Gospel of Thomas Saying 19

[gnostic ken]

19 - Jesus said,
"Congratulations to the one who came into being
before coming into being.

If you become my disciples and pay attention to my sayings,
these stones will serve you.

For there are five trees in Paradise for you;
they do not change, summer or winter, and their leaves
do not fall. Whoever knows them will not taste death."
.......................

19) Jesus said,
"Blessed is he who came into being before he
came into being. If you become My disciples and
listen to My words, these stones will minister to you.
For there are five trees for you in Paradise which
remain undisturbed summer and winter and whose
leaves do not fall.
Whoever becomes acquainted with them will
not experience death."
.......................

19 Blesses is he who was before he became.
If you become my disciples and respond to my
words, stones will rise to your service.
You have five trees in Paradise,
immobile during summer and winter,
Never shedding their leaves.
He who knows them all shall never taste death.
...........................

19. Y'shua says:
Blest be he who was before he came into being.
If you become Disciples to me and heed my sayings,
these stones shall minister to you. For you have five treesº
in paradise, which in summer are unmoved and in winter
their leaves do not fall--whoever is acquainted with them
shall not taste death.
.............................

(19) Jesus says:
(1)"Blessed is he who was, before he came into being.
(2) If you become disciples of mine (and) listen to my words,
these stones will serve you.
(3) For you have five trees in Paradise that do not change
during summer (and) winter, and their leaves do not fall.
(4) Whoever comes to know them will not taste death."
...........................

For the text in Coptic and English
which makes comparision easy, visit Mikes site at:
............................

What does this saying - say/mean to you?

http://www.westarinstitute.org/Polebridge/Excerpts/thomas.html

http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/nhl_thomas.htm

http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/thomas.htm

http://www.ntgateway.com/noncanonical-texts/gospel-of-thomas/

[gnostic ken]

Sun Dec 7, 2003 12:57 pm, Steve said:
Never born, never die. Material reality is the projection of the
five senses. When this is understood, then one is freed from the
fear of death. -Steve W.

Sep 07, 2006 07:23 PDT, nan-@... said:
good point. I don't think I'm afraid of death. I don't WANT to die. But
I don't think I'm afraid. I know I don't want brussel sprouts, and I also
know that I'm not afraid of them.

Sep 08, 2006 07:07 PDT, Gnostic Tom said:
I am afraid of brussel sprouts
they result in too much methane buildup

ole Harry Chrishna once explained to AreYouGonna
that "the eternal part of us can never die,
so do your duty and cease thou from fear".

one of the wiset gods i've run across,
even if he does seem a bit blue at times.

Gnostic Tom
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Christ_And_Buddha/

Mon Dec 31, 2007 5:44 pm, Steve said:
As the Zen people say, "What was your true face
before your parents were born?"
The material manifestation ("these stones") exists as a
mirror for our primal awareness to realize itself.
We have five physical senses. Through any one of them we
can enter into the "beingness" of Being. A monk asked the
master, "How can I enter into the Way?" The master said,
"Do you hear the sound of the nearby brook?" "Yes", replied
the monk. "Then enter there", said the master.
-Steve

Fri May 7, 2010 11:07 am, Sam said:

Gist of GoT 19

Once the-presence-of-omni* each mind gnows;
justness, mettle, prudence, restraint, repose,
become prime-mindset no one can depose.

* = whatever icon preferred.

itso,
philo

2 Mar, 11 Clive said:

1)"Blessed is he who was,) 
I can read this as meaning the original state of our soul.
(before he came into being.)
Before we fell to the level of this world.
In other words, at one time or at one level we were/are in harmony with the Creator, but at this time or this level of our world we are no longer in this harmoniuos state.

(2) If you become disciples of mine (and) listen to my words,

these stones will serve you.)
These sayings of Christ will help us to get back into harmony with the creator.

(3) For you have five trees in Paradise that do not change
during summer (and) winter, and their leaves do not fall.

I wonder if he's talking about the paths of 5 certain spiritual teachers, Moses for example.

3 Mar, 11 Clive added:

Further thoughts on this are that we maybe talking of 5 spiritual senses that corrospond to the 5 physical senses we have.
The body has 5 senses through which we receieve all the information about our vision of reality. Perhaps the soul has equivolent senses through which we come to know the creator.