The Gospel Of Thomas: A Key Text In World Religions & A Gateway To Mystery

 

The greatest scholar of world mythology, and one of the greatest scholars of world religion, Joseph Campbell, introduced me to the Gospel Of Thomas, and made clear its monumental importance.

(Translations vary radically in quality of representing or mistepresenting the text, as is common. Stick with, or at least start with, the translation by Marvin Meyers. The church tried for nearly 2,000 years to bury this text, and is still trying. See the film, Stigmata, for an excellent fictionalized account of its importance.)

If you want to understand mythology, world religions, or religious philosophy, start with Joseph Campbell’s, The Hero With A Thousand Faces. Certainly it must be included as a key text to read, or chances are, little will be understood, and moreover, everything will most likely be misunderstood.

If you want to understand Taoism, of course you must read a good translation of the Tao Te Ching. Jane English is best. And to understand that enigmatic text, there is no better study or commentary than Alan Watts’, Tao: The Watercourse Way.

If you want to understand Buddhist philosophy, then of course you must read a good translation and commentary of the Prajnaparamita Sutra, The Heart Sutra, and Shantideva’s, Guide To The Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, at a minimum. (See Lex Hixon for the first text, the Dalai Lama for the other two.) Also extremely helpful are Alan Watts’, The Way Of Zen, Allan Wallace, Tibetan Buddhism From The Ground Up, and, Choosing Reality, along with Joanna Macy’s, World As
Lover, World As Self.

And if you want to understand Christianity, in depth and not just in superficial interpretations, or more commonly, misinterpretations and misunderstandings, then, along with the Bible – the official canon of scriptures which were selected by Emperor Constantine, the self-appointed editor under God; you must at least read the Gospel Of Thomas. (And again, the translation is critical.)

I would quote my favourite passages here, but I will leave the magic for the reader to discover. But I will say this.

If more people read this text, maybe the message of love and peace and radical liberation brought by Jesus, would have more of the effect it deserves to have – and the world would be transformed.

JTR,
June 26, 2020