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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 022 of Thomas Gospel.
These are the secret sayings which the living Jesus spoke and which Didymos Judas Thomas wrote down.
Gospel of Thomas saying 22 - Those who enter the kingdom resemble children.
Jesus saw infants being suckled. He said to his disciples, "These infants being suckled are like those who enter the kingdom." They said to him, "Shall we then, as children, enter the kingdom?" Jesus said to them, "When you make the two one, and when you make the inside like the outside and the outside like the inside, and the above like the below, and when you make the male and the female one and the same, so that the male not be male nor the female; and when you fashion eyes in the place of an eye, and a hand in place of a hand, and a foot in place of a foot, and a likeness in place of a likeness; then will you enter the kingdom."
This entire saying from Jesus is a statement of nonduality. Advaita. To those ears that have not heard a description of nonduality these words might sound like a riddle, this is because they have subtle meaning.
For those ears with any familiarity or the realisation of nonduality, of the singularity of existence, this statement is clear and unambiguous. This existence is one only, not two.
Know this one thing to know the kingdom of heaven.
"These infants being suckled are like those who enter the kingdom."
If Jesus’ followers were like "These infants being suckled” innocently digested his wise words just as the infants readily accepted their wise mothers milk, then they too would mature to the state of nondual divine consciousness “enter the kingdom”.
They said to him, "Shall we then, as children, enter the kingdom?"
"The kingdom”, is the singularity of existence itself. It is absolute (all possible knowledge of all possible states of existences for all time, or timelessly). This absolute knowledge supports absolute consciousness (the knowing of all possible states of existences without beginning and without end, or for eternity).
This Absolute Consciousness is all that has true existence. ‘Our’ consciousness is of the Absolute consciousness. But, 'our’ consciousness is clouded by our original desire to experience a material life.
All of this takes place in consciousness, naturally, because consciousness is the only reality, consciousness is all that exists.
The disciples are ones that have followed their awakening instincts and are seeking to transcend this consciousness clouded by desire, to attain Absolute consciousness.
Jesus was asked "Shall we then, as children, enter the kingdom?"
Jesus said to them, "When you make the two one”
This existence is a singularity. The seeing of two is a delusion of duality in consciousness brought about through material desire. There are not two of anything in true existence.
The disciples will have to realise this in consciousness ("make the two one”)
"and when you make the inside like the outside and the outside like the inside”
The truth of nonduality is that opposites do not exist. This existence is a singularity of consciousness alone.
"and the above like the below”
Similarly, a singularity does not have an above or a below, that is the illusion, in consciousness, of forms. There is not two in nonduality.
”when you make the male and the female one and the same, so that the male not be male nor the female”
The seeing and believing of name and form is an illusion of duality. Neither the Male form nor the femail form are the true being of the person. The non-dual Absolute singularity of existence is alone complete. We are all this one divine consciousness.
"when you fashion eyes in the place of an eye”
The knowledge of seeing, or the seeing principle itself only truly exists as Absolute consciousness and knowledge. The nondual absolute is the "Eye" of all the material ("fashion” ) eyes in creation. Those realising the consciousness of the Absolute will know this.
"and a hand in place of a hand, and a foot in place of a foot”
The knowledge that knows, supports and enables all hands and all feet in creation is held as eternal knowledge Absolute, which is the eternal singularity of Absolute consciousness. The disciple that realises the truth of nonduality will know this.
"a likeness in place of a likeness”
Similarly, all material forms in the universe are merely a projected image ("likeness”) of the true being of their form residing as eternal knowledge in Absolute Consciousness.
"then will you enter the kingdom.”
All aspirants will, during their experience of a having a lifetime, responded to their insight that there is a higher reality than this material life. They will have listened to the words of the wise, and have realised, in consciousness, the reality of the Nondual Absolute. This conscious realisation will guide them back home to that unity, "enter the kingdom.”
ref. Luke 9:46-48, Luke 18:15-17, Matt 18:1-4, Matt 19:13-15, John 3:1-10, Mark 9:33-37, Mark 10:13-16,
All verses of the Thomas Gospel.
Ohm peace, peace, peace.