Samantabhadra wrote:Hello Sheryl and Jo!
Hi Samantabhadra!
Such as? I've already mentioned Origen. Specific sources other than Origen?
The Gnostic texts are early Christian writings, and teachings on reincarnation or transmigration of the soul, which is a more accurate description, fills the Gnostic texts. Also it is known that the Pharisees believed in reincarnation, as cited by Josephus, as well as Jewish Mystics, then and now.
I have also found mention of reincarnation in the apocrypha. If you are interested you can do an internet search and read about these teachings yourself. It is not my place to convince anyone of reincarnation. It is a verity that has to be awakened in each person by Grace. If you are ready to hear, our Lord and Savior will teach you directly.
Do you have any evidence to support this claim?
Yes, I offered the Gnostic texts of the Nag Hammadi library as support of this claim. They are early Christian writings that were removed from the public, though they remained in oral form for 1700 years. My tradition, as shared, taught what is contained in many of the Gnostic texts orally, face to face long before the actual writings were found. You do not seem to be reading my whole post.
But again, it is not my place to convince you. If you are sincerely and honestly interested in learning what the early Christians taught about reincarnation, the Holy Spirit will guide you in your seeking.
Note I am not disputing the existence of some form of continuity in esoteric Christianity. I am (passingly) familiar with John Dee and Enochian magick. What I want to know is: do you have any specific references in specific Nag Hammadi texts to support this claim?
I am not familiar with John Dee, but Enochian Magick is a dark tradition, not a true Wisdom Tradition.
If you are asking for specific references to reincarnation in the Gnostic texts, one just needs to google to find them. They are abundant.
If you are talking about specific references within the Nag Hammadi library to this statement:
but they remained oral and hidden for 1700 years because the Catholic Church killed those they found who taught about it. It has only been recently that the early Christian writings have been rewritten, as well as discovered in ancient transcripts such as the Nag Hammadi library....
...that is nonsensical and illogical. The texts found in the Nag Hammadi library are ancient writings of the early Christians, the fact that while they were buried for 1700 years, the teachings contained in them were taught orally in hidden traditions could not have been written about specifically in the buried texts themselves, for they were written/buried before this occurred. We do though have prophecy in canonical scripture that speaks about what did happened. In 2 Thessolonians 2, Apostle Paul prophesies:
Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first. This 1200 years when true Christianity was sent underground is the falling away (from the Council of Nicea to the Age of Enlightenment not surprisingly is called the Dark Ages). The discovery of the Nag Hammadi library is confirmation and verification of this - revealing that the oral tradition of the many hidden or esoteric traditions matches what had been recorded in writing during the early years of Christianity.
The Canonical Bible is the Bible of the Dark Ages, the falling away, and so while it is still a collection of Holy Writings, much of what the Risen Christ and his Apostles taught was removed, allowing the Dark Ages to manifest. The Gnostic texts actually contain higher teachings than the canonical Gospels for they are the teachings given to us by the Risen Christ.
In what sense is your belief "Christian" if you are claiming that your teachers "perform even greater works than Jesus?" That is most certainly not what is meant by Apostolic Succession.
I would suggest that the definition of Apostolic Succession that you are referring to was created by those who could not perform greater works than Yeshua. By greater works, Yeshua was of course referring to healings, forgiveness of sins, raising from the dead, controlling the weather, changing the properties of matter, eg changing water into wine, preparing places in the heavens to which he would later take his disciples, ascending, appearing in a Light Body, etc.
True Apostles of Christ today, carry greater Christ Presence and Power than Jesus embodied two thousand years ago.
1) The Catholic Church--more generally, the Apostolic Church--determined that reincarnation was heterodox for two reasons. First, each and every one of us was created by God. Reincarnation complicates this point for obvious reasons. Second, there is a temptation to think, well, if I'm just going to be reincarnated, why should I strive in this life?
Yes, as the Gnostic texts reveal, when we find the truth it will at first trouble us, then it will amaze us and we will rule over all (overcome all).
Reincarnation is not what is typically thought. What you consider as 'you' (I use you generically here referring to each of us in an unenlightened state) is a temporary phenomenon, like a blade of grass, or the blossoms on a tree. (You are actually much more than you think you are, just as a blade grass is more than simply a blade of grass and a blossom on a tree is more than a blossom on the tree, but if you
do not realize, actualize, that
what is you is connected to the eternal vine that is the Body of Christ, that
what is you is actually a manifestation of the Body of Christ, what you think of as you will eventually cease to exist. In other words you do not reincarnate, you are a reincarnation. It is your eternal soul that reincarnates, taking on temporary personality after personality, life after life, like the blossoms on a tree, until it has evolved sufficiently to produce a pure/perfect personality that can be liberated, or embraced by its - brought into awareness of its true self as an - eternal being. As Jesus taught, only a few in each generation will have evolved sufficiently to find eternal life.
2) The Nag Hammadi "Library" was a collection of scrolls in earthenware jugs. It was never a "library." The texts vanished because they were not copied. Texts vanished from the ancient world all the time. There is no need to see a conspiracy.
Were not the writings of the evil, heretic gnostics burned? Wouldn't it be more likely that the Nag Hammadi library (eg collection of texts) represent copies of writings that were otherwise buried in earthenware jugs to protect them from being destroyed by the heretic hunters?
That said, how do you know that what Buddhism believes today correctly reflects what was originally taught? I think it is difficult to truly know what those original teachings were without spiritual enlightenment.
When one connects with a Wisdom Tradition, they glean a picture of the unfolding of revelation over the entire earth and how we are not separate from one another. When advanced souls come into physicality, and are realized, actualized, finding liberation, the Light they invoke affects the entire world, and all of creation. For example, the principle and Power of Grace entered into the Buddhist tradition during the time the Jesus walked the earth. The Light he brought into the world affected all. We see this same pattern of evolving in all the world's religious traditions. We are on this journey together. In fact, personal salvation is a lie. When a soul is liberated (realizing and embodying its eternal self) it joins in the great work - the Father's Work - of liberating the entire world, incarnating in future lives as the elect, or elder siblings of humanity, to aid their younger siblings in finding salvation.
This is why Jesus taught that you cannot be his disciple unless you hate your life, unless you lose your life. We must hate, lose what we think we are - be freed from our false self-identity - to gain realization of what we truly are. We must lose our false life - what we think we are, to gain True Life, Eternal Life, what we really are.
Absolutely. That's why lineage is so important. In the Apostolic Church, there is an unbroken lineage of masters going back, bishop to bishop to bishop, all the way to the Apostles, and from them to Christ. In Buddhism, lineage serves the same function. My teacher had a teacher, who had a teacher, and so on all the way back to the Buddha.
True Masters are anointed and ordained by God, not by humankind; hence, one who comes from above, and who is reborn from above, and who walks in beauty and holiness, having knowledge of the Kingdom of Heaven - the Pleroma of Light, the heavens, and all realms and worlds of creation. Anywhere you are seeing unenlightened men or women voting on who the next master will be, you have a false apostolic succession. A True Apostolic Succession is the passing on of the Light Presence and Power of Christ from one generation to the next, done so by God. The one who is anointed, who embodies fully the Light Presence and Power of Christ, is the one selected by God to be the next Master. There is no question, there is no voting. God speaks, God ordains and anoints and the next Master arises.
Shalom!
Sheryl