Introduction
Jesus' teachings have come down to us mainly through four gospels that contain his words as recorded by his disciples -Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These are the only four gospels that form part of the canon, the official set of books that comprise Christian scripture. Hence, they are referred to as the canonical gospels. Jesus was of Jewish heritage, and it is believed that he preached a new testament, which one might expect to represent a significant theological departure from the Old Testament. The divergence, however, centres more on the figure of Jesus himself whether he was the Son of God or the promised Messiah than understood as on his canonical teachings, which reinterpretation and a shift of emphasis rather than outright opposition to or invalidation of Old Testament teachings. This is consistent with his declaration that he came not to abolish but to fulfil the Jewish Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17). Are [In the Sermon on the Mount, his "You have heard... but I say" sayings shift focus from outward practice to inner transformation by providing deeper insight on anger (Matthew 5:21-22), adultery (Matthew 5:27-28), and speech (Matthew 5:33-34). His replacement of retributive justice with forgiveness (Matthew 5:38-39; 5:43-44) also calls for inner change. His Sabbath healings (Luke 13:10-17; John 5:1-18; Luke 14:1-6) that were seen to contravene religious law, served to emphasise a move from literal obedience to the spirit of the law: "The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27-28). Other sayings shift emphasis from law to faith (John 14:6; 3:16).] However, when the canon was finalised, several of his teachings contained in other gospels known as extracanonical gospels were excluded. Some of these teachings, which miraculously survived suppression or attempted destruction, have now been discovered. One such discovery of Jesus' lost teachings, the Gospel of Thomas, part of the Nag Hammadi library, is particularly significant. Containing only the sayings of Jesus, it offers fresh insight into his spiritual message and illuminates more fully the theological and ontological perspectives embedded in his words. Bereft of descriptions of Jesus' life, it takes focus away from the divinity, life, death and resurrection of Jesus as the pivot for theological differences between Jesus' new gospel and the Old Testament. Yet, in containing several canonical sayings, it reveals their deeper spiritual import consistent with the objective stated at the start of the gospel. Metaphors and concepts contained in the Gospel of Thomas are unmistakably identical, or bear striking similarity with, those found in Oriental texts. Once these parallels are recognised, the gospel reveals itself. The gospel of Thomas therefore, requires understanding rather than interpretation. The similarities also serve to provide the necessary credibility, both to teachings contained in the gospel, and the teachings from other texts that the gospel alludes to. This book is a complete exposition of the Gospel of Thomas revealing for the first time, that it is a continuous discourse. Beginning with a promise of immortality and guiding the reader through the process of attaining it, the gospel reveals through Jesus' own words, his vision of spiritual union with the Father - offering a wider perspective on Christian theosis and the concept of eternal life spoken of in the Bible. At the same time, it presents a spiritual and mystical understanding of the Father, the Son, and the ultimate Reality referred to as God in the Bible. He illuminates various paths to salvation, harmonising their apparent contradictions into a unified objective. His words emphasise the role of a deliverer, the ideal relationship between a deliverer and disciples, and offer profound insights into supernatural phenomena such as miracles, divine intervention, and metaphysical aspects of existence. Since these perspectives also originate from Jesus, they must be, and indeed are, complementary to canonical sayings, though they could be viewed as a separate spiritual tradition. Visiting Jesus' lost teachings is therefore essential to gain a fuller understanding of his message, which in the Gospel of Thomas is an invitation to awaken to the Divine within.
About The Book
Jesus' Hidden Mysticism is a unique exploration of the most significant lost teaching of Jesus. Discovered buried in the sands of Egypt and long viewed as a scattered collection of mystical sayings, it is revealed for the first time as a complete, coherent and continuous discourse. Cryptic aphorisms and parables integrate diverse spiritual traditions from Vedic, Buddhist and Taoist scriptures in a profound discourse, that rather than ask to believe, beckons the reader to seek and become. Addressing the intersection of mysticism and topics ranging from atheism, gender and supernatural phenomenon tơ cosmology, while also revealing the path to liberation, this is more than a book of answers. It is a book of awakenings.
About The Author
AUTHOR: An IIT alumnus with a Master's from London, Neeraj Mathur spent over three decades as a lecturer, consultant, and industry professional before turning to writing. His life across Singapore, the USA, Thailand, Nepal, India, New Zealand and now Australia shaped a uniquely global perspective. His early years blended Christian missionary schools, church choirs, and Hindu cultural traditions. Encounters with Vivekananda's thought, Nepal's myths and legends, Taoist teachings in Singapore, and the humility of Thai bhikkus deepened his spiritual outlook. A long-standing fascination with fundamental. science, creation, and the cosmos has always informed his search for life's deeper meaning These experiences, together with a firm scientific grounding, and close reading o primary texts, converge in this book on the Gospel of Thomas - bridging traditions and eras, East and West, through the timeless wisdom of sacred texts.
Hindu (1801)
Philosophers (2342)
Aesthetics (321)
Comparative (72)
Dictionary (12)
Ethics (51)
Language (356)
Logic (82)
Mimamsa (60)
Nyaya (139)
Psychology (525)
Samkhya (61)
Shaivism (67)
Shankaracharya (233)
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