It is seen as vagrancy, but street people are usually not holy men/women, they are mentally ill in our culture. It could be that dissociative trance states are considered pathological here, samadhis in India, but whatever the case, hitting the road on I-95 doesn't work here, and neither does sleeping in a box. We will have to become yogis, warriors against the breakdowns of old age. Yoga can help preserve one's physical body and the corresponding health of the mind so that the Spirit can be sought and identified with as we move toward eventually discorporation (death!) Old age is a better time for celibacy since our sexual nature declines even with the best attention (despite wealthy Hugh Hefner siring a child at 80). Besides, I don't think I'll be very sexy at 90, nor my Lady!

Everything in its own time and things make sense. Temporal schemes confuse everyone on spiritual trips. Meditation ought to begin at the Heart center, then move to upper Centers. Then a descent from the 'peak' is in order, to life in the earthly Centers, taking the Highest states down the mountain, to ground them, and from where a Tree of Life, a Ladder, can arise for us to climb again later in life when we have begun to be done with worldliness and form on our inevitable journey into Formlessness. But this is only an opinion and like assh**es, we all have one.


--------------------
γνῶθι σαὐτόν - Gnothi Seauton - Know Thyself

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Re: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene [Re: mr_kite]
    #6480959 -

Do you believe in Love? If you do not, then you have no frame of reference for me to communicate an answer to your question.

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Re: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene [Re: MarkostheGnostic]
    #6481016 -

Mark, that is a very Christian name. If it was Thor, would your belief structure be different? If it was Abdul Jamar Gofinsky, would it guide you in a different way? We want to believe, but to think that there is only one path, is to believe that we are the chosen ones. To believe that we are the chosen ones is the height of insane stupidity. We are what we are. Not god given righters of stupid behaviour, but just one of many billions of a particular species. We can congratulate ourselves on being very intelligent, but is that what is the ultimate pinnacle of sacred beings?

Osama is a chosen one. He thinks that his intelligence is so far advanced that he can murder almost 3000 innocents and be justified in that venture. He is insane. He celebrates the death of many hundreds of fathers, mothers, and care givers. That is not intelligence, that is humanity gone insane. Why? Well, my personal opinion is that it is due to religion. What is yours?

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Re: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene [Re: mogur]
    #6481039 -

You'll need to simplify your question for my simplistic mind. Incidentally, I changed the last letter of my first name from 'c' to 'k' when I became a Christian. My Jewish parents named me Marc. It is related to the Roman Marcus and derives
from Mars, the god of war in the Roman pantheon - a parallel to your Norse god Thor.

religio from the latin means 'realignment.' There are important depth-psychological theories which explain in modern terms what this means for us experientially as human beings. For me, my life was a random scattering of iron filings on a sheet of paper - until the Logos like a metaphorical magnet, placed beneath the paper, lent order, symmetry, beauty, and awareness of, yes, Intelligent Design - to my existence.


--------------------
γνῶθι σαὐτόν - Gnothi Seauton - Know Thyself

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Re: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene [Re: mogur]
    #6481130 -

mogur said:
Mark, that is a very Christian name. If it was Thor, would your belief structure be different?


It is impossible to speculate on such in a realistic manner, as even a small, subtle change at a specific point in time would greatly alter the course of reality's unfolding.

Many belief structures involving estoteric interpretations of religous texts might have different manners of conveying and representing the "spiritual truth" they are centered around, and yet all of them are centered around the same thing (which, in my opinion, is awareness, direct perception of reality...).

Quote:
We want to believe, but to think that there is only one path, is to believe that we are the chosen ones. To believe that we are the chosen ones is the height of insane stupidity.


Who thinks that there is only one path?

Technically, reality chose us to live. We are living, reality produced us and sustains us, here we are. Choice produces action, action changes reality. Choice brought us to life; we were chosen. :grin:

Quote:
We can congratulate ourselves on being very intelligent, but is that what is the ultimate pinnacle of sacred beings?


The present moment. Awareness.

Quote:
Well, my personal opinion is that it is due to religion. What is yours?


It is due to reality. The ability to choose (whether the choice is conscious or subconscious, whether the choice is made or not) precedes belief, in that one is making a choice to hold such thoughts in mind. Osama chooses to be who he is, even if he is not consciously making that choice.

On a side note, who is Osama bin Laden? What basis do you have to formulate an assessment of who he is and his personal character? Media presentations?


--------------------
:redpanda:
If I should die this very moment
I wouldn't fear
For I've never known completeness
Like being here
Wrapped in the warmth of you
Loving every breath of you
:heartpump: :bunnyhug: :yinyang:

:yinyang: :levitate: :earth: :levitate: :yinyang:

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Re: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene [Re: fireworks_god]
    #6481483 -

Quote:
Who thinks that there is only one path?


Here are three transparently obvious examples: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

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Re: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene [Re: vigilant_mind]
    #6481897 -

The Christian gospel is the ONLY WAY. You may object and think this is unfair, unjust, ect., but who are you to object against God? You must be convicted of sin, and be born again by the power of the Holy Spirit as the Word is applied to your mind and soul.

Mt 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Ac 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

1Jo 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

1Jo 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father:

2Jo 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

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Re: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene [Re: fivepointer]
    #6481937 -

People who rely on literal interpretations of the bible, are so obviously, not understanding:

a) The history
b) Symbolic meanings of gospel
c) Its inner esoteric application


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Re: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene [Re: Sinbad]
    #6481963 -

How can you ignore plain statements? You may not like the implications, but so what. Do Hindus "abide in the doctrine of Christ"? NO. Those who abide not in the doctrine of Christ have not the Father or the Son.
Those who are not born again will not enter onto the kingdom of God. Very clear. Is the path broad or narrow? Narrow, and few find it.
No other name, does that mean other names as well? Perhaps we should throw God's Word in the garbage and make thing up as we go along?

I suggest you do a search on "it is written". Jesus and the apostles clearly consider scripture as God's Word. And if it is God's word, then you must consider what it says, even if you don't like the implications.

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Re: The Gospel of Mary Magdalene [Re: vigilant_mind]
    #6482294 -

vigilant_mind said:
Here are three transparently obvious examples: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.


There we have three transparently obvious generalizations. I'd speculate that the majority of the individuals who practice these religions are tolerant of the beliefs of others. Perhaps you have misinterpreted something?  :shrug:


--------------------
:redpanda:
If I should die this very moment
I wouldn't fear
For I've never known completeness
Like being here
Wrapped in the warmth of you
Loving every breath of you
:heartpump: :bunnyhug: :yinyang:

:yinyang: :levitate: :earth: :levitate: :yinyang:

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General Interest > Philosophy, Sociology & Psychology
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