EMMA ONLY
January 2004

We have talked again this time in Gospel of Thomas about the word 'know' meaning in some cases, to recognize - to understand. Emma uses these two terms many times as can be seen by the following excerpts. Try substituting known or knowing in the following.!!

When we are happy, through some accomplishment directly from the hand of our doctrine, we have the amethyst stone of character. We are in intelligence and peace. They together make happiness. All despondency, all melancholy, all depression of feeling, must be met by breathing in and out words of praise of the great realities of life. The spiritual nature of man is his reality. The reality is understanding. Understanding is formless, but it formulates. This very metaphysical. Let me repeat it: "My understanding has no form, but it formulates me and my affairs. I have no affairs, and no substance except what my understanding formulates."
Now, those affairs formulated by pure understanding are not visible to my fleshly eyes, which see things imperfectly, since they are limited. This sight in itself is a fine piercing ray from my understanding. Let me give the right word, and that sight will extend to touch perfect objects. So with hearing. It is no good to limit my hearing by not giving my understanding its absolute way with me. Understanding can radiate through us till our faculties touch things in an
entirely different way from what they do now.
The more freedom we give our understanding, the more delight we have in life. Our understanding being set free, it feeds upon the great universal light. There is enough understanding in the universe for feeding our faculties forever. The step toward setting free our understanding of the world in which we live, and the understanding of ourselves at the same time, has been taken when the eleventh lesson of Science has been practiced. It is being set free from accusations of foolishness and ignorance. There is no acid in the mind that has no condemnation, either of itself or anybody else. It is the acid of thinking evil that makes the blood corrode, and the bones and skin and sinews to fail. It is possible to nullify all our strong feelings by some exactly opposite ideas. If you find yourself thinking that somebody is entirely wrong in using material remedies when you know that the word of the Spirit is the only healer, let the idea fall out of your mind. It is the same with not using them. You will find you are free as God is free, if you depend upon nothing at all for your health. Your simple freedom is enough of a spread to the Truth.
Scientific Christian Mental Practice Chapter 12.

High mysticism is not a science of right thinking, or right conduct; these are strenuous labours. High mysticism is the call to look up to what the Cabala of Jewry named Ain Soph The Great Countenance of the Absolute, who ordereth thoughts and speech and conduct anew. "Behold, I make all thing new," He saith. "I will return unto that people a new language." "They shall speak with new tongues."
. . . Vision often Godward and the live anew. So shall the body "be like a tree planted by the rivers of water" - whose leaf fadeth not. Vision often Godward so that affairs also may go well. Gaze often toward Our Father, and all
thoughts shall be like morning music. Lift up an inward looking now and then to a country whose ether winds ever raying for the their healing aura, are fleet remedials for all the world's unhappiness.

In the Apocrypha, we read that in the sixth place the Lord imparteth understanding. Understanding imparted from the Lord is the desideratum of man, for having touched this magian flame his life is kindled to glow forever. For "understanding is a wellspring of life." Mystic understanding is strength, identical with divine strength. "I am understanding." saith the Lord. "I have strength", and it is written that He giveth this strength to his people.

High Mysticism Chapter VI, Understanding

Does this sound familiar to students of Emma Curtis Hopkins?

When we look at this definition of the word Logos by the esteemed Rowan Ayers It makes one wonder just how much of Gnosticism has been a part of New Thought. I have taught The Gospel of Thomas for many years as being truer to the teaching of Jesus than the Canonical gospels that have been so distorted. The Gospel of Thomas, hidden for so many years was not subject to the ravages of the 'Church' in its effort to control their people. They are not true Gnostic writings but have that flavor.
Maybe we should look a little closer into the beginnings of New Thought rather than take the accepted route. We might just find that the 'old-timers' had something to say that has been lost in the headlong pace to something 'new' and distorted.

April 2004

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