What follows is a transcription taken from a reading by Bart Marshall of a section of his forthcoming book Christ Sutras .

 The book compiles the complete recorded sayings of Jesus Christ from twenty-five different gospels, not just the four canonical.  Marshall says his intention in compiling the book is to create a document containing all of the recorded sayings of Jesus so that the reader may come to an understanding on their own of who Jesus was, what he lived for, and what he taught.

This is done in order to bring awareness to the fact that the four canonical gospels, while perhaps the gospels which best tell the story of Jesus, are not the only sources for the words of Jesus.  In this excerpt, Marshall has compiled a single sermon containing what he sees as the essential teachings.  The teachings which are expressions of his true message and are most likely to be the words of Jesus and not the follower or the church putting words in his mouth which fit their narrow agenda.

Bart Marshall has already released a very well done  book of Buddhist, Taoist, and Indian sutras called The Perennial Way.  

This is posted here with the intention of resurrecting Jesus – reclaiming the true depth and significance of his message for the human being.  It is the worst kind of tragic irony that the teachings of one of humanities greatest seers have been distorted and paraded by those who understand it the least and are diametrically opposed to the essence of his message.

Jesus was above all a true revolutionary and a guide for the liberation and awakening of Man.  His life and teaching cannot be presided over by any institution or organization.  It is a medicine given directly to the individual for the dis-ease which is the human condition and plagues us, as well as a call to action for you, here this day, to become a light unto yourself in the quest for freedom and the kingdom of heaven.

The Teaching of Jesus of Nazareth

My peace I give to you.

 

It is necessary for us to speak to you of certain things

        Because this is the teaching for the perfect. 

If you desire to become perfect, you must observe these things. 

       If not, you shall be called ignorant.

 

 

((((((((((((   The True and the False   )))))))))))))

 

 

It is impossible for a wise man to dwell with the fool,

      For the wise man is perfect in all wisdom.

While the fool cannot even discern between good and bad.

The wise man is nourished by truth

      Like a tree growing by a meandering stream. 

 

The ignorant, although they have wings; are attracted to the visible forms

        Things that are far from truth

        For that which drives them, the fire, gives them an illusion of truth

It shines on them with perishable beauty

          Imprisons them in dark sweetness

          And captivates them with fragrant pleasure

It blinds them with insatiable lust and burns their souls

It becomes for them a stake in the heart they can never dislodge

And like a bit in the mouth, it leads them according to its own desire

It fetters them with its chains and binds all their limbs with the bitter bond of lust for visible things

       Things that decay and change and swerve by impulse

 

They rejoice over the concern for this life with madness and derangement

Some pursue this derangement without realizing their madness, thinking they are wise

They are beguiled by the beauty of their body, as if it would not perish

And they are frenetic

       Their thought is occupied with their deeds

       And thought is the fire that will burn them

 

The ignorant are always attracted downwards

And as they are killed they are assimilated into the substance of all beasts

The substance of the perishable realm

 

A great difference exists between the imperishable and those who will perish

Everything that comes from the perishable will perish since it comes from the perishable

But whatever comes from imperishableness does not perish

      But itself becomes imperishable

 

That flesh comes into being because of spirit is a wonder

But if spirit came into being because of the flesh it would be a wonder of wonders

Indeed I am amazed at how the great wealth of spirit has made its home in the great poverty of flesh

 

Which falls away, flesh or spirit?

Flesh falls away

 

That which you have within you will save you if you bring it forth from yourself

That which you do not have within you will kill you if you do not have it within you

 

 

((((((((((((  I Am  )))))))))))))

 

 

All natures, all forms, all creatures

Exist in and with one another

And they are resolved again into their own roots

For the nature of matter is resolved into the roots of it’s nature alone

 

He who is of woman…… dies

He who is of Truth…… does not die

The multitude of men go astray because they do not know this difference

       And they die

 

Whoever has ears to hear about infinities…..  let him hear!

It is those who are awake that I address

I come from the One that I might tell you all things

 

It is to those who are worthy of my mysteries that I tell my mysteries

Whoever finds the truth of my words will not experience death

 

My teaching is not mine but of the one who sends me

He who sees me, sees the one who sends me

He who receives me, receives the one who sends me

 

I come as light into the world that whoever receives the light may not remain in darkness

There is light within a man of light and he lights up the whole world

If he does not shine he is in darkness

It is in light that light exists

 

Fear not

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end

I am the first and the last

The living One

I am he who was dead and behold I am alive forever more

Before Abraham was: I Am

All authority is given me in Earth and in Heaven

I and the Father are one

 

I came to make the things below like the things above

        And the things outside like those inside

I came to unite them in that place

I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life

All who come to the Father come through me

If you know me you know the Father

          Henceforth you know him and have seen him

 

It is I who am the light above the all

It is I who am the all

From me does the all come forth and to me does the all extend

Split a piece of wood and I am there

Lift up a stone and you will find me

 

He who will drink from my mouth will become like me and I myself shall become he

        And the things that are hidden shall be revealed to him

I shall give you what no eye has seen

      And what no ear has heard

      And what no hand has touched

      And what has never occurred to the human mind

 

I am the light of the world

He who becomes as me will not walk in darkness but will be the light of life

He who becomes as me will also do the works that I do

      And greater works than these will be due

 

 

(((((((((((( Inquire – Ask – Seek )))))))))))))

 

 

While you yet have time in the world listen to me!

I will reveal to you the things you have pondered in your mind

You have received mercy

      Do you not then desire to be filled?

Your heart is drunken

      Do you not then desire to be sober?

                                                                                         

If you consider how long the world existed before you and how long it will exist after you

You will find that your life is but one single day and your sufferings one single hour

If you knew. You, now in this, your day; the things that make for your peace

     But they are hidden from your eyes

 

While you have the light, receive the light, that you might become sons of light

Take heed of the living One while you are alive

     Lest you die and seek to know him but be unable to do so

He who lives from the living One will not see death

 

I know that in faith and with your whole heart you question me

Therefore I am glad because of you

I am truly pleased and my Father in me rejoices in me that you thus inquire and ask

Your boldness makes me rejoice and it affords you life

Inquire then and I will tell you all you wish to know

and I myself will make known to you what you do not ask

 

((((((((((((  The Truth  )))))))))))))

 

 

You ask how your end will be?

Have you discovered then the beginning that you look for the end?

Where the beginning is there also is the end

 

Blessed is he who abides in the beginning

He will know the end and will not experience death

 

Blessed is he who is before he comes into being

For he who is ever has been and ever shall be

He who is, is ineffable

       No principal knows him

       No authority, no subjugation

       Nor any creature from the foundation of the world until now except he alone

             And anyone to whom he wills to reveal himself

Through him who is from infinite light; forever more I offer this great salvation

 

He who is, is immortal and eternal; having never been born

Everything that is born will perish

He is unbegotten, having no beginning

Everything that has a beginning has an end

 

Because no one rules over him he has no name

       Whatever has a name is the creation of another

He is unperceivable, he has no form

       Whatever has form is the creation of another

 

He has a semblance of his own, not like any you have perceived or thought

But a strange semblance which surpasses all things and is greater than the universe

It looks to every side and sees itself, from itself

 

He is infinite and ever incomprehensible

He is unchanging good

He is faultless

He is timeless

He is imperishable and has no likeness to anything

He is eternally blessed

He is not knowable, yet he ever knows himself

He is immeasurable

He is untraceable

He is perfect, having no defect

He is called: Father of the Universe

 

Before anything that now appears becomes visible the majesty and the authority are in the Father

He encompasses the whole of totality, nothing encompasses him

He is all mind, and all thought, and all reflecting and all authority and all will

These are equal powers and they are the sources of totality

And the whole creation, from first to last is in his foreknowledge

      That of the infinite, unbegotten Father

 

There comes a time in an hour where what comes next is to go to the Father

 

 

((((((((((((  The Life  )))))))))))))

 

 

What must you be doing to be doing the work of God, the Father?

The work of God is to become as him who he has sent

 

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me

I am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls

My yoke is easy and my burden is light

Come, follow me. Let the dead bury their dead

 

Keep my commandments and follow my way

Without reserve, without delay, without respect of persons

Walk the straight, direct and narrow path and in every respect the father will rejoice concerning you

 

He who knows and keeps my commandments loves me

He who loves me will be loved by my father and I will love him and manifest myself to him

And if you ask anything in my name I will do it

If you love me therefore, keep my commandments

 

The lord our God is one

You shall love the lord our God with all your heart

       With all your soul

       And with all your mind

       And with all your strength

This is the first and greatest commandment

 

The second commandment is like it: love your neighbor as yourself

There are no commandments greater than these

As I love you therefore love one another

By this all men will know you are my disciples; that you love one another

Love your brother like your soul; guard him like the pupil of your eye

 

Do not tell lies

Do not do what you hate

For all things are plain in the site of heaven

Nothing hidden will remain unmanifest

Nothing covered will remain uncovered

 

Do not worry about your life, about what you will eat or what you will drink

Nor about your body, about what clothing you will put on

Do not be concerned from morning until evening and evening until morning about what you will wear

Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

 

Look at the birds of the air, they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns

Yet your Father in heaven feeds them

Are you of not more value than they?

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow.  Let tomorrow come with tomorrow’s things

Sufficient for the day is its own arising

 

Love one another and honor each other that continual peace may reign among you

What you do not want done to you; that do to no one else

Love your enemies

Do good to those who hate you

Bless those who curse you

Pray for those who spitefully use you

To him who strikes you on one cheek offer the other also

From him who takes your cloak do not withhold your tunic

Give from everyone who asks

And from him who borrows your goods do not ask for them back

 

As you want others to do to you; do to them likewise

Judge not that you be not judged

Condemn not that you be not condemned

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful

 

Love your enemies

For with what judgment you judge you shall be judged

And the measure you give will be the measure you get and still more will be given you

Forgive and you will be forgiven

Give and it will be given to you

Good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be put into your bosom

 

It is to the good, guileless, sincere ones that the mystery of death is revealed

They shall know the kingdom of those reborn in Christ

Thus you shall become perfect

Just as your Father in heaven is perfect

 

((((((((((((  The Way  )))))))))))))

 

Enter by the narrow gate

For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction

      And there are many who go in by it

But narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life

      And there are few who find it

 

Come to hate falsehood and the evil of thought

For it is thought that gives birth to falsehood and falsehood is far from Truth

Recognize what is in your sight and that which is hidden will become plain to you

For there is nothing hidden that will not become manifest

 

Ask and it shall be given you

Seek and you shall find

Knock and it shall be opened to you

 

For everyone who asks

     Receives

And he who seeks

     Finds

And to him who knocks

     It will be opened

 

For the one who speaks

      Is also the one who hears

And the one who sees

      Is also the one who manifests

And the one who seeks

      Is also the one who reveals

 

Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds

When he finds he will become troubled

When he becomes troubled he will be astonished

And he will rule over the all

 

((((((((((((   The Word   )))))))))))))

 

Whoever keeps my word and follows my way will be a son of light,a son of God the Father

It is for the sake of those who keep and do my word that I have come from heaven

 

Become earnest about the Word

For as to the Word the first part is faith

The second is love

The third is works

From these come Life

 

Whoever would become as me

Let him deny himself

Let him take up his cross and follow me

For whoever would save his life will lose it

But whoever loses his life for righteousness’ sake will save it

 

What should it profit a man if he gained the whole world yet loses his own soul?

Whoever does not forsake all that he has is not a disciple of my way

Truly, he who loves his life shall lose it

But he who renounces his life in this world shall know eternal life

 

When you leave behind the things that cannot follow you then you will know peace

He who truly wants to enter the Kingdom of Heaven will enter it

 

There is no-one who has not left house, or brother, or sister, or mother, or father, or children, or land

For my sake and for the gospel of Truth

Who will not receive a hundred fold now, in this time in mothers, fathers, and children, and lands

       And in the age to come: eternal life

For many who are first will be last and the last, first

 

Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness

And all these things shall be added unto you

 

       ((((((((((((   The Kingdom of God  )))))))))))))

 

The Kingdom of God is not found by looking out

No-one can tell you “look here” or “look there”

The Kingdom of God is within you

 

The Kingdom will not come by waiting for it

It will not be a matter of saying, “I found it” or “there it is”

The Kingdom of God is everywhere but you do not see it

 

If those who lead you say the Kingdom of God is in the sky, then the birds of the sky will precede you

If they say to you it is in the sea, then the fish will precede you

Rather, the Kingdom of God is inside you and before you

 

The Kingdom of God is with men

He dwells with them and they are his people

Truly the Home of God is within you

For he is your God and he himself will wipe every tear from your eyes

 

Death shall be no more

Neither shall there be sorrow, nor dying, nor suffering, nor pain

For the former things shall all pass away

Have faith and be of good courage

 

Truly I say to you, such a rest will be yours

Where there is no eating, nor drinking, nor mourning, nor singing

Nor care, nor earthly garment, nor death

You will no longer have your part in the lesser creation

But will belong to the incorruptibility of the Father

And you will not perish, for you are with Christ always, and Christ is always in the Father

 

((((((((((((  Faith  )))))))))))))

 

Until now you have asked nothing in the name of Christ

Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full

Whatever you ask in prayer; believing, you will receive

 

If you can, believe

Do not fear, only believe

All things are possible for him who believes

Truly, if you have but faith the size of a mustard seed

You can say to this mulberry tree, “be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea”

And it would obey you

 

If you had but faith the size of a mustard seed

You could say to this mountain, “move from here to there”.  And it will move

Nothing will be impossible for you

Believe me, whoever says to this mountain, “Be taken up and cast into the sea”

And does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass

It will be done for him

 

I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer,

Believe that you have received it, and it will be yours

The things which are impossible with men are possible with God

Have faith in God

 

((((((((((((  Entering The Kingdom  )))))))))))))

 

The Kingdom of God is when the two become one

When that which is without is as that which is within

When the male and the female are neither male nor female

For when you make the two, one

You become a son of God

And when you say “mountain move away”

It will move away

 

To enter the Kingdom become like an infant

When you make the two, one

When you make the inside like the outside and the outside like the inside

And make the above like the below

And when you make the male and the female one and the same

And when you fashion an eye in the place of the eye

And a hand in place of the hand

And a foot in place of a foot

And a likeness in place of a likeness

Then you will enter the Kingdom of God

Truly whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child shall not enter it

 

For the light of the body is the eye

If therefore your eye is single your whole body is light

But if your eye is divided, being part darkness, your whole body is darkness

Take heed therefore that the light within you is not darkness

For if the light which you are is darkness, how great is that darkness

He who is undivided is filled with light

He who is divided is filled with darkness

 

When you come to know yourself you will become what is known

       And you will come to realize that you are sons of the living Father

But if you do not know yourself you dwell in poverty

       And it is you who are that poverty

For whoever believes that he is less than the all is completely deficient

He who does not know himself knows nothing

      But he who knows himself knows the totality of the all

 

Blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear

Many prophets and righteous men desire to see what you see yet do not see it

      To hear what you hear but do not hear it

Heaven and earth will roll up in your presence

For whoever finds himself contains the world

 

So also can you receive the Kingdom of Heaven

But unless you receive it yourself through direct knowledge you will not be able to find it

No-one will ever enter the Kingdom of Heaven at my bidding

       But only because you yourself are whole

 

Hearken to the word

Understand knowledge

Love life

No-one persecutes or oppresses you other than you yourself

 

See rightly

The Kingdom of Heaven is within you

 

Hasten to be saved without being urged

Be eager of your own accord and if possible arrive even before me

Our Father will love you

Truly, he who receives life and enters the kingdom will never leave it

Not even the Father can banish him

 

You therefore be courageous and do not fear at all

I am with you and no enemy shall ever prevail over you

Peace be with you

Be strong

Become better than me

Become sons of the holy spirit

 

Everything I have said you have heard and received in faith

If you know these things for yourself, they are yours

If you do not know them for yourself, they are not yours

 

Now I go to the place from where I came

If you wish to come with me

Come

 

Father, into your hands I commit my spirit