The Tao of Christ

Explore a fascinating parable from the Gospel of Thomas that contrasts primal instincts with higher consciousness. Delve into the meaning behind a lion becoming a man, highlighting the integration of our animal nature with divine essence. The discussion also emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between the true self and the false self for spiritual fulfillment. Discover how embracing your authentic essence can lead to a transformative experience and a deeper understanding of life's complexities.

Dive into the intriguing insights of the Gospel of Thomas, where disciples question Jesus on fasting, prayer, and charity. Discover his profound answer about authenticity in spiritual practices, highlighting the importance of being true to oneself. Explore the parallels between the Gospel of Thomas and the New Testament, revealing how different texts approach similar themes. This episode encourages self-discovery over ritual and emphasizes that nothing remains hidden from the divine.

Explore the profound insights of the Gospel of Thomas, focusing on the idea that both hidden and obvious truths coexist. The discussion emphasizes the journey towards spiritual awakening through understanding non-duality. Listeners are invited to recognize deeper realities within themselves and the universe, with intriguing metaphors like seeds and resurrection painting a picture of revelation. It’s a thought-provoking dive into the nature of belief and enlightenment.

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.View Marshall's books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marshall-Davis/author/B001K8Y0RU

The journey through biblical sites reveals profound insights into self-inquiry. Discover how the teachings of Jesus in the Gospel of Thomas emphasize that true understanding of the Kingdom of God lies within us. The idea of 'Know thyself' is crucial for transcending spiritual poverty. By recognizing our true identity, we connect to the divine and enrich our spiritual lives. Dive into the paradox of seeking outward versus the treasure of inner wisdom.

This is the third episode on the Gospel of Thomas, and I am looking at the second saying in the gospel. But as I mentioned in the last episode, this may actually be the first one spoken by Jesus. The previous saying may have been written by Thomas or the editor of the Gospel of Thomas. If this is the first saying spoken by Jesus, then it has greater significance. It sets the stage for all the other teachings. In this saying Jesus is teaching about six stages of spiritual awakening. I say stages, but I could just as easily use the words dimensions or aspects. But I have opted for the word stages because Jesus seems to be saying that one follows the other naturally. Jesus said, "Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all. And after they have reigned they will rest." View Marshall's books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marshall-Davis/author/B001K8Y0RU

Delve into the transformative ideas from the Gospel of Thomas, focusing on the pursuit of eternal life and conquering death. Discover how ancient Indian paths to salvation—bhakti, karma, jnana, and raja—intersect with Christian beliefs. Explore the essential role of personal inquiry and knowledge in spiritual liberation, challenging traditional doctrines. The discussion also highlights the profound theme of divine awareness and the intimate connection with God, promising assurance of life beyond the grave.

In this episode I begin exploring the Gospel of Thomas, focusing on the prologue of the gospel, which reads: “These are the hidden sayings that the living Jesus spoke and that Didymos Judas Thomas wrote down.” I give a little background, and then explain what it means to say that the gospel is hidden, using biblical examples of hiddenness from the parables of Jesus and the epistles of apostle Paul. It is not an esoteric gospel, but a gospel hidden in plain sight. It is an open secret, to use the phrase of nondual teacher Tony Parsons. View Marshall's books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marshall-Davis/author/B001K8Y0RU

Christmas is a very dualistic time in Christian churches. In stories and sermons God is pictured as a theistic deity up there in heaven who sends his Son down here into this world of sin in order to redeem the world and humankind. Those of us who see the universe in terms of nonduality wonder how to make sense of Christmas. The good news is that the heart of the Christmas message is nonduality.The theological heart of the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus is the Incarnation. When interpreted correctly Incarnation is one of the most nondual teachings of the Church. It says that God became human. That is what sets Christianity apart from other monotheistic faiths. But the question is: Why did God become human? According to the early church father Athanasius, it was so that humans could become God.  In the fifty-fourth chapter of his most well-known work, On the Incarnation, which he wrote when he was only as 23, he wrote this famous sentence, “God became man so that man might become God.” This teaching is known as theosis. It is the heart of the doctrine of the incarnation and therefore the heart of Christmas.View Marshall's books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marshall-Davis/author/B001K8Y0RU

The Bible is filled with fantastic and miraculous tales surrounding the birth of Jesus. There are stories such as the Virgin Birth, the Roman census and the trip to Bethlehem, being turned away from the inn, necessitating Mary giving birth in a stable. There are the shepherds in the field keeping watch over their flocks by night, and the angels appearing to them and announcing the birth of the Savior. Later the magi or wise men appear, following a star until it leads them to the Christ child, after a quick side trip to Jerusalem to get directions. Those who show up in church after Christmas Day hear the subsequent stories of the presentation of Jesus in the temple and meeting Simeon and Anna. Then there is the Slaughter of the Innocents by King Herod as he tries to murder the infant Jesus, followed by the holy family’s flight to Egypt to escape the murderous king, and their subsequent return to Nazareth. There are so many stories of Christmas. I call them the myths of Christmas.All the Christmas myths communicate spiritual truth. These truths often get lost when we get stuck on the issue of historicity. This is the problem with literalism. People’s minds are trained to be so closed that they cannot be open to the glory of the eternal Christ in us and through us and in and through all creation. The stories of Christmas are much more profound than literalists imagine. They contain truths for all people and all religions, not just a certain class of conservative Christian who holds the right creed.The key to enjoying the Christmas season in churches at Christmastime is to listen to the stories with an ear to the deeper meaning. As you listen to the stories, interpret them as being about spiritual Reality here and now. Not events that happened 2000 years ago. These wonderful Christmas myths communicate timeless Reality available always. That is the Truth behind the Christmas myths.  View Marshall's books here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Marshall-Davis/author/B001K8Y0RU