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Sri Shantananda Saraswati
Om May no harm be done Here, May this desire be motivated by Love. May what is not beneficent wither to obscurity.
 
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The Gospel of Thomas (also known as the Coptic Gospel of Thomas) is extra to the canonical gospels in the New Testament of the bible. It was discovered near Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in December 1945 among a group of books known as the Nag Hammadi library. Scholars speculate that the works were buried and hidden after the declaration of a strict canon of Christian scripture, where any works that were not selected for inclusion in the new testament were ordered to be destroyed. Scholars have proposed dates of composition as early as 60 AD and as late as 250 AD as a collection of sayings of Jesus.
Our Commentary on Verse 014 of Thomas Gospel.
These are the secret sayings which the living Jesus spoke and which Didymos Judas Thomas wrote down.
Gospel of Thomas Saying 14 - True fasting, prayer, and charity.
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."
“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.”
Jesus is saying that physical acts of devotion or sacrifice have no merit in themselves.
Public demonstrations of one’s piety such as praying can lead to sins of pride, and other sins arising through ego. Such displays of piety are unnecessary therefore can lead to public condemnation, which will hinder their work.
Performing acts of selflessness, giving alms and so forth, can be done against one’s true desire. Such acts are false, this will be known in consciousness, which is eternally known ( "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”
Jesus is saying that whatever material food is given to the body, it is for the maintenance of the material form only. “For what goes into your mouth will not defile you” The food we eat can have no spiritual significance. Our bodies rise from the earth, as does our food, and all material forms will return to the earth.
“heal the sick among them,” Their work will not be affected by what they eat.
“but that which issues from your mouth, it is that which will defile you."
What goes into your mouth goes to your stomach.
What you speak comes from your heart. The pureness or otherwise of one’s heart can be heard through the voice.
ref. Luke 11:1-4, Luke 9:1-6, Luke 10:1-12, Matt 6:2-4, Matt 6:5-15, Matt 6:16-18, Matt 10:5-15, Matt 15:10-20, Mark 6:7-13, Mark 7:14-23,
All verses of the Thomas Gospel.
Ohm peace, peace, peace.