Logion 27: <Jesus> said: If you do not fast to the world, you will not find the kingdom; if you do not keep the Sabbath as Sabbath, you will not see the Father.

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Noa: fast to the world may be a reference to finding stillness, quiet, meditation, etc.  It is helpful to meditate in order to see what the kingdom is. Not sure what the sabbath really represents here.

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Doug: Once again, Jesus is referencing the archetype of the Anchored Self and Floating Self.  But he is doing it in a new way. Fasting is an age-old practice of resetting oneself or preparing oneself for the new arising, for transformation.  The Ra group (session 42.12) says that through fasting, one can purge limiting thoughtforms (entity attachments that we have created or have been drawn to us by our vibrational condition of living) analogously.  At some point, the Ra group says, a person won’t need to fast because she/he will have the self-awareness to see what is specifically limiting them. They will have done their inner work and know what the blockages are. But for others, fasting is a kind of consciousness hack that raises the person’s vibrations anyways because of the intention AND faithfulness that goes into the practice of fasting.  When one raises their vibrations thusly, one becomes “too bright” and “too hot” with more love/light and negative entity attachments fall way or are transmuted into positive blessings.  This is magical work at its core.

The result of the mindset that wants to fast is one of surrender and chosen vulnerability.  This is the way to living from the Anchored Self. The word, “world,” is often used in biblical literature to signify what I am calling the “Floating Self.”  Thomas Keating identified three power centers of the floating self: power, prestige, and possessions. The “world,” the “floating self,” or “false self,” are all synonyms describing our egoic self which is a natural byproduct of living under third density’s veil of forgetting, described by the Ra group. In fact, the “world” could be seen as humanity’s collective floating self. 

The real spiritual journey of third density is to learn how to live from the anchored self and use the floating self to do good in the world (if one has chosen the positive path, that is).  The floating self, or the world, is not bad in and of themselves, because the veil of forgetting–which engendered the di-polar self–is holy and good.  And as we progress along the third density spiritual journey, we begin to tame or discipline the personality and egoic needs.  For the one on the positive path, there are only two ways this happens: through encountering great love and great suffering; and the journey is always one of surrender… of falling “upwards” as Richard Rohr penned it in his book of the same name.  This is represented this important Tarot card: 

The Kingdom that is to be found: 1) within us (which indwells the fullness of the Creator); 2) around us (the Ra group speaks in session 10.14 about how the Creator is found “in the mirror,” “in our other-selves,” and “in the creation around us;” 3) in the present moment, or eternal now (the “location” of the Infinite Creator; and 4) in fourth density which draws nigh upon us.  Heart-activated living belongs properly to fourth density living and one won’t “harvest” to fourth density unless one lives from their anchored self at least more than half of the time (says the Ra group).  I wrote a longer article describing “the Kingdom of God.” 

Finally, the “sabbath,” is a metaphor of meditation, silence of mind, healthy group ritual and fellowship.  This sacred time which is needed for everyone was institutionalized in Judaism and later, Christianity. Of course, all major religions share this impulse to hold as sacred some time each week.  This is definitely perennial wisdom. Yet, when it becomes obligatory and used as a way to shame others, then of course, it loses its meaning.  

But to put the Ra group’s spin on it, they say that finding silence of the mind is absolutely “key” (session 50.8). This leads to being able to hone the mind into “singleness of thought” and intention.  “Sabbath” is trying to get at this important spiritual principle. We must remember that Jesus was trying to reform his own religious tradition and so his mandate to “keep the Sabbath as Sabbath,” was likely a strong admonishment to his own culture and religion that said basically, “You are NOT using the sacred time as sacred time.  You want to see the “Father?” You want to live your religion right? Then start taking seriously how to “be” because “being” is the point.  Get “being” right and you’ll get “doing” correctly.” 

As Cynthia Bourgeault and other great teachers of non-dual Christianity say, Jesus was a master teacher of transformation.  His words are true for us just as they are true for the culture he was addressing.  

• Cosmic Christ
• Gospel of Thomas
• Law of One