Mysticism of Thomas Kempis: Nature and Grace- Doubting Thomas !

[Guest guest]

Namashkar Om --ji!

 

What an 'ingenious' addition to the List of Thomases! Yes ! We have

Thomases and Thomases - Thomas Jefferson ( President of U.S.A )

u.s.a ) , Thomas Hardy ?(famous writer) , Dylan Thmas ( famous poet-

singer) and of course Thomas alva Edison ( famous scientist who

invented the light bulb) and Thomas Malthus ( British economist ).

eC.

 

so , folks ...

 

How many Thomases do we need to fix the 'ADvaitin ' LIght-bulb?

 

May be 'one' maybe 'none' ! smile !

 

Michael, thank you for mentioning about

 

St. Thomas Aquinas (c.1225-1274)

 

St. Thomas Aquinas was born in Aquino, a town in southern Italy from

which he takes his surname. In his masterwork, *Summa Theologica,* he

represents the pinnacle of scholasticism, the philosophical and

theological school that flourished between 1100 and 1500 and

attempted to reconcile faith with reason and the works of Aristotle

with the scriptures! and he was canonised and that is why he was

called a Saint! Chitta: note Thomas Aquinas used to experience

mystical ecstasies all the time and that is why he gave up all

scholastic projects to pursue something more 'divine' !

 

Anyway - let us go back to Thomas the Apostle , whose sayings (114 of

them altogether, i read) Prof.VK ji has been discussing .

 

Why was Thomas called a 'doubting' Thomas ?

 

Thomas is believed to have said "Unless I shall see in His hands the

imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails

and put my hand into His side, I will not believe" (JN. 20:25)"

and Thomas was also not present on that Sunday evening when Jesus

gave his blessing and this was misinterpreted by other disciples!

But , it was Thomas who was the most loyal to the teachings of Jesus!

Jesus himself says this of Thomas ') "All that the Father gives Me

will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast

out. Andrew may be my personal favorite among the apostles but I

identify most with Thomas. If Peter is the most well-known of the

apostles, certainly Thomas is close behind. And his is an even more

universal character. Not all can identify with the bold, assertive

Peter but almost all have their moments of doubt like Thomas."

 

Apostle Thomas moved forward because Jesus 'satisfied' all his doubts

and answered all his questions ! Thomas the apostle was attentive

and learned from his Master and became the perfect disciple ! (

GURUKKU MINJIYA sIKSHAN - disciple taking over the master) ! sO MUCH

SO, Thomas is the patron saint odf many south indians specially

Keralites! ( they are caleed syrian christians )

 

There are many 'doubting thomases' among us but we get stuck in

our 'doubts' and are afraid to ask and therefore we do not move

forward! But 'ask' by all means - inquire submissively from a learned

person and quench your thirst for knowledge and move forward ! That

is what Arjuna did - Lord Krishna answered all his questions

patiently to quell all his doubts ! ( this is called sandeha

nivaranam- )

 

To professor vkji's list of Thomas's sayings, may i add a few

favorites of mine ?

 

1)Jesus saw infants being suckled. He said to his disciples, "These

infants being suckled are like those who enter the kingdom." They

said to him, "Shall we then, as children, enter the kingdom?" Jesus

said to them , "When you make the two one, and when you make the

inside like the outside and the outside like the inside, and the

above like the below, and when you make the male and the female one

and the same, so that the male not be male nor the female female; and

when you fashion eyes in place of an eye, and a hand in place of a

hand, and a foot in place of a foot, and a likeness in place of a

likeness ; then will you enter [the kingdom]." ( can a learned member

explain this to me ? )

 

(2) His (jesus) disciples said to him, "Show us the place where you

are, since it is necessary for us to seek it." He said to

them, "Whoever has ears, let him hear. There is light within a man of

light, and he lights up the whole world. If he does not shine, he is

darkness."

 

3) His disciples said, "When will you become revealed to us and when

shall we see you?" Jesus said, "When you disrobe without being

ashamed and take up your garments and place them under your feet like

little children and tread on them, then [will you see] the son of the

living one, and you will not be afraid." ( Wow! Very Tantric ! That

is what disciples do when they approach their tantric guru during

their initiation!

 

and this last one, i simply love!

 

4)Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of

heaven." ( believe me , spiritual poverty is the worst )

 

On another note , i don't know how many of you have visited Chennai ?

( ben-ji! be sure to include it in your India trip - apart from the

beautiful south indian women you come across , Chennai has a lot to

offer to a TOURIST- BEACHES, TEMPLES AND A SOUTH INDIAN CULTURE AND

CUISINE THE BEST ) ! and Bebji - you will find that in Mylapore in

Chennai, you can see the Magnificent Kapaleeshwera temple ( lord

shiva) and the St. Thomas church - Peaceful co-existence! Smile!

 

anyway , on this monday morning,

 

let me conclude :

 

a Verse from Shiva mahima stotra

 

The different practices based on the three Vedas, SaMkhya, Yoga,

Pashupata-mata, VaishhNava-mata etc. are but different paths (to

reach to the Greatest Truth) and people on account of their different

aptitude choose from them whatever they think best and deserved to be

accepted. But as the sea is the final resting place for all types of

streams , You are the only reaching place for all people whichever

path,straight or zigzag, they may accept.(7)

 

ALL PATHS LEAD TO THE SAME DESTINATION ! LET THERE BE NO DOUBT!

 

 

LOVE AND LIGHT

[Guest guest]

Dear AdiMa,

 

advaitin, "adi_shakthi16" <adi_shakthi16>

wrote:

> St. Thomas Aquinas was born in Aquino, a town in southern

> Italy from which he takes his surname. In his masterwork,

> *Summa Theologica,* he represents the pinnacle of scholasticism,

> the philosophical and theological school that flourished

> between 1100 and 1500 and attempted to reconcile faith

> with reason and the works of Aristotle with the scriptures!

> and he was canonised and that is why he was called a Saint!

> Chitta: note Thomas Aquinas used to experience mystical

> ecstasies all the time and that is why he gave up all

> scholastic projects to pursue something more 'divine' !

 

The scholastic period that was rooted in the writings of Aristotle

began in Europe with St.Thomas Aquinas. But Aquinas himself became

familiar with Aristotelian thought through the Arabs, for it was the

Arabs that preserved the Greek classics when Europe lay in darkness,

and it was they that brought these books to Europe when the Islamic

Empire spread to Spain. Yes, there are similarities between Aquinas

and Advaita - somewhat - but I would say that it was St.Augustine

that came closer to Advaita. Augustine was a Platonist whereas

Acquinas was an Aristotelian. The 'evil' in Augustine's philosophy is

very much like the 'avidya' of Advaita - it doesn't exist. It is a

privation only.

 

> Jesus himself says this of Thomas ') "All that the Father gives

> Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no

> means cast out. Andrew may be my personal favorite among the

> apostles but I identify most with Thomas. If Peter is the most

> well-known of the apostles, certainly Thomas is close behind.

> And his is an even more universal character. Not all can

> identify with the bold, assertive Peter but almost all have

> their moments of doubt like Thomas."

 

And what did Jesus say about Mary? :-)

 

> Jesus said to them , "When you make the two one, and when

> you make the inside like the outside and the outside like

> the inside, and the above like the below, and when you make

> the male and the female one and the same, so that the male

> not be male nor the female female; and when you fashion

> eyes in place of an eye, and a hand in place of a hand, and

> a foot in place of a foot, and a likeness in place of a

> likeness; then will you enter [the kingdom]." ( can a

> learned member explain this to me ? )

 

In the beginning of the Gospel of Thomas, it is said that the living

Jesus spoke and Didymos Judas Thomas wrote down the words. And he

said, "Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not

experience death."

 

So, the learned member here who finds the interpretion of this saying

will not experience death! :-)

 

Warm regards,

Chittaranjan

[Guest guest]

Chittaranjanji wrote:

The scholastic period that was rooted in the writings of Aristotle

began in Europe with St.Thomas Aquinas. But Aquinas himself became

familiar with Aristotelian thought through the Arabs, for it was the

Arabs that preserved the Greek classics when Europe lay in darkness,

and it was they that brought these books to Europe when the Islamic

Empire spread to Spain.

 

 

Namaste Chittaranjanji,

Re the beginnings of Scholasticism, Britannica offers

the idea that Boethius in the 5th.Cent. is the founder of it or that it

all really began when the School of Athens which links to the Academy of

Plato was closed. He was a Platonist who held that reason ought to be

allied to faith. His famous book is 'The Consolations of Philosophy'.

However this incipient rationalism was checked by the work of Dionysius

the Aeropagite with its apophatic theology. Most of the major figures In

Scholasticism wrote commentaries on it. One might say that it was the

constant counterbalance to the rationalism which is the fata morgana of

those given to excessive lucubration.

 

Thomas Aquinas must then be regarded as a figure of Late Scholasticism.

All learning was scholastic and major universities such as Paris, Bologna,

Oxford were Scholastic foundations. Latin was the lingua franca and only

in the last generation (20 C.)has it been abandoned along with Greek as

the foundation of a liberal education.(from liber- free as against the

techne education which was for 'slaves')

 

Of course Scholasticism lingered on into modern times, Locke and Descartes

were influenced by its problem fields.

 

Liberally yours,

Michael.

[Guest guest]

Namaste Sri Michaelji,

 

advaitin, ombhurbhuva <ombhurbhuva@e...> wrote:

>

> Chittaranjanji wrote:

> The scholastic period that was rooted in the writings of Aristotle

> began in Europe with St.Thomas Aquinas. >

>

> Michaelji wrote:

> Re the beginnings of Scholasticism, Britannica offers the idea

> that Boethius in the 5th.Cent. is the founder of it or that it

> all really began when the School of Athens which links to the

> Academy of Plato was closed. He was a Platonist who held that

> reason ought to be allied to faith. His famous book is 'The

> Consolations of Philosophy'. However this incipient rationalism

> was checked by the work of Dionysius the Aeropagite with its

> apophatic theology. Most of the major figures In Scholasticism

> wrote commentaries on it. One might say that it was the

> constant counterbalance to the rationalism which is the fata

> morgana of those given to excessive lucubration.

>

> Thomas Aquinas must then be regarded as a figure of Late

> Scholasticism.

 

 

You are right of course. I had meant to say that Aquinas was the

beginning of Scholasticism with an Aritsotelian flavour, but the

wording of my sentence was not unambiguous. Thanks for the

clarification.

 

Also, my apologies for not replying to your previous post. I was a

bit wary of getting into a discussion on evolution.

 

Warm regards,

Chittaranjan