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Asking and Hearing

Chapter 92 of the Gospel of Thomas for Awakening

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Jesus said, Seek and you will find. Yet, what you asked me about in former times and which I did not tell you then, now I do desire to tell, but you do not inquire after it. (92)

Nancy Johnson: Jesus said: Seek and you shall find. What you have asked me recently I did not tell you then. I want to tell you now, when you are not asking me.

This verse can be understood in two different ways depending on which of these translations is the basis.

The first meaning is that often in the beginning of spiritual life people are not just keen to learn, their intuition is waking up and they inquire after aspects that ordinary people would never even consider. But in time they become self-satisfied and settle down to a kind of lukewarm involvement that they find comfortable and without challenges. Then when they reach the point where their former inquiries can be answered since their understanding has deepened, they have long ago forgotten their questions and even their interest.

In the second chapter of Revelation Jesus speaks well of those in the church of Ephesus, but concludes by saying: “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love” (Revelation 2:4). It is not unusual for human beings to level or cool off from their initial fervor in spiritual life. But what is needed is for the temperature to keep climbing with no slackening whatsoever. The only remedy for this is regular and faithful spiritual study and practice–especially meditation.

The second meaning is that often a person reaches out to what is beyond him, his confidence actually being a symptom of his unreadiness. But when he has become centered in his spiritual practice and has learned patience, then he is able to comprehend what he sought before but was not matured enough to encompass at that time. It is a kind of Zen principle: only when we stop asking are we ready for the answers; only when we no longer desire something are we capable of possessing it wisely and to our benefit. In other words: if you want it you should not have it, and if you no longer want it then it should be yours. This is the way things are with the topsy-turvy mind when we begin serious spiritual pursuit. Perseverance is the key.

Read the next article in the Gospel of Thomas for Yogis: Give Not…

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Chapters in The Gospel of Thomas for Awakening

  1. The Open Secrets
  2. Seeking Is More Than Just Finding
  3. Seeking the Kingdom Realistically
  4. The One Goal
  5. From the Seen to the Unseen
  6. What Jesus Wants Us To Do
  7. Eat Or Be Eaten
  8. Fishing Wisely
  9. The Inner Field
  10. Guarding the Flame
  11. What Will You Do?
  12. Who Shall Lead?
  13. The Unspeakable
  14. When Virtue is Vice
  15. Father in Heaven; Father on Earth
  16. Divine Discord
  17. The Divine Gift
  18. The Origin is the End
  19. Original Being
  20. A Mustard Seed
  21. Disciples of Jesus
  22. How to Enter the Kingdom
  23. Unity of Vision
  24. Where is Christ?
  25. Love and Protect
  26. Seeing
  27. The Fasting and Sabbath of the Spirit
  28. How Jesus Saw the World
  29. Hidden Treasure
  30. One
  31. The Power of Unbelief
  32. Spiritual Strength
  33. Speak It Out
  34. The Blind
  35. The Secret of Spiritual Security
  36. Live Carefree
  37. Unashamed Before God
  38. At the Source
  39. The Religion of Ignorance
  40. Within God
  41. Spiritual Gain and Loss
  42. Move On
  43. Challenging the Master
  44. The Source of Good and Evil
  45. Great in the Kingdom
  46. Impossible Duality
  47. Peace That Moves Mountains
  48. Back to the Source
  49. Children of the Light
  50. Here and Now
  51. Seeing Yet Blind
  52. Outer Ritual or Inner Growth?
  53. Infinite Transcendence
  54. “Hate”
  55. True Understanding
  56. Wheat and Weeds
  57. Finding Life
  58. Live and Die Not
  59. “Lest Thou Also…”
  60. Who Will Die; Who Will Live
  61. The Path of Unknowing
  62. Awakened by Death
  63. Turning Ourselves Away
  64. Gullibility
  65. The Rejected is Truly Accepted
  66. All–and Nothing
  67. The Blessings of Persecution
  68. Life or Death Lie Within
  69. Admission
  70. Not a Divider
  71. Seeking the Harvest
  72. Thirsting in Vain
  73. Who Shall Enter?
  74. Unfailing Treasure
  75. The All Speaks
  76. Well-dressed Ignoramuses
  77. True Blessedness
  78. A Duplication
  79. Balancing the Inner and the Outer
  80. Near and Far
  81. Seeing the Unseeable
  82. Seeing Your Unknown Side
  83. Our Forefather Adam
  84. Blessed Homelessness
  85. Doubly Wretched
  86. Onward and Upward
  87. Twofold Life
  88. The Yoke of Christ
  89. Knowing the Unknown
  90. Asking and Hearing
  91. Give Not…
  92. Seeking and Knocking
  93. Right Generosity
  94. The Expanding Kingdom
  95. The Fulfilled Universe
  96. Taking Stock
  97. The Spiritual Family
  98. Three Debts
  99. Father and Mother
  100. Exoteric Religion
  101. Ready for Invasion
  102. Penitential Discipline, Anyone?
  103. Daring to Know
  104. Ending Duality
  105. “I Love You More…”
  106. At the Source
  107. Finding the Hidden Treasure
  108. Having Come to the End
  109. Immortal and Above the World
  110. Body and Soul
  111. Where is the Kingdom?
  112. Male and Female?
  113. In Conclusion
  114. Glossary
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