“There is nothing more secret in this world than the Kingdom of Christ; and it is often so, that he who supposes he has it, and lives therein, has it not, but has the Kingdom of Antichrist, and has the Serpent’s Figure; and his heart also is but the heart of a greedy wolf, and he stands not in the angelical image.

“On the contrary, many a one is in great anguish, and longs after it, and generates very painfully, he would fain have it, but then the Devil rushes upon him, and stirs up vexation and discontent, and overwhelms him with great sins, so that he knows not himself, and then rejects him with impatience and doubting; and his heart stands continually in Anguish, it would fain get out of Evil, and endeavors continually for abstinence or forbearance, many times with groans, sighing, and longing, but then the Devil holds his sins before him, and bars up the door of the Grace of God, that he might despair.

“Yet he sows the Pearl in his anguish, and the Devils covers it in him, that he may not know it, neither does he know himself, he sows in the Kingdom of God.”

-Jacob Boehme

The Secret Kingdom

What Boehme says about there being nothing more secret than the Kingdom of Christ, or more accurately, the spiritual process for connecting with that Kingdom, may have been true when he wrote the quote several hundred years ago. Nowadays, I think there are probably government secrets that are even more protected than those spiritual ones. Still, the point is a sound one.

He who Supposes He Has It

This point is probably even truer today than it was when Boehme was alive. Spiritual development has become popular, and with that comes the charlatans and con men who see this as a quick way to make a buck, so they write all kinds of half-truths and partial truths in books and start schools to teach these partial, or completely false systems, and unfortunately, many people fall for it. In a time of instant gratification, someone offering a plan to make you a spiritual master in two weeks instead of the several years that people used to spend in the great Mystery Schools and Gnostic Schools sounds wonderful, but as they often warn people, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t true.

Devil Rushes Upon Him

What Boehme is trying to say is often hard to follow, which may be at least partially due to poor translations of his original. But I think that what he is saying here is that very often when we are trying to sincerely develop our spiritual side, the Devil, or more likely one of his demonic minions, will pull us off the path into doing the wrong things. The wrong things are not always obvious “sins” such as murder, but may simply be choosing material things over the spiritual. If the demons succeed in getting you to do something of a material nature and skipping your spiritual practices for the day, it makes it a little easier for them the next time. Before long, they have you skipping your spiritual practices more often than you are doing them.

Then when you realize that you have been turned away from the spiritual, and try to get back on track, the demons will bring up all your “sins” and try to convince you that it is too late to get back on the spiritual path. Don’t listen to them! It is never too late to get back on the spiritual path unless you are lying on your deathbed about to expire.

This is one of the main reasons Cosolargy emphasizes community. When you are part of a community of like-minded people, you can help each other fight off temptations, and get back on the proper path when we do get off it.

So practice your spiritual growth techniques, and remove the veils over the Kingdom of God and Christ, and eventually achieve your own Christ Consciousness.

“Then the savior continued and said, ‘Oh, unsearchable love of light! Oh, bitterness of the fire! You blaze in the bodies of people, and in the marrow of their bones, blazing in them night and day, burning their limbs and making their minds drunk and their souls deranged. You dominate males and females day and night, you move and arouse them secretly and visibly. When the males are aroused, they are attracted to the females and the females to the males. So it is said that everyone who seeks truth from true wisdom will fashion wings to fly, fleeing from the passion that burns human spirits. And one will fashion wings to flee from every visible spirit.’ Thomas answered, saying, ‘Master, this is precisely what I ask you. I understand that what you say is beneficial to us.’ Again the savior answered and said, ‘This is why we must speak to you, because this teaching is for those who are perfect. If you wish to become perfect, keep these sayings. If not, the name for you is “ignorant,” since an intelligent person cannot associate with a fool. The intelligent person is perfect in all wisdom. To the fool, however, good and evil are one and the same. The wise person will be nourished by truth and will be like a tree growing by the stream of water. Some people have wings but rush toward visible things that are far from truth. The fire that guides them gives them an illusion of truth. And it will shine on them with a perishable beauty, and will imprison them in dark delight and capture them in sweet-smelling pleasure. And it will blind them with insatiable desire, inflame their souls, and be like a stake jammed into their heart that can never be removed. It leads them according to its own wish, like a bit in the mouth.’”

-Book of Thomas

Love of Light

Love of Light is important for those seeking spiritual development. Not the ordinary light of a light bulb, or even the light of the physical sun, but a Higher Light that come from God. If you know of this Light and believe in the effect it has on the spirit and soul, you can’t help but love it. This Light, which is the image of God, is loved just as we love God.

Bitterness of Fire

You might think that Jesus is still talking about love when he starts talking about fire in an obviously symbolic way, but when he continues by adding “ in the marrow of their bones, blazing in them night and day, burning their limbs and making their minds drunk and their souls deranged,” it is clear that he isn’t talking about love. He is talking about the fire of greed that consumes those who fall prey to materialism and the material things that it offers. He may also be talking about those who feel that something is missing in their lives and try to satisfy that feeling with material things when what they really need is to awaken and develop their spiritual Self.

Fashion Wings to Fly

Jesus is speaking allegorically when he advises us to “ fashion wings to fly, fleeing from the passion that burns human spirits.” We don’t literally grow wings in order to develop our spiritual faculties, nor does the passion for material things actually burn our human spirits, but it might as well. When we cling to a life of matter, our spirits stay dormant, and the development of a conscious Soul never happens, except in very rare cases where an accident or personal tragedy may trigger an awakening.

For Those Who Are Perfect

When Jesus tells Thomas that these teachings are for those who are perfect, we might question it since we know that none of us still on the earthly plain of existence (third dimension) are perfect. But He then goes on to clarify that he is talking about those who wish to become perfect and are trying their best to do so through the practice of spiritual development techniques. Developing the body and the mind is good, but we also need to develop the spirit.

Good and Evil

Jesus then says: “To the fool, however, good and evil are one and the same.” This is probably the most important statement in the quote. Based on comments and memes I am seeing on social media, it seems there are spiritual schools who are teaching people that they must embrace their dark side and work with it just as much as with the light, or good side. That is foolishness. Did they forget that it is what got the allegorical couple, Adam and Eve in trouble? When they ate from the Tree of Good and Evil they were cast from Heaven because knowledge of evil inevitably leads to some people doing evil. Yes, we do need to acknowledge that there is darkness (or evil) and it is largely in control on the earthly plain of existence, but we should not embrace evil, we should do our best to avoid it. So embrace the Light, try to make it grow within you, and one day in the not-too-distant future, Earth will be a world of light, as will the whole material universe.